Steve Cropper & Felix Cavaliere - Midnight Flyer

Steve Cropper & Felix Cavaliere - Midnight Flyer
2010, Concord Records

Felix Cavaliere’s personal history in rock n roll reads like kismet. Originally a member of Joey Dee & The Starliters, Cavaliere moved on to associations with The Young Rascals, The Stereos and The Escorts before moving into a successful though intermittent solo career. Along the way Cavaliere has produced albums for folks such as Jimmie Spheeris and Laura Nyro. Steve Cropper is the house guitarist for Stax Records and also served as a member of The Blues Brothers Band. Recently the two got together to make a bit of magic in the form of Midnight Flyer, due out tomorrow.

Midnight Flyer opens with "You Give Me All I Need", a vibrant love song that mixes 1970's AM Rock and Soul. It's a solid, mildly danceable tune the Bee Gees would be proud of, but Cavaliere's soulful vocal line brings it to a higher level and Cropper's artful guitar fills are icing on the cake. Twenty years ago this is a top-10 hit, and even today don't be surprised if Cropper & Cavaliere find significant chart success with "You Give Me All I Need". Funk, soul and dance mix nicely on "Midnight Flyer", a highly danceable tune you won't be able to get out of your head. Cropper & Cavaliere manage to capture a sound that's both timeless and fresh. "When You're With Me" is a love song with a Motown-lite Feel; a solid tune with commercial legs.

One of the best performances on the album is "I Can't Stand It", a slice of Chicago soul written by Smokey McAllister featuring Aria Cavaliere in a vocal duet with her father. The energy here is over the top. Cavaliere moves into Marvin Gaye territory with "Chance With Me", a heavy but slinky soul tune that will stick with you. Cropper & Cavaliere surf the divide between soul, funk and disco on "Move The House", the most unashamedly dance-oriented tune on the album. It's a classic moment that makes the most of retro sound and the vitality of today. "Sexy Lady" is a wonderfully retro song of desire; don't be surprised if this song is licensed six ways to Sunday for television and movies over the next few years.

"Early Morning Riser" has a solid groove, and "All Night Long" has a vague island feel to it, but it's the Memphis Soul of Ann Peebles' "I Can't Stand The Rain" that really revs up the back end of the album. The penultimate song of Midnight Flyer is a show-stopper, and likely will be on stage as well. Cavaliere stretches his vocal chords a bit here in a fine performance, also providing zest on keys. Cropper and Cavaliere say goodnight with "Do It Like This", a lively instrumental that finds Cropper at his best, showing off wicked blues-based riffs that Cavaliere teases with subtle but powerful work on the keys.

Steve Cropper & Felix Cavaliere have a serious party on their hands with Midnight Flyer, arguably the best classic soul & funk album of the year to date. It's hard to imagine this album not residing on a host of year-end lists. While perhaps not the freshest work of Cavaliere's career, he's certainly captured the vigor of youth on what may be destined to be one of his bestselling albums.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Felix Cavaliere at http://www.felixcavaliere.com/. Learn more about Steve Cropper at http://www.playitsteve.com/. Midnight Flyer drops June 15, 2010. CDs are available from Amazon. Expect wide availability in multiple formats.

Monica Mancini - I've Loved These Days

Monica Mancini - I've Loved These Days
2010, Concord Records

Even if you're talented in your own right, it never hurts to have a famous mom or dad. Monica Mancini has long since escaped the filial shadow, amassing an impressive body of work over the years between studio work and appearances on countless movie scores over the years, but she got her start in her dad's The Henry Mancini Chorus. Over the years Mancini has recorded with artists such as Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson and Placido Domingo, and she has sung with symphonies the world over. Mancini's latest studio effort, I've Loved These Days is a collection of highly refined cover songs and features guest appearances from Brian Wilson, Jackson Browne, Take 6, Stevie Wonder and Felix Cavaliere. With production by none other than Phil Ramone and Gregg Field, I've Loved These Days greets the world steeped in impeccable sound and taste.

I've Loved These Days opens with Jackson Browne's "These Days", with Browne sitting in on vocals and guitar. Mancini offers up an interpretation that is both honest and reserved, like a quiet conversation with an old friend. Mancini's is one of those voices that wraps itself around you and welcomes you like family; not flashy but warm and full of life. Brian Wilson and Take 6 sit in on the Beach Boys' classic "God Only Knows". Mancini is superb, but the true highlight is when all of the voices merge in harmony, creating some heavenly atmospherics in the process. Mancini's take on Paul Simon's "American Tune" (the first of two Simon tunes on the album) is inspired; her mildly understated delivery dovetailing perfectly with the highly thoughtful poetry Simon provides.

Stevie Wonder sits in on harmonica for "Blame It On The Sun", a song he wrote and originally performed with Syreeta Wright. Mancini's take here is genuine and fresh, full of a wistfulness that is palpable. "Without Him" (Harry Nilsson) finds Mancini opening up the dynamic range a tad, showing flashes of the performer she is on stage. Felix Cavaliere sits in on Hammond B-3 for his "How Can I Be Sure", a song full of trepidation and a solid mix of love and on-going heartbreak. Mancini shows more of her dramatic side here, getting inside of the song like it came from her own heart. The Beatles classic "I'll Follow The Sun" is presented in Muzak format, and Mancini does justice to the vocal line, but Shelly Berg's arrangement is just too passive to match the song's heart.

On "Ballad Of The Sad Young Men", Mancini sounds more like a classic chanteuse, offering up a sleepy but heartfelt lullaby for all who have seen better days. "Something So Right" (Paul Simon) finds Mancini at her best; quiet and reserved but with real energy that speaks of emotion and intellect. You might guess that Mancini connects with Simon's work on a personal level from the two selections offered here. Mancini's take on Billy Joel's "I've Loved These Days" comes off sounding like a quiet soliloquy from a Broadway show. Where Joel's original is a reminiscence from someone who started at the bottom and made it to the top, Mancini's is a bit too refined to be believable in the same context. Nevertheless, Mancini quietly bowls you over with her vocal performance, and the song works in spite of the dichotomy. Mancini closes with Janis Ian's "Joy", a thoroughly heartfelt rendition that even the most severe Ian fan would approve of.

From the airbrushed cover photo right down to the last meticulously crafted and produced note, I've Loved These Days has been perfected and polished to immaculate proportions. This turns out to be the one complaint about the album. Everything here is so finely crafted that you lose sight of what a great performer Mancini really is. I've Loved These Days is exceptional, most likely a Grammy nominee before all is said and done, but it would be nice to have heard Mancini tackle these songs in a less scripted recording environment. Considering some of the people involved in this project, and the wonderful textures and nuances of Mancini's voice, what is highly refined and polished might have become magical.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Monica Mancini at http://www.monicamancini.com/. I've Loved These Days drops on June 15, 2010. You can pre-order a copy through Amazon.