|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Review – Sing Out Fall 07 Issue
“Let’s just say they’re hot. Connect them
to the power grid and they’d light up a medium-sized town…This
CD is as musically solid as they come and in the world of obligatory live CDs,
Live Band Tonight shines.”
CLAUDIA
RUSSELL and THE FOLK UNLIMITED ORCHESTRA
Live Band Tonight
Radio Rhythm Records
Claudia Russell explored several of the songs on this CD on previous recordings, but she’s a great live performer and this showcase from three venues proves that. The tracks come from live recordings made at Berkeley’s Freight and Salvage, Howard and Roz Larman’s “FolkScene” radio show and “Live From Studio One” at KUNI-FM in Cedar Falls, Iowa. One of Russell’s noble aspects is that she records great interpretation of covers as well as songs that she has authored and co-written. Thus, Live Band Tonight includes songs by Dylan, Jeff Talmadge, Lori B and others. Her band consists of sidekick, Bruce Kaplan (guitar/mandolin), along with Mark Petrella (bass) and Carl Byron (piano/accordion}, with Tom Talley (viola), Ted Waterhouse (National Guitar) and Steve Lanza (fiddle). Let’s just say they’re hot. Connect them to the power grid and they’d light up a medium-sized town.
The CD ranges from near
solos such as Russell’s “White Cross,” to
the full tilt boogie of “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You,” and
every combination of instruments and sounds in-between. The beauty of this
recording is that even with the band fully cranking, it’s basically acoustic
music and its never eclipses Russell’s effective voice. The sound is
jazzy bluegrass. Live Band Tonight proves Russell’s versatility as if
there was a doubt, as well as documenting her live vibe. A few minor quibbles
in that there are absolutely no notes with the CD, just a song list with the
composers last name and first initial, that doesn’t
even list who plays what. And Russell doesn’t need the reverb added to
her voice on some of the songs. One incidental that Russell could not have
anticipated when assembling the CD is that the late Howard Larman extras on “Don’t
Let Your Deal Go Down.” This CD is as musically solid as they come and
in the world of obligatory live CDs, it shines.
— Rich Warren
Rich Warren is the host of the nationally syndicated radio show The Midnight Special, originating from WFMT in Chicago.