Deborah Cox: Destination Moon
Decca 000833202
Format: CD

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Overall Enjoyment

Dinah Washington was a forceful yet commercial jazz singer, and Deborah Cox’s tribute album to her exudes those qualities. Destination Moon is beautifully recorded and performed, yet completely accessible and engaging for even the most indifferent listener. The album was recorded in a manner rare these days: live with a studio orchestra. The result places the listener in the midst of it all, the sound of the drums and bass reverberating, the solo saxophone sounding as clear as if in a concert hall. The live recording also gives the album a feeling of immediacy, passion, and excitement. The balance of Cox’s vocals with the instrumental accompaniments is nearly flawless, especially in "This Bitter Earth," in which sweeping strings and piano glissandos enhance the melancholy tune and contribute to the poignancy of Cox’s voice. Neither overwhelms the other, each telling its story with aplomb.…Katherine Silkaitis

Jay Boy Adams: The Shoe Box
Rockin’ Heart RHR7057
Format: CD

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Overall Enjoyment

Jay Boy Adams is back on disc after a 25-year absence. This album is chock-a-block with alternate country/folk rock songs that will stick in your head like stupid commercial jingles -- except that these are songs you’ll want to keep there. Adams takes you for a melancholy stroll down memory lane via the title cut, then tells you about life for minorities in "From Mississippi to Abilene." He reminds you of what "Life in a Small Town" is all about, then sings you the workingman’s anthem "Waitin’ for Five O’Clock." Soundwise, The Shoe Box is typical of most modern pop recordings: There’s compression, little soundstage depth (the width is OK), and a definite lack of space. Offsetting these faults are good tonality, fine instrumental separation, and 3-D vocals. While this won’t be a CD to show off your audio system with, you’ll play it often simply to revel in the music. Welcome back, Jay Boy. We’ve missed you.…John Crossett

Born in the Honey: The Pinetop Perkins Story
Vizztone SB-101
Format: DVD/CD

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Pinetop Perkins is, was, and always will be one of the greatest blues piano players of all time. The CD and DVD of Born in the Honey: The Pinetop Perkins Story comprise an intimate portrait of this venerable living legend. At 93, Perkins is still writing, touring, joking, and smoking, all of which appear to keep him in good spirits and health. Interviews with friends and fellow musicians serve to roast and toast, but also give behind-the-scenes glimpses of a genuinely beloved and respected man. Koko Taylor, Ike Turner, Bobby Rush, and others recount times spent playing with and learning from Perkins, and the interviews are all candid and insightful. While Perkins’ story is undeniably fascinating, the DVD in this set has some serious problems. The sound quality is very poor, especially when Perkins appears live on stage -- the one thing you’d want captured most clearly. At other times throughout the 60-minute DVD, the sound quality ranges from the acceptable to the frustratingly unbearable. Luckily, the bonus CD, recorded live in Chicago circa 2003, has much better sound, and gives a better taste of the true Pinetop Perkins experience.…Shannon Holliday

Erasure: Light at the End of the World
Mute 285
Format: CD

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Overall Enjoyment

A few bands are so consistently enjoyable that I look forward to every album they release. As with previous Erasure efforts, it took me some time to get in the groove of Light at the End of the World -- but once my ears were locked in, I couldn’t resist this sparkling gem. I’ve always likened Erasure’s music to a more sophisticated form of circus or carnival music. Songs like "I Could Fall in Love with You" fit this description perfectly. With its meaty keyboard melodies, soaring vocals, and sing-along chorus, you can almost picture Vince Clarke frenetically jabbing at a circus calliope as Andy Bell moves back and forth within a ring. But that’s the beauty of Erasure. While the equally successful Pet Shop Boys are arguably more diverse, Erasure’s music lets the child in each of us surface even as their lyrics speak to the complexities of our adult lives. "When a Lover Leaves You" is a standout song with a beautifully crafted melody and chorus that get under the skin and prompt the listener to sing along. The sound quality is excellent, with very little dynamic compression and an immersive soundstage delivering a soundscape that’s open, shimmering, and effortless. Through and through, this is top-notch, timeless pop.…Anthony Di Marco

Various Artists: Freeway Jam: To Beck and Back
Tone Center TC 4057 2
Format: CD

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Although tribute compilations only rarely live up to the original performances of the artist they attempt to honor, they more often succeed in revealing an impressive depth of style and virtuosity inherent in that artist’s legacy. Such is the case with this tribute to guitar great Jeff Beck. Produced and arranged by guitarist Jeff Richman, Freeway Jam: To Beck and Back gathers an impressive mix of modern guitarists and lets them let their axes do the talking on ten of Beck’s 1970s fusion-era originals. Richman himself plays rhythm guitar throughout, and lead on the smoking "El Becko." Steve Morse opens the disc with "Freeway Jam," classic Beck reworked with style and taste. "Led Boots" is a wicked jam with lots of beefy underbelly and crisp overtones, courtesy lead guitarist Adam Rogers, and a ripping, machine-gun drum solo provided by ex-Zappa drummer Vinnie Colaiuta. While the lead guitarists featured here truly honor Beck by not overplaying, some new chord changes and alternative arrangements spice things up and make for interesting twists on the originals.…Shannon Holliday