Jason Sinay - Ape & The Wall Of Questions

Jason Sinay – Ape & The Wall Of Questions
2011, Apus Maximus

Jason Sinay is a musician’s musician; a top-of-the line session player who has worked with the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis, Neil Diamond, Dr. John, Neil Young, Keith Richards, Tift Merrit, Billy Preston and Ivan Neville (among others).  The seemingly natural born guitarist can play literally anything and play it well.  While Sinay has spent much of his career in the background supporting musical luminaries, he is also quite capable as a front man.  The point is proved on his second solo album, Ape & The Wall Of Questions.

Sinay opens up with a bluesy-folk take on the classic “Jack-A-Roe”.  Sinay’s voice is competent and clear, but it’s his subtly impressive guitar work that takes center stage here, evoking thoughts of such masters as Clapton and Knopfler.  “The Carney” commits to a relentless ennui, brought to life in a repetitive verse structure that is artistic and quietly alive.  The story/portrait here is intriguing, exploring the life of a carnival man.  Sinay paints in broad musical strokes, highlighting it all with country accents on guitar.  This is an outstanding piece of songwriting.  “Next Revolution” takes yet another turn, with Sinay offering up an Eagles-esque California Country style ballad.

“Santa Rosa” invokes thoughts of Tom Petty, both in it’s relentlessly Americana sound and even in the tones of Sinay’s voice.  This road song is all about getting back to the one he loves.  In spite of treading a musical trail that’s been covered thousands of times, Sinay manages to make it fresh and personal.  “I’ll Bring You Diamonds” finds Sinay throwing off melodic and understated licks that are right out of the Jimi Hendrix songbook.  All of this is done to the accompaniment of a sweet groove and a melody you’ll be humming/whistling for days.  On “Gimme The Time”, Sinay works out the kinks and wrinkles of a working class love song in no uncertain terms.  Sinay’s distinctive pop sensibility is dressed in Americana leanings, and the chorus is the sort that gets crowds on their feet.

“Love Minus Zero (No Limit)” is a deeply symbolic song about a love whose depths simply won’t be qualified in mere words.  This plays like an instant classic, as Sinay brings together all of the elements of a great song for five minutes.  “Hey Mama” is a solid R&B roots number that hearkens back to the early days of rock and roll.  This entertaining and danceable number sets up the closer, a rock and roll kiss-off called “Bertha”.  Sinay settles into a classic rock sound for his goodnight, perhaps coming full circle from his musical roots.

Some might listen to Jason Sinay’s Ape & The Wall Of Questions and assume that he’s just showing off.  Well why not?  Sinay is obviously a prodigious talent with a six string in his hand, and shows himself here to be more than a capable songwriter and vocalist.  Ape & The Wall Of Questions is a breath of fresh air, showing off a talent that is still growing and building.  Jason Sinay is an artist you’ll want to catch on to early and follow throughout what promises to be an exciting career.

Rating:  4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.jasonsinay.com. 

Review: Scott Alexander - Scott Alexander Makes 7 Or 8 Dollars

Scott Alexander - Scott Alexander Makes 7 Or 8 Dollars
2010, Vonyamyeemyaz Productions

Scott Alexander is back. The Minnesotan-turned-New Yorker came to our attention back in 2008 with his EP Scott Alexander Makes Friends. His observational pop poetry lends itself to humor as Alexander embraces the uncomfortable in his songwriting, but jokes are not his forte. He has been known to give away cookies at his performances, as well as at random spots around New York City from the comfort of a green inflatable couch. Alexander doesn't desire fame so much as the ability to make a living as a free-lance bohemian troubadour who earns favor and derision in equal measure for pointing out the more vulnerable aspects of human sociology in song. Alexander at least gets the effect right on Scott Alexander Makes 7 Or 8 Dollars, the home-cooked EP that precedes the professionally groomed LP Scott Alexander Makes A Big Deal Out Of It.

Scott Alexander Makes 7 Or 8 Dollars opens with "Let's Go Shopping", a brief musical sketch that attacks consumerism and its role as a de-facto replacement for substance in human existence. The song is straightforward nearly to the point of crudity; while Alexander isn't exactly known for subtlety, he is generally a bit more deft at making his points than here. "Penny Gumball" is an existential look at the right to exist as we are, done as a musical ode to the gumball. Guest vocalist Jessica Teague puts a nice shine on the song with a pleasing voice we'd like to hear more of, and the song is more in line with what you might expect of Alexander. "First Class" is a song about the slippery slope of upward mobility to someone with historically proletarian mores. Class anger gives way to envy with self-admonishment in a characteristically funny-but-not-trying-to-be fashion.

"$20 Bill (Old Dickory)" is a vitriolic attack on the character and person of former U.S. President Andrew Jackson. The song is downright funny both for the active anger for a revered historical figure and the highly personal nature of the effrontery expressed. Alexander pulls a clever turn with the cover of Neil Diamond's "Forever In Blue Jeans", a moderately interpretive but generally faithful rendition of the classic tune. It's not what you might expect out of Scott Alexander but it works very well for him. Alexander closes with "You Are Not A Market", returning to the consumerism concept he opened with while deriding our cultural institutions for instilling in us a need to consume and be sold. The tune is a bit rough; full of a viable anger that burns slowly and has no clear target but just won't go away.

Scott Alexander Makes 7 Or 8 Dollars is eclectic, much like reading the personal diary of a thoughtful and mildly deranged person who actually thinks and cares about the world around him. The songs on Scott Alexander Makes 7 Or 8 Dollars tend to the funny, irreverent side of the spectrum without trying to be funny (irreverent is another matter altogether). Scott Alexander writes songs full of naked emotion and vitriolic anger clothed in the colorful clothing of a children's show. It's not always pretty to a cultured ear, but the truth of Alexander's observations and emotions cannot be denied. If JD Salinger were still alive and played guitar he would vehemently deny being Scott Alexander.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Scott Alexander at http://www.scottalexandermusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/scottalexandermusic. You can purchase a download of Scott Alexander Makes 7 or 8 Dollars from Amazon.com or iTunes. You can get a free copy of Scott Alexander Makes 7 or 8 Dollars when you purchase Scott Alexander Makes A Big Deal Out Of It from CDBaby.com.

Review: Barbra Streisand - The Concerts

Barbra Streisand – The Concerts
2009, Hip-O Records

Barbra Streisand is the top selling female artist of all time, with over 71 million albums sold in the US alone. Her 50 gold albums, 30 platinum albums and 13 multi-platinum albums rival artists like The Beatles, Elton John and Neil Diamond. Streisand started out in her high school choir with fellow future legend Neil Diamond, also rubbing elbows with Bobby Fischer. Streisand started out as a nightclub singer, working her way up through Off-Broadway productions and regular gigs at gay bars in New York City on her way to landing an appearance on Jack Parr’s The Tonight Show in 1961. Streisand made her Broadway debut in 1962 in I Can Get It For You Wholesale, and won her first two Grammy Awards in 1963 for The Barbra Streisand Album. More Broadway shows would come, as would movies and a string of highly successful recordings. Streisand has received 10 Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Legend Award (1992) and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1994).

The Concerts features two full shows from this legendary performer. Included is the full set list from a show in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida from Streisand’s 2006 North American tour. This concert includes some firsts from Streisand, including My Shining Hour, A Cockeyed Optimist and Unusual Way. A guest appearance by Il Divo is just dressing for this concert experience. The set also includes a show from her 1994 tour recorded at Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California that includes the Yentl Medley. This tour was Streisand’s first return to the stage in a quarter century; it’s apparent from the energy Streisand brings to the stage as well as from the response from the crowd. The third disc in the set is a cornucopia of goodies for hard core Streisand fans, featuring video clips from television performances over the years and the documentary Putting It Together: The Making of the Broadway Album.

There are a lot of compilations and retreads out there that come out of the major music labels these days. No one at the majors wants to invest in developing artists anymore, but they are more than willing to slice and dice long established artists’ catalogs to create “new” releases ever other year to keep up their income levels. I tend to be very skeptical of such tactics, but this collection is very much worthwhile if you’re a Streisand fan. If you don’t know much about Streisand, come out from under that rock and check out The Concerts. Streisand is iconic in a way that artists like Sinatra, The Beatles, Ray Charles and Neil Diamond are or were. The Concerts is worthy of that reputation.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Barbra Streisand at http://www.barbrastreisand.com/. You can purchase The Concerts at Amazon.com or wherever DVDs are sold.

Review: John O'Hurley & Marston - Secrets From The Lake

John O’Hurley & Marston – Secrets From The Lake

2009, Little Giddings, Inc.

John O’Hurley is a man of many talents. He’s been on television and in movies since his run on a series of daytime dramas (The Edge Of Night, As The World Turns, Loving, The Young And The Restless) in the 1980’s. Best known for his role as J. Peterman on Seinfeld, O’Hurley was also a contestant in the first season of Dancing With The Stars. O’Hurley has hosted The Family Feud, been a guest co-host of Live With Regis & Kelly, and has even done voice work for shows such as Sponge Bob Square Pants, Father Of The Pride, Duck Dodgers and Buzz Lightyear Of Star Command. Oh yes, and then there are his professional theater credentials. He’s played Chicago’s Billy Flynn, as well as King Arthur in Monty Python’s Spamalot. Did I mention he’s also a well-known pianist and composer?

Secrets Of The Lake is the second collaboration between O’Hurley and renowned cellist Marston Smith. Their debut album, Peace Of Our Minds, as a big hit. It peaked at #13 on the Billboard chart for Alternative Classical music. Marston Smith has quite the impressive resume of his own, having recorded with the likes of KISS, Whitney Houston, Neil Diamond, Toni Braxton and Lionel Richie. Their second album, Secrets From The Lake, continues where Peace Of Our Minds left off.

John O'Hurley's compositions show the same dramatic flare that he displays on stage and screen. Even in quieter moments such as Forsyth Pond, O'Hurley captures a melody with theatrical implications. You can almost see the sunlight rippling on the water while a lazy bird rides the drafts overhead. Marston adds the perfect shading to this song. The title song, Secrets From The Lake, is full of cinematic themes and flourishes, like something that could have played in the closing credits of On Golden Pond. Waltz For The Man In The Moon is an inspired bit of writing, sounding like a lullaby. Marston steps forward to take the lead here in a warm and passionate performance, trading lines with O'Hurley's piano. My favorite track on the CD is Winterlake, with an ethereal, almost ambient synth wrapping itself around Marston's inspired cello play. Other highlights include Sailor's Suite, Variation On A Butterfly Aria and Cellian Cove.

John O'Hurley writes new age/classical compositions with the occasional touch of Broadway flair. O'Hurley's chops are undeniable, and Marston is a wizard with a bow in his hand. Secrets From The Lake is a thing of beauty; too good to just be background music and too alive to not listen to.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about John O’Hurley and Marston at http://www.johnohurley.com/. You can purchase a copy of Secrets From The Lake at www.cdbaby.com/joam2.