Harry Connick Jr.: Chanson du Vieux Carré
Marsalis Music/Rounder 749460-0062
Format: CD

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On Chanson du Vieux Carré, Harry Connick Jr. gives us a glimpse of the talents that lie within the ranks of his big band: 17 musicians, each steeped in the style of America’s most musical city, Connick’s native New Orleans. While Connick’s piano playing provides a formidable foundation, it is his brilliance as composer and arranger that are most striking here. Whether reinterpreting standards (such as the closing track, Professor Longhair’s "Mardi Gras in New Orleans") or debuting fresh jewels (his own "Luscious"), Connick pushes his players to the edge, asking them to explore every angle of sound. The result is cohesive, effortless, and exhilarating. "Bourbon Street Parade," sung by trumpeter Leroy Jones, crackles with pizzazz, enticing you to get yourself down south by whatever means necessary, while Connick’s own "Ash Wednesday" is a moody song noir that invokes all the drama and suspense of a classic James Bond theme song. Some of the proceeds from sales of this CD will benefit the New Orleans Habitat Musicians’ Village, which provides affordable housing for musicians displaced by Hurricane Katrina….Shannon Holliday

Peter Himmelman: My Green Kite
Rounder CDROUN8126
Format: CD

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Having begun listening to serious music at age seven, I never had much interest in tunes aimed at children, and so I distrust "family music" -- the term has always seemed to me to be code for "mediocre." Peter Himmelman’s fourth "family" album, My Green Kite, challenges that prejudice. Opening with "Feet," a paean to his anatomical link to earth (they "go twinkle-winkle-winkle under my covers"), Himmelman takes to the sky in the next and title song, which musically soars as high as the kite it describes does into the air. Speaking sensitively but not mawkishly, neither down to children nor up to adults, Himmelman captures the agelessness of the human soul. His rock veteran’s musicianship helps -- there’s no naptime pabulum here. Sharp studio craftwork seamlessly weaves in conversations and other extramusical sounds to great effect, and delivers the subtlest individual guitar notes. His observation in "Have You Ever Really Looked at an Egg?" -- that chickens love baby chicks -- raises hope that a constructive message about non-human animals might be at hand. Other tunes disappoint in that area, but much in this inspiring collection is liberating, highly humorous, touching, and deserving of close listening….David Cantor

Pete Levin: Deacon Blues
Motema Music 0008
Format: CD

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Keyboardist Pete Levin breaks new ground in this release, highlighting his skills on Hammond B-3 organ. He is abetted by a talented selection of musicians that includes guitarists Joe Beck and Mike DeMicco; Levin’s bassist brother, Tony; percussionists Carlos Valdez and Ken Lovelett; and drummer Danny Gottlieb, original drummer for the Pat Metheny Group. The contemporary jazz produced by this group is exploratory and improvisational. The title track, made famous by Steely Dan, is lushly interpreted in a shuffle-swing style, and provides an ideal vehicle for Levin’s organ right from the start. DeMicco’s "Eclipse" is a soulful seven-minute journey made more exotic by a wash of chimes captured with precise clarity. Perhaps most impressive is a cover of Jimmy Giuffre’s "Dragonfly" -- a challenging, driving force of a song propelled by Levin’s double-time tempo on B-3. Deacon Blues is one album to turn up loud and listen to in awe -- at a group of jazz masters having fun….Shannon Holliday

Faithless: To All New Arrivals
Columbia 88697027612
Format: CD

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It is said that nothing can eclipse the love a parent has for a child; that a switch flips when a bond forms among mother, father and newborn. Apparently, this switch has flipped among the bandmates of Faithless, a British electronic group. Except for one miscalculated cut, To All New Arrivals is consistently good. It packs its biggest punch on such songs as the title track and the devastating "I Hope." The album begins slow, but builds into distressing commentaries on the current state of the world and the threat it presents to children. The tight bass lines and hypnotic melodies Faithless is known for are here brought down a notch in favor of a more ambient, introspective sound that results in a more reflective and emotional listening experience. The combination of more advanced dynamic-compression techniques and more lavish production values have taken pop recordings such as this to a new level of naturalness and fidelity. The sound is open and strong throughout. Listened to through two speakers, To All New Arrivals is enjoyable; listening with a good set of headphones elevates the experience to something heartfelt and spiritual….Anthony Di Marco

Les Pommes de ma Douche: On n’est pas là pour se faire engueuler
Le Chant du Monde 274 1433
Format: CD

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If Les Pommes de ma Douche’s On n’est pas là pour se faire engueuler conjures images of Parisian sidewalk cafés and small, merry, accordion-led quintets, it’s for good reason. According to the album’s liner notes, this group has been called one of the best playing "Manouche," or Gypsy-swing-Parisian jazz. The claim is aptly demonstrated by their sweet, whimsical melodies and harmonies on this, their third album. The interplay among the five instruments -- violin, two guitars, upright bass, and accordion -- is one of balance and beauty. It’s almost impossible to identify a particular player or instrument as the leader or principal line -- all play off and into each other seamlessly. But while well executed throughout, there is nothing ground-shaking or innovative about On n’est pas là pour se faire engueuler, nothing that toys with the listener’s emotions or induces awe at listening to certain passages or songs. This pleasant, lively jaunt of an album leaves the listener yearning for something more substantial….Katherine Silkaitis