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CESARIA EVORA
Sangue de Beirona - 12" remixes by Joe Claussell & Francois K
(Wave Music/RCA)
The music of singer Cesaria Evora is firmly rooted in her birthplace, Mindelo on the Cape Verde island of Sao Vincente. Like most port towns, Mindelo had a thriving night life. Music was everywhere in the clubs, in the streets, on the beach and all styles of music were in vogue: ballads, waltzes and the fox-trot. The most popular styles were the coladera and the morna, a slow and rhythmic song-form expressing nostalgia, love, sadness, and longing, the Cape Verdean version of the blues.

With a voice conveying power, vulnerability, and an emotional affinity for morna, Evora has brought this unique expression of creole culture to international audiences. With a relaxed manner and palpable confidence, she has been widely embraced as "The Barefoot Diva" in literal reference to her style on stage, demonstrating her solidarity with the disadvantaged women and children of her country's streets. Cesaria Evora, who is often compared to Edith Piaf, Billie Holiday, and Bessie Smith, recreates the dreamy atmosphere of the Cape Verdean nights with her blend of intoxicating vocals and compelling lyrics.

Now a whiskey-drinking, cigarette-puffing grandmother, Cesaria Evora has succeeded in exporting her tiny nation's sounds to Europe and the U.S, in recordings and live performances. You won't guess her habits or her age from her voice, soft and engaging as a large cloud in a sunny sky.

What might seem like a far fetching remix work of Evoras Sangue de Beirona comes out perfectly well when one consider that the morna originally was performed in the clubs of Mindelo. The music of Cesaria Evora is on this double 12" once again brought, from the international concert halls, back to the night life and club scene by the remix mastery of Joaquin "Joe" Claussell and Francois K. A inspiring club scene where House music merge Brazilian rhythms, soul music, disco and gospel into new dimensions of dance music.

Francois K´s work on The Main Pass 12" is satisfying, the song and vocals left intact, only a straight house beat added. The remix Body and Soul Vocal on the flip side shines. Joe Claussell has added live percussion and Jepthe Guillaume plays acoustic guitar. Soft Latin Fender Rhodes and a huge bass line. The dub is deep with vibrant keyboard cadences.

PEANUT BUTTER WOLF
My Vinyl Weights A Ton
(Copasetic Recording)
There is obviously a turn in the music industry right now. The focus is now again on the producer, like it was in the sixties when Phil Spector, Barry Gordy and Norman Whitfield ruled the music industry. In those days the artists was mere a tool that the producer utilized to make his view of music come true.

A few years back Peanut Butter Wolf formed Stones Throw records and has since then made 16 solid West Coast indie releases, from Racso´s debut full length album Time Waits For No Man to Lootpack´s 12" brilliant The Anthem.

On My Vinyl Weights A Ton Peanut Butter Wolf has gathered some of his friends, like DJ Babu, Q Bert, Cut Chemist of Jurassic Five and Ozomatli fame and Kid Koala. The result is a more than satisfying fix.

My Vinyl... has a variety that is seldom achieved on a hip hop album. The raw In Your Area featuring Planet Asia opens the musical adventure. Followed by the two single tracks Styles, Crews, Flows, Beats featuring Lootpack and the funky dance floor scratch anthem Casio which features PB Wolf alongside Beatjunkie Babu. Rasco´s Hold Up built on a shimmering bass and drum loop with a nice scratch added is as tight as anything on Rasco´s own album. Last years Run The Line is also included on My Vinyl..., and is more Rasco/PB Wolf ear candy. Kazi rip the mic apart on Breaks ´Em Down, one of the more rugged tracks. Breaks ´Em Down is built on Bo Hansson´s The Gray Harbors from his mid 70 ´s concept album Lord Of The Rings inspired by JRR Tolkiens books. Bo Hansson is a Swedish multi instrumentalist and has played with Jimi Hendrix on the not so good War Heroes album.

Turntablistically speaking, the album has a nice mixture of straight up tracks and more melodically driven instrumental joints (a la PB Wolf's effort on The Return of The DJ album). Phonies is an interesting dab of both, flipping samples from ATCQ, James Brown, King Sun and others to make for quite a pleasant listen. Tale of Five Cities pairs 5 different grandmasters together for a 8 and half minute bang of the turntables and their wax.

MOODYMANN
A Silent Introduction
(Planet E)
Moodymann is a mysterious man. He doesn´t give interviews, doesn´t want to be photographed. His real name is Kenny Dixon JR, that is as much as we know about him.

In a perfect world the music of Moodymann would cause as much rumble as any Cassius or Stardust. A Silent Introduction is an apt title for an album from a man shrouded in as much mystery, it is a compilation of his best moments on the rare KDJ label. Moodymann´s sound is embedded in simple based twisted disco, abstract jazz and the unmistakable sound of Detroit techno. He is retro but future, minimalist but groovy.

On I Can´t Kick This Feeling When It Hits built on Chic´s I Want You are slick guitar riffs woven to a warbling bass line and looped vocals, making it hypnotic and addictive.

Answering Machine shows his humorous side as he laces together a mish mash of previous KDJ releases. Sunday Morning is a chill out classic with abstract jazzy keys, horns, bird flutter, and on top of it all the soulful voice from Norma Jean Bell counterpointing a soprano sax.