Marshall's metamorphosis

With three kids in their 20s and (eek) early 30s, Lori and I are at the age where we can take pride in the different paths they've taken to adulthood and the multitude of interests they've pursued along the way.

So it isn't much of a stretch to feel a certain pride in the accomplishments of our friends' children, too, as they hit various milestones on their life's journey. Such was the case Tuesday night when we saw Marshall Baker, one of Jordan's lifelong friends, in a live musical performance at the White Eagle Saloon.

He and his musical partner, Tony Hawes, played a half-hour set of original contemporary folk music under the moniker of Instant Tradition. They're on a tour of the Northwest that continues tomorrow night at Artichoke Music in Southeast Portland. Check out their bios and listen to their songs on their Facebook page.

We've known Marshall literally since he was in diapers, part of a play group that also included Jordan and led to a friendship with his parents, Rebecca and Greg, and little sister Clara. The two boys went to preschool together, joined (and survived) the Cub Scouts, attended each other's birthday parties and attended the same  neighborhood public schools, culminating with their high school graduation in 2005. They played together on sports teams and wrestled at Grant High School, during which time Marshall evolved from tall, scrawny kid to tall, muscular kid.

Jordan joined the Army, got married and lives off base near Fort Lewis in Washington state. Marshall went to Whitman College, got a degree in music composition, and moved to Lawrence, Kansas, to start making music. Marshall's always been scary smart -- the kid who could get straight As with little or no effort -- and a handful at times, but he's also been a talented musician, influenced by his fiddle-playing dad.

Todd Hawes and Marshall Baker: KJHK studios in Lawrence, Kansas

On Tuesday, he played the fiddle and mandolin and sang harmony vocals. At age 23, with his shoulder-length brown hair and baby face, blue denims and long-sleeved white shirt, he resembled a young Johnny Depp. He got called up by the next band to join them for a couple of songs on fiddle and the vocalist couldn't help but notice the fan support.

"You seem to be pretty popular, Marshall."
"Yeah, I grew up here."

Marshall came over between sets, gave us each a hug and signed two copies of his band's debut CD.

Instant Tradition. Pretty cool.

Album cover, photo: www.facebook.com/instanttradition

Alison Krauss at Edgefield

Wednesday night had the makings of a near-perfect night: Live music at an outdoor venue, with a great view of the stage. A cheeseburger in one hand, a plastic cup of microbrewed beer in the other. Lori and I seated comfortably in low-back folding chairs on a gently rolling lawn and my favorite band playing their butts off for two hours as part of the Edgefield summer concert series.

What's not to like?

Alison Krauss and Union Station did their part. Starting with "Paper Airplane," the title track of their new CD, continuing with an assortment of new material and old favorites, and concluding with a four-song acoustic set for an encore, capped by "There Is A Reason," the band was nothing short of awesome.

This was the fourth time I've seen AKUS and it's hard to imagine them sounding any better. The musicianship of the five band members is just stellar. And why wouldn't it be, since two of the guys have played with Alison for about 20 years and the current lineup has been together since 1998?

They play bluegrass, of course, but also venture into Americana, folk and country. Ron Block (banjo/guitar), Dan Tyminski (guitar/mandolin/vocals) and Barry Bales (upright bass) are all solid and Jerry Douglas (dobro/lap steel guitar) is in a class by himself. Throw in Alison on fiddle and vocals and it's no wonder they produce musical magic. (Check out their recent appearance on Letterman.)



As for the rest of the variables:

Weather: You'd think June 29 would be deepe enough into the calendar to guarantee a warm, dry summer night but, no, this is Oregon. It sprinkled from time to time, enough so that a few people pulled out their ponchos and umbrellas, but it never turned into a downpour. When Tyminski sang  "Rain Please Go Away" the crowd burst into good-natured applause.

Food: A bit of a disappointment, but, for me anyway, not enough to rise to a complaint. The cheeseburger was OK -- I can understand the challenges of trying to feed a couple thousand people when the lines are long and you're doing your best to provide some variety among the menu choices. But I felt bad for Lori when they said they'd run out of hummus plates and wouldn't have anymore for 45 minutes. She settled for a veggie burger and made it work, thanks to generous helpings of condiments on what appeared to be a pretty dry patty.

Vibe: You couldn't ask for better. The concert drew people in their 20s as well as their 60s and everything in between, including several parents with young children. People were uniformly friendly and appreciative of the music. One section seemed to have more than its share of free spirits, dancing to a few of the more upbeat songs. Even on the way out, people were remarkably patient navigating their way out of a crowded parking lot.

I'd be mighty happy to see AKUS a fifth time.

KT Tunstall at the Aladdin

Right in the midst of this month's A to Z Challenge, I got to see one of my favorite performers live.

KT Tunstall, the amazingly versatile singer-songwriter out of Edinburgh, Scotland, played a solo show to a sold-out crowd Thursday night. Actually, she had a little help from "all my Taiwanese friends," a reference to the loop pedal, keyboards, guitars and assorted equipment she used during a 75-minute set.

I saw KT last fall, when she and her band impishly dressed up like dead rock stars for a show on Halloween. ("Halloween with KT") She had the stage all to herself last night at the Aladdin and had the crowd in her hand from the first song.

She is a fireball. She can wail on a guitar and bounce around with the best of them, often using her signature loop pedal for backing vocals or instrumentation. But she can also slow things down, too, as she did on a few songs from her latest CD, "Tiger Suit," and an all-acoustic, unreleased seven-song EP.

She also has a disarming sense of humor:

Female fan: "I love you, KT."
Tunstall: "What a coincidence. I love you, too...and I don't even know you.  Does that make me slutty?"

The song below is from "Tiger Suit." She closed with a hit "Suddenly, I See" from her debut CD.

Wondering about her heritage? Her mom is Chinese and Scottish; her dad, Irish.

Gospel music for your Sunday

Even an occasional reader of this blog knows that I'm a big fan of Patty Griffin.

Ever since discovering her one night on "Austin City Limits," my appreciation for her artistry has grown. I managed to see her in concert twice in the past couple of years in Portland, including last April when she was touring to promote the release of her newest CD, "Downtown Church."

The album, amazingly, topped the Billboard charts in both the Christian and Folk Albums charts in 2010 and then won a Grammy for Best Traditional Gospel Album.

The song below, "Move Up," is a catchy, joyous track that I never tire of listening to.

Excellent quality video. Enjoy.
 
Photograph: lyricsfever.net


 

A voice like no other

Watched some college basketball last night, went online to buy a pair of tickets to an upcoming Blazers game and spent another hour or two catching up with assorted blogs.

So the last thing I did before signing off was give my ears and eyes a treat with this lovely cover of James Taylor's "Carolina In My Mind." A soothing song that relaxed me like a pot of hot tea.


I could listen to Alison Krauss any time, any place. With Jerry Douglas on dobro, the experience is even better.

'That's Entrainment'

Just for fun, thought I'd post a cool little video from one of the greats, Van Morrison. I first heard his distinctive voice way, way back when I was in junior high school on the classic song "Gloria."

Like most everyone else of my generation, "Moondance" and "Into The Mystic" and "Brown Eyed Girl" have embedded themselves deep into my brain.

It was nice to refresh my appreciation of his music and his unmistakable voice last week. His 2008 album "Keep It Simple" was the first one I popped into the CD player of the rental car as I drove I-10 from Phoenix to Tucson.

Love this song. And, no, that's not a typo. As he explained when the album was released: "Entrainment is when you connect with the music...Entrainment is really what I'm getting at in the music...It's kind of when you're in the present moment - you're here - with no past or future."

Interested in the lyrics? Here's a link, courtesy of www.metrolyrics.com

Bonus: If you liked the video, here's another, a bluesy tune from the same album, "Don't Go To Nightclubs Anymore."

Dad and daughter duet

"For some reason," a Rough and Rede follower wrote to me, "I thought of you and your blog when I saw this...it will put a smile on your face!"

I'm flattered by the sentiment. And my cyberspace friend is right -- it did put a smile on my face. Take three minutes to view and enjoy.

Click below to get the proper introduction.

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/momentsofmotherhood/this-week-in-mom-dad-and-daughter-duet-2444229/

Or, if you're in a hurry, just play the YouTube video.  

Best of 2010

My bride since 1975

In no particular order...

Movie: "The Social Network" as a mirror of our times -- greed, genius, capitalism, technology, all rolled into one. Honorable mentions: "Winter's Bone" for thrusting me into the Ozarks' meth culture and "Black Swan" for a mesmerizing performance by Natalie Portman.

Book: "The Poisonwood Bible." Yes, I know it's several years old but I didn't read it until this year. Barbara Kingsolver is just a fabulous writer. Honorable mentions: Richard Russo's "Bridge of Sighs" and  Rebecca Skloot's "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks." Superb works of fiction and non-fiction, respectively.

Concert: A tie: Patty Griffin at the Crystal Ballroom, doing material from her new CD, "Downtown Church." Camera Obscura, with their wonderful frontwoman Tracyanne Campbell, at Berbati's Pan.

Vacation: Pittsburgh! Of course, any trip to Orcas Island is soothing for the soul but the few days spent last fall in western Pennsylvani's largest city were a revelation. So much to see and do (and eat) and with similarities to Portland and San Francisco.

Family milestones: The satisfaction of seeing Nathan land and excel in a marketing job while also developing a strong relationship with a lovely young woman, Sara. The pride of seeing Simone enroll in graduate school and thrive at Carnegie Mellon while writing a whole new chapter in her life, far from home, with Kyndall. The comfort of having Jordan and Jamie close to home again after transferring from Texas to Washington state for the next couple years of his Army enlistment.

Marital milestone: 35 years of marriage to Lori. We marked the occasion twice -- on the actual date (Sept. 6) and again over a period of days in Pittsburgh, concluding with a fabulous pan-Asian dinner.

Road trip: Six days and five nights on the interstate system in July with Simone, sharing father-and-daughter time with lots of laughs, each other's music and memorable meals, capped off by a visit to Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum.

Fun and games: Nothing beats Tuesday nights, when I join my fellow Broken Taco Shells, for a night of bowling...except for Saturday night poker and pizza with my buddies. Call it a tie. 

Politics: Repeal of  the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. If this barrier can fall, will we see same-sex marriage legalized in several more states -- if not across the country -- in my lifetime? One can hope.

Photograph: Taken by George on the Portland Tram to OHSU Hospital

Guilty pleasure

A few days ago, I was roaming around again on eMusic and iTunes. I'd always heard about Rhonda Vincent mentioned as probably the second-best blueglass fiddler and singer behind Alison Krauss. I spent some time on her web site and it didn't take long -- oh, maybe 30 seconds -- to see what all the buzz is about.

This video is several years old, I'm sure, but the simplicity of the song, the heartache of the lyrics and the instrumentation -- including dobro, fiddle and mandolin -- appeal to me in a way that I never would have even considered before. I still love R&B, blues and some pop. But, clearly, I've made room for country and a little bluegrass.

Turns out Rhonda Vincent and the Rage are coming to Portland in January for the annual River City Bluegrass Festival. It's highly doubtful I'll attend but at least now I'm better acquainted with her sound.

Music Monday

Symphony cellist Marilyn de Oliveira quiets a Community Transitional School audience between songs.

Every now and then it's nice to take a break from the stream of news that flows out of Washington, D.C., Salem and Portland and focus on the softer side.

On the front page of The Oregonian today was a feature story by David Stabler -- "Oregon Symphony members carol for free at hospitals and shelters" -- that spoke to the soothing qualities of music. David, an accomplished pianist himself, wrote about a group of Symphony members who, for the second year in a row, have been playing free concerts to select audiences around Portland.

They've performed at shelters, hospitals, schools and hospices. And, as he writes, the music has a way of working some magic on listeners. Take five minutes out of your day or evening to read about 8-year-old Anna, a student at the Community Transitional School for homeless students, and Steven Toth, a former musician who's living at Our House, a nonprofit that provides housing and other services to people living with AIDS/HIV.

Photograph by Ross William Hamilton, The Oregonian

Remembering John, mourning Elizabeth

Hardly a week goes by that we don't lose a famous entertainer or politician -- or observe the anniversary of someone who died long ago. And so it is with the deaths of John Lennon, gunned down 30 years ago today, and Elizabeth Edwards, who succumbed to cancer yesterday.

Their personalities and their deaths could not have been more different and, so, too will be their legacies.

Lennon was a musical genius and the leader of what I would argue was the world's most influential band. The Beatles burst onto the scene in the early '60s and with their mop-top haircuts and collarless suits (so tame to look back on now), both looked and sounded different from anyone we'd seen or heard on this side of the Atlantic. As the band experimented with different styles and influences, their catalog of albums expanded our definition of what pop and rock music could be: Rubber Soul, Revolver, Yellow Submarine, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The White Album, Let It Be.

"Nowhere Man" came up on my iPod as I was running this morning, but I like this video of "I'm A Loser" a little better.




Where Lennon cultivated an image of a rebel, Elizabeth Edwards conveyed something entirely different: a woman of grace, courage, remarkable honesty and resilience.

We all know her story: an accomplished lawyer; the loyal wife who supported her ambitious husband during his political campaigns; the betrayed spouse who endured the humiliation of John's infidelity; the mother of four who lost her her oldest child to a car crash; and, lastly, an author who wrote candidly and about her life's ups and downs and spoke forcefully about her determination to make the best of each day, even as she was losing her life to breast cancer.

As political spouses go, Elizabeth Edwards seemed to have a real sense of humanity and genuineness that separated her from the rest of the pack. As a mother and a human being, she was an inspiration.

Photo of Elizabeth Edwards: http://www.inquisitr.com

Simple pleasures

Josh Huff scores on an 85-yard run vs. Arizona

Funny how a simple change in weather can brighten your outlook. It's sunny and 40 degrees as I write this, yet it feels 10 degrees warmer after last week's cold snap and this week's constant drip-drip-drip with dark gray clouds on a light gray horizon.

It's not that I was down in the dumps, by any means. It's just that I find myself in a particularly good mood this morning and so I'm taking note of simple things, such as:

-- People gearing up for tomorrow's Civil War football game. I noticed two clusters of Beavers fans, wearing their orange and black, as I ducked into (pun intended) a coffee shop for my morning caffeine. The only Ducks fan I've seen so far with an Oregon T-shirt is Trish, the co-worker who sits on the other side of my  cubicle. I'll be at work tomorrow when the game gets under way. I expect the UO to kick some butt and earn a berth in the national championship game. (Can't resist sharing these photos from last week's win against Arizona.)

-- A tasty slice of chocolate cake with peppermint cream cheese frosting from Seattle's Best Coffee. Hmmm. I've made an effort to snack on fruits, nuts and yogurt this week but somehow when Friday comes, it feels like a "reward" is in order. (Hey, at least I ran this morning. And I've got carrots and another apple to go with my tuna sandwich today.)

-- The CD mix I made last night and left for Lori to give it a listen this morning. She likes it. Yay! Typical of my decade-hopping, genre-jumping tastes, the playlist includes: the B-52s, Michael Jackson, The New Radicals, Aerosmith-Run D.M.C. (What else but "Walk This Way"?), Eric Clapton, Susan Tedsechi, Robben Ford, Buddy Guy, Lisa Stansfield, Stevie Nicks, Eminem, Journey and Stevie Ray Vaughan.


Photograph by Thomas Boyd, The Oregonian

"Rain"

Rain: It's not just a verb or a noun. It's the title of a song by Patty Griffin. It popped up on my iPod Shuffle at the end of my morning run -- appropriately so, given that I spent 40 minutes in a light drizzle.

It's a sad, beautiful song.

Aaah, Tuesday

Tuesday has become one of my favorite days of the week. It's the first day of my work week. It's also the night when I look forward to gathering with friends for our regular night of bowling in a co-ed beer league. We're stuck in 10th place out of 12 teams this season but I couldn't care less. The camaraderie is great.

Last week, I would have doubled the fun by heading over to the Aladdin Theatre for a concert. Unfortunately, my car had a dead battery so I had to settle for just getting to and from the bowling alley, courtesy of Lori and a teammate.

Had I been able to go, I would have seen Mayer Hawthorne. Don't know him or his music? He's a skinny white guy from Los Angeles (via Ann Arbor, Michigan) whose real name is Andrew Mayer Cohen. He's got a retro Motown sound that's easy on the ears.

Follow your passion

How often have you heard it said, "Follow your passion." We say it to teenagers and college students. We say it to laid-off workers. We say it to artists of all types and non-conformists. We say it to encourage people to make career choices or explore paths they might not otherwise.

That was the dominant message of two films we saw recently, courtesy of Netflix -- "Departures," a Japanese film that won the 2009 Oscar for Best Foreign Film, and "This Is It," the recent release starring Michael Jackson.

In both cases, I had no expectations so it was doubly rewarding to say both were enjoyable, though in wildly different ways.

"Departures" is the story of a young cellist who finds himself out of work after his orchestra is dissolved and has to find a new way of making a living. He answers an ad for "Departures," thinking it's a job with a travel agency, only to find himself hired as an "encoffiner," someone who prepares bodies for cremation. Though the story involves death, it's the graceful way that the pre-burial rituals are carried out -- with sensitivity and respect for the deceased and survivors alike -- that draws you in as a viewer. We found ourselves silently cheering for Daigo as he follows his new-found passion despite his wife's misgivings about the low social status associated with the work.

A few days later, we watched "This Is It," the documentary/concert film that was cobbled together from video footage of rehearsals for a series of London concerts Jackson was scheduled to perform beginning in July 2009. Jackson died less than two weeks before the first concert and the film was released in October, four months later.

Think what you will about Jackson -- I have no doubt he was a serial child molester -- but this film  cements his reputation as a singular talent, a musical genius and an extraordinary dancer/choreographer. He had an instantly recognizable voice, a gift for composition, and an incredible, electric way of dancing that just made your jaw drop. At one point, I marveled at the sight of this skinny 50-year-old man matching every move of the 11 young dancers hired to perform with him.

We're all familiar with the dark side of M.J. -- the abusive father, the fantasy land he lived in (typified by his Neverland estate), the multiple cosmetic surgeries, the various lawsuits alleging molestation. It's a shame his personal life was such a disaster. As an entertainer, he defined passion.

Halloween with KT

Just got in the door from a great concert at the Crystal Ballroom with KT Tunstall. What a talented lady and such an energetic performer. I love to see someone play with such abandon, wailing on the guitar, jumping like a pogo stick and really connecting with her audience.

Tonight was the kickoff of her U.S. tour in support of her new CD, "Tiger Suit." Her band came out in wigs and makeup, dressed like dead rock stars -- John Bonham, Sid Vicious, Mozart ("the original rock star) and Ziggy Stardust (OK, so he's just a David Bowie character, but he's inactive). KT herself wore a blond wig, striped shirt and a bullet hole in the forehead as Kurt Cobain. Bad taste? Come on, it was Halloween.

Anyway, KT and her band played 22 songs over 1 3/4 hours, including a three-song encore that wrapped up with "Suddenly I See."
-- A highlight: A solo version of "Other Side of the World," where she played a synthesizer and slowed down the tempo.
-- A surprise: She can't be much more than 5 feet, as everybody in the band, including lead guitarist Charlotte Hatherly, is a head or more taller.
-- A gratuitous comparison:  Last time I was at this venue, I marveled at the purity of Patty Griffin's voice, which is itself an amazing instrument, especially on acoustic numbers. KT, on the other hand, is the complete package as a rock 'n' roller, totally into it as a musician and singer-songwriter with a big, bold voice.

Throughout, Tunstall displayed a playful sense of humor:

"You love me?" she responded to a fan. "I love you too. I love you more than you love me -- and I don't even know you. Which makes me loose."

And, just before her last song, she told the audience: "You live in a beautiful corner of the world -- and your s*** is cheap!"

I missed KT on her last appearance in Portland two years ago. Sure was glad to catch her tonight.

Undar the radar: Sarah Harmer

What is it about Canada and its ability to produce so many talented singer-songwriters? The list begins with Neil Young and the incomparable Joni Mitchell but it also includes k.d. lang, Sarah McLachlan, Nelly Furtado, Robbie Robertson, Kathleen Edwards, Leslie Feist...and Sarah Harmer.

Sarah is probably the least well known of the bunch but she writes and plays some fine music. I saw her in concert at the Aladdin Theater Thursday night with her band and, during a 90-minute set that covered two dozen songs, she alternated between rock, pop and folk. She reminds me of Sheryl Crow, both in style and appearance, and sounds like Feist.

I learned of her a couple years ago and told myself I'd keep an eye out if she ever came to Portland. Evidently, she hadn't been here in about five years. But with a new CD to promote -- "Oh Little Fire" is her fifth album -- she's touring the U.S. and Canada and no doubt garnering new fans.

If you don't know her music, give a listen to "Basement Apartment." It's 10 years old but it's the tune that caught my attention. Maybe it'll catch yours.



Photograph by Anita Doron

Coming attraction

Been a while since I posted a music video that basically spoke for itself. So here goes with KT Tunstall, a Scottish rocker who's coming to Portland on Halloween night. I'm planning to go see her at the Crystal Ballroom, a small venue where I expect she'll alternate between rockin' the place and doing some cool acoustic stuff.

"Suddenly I See" is from her debut album, "Eye to the Periscope" and the version above is from when she performed on "Later...with Jools Holland," a British music television show. KT plays the guitar and percussion in this video, and the last minute of the clip is very cool.

The video below is more recent. Same song, but longer version in a different venue: The 2007 Nobel Peace Prize awards. Can't decide which I like better, but I think I lean toward the Jools Holland version.

Lyrics are nice, too:

Her face is a map of the world
Is a map of the world
You can see she's a beautiful girl
She's a beautiful girl
And everything around her is a silver pool of light
The people who surround her feel the benefit of it
It makes you calm
She holds you captivated in her palm

"I Can't Wait"

Valerie Day

I can't wait ... to make this correction.

A few days ago, in noting that my iTunes library had reached 2,000 songs, I posted a video of Nu Shooz, performing their '80s hit "I Can't Wait." In it, I said with pride that lead singer Valerie Day and her husband, bass player John Smith, "still live in Portland's Irvington neighborhood."

Imagine my surprise when I noticed a comment three days from Valerie and John that said, "Thanks for the love, George!" When I went to my in box, there was an email -- again from Valerie and John -- that thanked me for mentioning the CD and gently pointed out: "We're not in Irvington anymore -- but still Portlanders....forever. :) "

Was it really them?

I wrote back and, yes, indeed it was Valerie herself. They've moved to another part of town (my lips are sealed) and they're doing most of the PR and marketing themselves for "Pandora's Box," the new CD by the NuShooz Orchestra.

Thanks to Google Alerts, my blog popped up. Valerie graciously offered to send me a couple of audio tracks and I'll try to post them as soon. (Translation: as soon as I can figure out how to upload them. Blogger doesn't provide an easy way to do it.)

In the meantime, I hope you'll take a listen and visit their website -- www.nushoozmusic.com -- to preview the entire CD. I've listened to it all and will be buying it soon.


Photo by Sherri Diteman

Musical milestone

When I opened up iTunes last night, I was stunned to see my personal music library now consists of 2,000 songs -- enough to last five and a half days.

Whoa.

I've gotta say the MP3 format has its advantages. It's so much easier now to download just the tracks you want. You can play them anywhere, anytime you've got a portable media player (I love my iPod when I'm running); you can play them in whatever sequence you like; and, of course, share them through CD mixes.

So, what's in George's iTunes vault?

Most played tracks:
"How's The World Treating You?" -- Alison Krauss and James Taylor
"I Still Miss Someone" -- Martina McBride
"When You Say Nothing At All" -- Alison Krauss & Union Station
"Heavenly Day" -- Patty Griffin

Most popular artists:
Alison Krauss
The Beatles
Camera Obscura
Neil Young
Patty Griffin
Susan Tedeschi

Most recently added:
The Tragically Hip
Sade
McKinley
Kasey Chambers

Most recently played:
"He Was a Friend of Mine" -- Willie Nelson
"Slave Song" -- Sade
"100 Years" -- Five for Fighting
"Here For You" -- Neil Young
"Swans" -- Camera Obscura

And of all the tracks I've got, why post a video of NuShooz?
1. "I Can't Wait" is a song with an irresistible hook. Just makes you feel good. Plus, the hairdos and clothes are awesome.
2. The song is getting a second life, thanks to the movie "Hot Tub Time Machine."
3. It's a reminder that you can download music from the '80s just as easily as today's popular music.
4. Valerie Day and John Smith, the lead singer and bass player, are a married couple who (drumroll, please) still live in Portland's after all these years. I'm keeping an eye out for them.

The band has just come out with a new release under the name NuShooz Orchestra. Check it out: "Pandora's Box" Ain't nothing like the '80s. As one reviewer describes it, this one is a compilation of "remarkably sophisticated jazz/funk numbers, complete with horns, vibes and strings."