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Ravi Shankar
Nine Decades: Vol. 1 1967-1968
(East Meets West Music)
****
I first heard sitar master Ravi Shankar live at the Jubilee Auditorium in 1973. The music was hypnotic and the performance electrifying. This recording is the first in a projected multi-volume series of rare and previously unreleased recordings selected by Shankar from his massive performance archive. The major work on this disk readily transports the listener back to Shankar’s early days. “Raga Gangeshwari” (essentially three fourths of the duration of the album) was recorded live at an outdoor concert in a temple on the banks of the River Ganges outside Allahabad, India in 1968. Although recorded on primitive equipment, it still has presence and character not unlike Shankar’s 1973 concert. The brief liner notes are by Shankar himself, allowing him to express his artistic and musical philosophies as well as general aspects of his compositional process. This is a MUST for Shankar aficionados.
Jerry A. Ozipko

Amy Horvey
Interview
(Malasartes Musique)
****1/2
In jazz, it is nothing strange to have a CD released by a trumpeter. Not so in the classical field. Amy Horvey is in a league of her own. Among those in the know, she is considered a genius. Big word, but justified fully by what we hear on the Ottawa-based musician’s debut CD. From a point of view of a composer exploring the “uncharted territories,” Horvey is a dream-interpreter. Technically impeccable, she also has incredible interpretive intelligence, emotional sensitivity and a great deal of enthusiasm for even the weirdest compositions, sometimes including strong extra-musical elements. There are two highlights on this CD, namely Cecilia Arditto’s “Música Invisible,” a fantastically innovative piece with a slew of unusual, yet beautiful sounds, and “Apparatus inconcinnus” from Canada’s own Ryan Purchase, a theatrical piece in which the trumpet sounds like a happily inebriated village storyteller. Magnificent!
Piotr Grella-Mozejko

Civil Twilight
I Will Be
(Wind-Up Records)
***1/2
Listening to Civil Twilight’s self-titled album could be chalked up to a history lesson in popular British (and Irish) music of the last 30 years. The South African trio borrow generously from their influences. “Soldier” is propelled by a Police-esque bass line, “Letters From The Sky” is one of many slow builders that hints at Coldplay or Muse and “Perfect Stranger” is an echo guitar driven number that sounds like it could be a U2 B-side. It would be easy to dismiss Civil Twilight as just another band copying their heroes, but you get the feeling they are only scratching the surface, a little more time and they could be “the next big thing.” This debut effort won’t put them in the big leagues just yet, but none of their heroes were quite there after one album either.
David Falk

Ori Dagan
S’cat Got My Tongue
(Scatcat Records)
****
Toronto jazz vocalist Ori Dagan knows all the words and makes up a few of his own for his first album. His love of bebop kicks off the record with high energy on “Four Brothers” and the album continues with an eclectic mix well suited to show off his vocal talent. As Dagan confesses on the title track, “this might sound absurd, but sometimes I don’t wish to sing words.” He manages to stick to the lyrics to give a solid performance on standards like “My Favorite Things” and “Swinging on a Star.” Other tracks display his impressive gift for vocal improv. In a duet with Julie Michels for “Old Mother Hubbard,” the scatting takes over and Dagan’s pure joy for his music is tangible. The track that really caught my ear was the Brazilian bossa nova standard “Dindi.” On this, and a few other subdued tunes, Dagan proves he can spit out words faster than you can think, but also slow down and gently tug at your heartstrings.
Jen Hoyer

Sarah Blackwood
Wasting Time
(Stomp Records)
**1/2
Sarah Blackwood fronts Toronto psychobilly act The Creepshow, but you wouldn’t necessarily guess it from a listen to her latest solo CD Wasting Time. Rather than the usual zombie, hell and fast cars fare, Blackwood pulls together 11 tracks of traditional-template, backwoods hoedown country pop belted out with a voice even Dolly would be proud of. It’s simple, folksy stuff, for the most part sticking to the girl-and-a-guitar bit, but occasionally bringing in a full band as in “Way Round,” far and away the album’s top charmer. Daniel Flamm joins in for a couple duets on “I’ll Keep On Waiting” and “These Are The Days,” but these tend to be a little on the corny side. Blackwood’s hillbilly lyrical grammar (liberally peppered with “ain’t”) seems slightly put on, but no one can deny the pipes spouting it are a force to be reckoned with.
Robin Schroffel