Music reviews - 12-27-06
This week: new discs by Lumiere and the White Hots
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A custom Bernie Lehman guitar is a rare bird indeed. Rarer still are fingers that can really make one of these beauties sing. Lumiere’s Roy Berns has got 10 of ’em and they coax, caress, and cajole Django-esque phrases and rhythms of aching fire and beauty. Equally proficient are upright bassist Brian Williams, who brings the swing wherever he goes, and accordionist Ed Marris, whose digits give color to the melodious scene. At Last is a beautiful departure; you’re swept away instantly to all those images that gypsy jazz paints. Cafés, cobblestones, fresh bread, coffee, and hand-rolled cigarettes --- all props in Lumiere’s romantically picturesque music. The trio belies the music’s complexity with an unparalleled talent and elegance. At Last is both simple and essential. --- Frank De Blase
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Caught In The Act has the band exploring a few standards with ingenious augmentation, like a brilliant minor take on “Folsom Prison Blues” where Albright breathes the lyrics ala Julie London, or the band’s smart aleck march through Hank’s “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” complete with nose flute solo. Still the band’s originals shine brightest for me. Just dig guitarists Greene and Disljenkovic trade off licks on “Mechanical Pizza.” This is class act Caught In The Act. --- Frank De Blase |
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