The latest reviews from Kevin Bryan.

Melanie, "Candles in the Rain" (Talking Elephant Records)- This enchanting singer-songwriter set first appeared on the market in 1970 and supplied New York born Melanie Safka  with an unexpected U.K. singles success in the shape of her impassioned revamp  of the Stones' "Ruby Tuesday."  It would probably be wise  to draw a discreet veil over her annoyingly twee musical adaptation  of A.A.Milne's "Alexander Beetle" but the rest of "Candles in the Rain" is well worth an hour or so of anyone's time, including the two bonus tracks, the forties standard "Almost Like Being In Love" and a fine cover of Lindisfarne's "Meet Me On The Corner."

 

Etta James, "The Essential Collection" (Metro Sound & Vision)-  Veteran R&B vocalist Etta James was a frequent visitor to the Montreux Jazz Festival over the years, and this splendid audio-visual package serves up a selection of  recordings culled from her various appearances at this prestigious event alongside a DVD capturing her typically compelling performance at the 1993 gathering.  Etta revisited  the cream of her illustrious back catalogue for her highly receptive Swiss audience , breathing new life into  gems such as "I Just Want To Make Love To You, " "I'd Rather Go Blind" and her soulful signature song, "At Last."

 

"Alice in Wonderland and other Rainy Day Girls" (Charly Records)- Charly's latest 2 CD retrospective explores some of the more obscure psychedelic sounds emanating from America's Bible Belt during the late sixties. Few of the acts involved made any lasting impression  on the course of rock history, but their inventive and imaginative offerings perfectly capture the quirkily  counter-cultural mood of those far-off times, with The Jerms, The Rugbys  and The Strange Bedfellows emerging as the best of a fascinating bunch.

 

Zoco Duo, "Historias" (Cala Records)- This absorbing collaboration between classical guitarist Jacob Cordover and oboe and cor anglais player Laura Karney  draws its subject matter from a variety of highly evocative sources, including the Spanish songs of Joaquin Rodrigo  and the melancholy tango of Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla among others. The finished product is exotic, atmospheric and appealingly multi-textured , and should be required listening for open minded music lovers everywhere.