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Kohary's
Cove Music All things aural... |
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Visit Dark Stream Records, for the finest jazz-fusion in the Pacific Northwest. |
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"We won't win any popularity contests. We don't really care what people think." - Recording Industry Association of America spokeswoman Amy Weiss My Equipment
Recommended Listening John Coltrane: Arguably the finest tenor saxophone player who ever lived (the argument would be Charlie Parker). Perfecting the "sheets of sound" style of playing, his solo on "Giant Steps" is considered by many to be the best jazz solo ever recorded. I'm inclined to agree. He combined technical mastery of his instrument with a melodic flair and relentless musical exploration matched by few others. His masterpiece albums, Giant Steps and A Love Supreme, are nothing short of breathtaking. Also check out My Favorite Things and Live In Seattle. Brilliant pianist McCoy Tyner is an oft-featured sidekick. Dream Theater Allan Holdsworth: Holdsworth is to the electric guitar what Dan Marino was to the National Football League. He is perhaps the best pure guitar player alive. His technical prowess is astounding; his ability to weave sinewy lines - fast or slow - in such a seamless, seemingly effortless fashion is world renowned. But it is not just his technique that impresses; his biggest asset is that he is such a visionary musician. His sound is totally unique, and his music and soloing reflect the philosophy of pure improvisation. You have never heard anything quite like this, regardless of how much music you've listened to. Holdsworth epitomized virtuoso jazz-fusion in the seventies and eighties, and continues his masterful domination of the genre into the nineties. Never a best seller, but always fresh and inventive; full of life and lightning. Classic gems include IOU, Atavachron, and the inimitable Metal Fatigue, an album that falls into my top ten list of "desert island" discs. His current output continues to impress, including Wardenclyffe Towers, Hard Hat Area and his latest release, None Too Soon, a collection of jazz standards (a first for Holdsworth). An added bonus: many of his albums feature two of the greatest drummers on the planet, Chad Wackerman and Gary Husband. Their drumming will leave you breathless, that is if Holdsworth doesn't get to you first. The Atavachron Discussion List will keep you updated as to what Allan is up to, and they also have a great web site. Led Zeppelin: For me, the name never fails to evoke great memories. Who under the age of 35 can say otherwise? Like them or not, everyone who didn't live under a rock has heard such classic jewels as "Stairway To Heaven", "Whole Lotta Love", and "Kashmir". But those are just the popular songs. The real gems lie in wait on almost every one of their albums; songs played on album-oriented radio but rarely heard on popular radio. Nevertheless, many of those songs are etched in my memory as strongly as any of their "hits". From the haunting melodies of "The Ocean" to the stunning beauty of "The Rain Song", they prove over and over again that music is more than just a popularity contest. Jimmy Page, for all his faults as a guitar player, reigns in my eyes as one of the greatest songwriters to ever live, on a par with Lennon and McCartney or Elton John. Robert Plant's haunting vocals, John Paul Jones intelligent bass and keyboards, and a drummer as steady as a metronome, John Bonham, all combined to define classic hard rock as a genre not to be ignored. The Scott Lindenmuth Group: In the vein of classic fusion such as The Mahavishnu Orchestra and Allan Holdsworth comes this native Northwestern band, featuring Lindenmuth on electric guitar. Their music is lively and catchy, but unconventional and challenging. Lindenmuth is a chameleon, changing from sweet, clean chord mastery to head-ripping distorted solos in the blink of an eye. They have three excellent, independently produced albums, Another Side Another Time, Changing Rhythms, and Penalty Phase. I own all three, and they are among the most valuable discs in my collection, rivaling the best of the national, big-label releases. I've also seen them perform numerous times, and always walk away a little dizzy, both inspired and depressed (that I can't play like that yet!). The Scott Lindenmuth Group can be reached at: Dark
Stream Records www.darkstreamrecords.com Rush: After putting out a few quite good, but certainly not groundbreaking, blues-rock albums in the early seventies, they quickly established themselves as a deep, thoughtful, and artistic hard rock talent with the release of the classic Hemispheres. Combining strong song-writing, a solid display of musicianship, and an unconventional approach to rock and roll composition, Hemispheres served notice that Rush was going to do things their way, eschewing the current pop standard and pushing the envelope of creativity in their genre. Many bands since have copied the sound, but the original remains today, nearly thirty years later, at the peak of their form; perhaps the tightest band in the world (you would be too, if you played with the same guys for thirty years!). My favorites include Moving Pictures, A Farewell to Kings, and Permanent Waves. On these albums, Neil Peart turns in some of the finest rock drumming to be found, as guitarist Alex Lifeson brings new meaning to the word "texture". Geddy Lee, as always, provides a solid and sometimes spectacular foundation on bass, though his vocals might be at times annoying. Regardless, they may be the hardest working band in rock and roll, and their longevity says more about them than anything I could say. Steely Dan Tribal Tech: Scott Henderson is a virtuoso fusion guitarist with a heavy rock 'n' roll edge to his playing; his band Tribal Tech plays the heaviest, hippest jazz you're likely to ever hear. Don't let the categorization "jazz" fool you; much of their music could easily be mistaken for extremely sophisticated rock, and Henderson doesn't hesitate to crank up the distortion and wail. The whole band plays with machine-gun precision, and the compostitions are varied and imaginitive. All of his discs are fantastic; particular favorites are Illicit, Dr. Hee, and the venerable Tribal Tech. Their latest disc is Rocket Science, a foray into improvisational lounge fusion with an edge. Don't miss these guys! Yes: Progressive rock at its very best. Their compositional skill may be unmatched in the world of rock and roll; their music often defies the categorization altogether. The "old" Yes, consisting of Steve Howe on guitar and Rick Wakeman on keyboards, is typified by complex harmonies and sophisticated arrangements. The "new" Yes, with Trevor Rabin on guitar, is decidedly different yet in many ways is even more brilliant than the "old" material, with a strong emphasis on songwriting and restrained musicianship. But "old" or "new", their music always exemplifies virtuosity and accessibility. Sometimes the match of those two traits is tenuous at best, but when it works it's a knockout combination. Fragile is perhaps the most accessible of the "old" Yes, while Close to the Edge may be the most brilliant single album of the seventies. But my favorite album, Big Generator, comes from the "new" era. On this album, songwriting and showmanship seem to go hand in hand as the band never ceases to inspire and impress. Truly a band deserving of the label "art rock". |
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I'm sorry to say that my e-mail has been spammed out by lowlife spammers. I can't provide an e-mail link here, because the spambots will simply invade my newest e-mail addy. You can reach me manually, though - just send your e-mail to mike at kohary dot com (simply turn the bolded text into an e-mail address by inserting the appropriate symbols in the right places). Thanks, and I'm sorry for the inconvenience. |