Listening with Lee Zimmerman

The Dirty Three: Cinder
(Touch and Go)
 
The seventh album from the Australian guitar/violin/drums trio known as The Dirty Three provides more of the sumptuous mood music the band has become known for over the course of their ten-year career. It’s soothing stuff—to a point—thanks to a languid ramble of a sound that only rarely rises above a whisper. With its late-night, fluid jazz/fusion sensibilities, it’s not the kind of thing that you’d be inclined to stick in the CD player to get a party jumping. However, when it comes to the morning after, you couldn’t ask for a more soothing sound.
 
Well, let’s qualify that, actually. It would sound fine if you’re only ambition for the day was to stay in bed and read the Sunday paper. With the rare exception of “Doris” and “Flutter,” there’s very little momentum in play here. The music mostly meanders, the shimmer and strum of its violin and guitar interplay creating a loose, inconclusive drift underscored by its melancholy mood. As instrumental music, it can be captivating, although by the time it reaches the second half of the set, its drowsier inclinations take hold and the melodies gradually fizzle and dissolve away entirely. 
 
Had the group severed the set midway through, they would have left the listener with a far more coherent impression. Guest vocalists Sally Timms and Chan Marshall reinforce the group’s more melodic impulses here and there, but overall Cinder comes across as a series of instrumental sketches that fall into that netherworld between the sedate and the sublime. 
 
Visit www.touchandgorecords.com.
 
The Proclaimers: Restless Soul
(Persevere)
 
Those who remember The Proclaimers at all probably know them best by their early hit, “I’m Gonna Be (500) Miles.” An full-voiced declaration of affirmation and independence, it was locked in step by the duo’s rich Scottish brogues and a riveting hook that al but defied the listener to let it go.  
 
That was twelve years, ago and for most of us on this side of the Atlantic, the sibling duo, Craig and Charlie Reid seemed fated to join that club of dubious distinctions known as one-hit wonders. However, unbeknownst to the populace as a whole, the boys continued to churn out music every bit as irrepressible as that early anthem and now, six studio albums on, they’ve created what may well be the best effort of their career, the all-too-aptly dubbed Restless Soul. It finds them doing what they’ve always done best, taking an approach that’s etched in folk tradition and expanding the form to create songs with hooks that resound well beyond the final refrain. Out of fourteen tracks, there’s not a single stinker, each song surging with an urgency and appeal that’s utterly undeniable. That’s evident immediately, with the jaunty album opener “When Love Struck You Down” setting the stage for the album’s call to arms. The title track follows suit, further illuminating the sturdy resolve. The rousing “Turning Away,” “He Just Can’t,” “Bound For Your Love,” “D.I.Y.” and “One More Down” keep the energy intact, abated only momentarily by the lilt of “Now and Then,” “I’m Gone” and “What I Saw In You,” all examples of the brother’s softer sentiments in play.
 
Despite its ebb and flow, Restless Soul is a remarkably cohesive album, one that glides easily from moments of melancholia and remorse to peaks of all-embracing exhilaration. Not quite a comeback, but a stirring reintroduction nevertheless.
 
Visit www.proclaimers.co.uk.
 
Charlemagne: Detour Allure
(Sidecho Records)
 
Serious students of French history will tell you that Charlemagne was a famous French emperor, but in this case it’s a newly assumed moniker for one Carl Johns, a Midwestern singer/songwriter who released his debut album under the name of Noahjohn. Apparently Johns isn’t one to assert undue modesty; Charlemagne literally translates as “Carl The Great.”
 
On the other hand, there’s no reason why Johns should demonstrate restraint when trumpeting his musical abilities. Indeed, with only two albums under his belt, he’s already shown himself to be a musician of remarkable diversity and dexterity. Where his debut effort emphasized more of a singer/songwriter persona, the new album finds him expanding his musical vision, bringing in the added elements provided by a full contingent of back-up singers and jangly folk-fueled arrangements. Think an updated take on the Mamas & Papas. Songs such as “Pink and Silver,” “In the Fuselage,” and “Hello September” emphasize a breathless lilt and shimmer wrapped up in an effusive embrace. The edgier aspects of Charlemagne’s sound is reflected in the agitated assault of “Fight or Flight,” even as “Nematode” injects a surreal, psychedelic swirl.
 
Like a breath of fresh air, Detour Allure provides all the enticement its name implies. Given enough listeners getting swept up under its spell, Detour Allure could pave the way for Charlemagne’s ultimate conquest.
 
Visit www.sidecho.com.

Diamond Wins Sellout Crowd with Glitz and Hits
 
 by Marvin Glassman
Contributing Writer

The threat of a hurricane named Wilma did not matter to a capacity crowd of 18,000 last Friday who were more interested in the impact of Neil. Despite many cancellations of area entertainment and sports events last Friday, singer/songwriter Neil Diamond packed in his fans at BankAtlantic Center with a concert relieving the nostalgia yearnings of the 1960s, ‘70s and beyond for his fans.
 
Although Diamond will have a new CD out next month with rap producer Rick Rhoden featuring ten new songs on a guitar, Diamond opted for a concert of hits and glitz, featuring over 30 songs in a two-hour concert with no intermission.
 
Despite being 64, Diamond's raspy voice was in perfect pitch and his every note delighted the enthusiastic fans who seemed to cheer and stand up on every familiar song. Wearing an all back outfit with a touch of red rhinestone studs on a black shirt, Diamond sang to the faithful “Cherry, Cherry,” “I'm a Believer,” “Solitary Man,” backed up with three female singers and a 30-member band, many of whom have been with Diamond for over 30 years.
 
A highlight of the concert was Diamond's celebration of the 25th anniversary of his acting debut in The Jazz Singer. Although Diamond's acting debut was mediocre, the soundtrack to the 1980 film gave Diamond many of his self-penned hits, such as “Love on the Rocks,” which he performed. Diamond's classic “America” combined Diamond's dramatic reading with footage on two video screens of a historical montage of immigrants to America. The setting, combined with many fans waving flags, gave the concert a homecoming, patriotic feel.
 
Along with the up-tempo, stand up and cheer songs were romantic ballads such as “You Don't Bring Me Flowers,” which Diamond crooned with backup singer Linda Press, “Holly Holy” and his most enduring ballad “Sweet Caroline,” in which the audience decided to sing along with Neil on it.
 
Among other hits included were “Forever in Blue Jeans” (yes, his fans came in denim), “Red, Red Wine,” “Crackling Rosee” and “Solitary Man.”
 
Diamond used lighting and a stage platform in recreating the aggressive preacher lyrics in “Brother's Love Salvation Song” near the end of the concert. The song was an appropriate fit for the crowd, as the fans relished the power of Neil.
 
PHOTO IDS
1. Neil Diamond
Photo by Jesse Diamond

Blindness is No Obstacle for
Mezzo-Soprano Laurie Rubin
 

The Center for Emerging Art presents Laurie Rubin, mezzo-soprano, in concert through the “From Miami to Budapest: Together-Együtt” international cultural exchange at Steinway Piano Gallery, 4104 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, on November 20 at 4pm.
 
Helped by a keen ear and librettos transcribed into Braille, Los Angeles native Laurie Rubin sings in at least eight languages. Rubin, who has been blind since birth, has an impressive career as a professional opera singer. A graduate of both the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and Yale Opera at the Yale School of Music, Rubin continues to receive high praises and awards. Rubin has had solo performances at the White House, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. and a New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in 2004.
 
Program printed in Braille for the visually impaired/blind.
 
For more information and tickets, call 305-538-2803, email radoa@fiu.edu or visit www.centerforemergingart.org.

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