SHEILA JORDAN
The Very Thought of Two (M.A.)
SHEILA JORDAN
Songs From Within (M.A.)
Hands down the greatest living jazz singer, joined by her longtime musical partner Harvie Swartz (now simply Harvie S.) on 22 tracks recorded live in Japan back in ’88 and ’89. Just voice and bass, great music pared down to its bare essentials. Ms. Jordan is an old hand at this, favouring this duo format for over 40 years. She’s heard doing standards associated with her, like "You Are My Sunshine" (dedicated to the miners of Pennsylvania). There are also tracks that show both her Detroit and bebop roots - her "The Bird," his "Quasimodo" and "I Got Rhythm" into "Anthropology" - as well a great "Good Morning Heartache," a Sonny Rollins tribute, the autobiographical "Sheila’s Blues" and a moving rendition of "Birmingham Jail." To make this come off takes a bassist with big ears and Mr. S. has those and a sound to match. 10/10 (Len Dobbin) With the Steve Kuhn Trio at Club Soda, Wed., July 2, 7pm, $32.50

STEELY DAN
Everything Must Go (Reprise/Warner)
Nine jaunty jazz/pop tunes about death, divorce and failure, guaranteed to raise a smile. The production and playing are impeccable, of course, and the song structures are for the most part intriguing. Some spoilsport reviewers have referred to the lyrics as smug and smirking; I prefer to view them as wry and whimsical. While their last record, Two Against Nature, fluked into winning the Grammy for Best Album of the Year, the chances of that happening again are nil. But fans of the band will enjoy this one just as much, and the title track is as good as anything they’ve done. 8.5/10 (Al South)

MOGWAI
Happy Songs for Happy People (PIAS/Matador)
Post Rock Action, anyone? On their fourth album, oh so ironically titled, the grim Scotsmen have condensed, refined and somehow stiffened their grandiose sound, curbing the vocals, the quiet-to-cacophony formula and the epic girth of the songs. Instead, vocoders submerge their few words and guitars and keys flow and crest, slowly soaring toward sporadic bursts of distortion. The dark and dirge-like clouds lift for a few rays of petrified beauty in melodies or in single, sustaining piano notes, achieving a smooth, even balance. Like musical All Bran. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

FU MANCHU
Go For It… Live! (SPV/Fusion III)
Fu Manchu could always deliver the Neanderthal riffs, but they’ve likewise always had a hard time making them last through a whole record. On this live, two-CD set, Fu Manchu pick only the songs from their 12-year career that are heavy as lead and dumber than a bag of hammers - in other words, perfect. Scott Hill’s monotone vocal delivery, which can get a bit tiresome after 15 minutes, is tucked even further in the back this time, so as to let the riffage do the talking. These Orange County stoners don’t veer too far from the studio originals, but these live versions are the definitive sludge. Their take on BOC’s "Godzilla" alone makes this a worthwhile purchase. 8.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)

LIZ PHAIR
self-titled (Captiol/EMI)
Well, I don’t think we’re in Guyville anymore. A decade ago, Liz Phair was a quality songwriter and a smart, sexy individual in the indie rock scene. Now she’s another slice of processed cheese in a pile of streamlined trash, a 36-year-old mom dolled up, dumbed down and digitally smoothed over in Avril’s image (and produced by Lavigne’s heinous team, the Matrix). If she was this desperate for cash, couldn’t she have done it incognito, like Slipknot? The music wouldn’t be any better, but at least we’d be spared this pathetic display of devolution. 4/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

ROY HARGROVE
Presents the RH Factor Hard Groove (Verve/Universal)
Unlike some of the more painful attempts by serious jazz musicians at teaming up with hip hop and soul personalities that we may or may not remember, Hard Groove seems to feel a tad less forced. The wide array of talent assembled here are all connected by their dedication to depth and soulful expression in whatever form it may choose to take. Common and Q-Tip blend in seamlessly with Hargrove’s band, while vocalists D’Angelo and Stephanie McKay lay it on thick, obviously enjoying themselves. Other guests include Erykah Badu, Anthony Hamilton and Shelby Johnson. Looking for some summer soul, funk, jazz and hip hop all rolled into one delicious and healthy treat? Start with the RH Factor and you should have no problem whetting your appetite. 7.5/10 (Scott C) At le Spectrum tonight, Thurs., June 26, 9:30pm, $34.50

CHARLIE HUNTER
Right Now Move (Rope-a-Dope/Outside)
The talented Charlie Hunter has never ceased to amaze me with his ability to constantly churn out profound and essential progressions in innovative music. Sporting a quintet configuration for this first release on Rope-a-Dope, Right Now Move is a moody romp down a sassy side street, highlighted superbly not only by Hunter’s signature guitar style, but by the chromatic harmonica styles of Grégoire Maret. The mouth organ is the glue that holds this record together as far as I’m concerned, complementing the contributions of trombonist Curtis Fowlkes, drummer Derek Phillips, bass clarinet/tenor saxophonist John Ellis, and genius Hunter on the eight-string. The guy with the homemade guitar keeps it fresh once again. 8/10 (Scott C) At le Spectrum on Sunday, June 29, 9:30pm, $34.50

MKL & SOY SOS
3 Generations Walking (Spiritual Life/Fusion III)
Another spiffy product from the Spiritual Life label displaying club music’s elasticity, produced and conceptualized by New York’s Michel "MKL" Lopez and Pittsburgh’s Herman "Soy Sos" Pearl (who became household names with their hit remake of Burning Spear’s "Slavery Days"). This intricately crafted album is a patchwork that stiches together dub plates, Sly & Robbie, Latin jazz and house. It includes Philip Gillespie, the godson of Dizzy, on trumpet, bringing a live, organic feel to the proceedings. Others contributing to the pot luck are global jazz siren Claudia Acuna, Pittsburgh’s Howard Alexander III on the piano and Gillespie’s cousin John Hall, a self-taught bass player. A great slice of rhythmic anthropology that’s not to be missed. 8.5/10 (Peter Lightburn)

KALI & DUB INC.
Weapons of Mass Construction (Boomshot)
Hayes "Kali" Thurton has been a presence on the local reggae scene for close to two decades now, during which he’s snagged a MIMI and almost a Juno too. His latest takes his light but flavourful reggae to all kinds of meeting points - calypso flashes on the steelpan-tinged "Simple and True," a bit of dancehall shuffle on "Girls," and plenty of hip hop. To that end, locals Krinjah, Grandtheft and Manchilde make some nice contributions. A slick recording, it sometimes falls flat (the karaoke-esque "Island Lady"), but Kali’s lyrical flair and natural knack for melodies carries it through. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) CD launch at Petit Campus, Fri., June 27, 8pm, $10

JIM MURPLE MEMORIAL
Let’s Spend Some Love (Pias/Local)
Not sure who Jim Murple is, but he ought to be proud to have his name tacked to this. This French band’s main game is dusty Jamaican rock-steady of their own devising (no less than five in French, too), coloured by touches of calypso, reggae, swing, Mexican styles and especially New Orleans R&B. Singer Nanou has a catchy voice which brings extra character to the matter, but what floors me is the production. It’s so damn raw, nasty and rich, sounding like it spilled out of whatever crap gear was cluttering Kingston in the mid-’60s. Spend a little love on this, why don’t you. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) On the FIJM’s DuMaurier/Radio-Canada stage (in front of Complexe Desjardins) on Sun. and Mon., June 29-30, 8pm, free

ALVIN YOUNGBLOOD HART
Down in the Alley (Memphis International/Fusion III)
Hart has made a bare-bones country-folk-blues record which, unlike the majority of them out there now, never stoops to mere imitation. Mainly traditional songs plucked from a pre-war catalogue, Down In the Alley also boasts some great country blues by Charlie Patton, Sleepy John Estes and Leadbelly. In keeping with the song selection, all instrumentation is resonator guitar, five-string banjo and mandolin. Hart’s hollering may not have been born in a field but his voice seems wracked with authentic pain, in search of salvation. Like all blues greats, Hart sounds completely convincing when he sings these 70-year-old songs about jail, death, poverty and ultimately overcoming the crippled spirit. The best traditional blues album this year by a country mile. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)

THE FISK JUBILEE SINGERS
In Bright Mansions (Curb)
This historic recording celebrates the legacy of one of the greatest African-American singing troupes to come out of the Old South. The original Fisk Jubilee singers (circa 1871) banded together to raise money for Nashville’s Fisk University. Determined to "sing up the walls of a great university," the singers took the slave spirituals that helped keep their ancestors alive on tour, and eventually raised over $150,000. On this recording, the modern-day Fisk singers revisit classic spirituals like "Nobody Knows the Trouble I See" and "I Been in the Storm" with the same spiritual energy and musicianship the original group did. 9/10 (Gerard Dee)

Mini CD Reviews

FRANÇOIS BOURASSA Indefinite Time (Effendi/SRI) This pianist’s most adventurous outing to date, with André Leroux and a fine new drummer in Greg Ritchie. 9 (LD)

THE FLAMING LIPS Fight Test EP (Warner) Some live versions of stuff from Yohimi, a pair of cool outtakes and a sweet Scott Hardkiss extension of "Do You Realize??" Flame on! 8 (RB)

METALWOOD Chronic (Universal) Maybe they were smoking indoor when they made this, but if anything, it’s tighter than before. 7 (SC) With MM&W at Metropolis tonight, Thurs., June 26, 9pm, $42.50

THE STATE OF SAMUEL Mutiny on Mercury (Humblebee) From Edmonton, some ’60s-styled, unplugged pop so retro it squeaks. 7 (LC)

DANNI MINOGUE Neon Nights (London/Warner) You guessed it, another Aussie sex dwarf, and Kylie’s little sis makes fair, funky electro. 6.5 (LC)

VARIOUS Johnny’s Blues: A Tribute to Johnny Cash (Northern Blues) Although the Man in Black’s songs lend well to blues, this is the third CD tribute to him in the past two months. Enough already! 6 (JC)

MICHAEL BURKS I Smell Smoke (Alligator/Fusion III) "Ladies and gentlemen, the Pauly Shore of beer-tent blues… Michael Burks!" 4 (JC)

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