phone conversations. So when he comes along with an album called Free Chocolate Love and then adorns the sleeve with a semi-clad, young lady you cannot help but think ‘00- er’. Yet this interesting collaboration with Davrd Shea is at times quite romantic. Far off tinkling pianos accompany sounds of the sea and set a scene not of depravity but of pleasant hours spent with that significant other. The duo are at their best though when they pick up a rhythm and create a slightly more, er, physical atmosphere as in the plainly raunchy ’Theme From Smootchy Smootchy’. (Tim Abrahams)

JAZZ

Equal Interest

Equal Interest (Omnitone) .:-. 2:; Myra Melford has emerged as one of the most fascinating of the current generation of musicians working at the free improvisational end of the jazz spectrum. The pianist will make her debut in Scotland at the Glenmorangie Glasgow Jazz Festival in July, but has already impressed on disc with her excellent quintet, The Same River, Twice, and does so again here in this collective trio with two of the giants of the free jazz world, violinist Leroy

never delivers what it promises. The album starts well with the bubbly rock of ’Adolessence' and peaks too soon three songs later with a little pop romp called ’Panic And The Queen'. From here on it fishtails into a slender shadow of its boisterous self, with cliched riffs and bad lyrics. (Paul Dale)

HIP HOP Me One

As FarAs I'm Concerned (Universal- Island) is

Born in Cardiff, raised in Brooklyn by Jamaican parents and now resident in London, you’d expect Me One (aka Eric Martin) to bring some of this diverse cultural upbringing to his music. Not so. Vaguely fitting into the hip hop bracket, As Far As I’m Concerned smacks more of coffee-house jazz with a smooth R&B topping. The man’s got a soulful voice but it’s fenced in by the sterile backing and lack of dynamics on this debut album. Every track has much the same tempo and before long they all blend into one. There’s potential here, but enlisting a few more musical cooks could improve the flavour of Me One’s broth. (Louisa Pearson)

ELECTRONIC Sandy Rivera and Jose

Burgos Jenkins and former Art Ensemble of The Calling (Under the Counter I .Ch'cago saxophonist and “WW Recordings) . instrumentalist Joseph Jarman. Their

interplay on a series of their own compositions is varied and often challenging, but always absorbing. (Kenny Mathieson)

Chucho Valdes

Live At The Village Vanguard

(Blue NOIE) but 33‘

Chucho Valdes is best known as the leader of the popular Cuban-jazz outfit Irakere, but his studio debut for Blue Note With this quartet last year was a invention bent to the strong individual fine record, and he follows it up with a personality of each track. The odd ; powerful live set from this famous New number like ’Living Me’ may not quite ; York venue. The quartet features bass, progress much from the whelter of drums and percussron, and the tunes ideas chucked out in its opening are mostly Cuban in inspiration, but phrases but this is largely dynamic the pianist pushes them into all

dance music. (Tim Abrahams) manner of intriguineg unconventional

Scanner 8‘ David Shea avenues, and throws in a slightly

splashy reading of ’ley Funny Free Choclate Love (QUBIETmaSS) Valentine' and a florid tribute ’To Bud

1" t“ M Powell’ for good measure. The live recording is excellent, although the percussion is maybe a little too prominent at times.

(Kenny Mathieson)

You can’t help but marvel at the cleverly constructed journey through house that is The Calling. From its seductive opening track before it moves off into the areas of deep house which Rivera and Burgos have clearly made their territory, the album displays an intuitive understanding of its purpose and its audience. Yet throughout the album, each track stands apart from the others though

There’s always been something a bit pervy about Scanner. There was definitely something voyeuristic about his early preoccupation with sampling

A slender debut offering from Cure-alikes The Junket

record reviews MUSIC

Gloria Gaynor continues to survive even if her disco sound is wilting

Singles round up

Aaaah . . . the joys of springtime. Breathe in the fresh zest of the season of new birth as we pass the friskiest of the lambs and send the rest to the slaughterhouse. Pulling in at the indie paddock first of all, we find The Charlatans oozing fresh spring air with ’Impossible’ (Universal *tttt). It’s folky, a lot like Bob Dylan and comfier than a pair of Hush Puppies. Frolicking nearby are Fonda 500 With catchy synth-ditty ’Eight Track’ (The Village *ttt). Replete With ’woo-woo’ chorus chants and synth straight out of Flash Gordon, this is indie guitar—pop at its finest.

At this rate there’ll be no lamb on the table this Sunday because the divinely named My Drug Hell have turned up a little stormer too With ’Maybe We Could Fly’ (Voltone *****). A psychedelic-folk delight sounding so much like 605 band Love that it’s scary. BabyBird comes calling also with ’Outta Sight’ (Echo anti). Unfortunately destined to annoy due to its sure-fire srngalong potential, this is nonetheless another bittersweet janeg pop treat.

Straight to cull are Monk 8: Canatella who turn out thrash-tech nastiness on ’Slagger’ (Telstar *) and they’re joined in the spring death house by the Supergrass sounding Blast due to the prog rock overtones of ’Bury The Shoe Girl’ (Ghost it). The Young Gods slip through the evil farmer's paws with their hardcore electronic onslaught ’Lucidogen’ (PIAS ***). No such luck for old goat Gloria Gaynor, found attempting a disco revival at the back of the dance paddock With ’Last Night' (Logic it). And you thought she would survrve.

Sickened by the soon-to-be silence of the lambs we take a stroll down to the dance pond where VISIOTTS Recordings

label parade their spring ducklings ’Believe In Love’ by Tom Stephan (**) and ’Ride On' by EQ (***). The former is a weak and sickly disco house duckling while its more hardy feathered friend displays staying power with funky dancefloor sass. These fellas are blown out of the water by DJ Eric's ’Desire’ (Distinct’ive ****) which samples Ian Dury’s ’Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick’ in a commercial house style. There's an euphoric house duckling irritating the shit out of everyone round the pond Watergate ’Heart Of Asia’ (Positiva *) and they’re joined in the lame duck department by ambient monk chanters Enigma with their truly bland offering, ’Push The Limits’ (Virgin i).

As the spring lambs gambol towards the ominous looking shed at the back of the springtime singles meadow, there’s just time to mention this fortnight’s friskiest offerings. Sputniks Down take the Mogwai guitar blueprint and staple breakbeats and miscellaneous electronics to it with startling effect on ’Monotone Mountain EP’ (Human Condition *tttt). Romanthony’s ’Bring U Up’ (Glasgow Underground *ttt) is a funky ass-kicking Prince-like affair and Kelis’s new single ’Good Stuff’ (Virgin think) is another slice of super-smooth but still angry fly girl r&b. Fresher than mountain fjords, spring meadows and lamb’s fluffy bits though is Phoenix with ’Too Young’ (Source *****). You can never be too young in springtime for this inspired 805 power-pop.

(Catherine Bromley)

STAR RATINGS Unmissable Very ood , 1% a Wort a shot

it ‘3: Below average ~..=- You've been warned

ii—zs May 2000 THE usr 53