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trombone solos, chorusing voices and witty takes on Latin clichés. Totally irreverant in approach, their talent is also very obvious; full of experimentation, yet at the same time re- stating the extraordinary Afro-Latin history of a tradition these guys obviously know backwards. Music to recharge everything to. Now if only they were coming to Scotland. (Jan Fairley) FOLK-POP COLLABORATION THE BURNS UNIT Side Show (Proper) ●●●●●
This is perfect evidence that locking musicians in a room and letting them get on with it is the best idea ever. That’s what happened when the eight members of this ‘supergroup’ were picked for the Burnsong project, and the result is this sumptuous, accomplished and sometimes strange album. The nominal focal points are King Creosote, Karine Polwart and Emma Pollock who, alongside a stellar supporting cast, deliver a touching, melancholic and beautiful collection of folk-flecked pop (with the occasional rap diversion), from the hard-nosed grind of ‘Blood, Ice and Ashes’ to the plaintive and moving ‘Sorrys’. More than a mere sideshow. (Doug Johnstone) WORLD PROYECTO EVOCACIÓN Raíces en Viaje – Roots en Route (Spherical Records) ●●●●●
Just occasionally an unexpected recording captures a magical moment. So it happened when ex- Happy End trumpeter Loz Speyer got into a basement home-studio
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GLASGOW COMPILATION VARIOUS ARTISTS Premeditation Vol. 3 (Predestination Records) ●●●●●
Stirling-based Predestination Records (‘a small record label, set up by five people who like music’, as they describe it) have pulled together 23 of the finest acts to trawl Glasgow’s live circuit in recent months and years for the third volume of their Premeditation compilation series. This particular edition offers an incredibly broad and inventive spectrum of noise, from United Fruit and Divorce’s frantic guitar attacks
to Other People and Olympic Swimmers’ accomplished melodies.
Spanning label staples and founders such as Hey Enemy and Dead Or American; plus local regulars doing the rounds on the alternative circuit (Titus Gein, Holy Mountain, Super Adventure Club, Loss Leader and Stomach, among others); as well as visitors such as French duo Mr Protector and frankly insane Irish troupe Adebisi Shank, this double-disc collection is a shortcut to the pulse of an exciting musical community too often overlooked. (Ryan Drever) ■ Download from www.predestinationrecords.com, £3.
player Yoel Olivera and others is tangible. The resulting five-piece set full of surprises is invigorating and mellow. (Jan Fairley) JAZZ EUAN BURTON / TOM GIBBS GROUP Forgotten Things (Wee Jazz Records) ●●●●●
Bass player Euan Burton and pianist Tom Gibbs are already familiar figures among the younger musicians making an impression on the current Scottish jazz scene, and their debut album, launched
in Santiago de Cuba in 2009 at the end of the superb local Festival del Caribe. The chemistry
between Speyer’s beautifully toned trumpet and the laidback style and varied Cuban songs of percussionist Rafael Cisneros, three-string tres guitarist Nestor Lagos, double bass
at the recent Glasgow Jazz Festival, is a pleasing affair. The recording was made immediately after a tour with American drummer Ari Hoenig in 2008, and also features another New York-based musician, guitarist Gilad Hekselman, and Edinburgh-based saxophonist Martin
Kershaw.
Gibbs and Burton alternate writing credits, and their music has a delicate, almost understated chamber jazz feel much of the time, although Burton’s funky ‘Party Time’ (on which Gibbs switches from piano to electric keyboard) predictably raises the temperature. The joint leaders turn in strong performances, Kershaw is in his usual inventive form on both alto saxophone and clarinet, and Hoenig’s intelligent and responsive drumming is a constant pleasure. (Kenny Mathieson)
ALSO RELEASED
Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants s/t (Le Coq Napoleon/RCA) ●●●●● Pleasantly twangy indie-country from The Foo Fighters’ guitarist. Unchallenging, but amiable. Dancing Mice Solferino (Squeak Audio) ●●●●●
The vogue for ‘80 worship continues on unabated. Is nobody else bored of this? Figure 5 Bonfire (2 Up) ●●●●●
The much-lauded ‘best kept secret in Scotland’ deserve to break out with these addictive indie-folk rhythms. Tom Jones Praise and Blame (Island) ●●●●●
Yes, that Tom Jones. And it’s not half bad, either – a good ‘back to basics’ approach to roots/country/ gospel Americana. 3OH!3 Streets of Gold (Photo Finish) ●●●●● Debut album Want had a certain charm, with its ‘don’t-care- what-the-parents- say’ bad-itude. The follow-up is a poor facsimile; over- engineered and soulless. Adam Stafford & The Death Bridge Convention Music in The Mirabel (Wise Blood Industries) ●●●●●
Highly original, utterly gorgeous mini-LP of cover versions of Devo, The Twilight Sad and others, with a notable list of contributors, including Emily Scott and Alan Bissett. Chris Difford Cashmere If You Can (www.saturdaymornin gmusicclub.com) ●●●●● New album from ex- Squeeze frontman, released via SMMC: a track per week, for ten weeks, eventually building into an album, with b-sides and extras. It’s only four weeks in, but the outlook is favourable. (Niki Boyle)
22 Jul–5 Aug 2010 THE LIST 67