Paper Music CD

Paper Music TWO AGAINST NATURE won the 2001 Grammy Award for Album Of The Year, won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album, won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album and "Cousin Dupree" won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. In the 20 years that elapsed between 1980's GAUCHO and its follow-up, Steely Dan linchpins Donald Fagen and Walter Becker dabbled in solo projects, toured with the Rock & Soul Revue, and spent most of the '90s gearing up for the band's long-awaited eighth studio album, TWO AGAINST NATURE. Only nine songs long, TWO AGAINST NATURE is a clear example of quality over quantity. As has been the modus operandi throughout Steely Dan's existence, Fagen and Becker gathered an impressive backup crew of jazz players with impeccable chops to season the proceedings. With both Becker and Fagen hovering around age 50, it's not surprising that most of this rich material deals with the uncertainties of middle age. Themes addressed include the complexities of relationships, whether they involve family ("Cousin Dupree"), a toxic significant other ("Negative Girl"), or an old flame met by chance ("What a Shame About Me"). Throughout, Steely Dan manages to successfully straddle the lines between light jazz, bebop, and the fusion from which the duo has previously borrowed nuances. Live Recording Recorded at River Sound, Clinton Sound and Electric Lady, New York, New York; Hyperbolic Sound, Maui, Hawaii. Engineers include: Phil Burnett, Roger Nichols, Elliot Scheiner. Personnel: Any Helm (whistling); Dean Parks, Hugh McCracken, Paul Jackson, Jr. , Walter Becker (guitar); Jon Herington (acoustic guitar); Lawrence Feldman (clarinet, saxophone, tenor saxophone); Roger Rosenberg (bass clarinet, baritone saxophone); David Tofani (saxophone); Chris Potter (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Lou Marini (alto saxophone); Michael Leonhart (trumpet, Wurlitzer organ); Michael Hitchcock (trumpet); Jim Pugh (trombone); Donald Fagen (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, organ, Wurlitzer organ); Ted Baker (piano, Fender Rhodes piano); David Schenk, Steve Shapiro (vibraphone); Michael White (drums, snare drum); Ricky Lawson (drums); Leroy Clouden, Sonny Emory, Keith Carlock, Vinnie Colaiuta (snare drum); Daniel Sadownick (timbales, percussion); Will Lee , Gordon Gottlieb (percussion); Cynthia Calhoun, Mike Harvey, Carolyn Leonhart (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Dave Russell ; Roger Nichols . Recording information: Clinton Sound, New York, NY; Electric Lady, New York, NY; Hyperbolic Sound, Maui, HI; River Sound, New York, NY. Editor: Jan Folkson. Photographers: Walter Becker; Jason Fulford. Arrangers: Donald Fagen; Walter Becker. Steely Dan: Donald Fagen (vocals, keyboards); Walter Becker (guitar, bass). Additional personnel: Hugh McCracken, Jon Herington, Dean Parks, Paul Jackson Jr. (guitar); Roger Rosenborg (clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone); Roger Rosenberg, Lawrence Feldman (clarinet, saxophone); Roy Hitchcock (clarinet); Lou Marini, Chris Potter, Dave Tofani (saxophone); Michael Leonhart (trumpet, Wurlitzer); Jim Pugh (trombone); Ted Baker (piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Steve Shapiro, Dave Shank (vibraphone); Tom Barney (bass); Keith Carlock, Vinnie Colaiuta, Michael White, Ricky Lawson, Sonny Emory, Leroy Clouden (drums); Daniel Sadownick, Gordon Gottlieb ...

Paper Music Easily the most angular and eccentric Genesis album, FOXTROT is where Peter Gabriel's idiosyncratic lyricism bears full fruit. "Get 'em Out By Friday" and "Watcher of the Skies" brim with Gabriel's quirky combination of poetics, politics, and philosophy, and with the tricky time signatures and instrumental flights that are early-Genesis trademarks. Though these are some of the most powerful, memorable songs in the Genesis catalog, FOXTROT's centerpiece is the 23-minute epic "Supper's Ready," a prog-rock classic that moves through several sections, shifting tempo, mood, and tone colors as it weaves its rich, complex tale. This composition would become Genesis diehards' most beloved tune, known as a concert favorite for years. SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND may be the definitive Genesis album, but FOXTROT runs a close second, and is just as much of a gem in the '70s progressive rock crown. Genesis (U.K. Band): Tony Banks (guitar, background vocals); Peter Gabriel (oboe, tambourine); Mike Rutherford (bass instrument, background vocals); Phil Collins (background vocals); Steve Hackett. Personnel: Mike Rutherford (vocals, guitar, 12-string guitar, cello); Peter Gabriel (vocals, 12-string guitar, cello, flute, bass drum, percussion); Tony Banks (vocals, 12-string guitar, piano, electric piano, organ, Mellotron, keyboards); Phil Collins (vocals, drums, percussion); Steve Hackett (guitar, electric guitar, 12-string guitar). Audio Remasterers: Chris Blair; Geoff Callingham; Nick Davis . Recording information: Island Studios, London, England. Photographers: Geoff Terrill; Barry Wentzell. Unknown Contributor Role: Steve Hackett. Arranger: Genesis .

Paper Music Includes liner notes by Barbara Graham, Theodore Levin, Jonathan Goldman. Back in the late 1980s, Bobby McFerrin unveiled his sensational a cappella vocal group Voicestra, but the peripatetic singer/composer (and now conductor) waited nearly a decade before putting anything out in that concept, and on a classical label yet! Taking the lead, the rubber-voiced McFerrin sets up revolving wordless vocal patterns, and he and the group improvise what amount to eight individual mantras. The songs have no titles -- only "Circlesong One," "Circlesong Two," et al -- yet they use all kinds of African, Middle Eastern, and other vocal or vocal percussive techniques, as well as studio production embellishments, to shape them after the fact. The 12 singers in this Voicestra are a freely eclectic mixture of R&B, gospel, pop, and jazz vocalists (including the Manhattan Transfer's Janis Siegel), performance artists, opera and classical singers, yet they blend together in an astonishingly homogenous manner when used in this fashion. The first "Circlesong" is the most immediately fetching, built around a single riff as McFerrin hollers and moans over the shifting voices, but all of them contain some amazing ideas, and at a mere 42 minutes, the album does not wear out its welcome as it might have, had McFerrin stretched the music out to the usual CD length. It's hard to figure out what category to put this disc in -- maybe next to Ladysmith Black Mambazo on the world music shelf -- but labels don't matter in a soundworld with this much imagination and heart. ~ Richard S. Ginell Recorded at The Hit Factory, New York, New York in May 1996. Personnel: Bobby McFerrin (vocals, percussion); Pamela Warrick-Smith, Dave Worm, Joey Blake, Rhiannon, Sussan Deyhim, Beth Quist, Paul Hillier, Raz Kennedy (vocals). Audio Mixer: Chris Tergesen. Liner Note Author: Jonathan Goldman. Recording information: Hit Factory, New York, NY (1997). Personnel: Bobby McFerrin, Beth Quist, Nick Bearde, Joey Blake, Pierre Cook, Sussan Deyhim, Kirsten Falke, Paul Hillier, Raz Kennedy, Rhiannon, Janis Siegal, Pamela Warrick Smith, David Worm (vocals).

Paper Music The informal title says a great deal about the contents of The Mozart Sessions, which could have been called Concerti for Piano and Orchestra, Nos. 23 and 20, since that is, for the most part, what it is. But of course the conductors, vocalist Bobby McFerrin and jazz keyboard player Chick Corea, are not your average classical musicians. Nor is there any doubt about the non-traditional nature of the recording, when it starts with McFerrin's patented improvisational vocals followed by Corea's piano inventions under the title "Prelude." So, for a start, purists should be warned away. On the other hand, the more adventurous may be slightly disappointed, since after they get the preliminaries out of the way, McFerrin and Corea, aided and abetted by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, turn in pleasant but unexceptional readings of the concerti, with Corea especially eschewing any attempt at dazzle in what are usually showcase pieces. The piano work is fluid and the orchestral accompaniment delicate, but the principals seem sufficiently concerned about getting anything wrong not to really take off. At the end, as Corea once again improvises in tandem with McFerrin's voice, one longs for more of their interaction, perhaps in a less restrictive context. ~ William Ruhlmann Editor: Todd Whitelock. Illustrator: McDavid Henderson. Photographers: Greg Helgeson; David Katzenstein. Unknown Contributor Role: Saint Paul Chamber And Minneapolis Orchestra (members of). Personnel: Bobby McFerrin (vocals); Rob Rapley (recorder); Chick Corea (piano). Recording information: Donald Benson Great Hall, Bethel College, St. Paul, MN (02/05/1996-05/21/1996); Masonic Grand Lodge, New York, NY (02/05/1996-05/21/1996).

Paper Music An album with a somewhat spiritual turn, the standout track is "The Garden." ~ Hank Davis Recorded at The Skywalker Ranch, Marin County, California; The Hit Factory, New York; Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California. Personnel: Bobby McFerrin (vocals); Lyle Mays (keyboards); Pete Escovedo, Juan Escovedo (percussion). Audio Mixer: Chris Tergesen. Recording information: Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA; Hit Factory, New York, NY; Skywalker Sound, Nicasio, CA; Technisonic Studios, St. Louis, MO. Unknown Contributor Roles: Dave Worm; Rachel Bagby; Joey Blake; Rhiannon; Linda Tillery. Arranger: Bobby McFerrin. Personnel: Bobby McFerrin, Robert McFerrin, Sr. (vocals); Lyle Mays (keyboards); Pete Escovedo, Juan Escovedo (percussion). Voicestra: Rachel Bagby, Roger Bearde, Joey Blake, Kirsten Folke, Molly Holm, Sara Jennison, Raz Kennedy, Rhiannon, Linda Tillery, Dave Worm (vocals).

Paper Music To get back to the traditional style that originally inspired them, Chick Corea and his trio that formed the nucleus of the Elektric Band of the '80s unplugged themselves to form the Akoustic Band. This self-titled disc, with John Patitucci (bass) and Dave Weckl (drums), offers a very muscular approach to tried-and-true standards like "Autumn Leaves," "Sophisticated Lady" and "Someday My Prince Will Come." Corea's nimble, percussive piano style mates well with Patitucci's acrobatic bass playing and Weckl's over-the-top approach to traditional jazz drumming. What these guys do best is blow the roof off the place, especially on Corea originals "Morning Sprite" and the classic "Spain." It's not all chops and fire, though, as the standard ballad "My One And Only Love" offers some beautifully delicate swinging by one and all. This is not an album in the classic piano trio style, but one that reflects that tradition in an exciting, contemporary way. Recorded at Clinton Recording Studios, New York, New York. Chick Corea Akoustic Band: Chick Corea (piano); John Patutucci (acoustic bass); Dave Weckl (drums). Personnel: Chick Corea (piano, keyboards); Dave Weckl (drums). Liner Note Author: Chick Corea. Recording information: New York, NY (01/02/1989/01/03/1989). Arranger: Chick Corea.