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Bela Fleck, Crossover Artists Lead Pack Of New Albums

Experimental guitarist Eugene Chadbourne, multi-instrumentalist Mino Cinelu also have new discs.
By archive-Sonicnetcoms-Ben-Schnayerson
July 23, 2000 / 10:05 PM

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones' new CD, Outbound, (Sony/Columbia) stands out in a crowd of crossover albums that dominates this week's new releases.

In the wake of their Grammy-nominated Left of Cool, the banjo-playing leader and his quartet were able to enlist the help of several guest artists for this bluegrass/jazz effort. Yes vocalist Jon Anderson, organist John Medeski and vocalist Shawn Colvin all contribute their talents, as do Tuvan throat-singer Ondar and sitarist Sandip Burman. Oregon oboist Paul McCandless and bassoonist Paul Hanson join up with the Flecktones for the Aaron Copland tune "Hoedown" (RealAudio excerpt).

Indian tabla master Trilok Gurtu blends Indian and African styles for his new CD, African Fantasy (Blue Thumb), featuring singer Angelique Kidjo. Blue Thumb also releases Mino Cinelu's self-titled album that has the multi-instrumentalist singing lead vocals in addition to playing guitar, percussion, banchi, bandoneon and flute. Cameroon bassist Richard Bona and guitarist Mitch Stein contribute to the recording.

Experimental guitarist Eugene Chadbourne and his quartet release a free improvisational album titled Pain Pen (Avant). The ever eclectic Chadbourne is best known for his role in the early Manhattan free-jazz scene and for his 1980s band Shockabilly.

Keeping pace with the steady flow of jazz compilation albums, Concord Jazz issues six new "best-of" CDs in the Jazz Piano Essentials series, featuring keyboard reinterpretations of music by Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Thelonious Monk, Cole Porter and Richard Rodgers. Pianists Fred Hersch, Joanne Brackeen and George Shearing are among the 33 performers appearing on the albums.

Other Releases This Week

  • Cannonball Adderley, Cannonball Adderley in San Francisco (Riverside)

  • Louis Armstrong, Satchmo Grooves (Classic World)

  • Louis Armstrong, Ultimate Collection (Verve)

  • John Bruschini, As You Were (Cathexis)

  • Nat "King" Cole, Moonglow (Goldies)

  • Bob Crosby, Bob Crosby and the Bobcats (South Side Phunk)

  • Tommy Dorsey, Saturday Afternoon at the Meadowbrook: 1940 (Jazz Band)

  • Ziggy Elman, Issued Recording of 1947 & 1949 (Jazz Band)

  • Abdullah Ibrahim, Very Best of Abdullah Ibrahim (Music Club)

  • Frankie Marcos, Exitos, Vol. 2 (Max Music)

  • Nando Michelin, Chants: A Candomble Experience (Double-Time)

  • Oscar Peterson, 75th Birthday Celebration (EMI)

  • Julien Pinol, Banquet (Doron)

  • Jamie Saft, Sovlanut (Tzadik)

  • Threnody Ensemble, Timbre Hollow (Avant)

  • Gianluigi Trovesi, In Cerca Di Cibo (ECM)

  • Various artists, Big Band Blast (Memoir Classics)

  • Various artists, City Nights: Jazz for the Evening (Vanguard)

  • Various artists, Feelin' Good Jazz Club (Allegiance)

  • Various artists, Jazz'in and Jive'in (M.E.L.T. 2000)

  • Various artists, Masters of Classic Jazz: The Trumpet (South Side Phunk)

  • Vassilis Tsabropoulos, Achirana (ECM)

  • Caetano Veloso, Prenda Minha (Blue Thumb)

    • Reissues

  • Muhal Richard Abrams, Things To Come From Those Now Gone (Delmark)

  • Anthony Braxton, For Alto (Delmark)

  • Dave Brubeck, Truth Is Fallen/Brother the Great Spirit Made Us All (Collectables)

  • Eddie Harris, Live at Newport/Instant Death (Collectables)

  • Hampton Hawes, Hampton Hawes Vol. 1 (Contemporary)

  • Stan Kenton, Mellophonium Moods (Status)

  • Stan Kenton, At the Rendezvous, Vol. 2 (Status)

  • Stan Kenton, At Ukiah (Status)

  • Stan Kenton, Live at Palo Alto: May 13, 1955 (Status)

  • Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre, Humility in the Light of Creator (Delmark)

  • Malachi Thompson, Timeline (Delmark)

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