Bob Powers

MARIETTA, OH, USA - I've been writing "Powerssound" for esteemed publisher Rod Amis for several enlightening years. Haven't gotten rich yet, but hope springs eternal. The best part of this job, besides being published in such an illustrious and well-edited magazine, is that I get to aim directly at my aging ears some of the best sounds from past and present in the fields of jazz, pop and classic material comprising the Great American Songbook. As I've mentioned before, our home in Marietta, Ohio is beginning to near capacity with at least several thousand CDs acquired over the past half-decade, along with the thousands of books that have accumulated from my other duties as a reviewer for the local daily newspaper.

What a life? More money would be nice, but it would be tough to exchange my bounty of recordings and books for that green stuff that they like down at my local banking establishment.

I certainly wouldn't consider an offer for perhaps the best CD of 2003, at least the most pleasing sounds that have entered my ears. Surprisingly, given my devotion to jazz, the album in question is called "The Spark" and featured the magnificent Chris Daniels and The Kings, along with "friends." "The Spark" comes to discerning listeners through the auspices of Moon Voyage Records (ain't that a nifty moniker?)

If you keep asking, "Who's Chris Daniels?" I'll reply with this statement: You should know him, as he's been around since the mid-80s and he knows his stuff, holding a master's degree in American History and folklore. "The Spark" to this listener seems the strongest effort he's made, consisting of 12 tunes, nine of which were written by Daniels. Backing the leader is a horn band which simply will blow you away. The closest comparison I can think of is the material produced by the magnificent Delbert McClinton (who has a new CD coming out in a few weeks).

Daniels has a much more romantic sound that McClinton, whose voice seems to fit the comedic songs that he often produces. ĘDaniels on this effort makes the sound quite western, but hardly country. Not that there's anything wrong with country, but that's not really what "The Spark" delivers.

There's plenty of great musicianship here, including Daniels' outstanding work on acoustic guitars and acoustic National steel resonator guitar. What a solid sound he produces. There are a number of jazz players involved in the project, several accomplished rockers and a bunch of folks who have made a career in western sounds. My favorite would have to be Darryl "Doody" Abrahamson, a dazzling trumpet artist who spend four years with the progressive rock-ska horn band called Psychedelic Zombies.

It's damned difficult to select the best cuts on "The Spark." At times, during a week of solid listening to this single CD, I think I changed my mind at least six times as to my favorite. Perhaps the best track would be "If I'd Only Taken You Dancing," with its references to mid-town Manhattan and the late, lamented Rainbow Room, where my singing idol, the late Rosemary Clooney, often appeared and wowed her devoted fans.

Chris Daniels never has achieved the title of a household name. Maybe he doesn't care, but "The Spark" shows a powerful performer and writer doing his best. It's unusual for me to play an album as often as I did this one, not because I needed to hear more before I could write about it, but because I wanted simply to hear it again and again.

I can't pay a higher compliment than that.

Get thy body down to the local disc emporium, friends, and grab copies of a smashing performance by Chris Daniels and the Kings.

That's a s-t-r-o-n-g request, boys and girls.

Kate Shows Us

To Kate McGarry, I often sincere apologies for having buried her recent jazz album, "Show Me" (Palmetto Records) in a pile of CDs which got mixed up with several titles I'd already reviewed.

Miss McGarry, a pretty young lady indeed, demonstrates an unusual but serviceable voice on this collection of jazz-inflected material. Her voice seems both one marked by too much cigarette smoke, yet still containing the qualities of a young lady eager to show her wares.

She's got good taste in picking material, as the album opens with the title tune, then moves along to "Gypsy in My Soul," "East of the Sun," "This Is Always," "Get Out of Town" and "One Eye Laughs, One Eye Weeps."

Accompanying this promising warbler are a selection of excellent New York musicians, resulting in music that's familiar yet welcome. You can expect Ms. McGarry to be back soon with a second album on the ambitious Palmetto label. Good job, guys.

Love Ya, Frank!

One of the first times I saw the Count Basie band in action was back in the early '50s. A recent addition to the Basie gang was a sensational tenor saxophonist and flutist named Frank Wess. For his years with the Basie aggregation, Wess made the band a better organization.

Five decades later and Frank Wess continues to act like a boy but play like the distinguished musician he is. At 81 and counting, he's simply magnificent. His new album, "Flutology" (Capri Records) joins forces with two other outstanding flutists, producing one of the most satisfying albums in recent memory.

Joining with Wess are the wondrous Holly Hoffman and jar-dropping Ali Ryerson. These ladies are sensational and certainly hold their own with the astonishing Wess.

The rhythm section is a great one, consisting of Mike Wofford on piano, Peter Washington plucking the bass, and the stupendous Ben Riley on drums.

The 52-plus minutes on this delightful CD contains nine excellent renditions of mostly new songs. "A Child is Born" is performed in one take, the album notes reveal, "with no chart or rehearsal. This is what jazz is all about!"

Well said, well played, a disc worth adding to your collection.

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