COVER -> POWERSSOUND
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Kirwan, who sings in a couple of different voices, adds elements of the masterful Bob Dylan (whose Oscar telecast appearance provided the most excitement of that spectacular event.) Although Kirwan's sound would never be confused with the inimitable mumbling of the great Dylan, there are a couple of songs in "Kilroy Was Here" that will cause listeners to think of old Bob while the CD turntable spins.
The album opens with Kirwan's beautiful ballad called "Molly," which details a man's obsession with another man's wife. This line sounds Dylanesque:
"And all the critics are ravin' about you
dissectin' you, inspectin' you, resurrectin' you."
Suzy Roche adds a haunting backup voice that may give you goosebumps.
Next comes Kirwan's superb version of Paul Simon's "The Only Living Boy in New York." The album's title song, "Kilroy Was Here," isn't the comic number you would expect. It's another story of love gone wrong, with Kirwan's voice demonstrating the haunting heartbreak of his lyrics.
Malachy McCourt, former bar entertainer in New York, adds some curmudgeonly notes to Kirwan's funny "History of Ireland Part 1," a bitter tale told with irony and a sprightly beat.
Kirwan is not only a musician, but a talented playwright. Those skills make his songs, whether telling his personal adventures or creating fictional characters. Kirwan's plays have found favor on the West Coast and in Europe. His play, "Liverpool Fantasy," tells what might have happened had the Beatles not made it. A production opens in April in Liverpool.
Easily the album's masterpiece is "Life's Like That, Isn't It?" All the elements meld for an enduring and soulful story of a father's return from the sea and introduction of his son to music. That boy grew up in Ireland, then during Ireland's stressful times of the 'sixties goes to the US to find his safe haven in New York's 42nd Street.
If you have any interest in rock, folk, or just plain damned good music, pick up a copy of "Kilroy Was Here."
Stigers Does Baker
Regular readers of this column (and you know who you are!) should be aware of my dislike of the "smooth jazz" genre of the music business. You hear it everywhere, including your neighborhood 24-hour Wal-mart and many of those buffet castles that seem to have multiplied in villages and big towns, too.Curtis Stigers is a tenor saxophonist who has carved himself a lucrative career by playing polite jazz guaranteed not to upset the stomachs of those eating heartedly their sixth plate of all-your-care-to-eat grub. Stigers somewhat abandons what has made him wealthy with his new album, "Baby Plays Around." (Concord Jazz).
Here's how much I liked this CD: I played it every day for a solid week, never having to employ a barf bag.
It's mostly a vocal album, with very little of Stigers on the tenor. His voice is about as good as mine, save that Stigers can carry a tune. He has dipped into the Chet Baker songbook, giving his own interpretation to songs recorded decades ago by the self-destructive Baker.
Backing Stigers are four musicians, including the excellent Randy Brecker on trumpet. Stigers wrote two of the songs, the title number and the ballad, "Love." They're probably the weakest cuts, although certainly not disasters.
How is Stigers as a Baker clone? Not too shabby. He sounds in charge with "But Not For Me" and "Let's Get Lost." He also dips into some true jazz chestnuts, including "Centerpiece," "Billie's Bounce," and "Parker's Mood."
With the exceptions noted, this album will entertain with decent jazz played with respect and a certain amount of flair. Reminding anyone of the late Chet Baker is a worthwhile project.
"Band of Gold' Again?
More than 30 years ago (yesterday if you're as old as me), Freda Payne enjoyed her moment in the sun of success with "Band of Gold," which still gets played on those oldie radio stations that are such fun to tune in while on a boring ride from there to here.The lightning that sent "Band of Gold" to No. 3 on the Billboard charts never occurred again, although Payne has stayed busy recording albums with minimal success. However, the good folks at Volt Records (one of the Fantasy Records labels) have just released "Come See About Me." It would be nice to find this as satisfying as those great days of "Band of Gold."
Oops. While there's nothing in the new album which is bad, there's not enough of the very good to be found either. The first four tunes are sadly forgettable, although she does very nice work on the old Billy Vera ballad, "At This Moment." Do you recall when Michael J. Fox danced with the actress who later became his wife in that lovely scene from the "Family Ties" series. Vera sang "At This Moment" at that moment. It's a terrific song, and Payne does it justice.
Other highlights include "You Turned the Tables on Me" and "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love." Overall, this is a retrospective album from a singer who's capable of much more.
