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Neville Brothers Valence Street (Columbia/Sony)
Creation The Complete Recordings Vol. 1 & 2 (Retroactive/Fusion III) Creation were pill-popping Edwardian thugs who somehow managed to get their heads out of the clouds long enough to capture some mindblowing psychedelic rhythm & blues for posterity. They called their music "red with purple flashes," and their damaged '60s art-school howling is guaranteed to expand more mental horizons than any plain psychotropics ever have. For reference points, Creation fit snugly between the Velvet Underground's primitive trance and the Kinks' raw mod blasts. These two discs are a finger-poppin', soul-struttin', dime-droppin' good time! 8.5/10 (Adam Gollner) Abbey Lincoln Wholly Earth (Verve/Universal) For years (she recorded with Sonny Rollins and Kenny Dorham in 1957), Abbey Lincoln has been one of the most distinctive and dramatic voices in jazz. Here we have a pair of standards, "Midnight Sun" and "If I Only Had a Brain," amid a number of memorable originals, including the Maya Angelou-inspired "Caged Bird." Guests include Bobby Hutcherson and Nicholas Payton. Although she normally brings out the best in younger players, one is thankful that James Hurt is only heard on two tracks. 8/10 (Len Dobbin) At the Flynn Theatre in Burlington, Vermont, Fri., Feb. 12
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This venerable family ensemble continues to produce solid, well-crafted material that defies musical trends. The brothers Neville stick to the tried and true formula of singing about love, life and the complexities of being human. The only departure from this tactic is "Mona Lisa," featuring Fugee frontman Wyclef Jean, who injects a little hip hop into the mix. Overall, no surprise here. If you're a Nevilles fan, you'll get what you expect. 7/10 (Gerard Dee)