The Spice of Life
by: Earl Klugh
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Sales Rank: 1527
Sales Rank: 1527
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Music : The Spice of Life |
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Rating: - * Great Jazz ... Klugh"s work never lets one down. The quality of the smooth jazz he performs is top notch. Rating: - * Acoustic jazz guitar at its best ... this CD will be enjoyed both by guitar afficiandos and by those who enjoy latin jazz. A beautiful and soothing combo of Earl's fine skills (and those of his group) and some relaxing acoustic latin jazz. I love it. Rating: - * Earl Klugh Is Flawlessly Playing The Spice of Life . . . C'est Si Bon ... "I wanted to create something that would encompass a wide spectrum of directions: solo, standards, originals, electronic, acoustic and orchestral. I wanted to make a recording that would reflect where I am at this moment in my life, and something I am proud to present to my fans." ~ Earl Klugh ~ True to his word, multi-Grammy winner, Earl Klugh made his conception into fruition with this latest offering from one of the best guitarists ever, "The Spice of Life," a beautiful album that contains thirteen tracks. It is more of a showcase of his original compositions and a few notable standards each rendered in an eloquently tasteful manner. The lush orchestrations of a fine arranger/conductor and also a multi-Grammy winner, Don Sebesky, can be heard on my top three favorites from this set; the smooth and breezy "Canadian Sunset," a gorgeous French classic, "C'est Si Bon" and a charming all-time gem of a tune, "My Foolish Heart." From among his original compositions marked by pleasing harmonic chords, I so enjoyed the opener "Ocean Blue," "Morning In Rio," "Driftin'" and "Venezuelan Nights," a tribute to one of his favorite classical guitarists/composers, Antonio Lauro from Venezuela whose transcriptions truly impressed Klugh when he was young. In addition, Klugh reinvents and revives a rarely recorded Thelonious Monk melody "Bye Ya" with a new groove that shows off his skilled guitar riffs. This recording will surely give a delightful listening adventure not only to fans of Earl Klugh, but also to anyone who appreciates lovely guitar music and a talented musician such as Mr. Klugh. With my heartfelt recommendation. You'll love it as much as I do. Rating: - * Wonderful! ... This is the first album of Earl Klugh's I've heard. I'm really enjoying it. Some pieces are warm, sunny, and optimistic; others are intimate, tender, and emotional. All are beautiful. Rating: - * A welcome and thoroughly enjoyable return! ... For Earl Klugh fans it's been 9 long years since his last "full production" CD, Peculiar Situation. Spice of Life is a welcome and thoroughly enjoyable return. There are three main reasons for this: 1. This CD highlights and features Earl's clean and melodic guitar work instead of a lot of solos by other instrumentalists (sorry saxophone lovers - there's nothing for you on this one), and the non-guitar solos that are on this (mostly keyboard and flute) are well placed and non-distracting. 2. It sounds like Earl is very present and enjoying his playing on this recording (the cover photo seems to illustrate this). As a very long time fan of Earl's it's delightful to hear this almost intangible element come through so clearly. 3. There's a nice mixture of styles and genres on this CD but the songs transition smoothly (which is tough to pull off). Regarding the last point, this CD features a few classic Earl upbeat originals (Ocean Blue, Sleepyhead, Morning in Rio), a couple nice ballads (Driftin', Heart of My Life), a playful alternate version (or vice versa) of Heart of My Life (Lucy's World), a couple beautiful solo guitar numbers (Venezuelan Nights, The Toy Guitar), four well crafted and orchestrated "oldies" (Canadian Sunset, C'est Si Bon, My Foolish Heart and a Brazilian stylized rendition of Monk's Bye Ya), and even a little funk (Snap!). There isn't a nicer combination of the various styles Earl has become known for in one recording. For those unfamiliar with Earl Klugh this is an excellent introduction to his amazing catalogue of music and a very welcome return for any fan. It's great to have you back, Earl! |
Where the NBA Dynasty series (the other initial entry is the slightly meatier Los Angeles Lakers: The Complete History) outdoes Ultimate Jordan is in the six playoff games--one for each year--as they were originally broadcast, minus halftime and commercials. Having the nearly complete game (usually running 90-100 minutes, from the TV introductions to post-game interviews) means you can skip straight to John Paxson's clutch basket or what was expected to be the final shot of Jordan's career. Or you can savor each game in its entirety, all the better to appreciate the artistry of Jordan in his three-pointer barrage against Portland or his "flu game" against Utah. You can see other great players too, of course, including Jordan's teammates--Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, Dennis Rodman--and those opponents unfortunate enough to face the Bulls--Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Karl Malone, and others. Because these are all NBA Finals games, you won't see Jordan's shot over Craig Ehlo or his 63-point coming-out party against Boston, but the 1990s Chicago Bulls were a team for the ages, and merely having their games--some of them all-time classics--available for home viewing is a major milestone in archived sports. --David Horiuchi
While last-minute heroics tend to be the standard by which we define excellence, there are many other moments that have left an indelible impression, many of them highlighted here. The video clips fall into 10 categories: Dunks, Alley-oops, Assists, Steals, Blocks, Teamwork, the Clutch Shot, Moves, Hustle, and Buzzer-Beaters. At the beginning of each section is a brief introduction. Before showing the top 10 dunks of all time, for example, we learn about the evolution of the dunk--from the first slam to the man who could fly, Michael Jordan--and we hear background commentary from NBA legends such as Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Dr. J, and Bill Russell. This video recalls familiar moments of NBA lore that you will want to own for countless repeat viewings. --Jeremy Storey
