India Arie's Acoustic Soul is just as advertised:grooving soul music with an acoustic bent. Arie herself plays guitar,supplemented by strings (instead of synthesizers) and drums (instead ofdrum machines). The first single, "Video," is a calm, confident ode toself-love, comparing the dreadlocked, petite Arie to the average girlin a video. Arie is indeed anything but average: her debut marks theauspicious return of the black female singer-songwriter, in the vein ofMe'ShellNdegeocello, Tracy Chapman, and Dionne Farris. Ifyou like their music, with thoughtful lyrics and layers ofinstrumentation, you'll love this album. "Video" is fabulous, but otherhigh points include "Ready for Love," a lament that smolders beforeslowly building to a crescendo, with tinkling piano, guitar, and celloswelling beneath the vocal. "Strength, Courage, and Wisdom" is anoptimistic anthem that'll have you clapping your hands and swaying fromside to side, and the best track on the album, "Simple," is astraightforward love song with a pulsating beat. Acoustic Soulmay not be full of radio-friendly tracks, but every track is strong,and the disc improves each time you press play. --Courtney Kemp ... Read more

Asin: B00005A1PR
Subjects:  1. Contemporary R&B    2. Neo-Soul    3. Pop    4. R&B    5. Urban   

Natalie Cole's transition from R&B diva to sophisticated pop-jazz crooner is nothing new (cf. Unforgettable, her early '90s tribute to father Nat "King" Cole), but it comes to its fullest fruition with this 90-minute, 18-song performance, recorded in London with a full orchestra. The 2002 show (originally aired on PBS) celebrates the release of Cole's Tommy LiPuma-produced CD of the same name, and the majority of the songs from that album are heard here, along with "This Will Be," her first solo hit, and others. Cole is also joined by Diana Krall for two numbers, including a swinging "Route 66" (popularized by Cole's dad half a century ago), while Krall performs the Gershwin standard "'S Wonderful" solo, adding a sultry, understated vibe to the proceedings. Nothing particularly challenging here, but Cole has clearly found her footing. A 17-minute interview with the singer highlights the DVD bonus features. --Sam Graham ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Dolby
• Widescreen

Asin: B000087F3P
Subjects:  1. Music Video - Jazz   

Does it get any better than this? Canadian torch singer and pianist Diana Krall is in perfect form in this two-hour Paris concert, recorded in December 2001 shortly after the release of her CD The Look of Love. In her band, guitarist Anthony Wilson and bassist John Clayton get the lion's share of attention, but the entire ensemble (including lush strings from the Paris Symphony Orchestra) provides flawless support for Krall, whose skill on a Steinway is as impressive as her smoky interpretations of vintage standards and ballads. Inspired by guest conductor-arranger Claus Ogerman, Krall can surprise with subtleties (like a delicious hint of the Beatles' "Day Tripper" in her closing of "All or Nothing"), or glide into solos with a master's flair. Matching the music beat for beat, the camera coverage and editing are intimate without being obtrusive, making this a bit of jazz heaven here on earth. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Features

• DTS Surround Sound
• Dolby
• Widescreen
• Color

Asin: B00005Y3ZM
Subjects:  1. Music Video - Jazz   

Thalia's first album on the EMI Latin label finds the Mexicansinger and soap-opera starlet moving away from the disposable pop ofher earlier discs in favor of richer, more diverse sounds. There are afew limp moments on En Extasis, but Thalia is clearly cominginto her own as a singer. The switch is in large part thanks toproducers Emilio Estefan Jr. and Kike Santander, who expertly disguiseThalia's shortcomings as a vocalist with slick production values. "PielMorena," the album's first single and best track, is an intoxicating,sexy cumbia. Thalia shines on "Amándote," a dance track producedby A.B. QuintanillaIII , and she even manages a sweet rendition of Juan Gabriel's"Gracias a Dios." The ballads "Quiero Hacerte el Amor" and"Lágrimas" (the latter cowritten by Thalia) also draw attentionto unexpected shadings and nuances. --Joey Guerra ... Read more

Asin: B000000VHF
Subjects:  1. Latin    2. Latin Pop   

Released three months after her murder in 1995, Dreaming of You introduced the Tejano queen to the mainstream pop audience. Four new tunes recorded with producers Keith Thomas and Guy Roche envisioned Selena as a dance-pop diva similar to Janet Jackson or Mariah Carey, but with a Latin twist. Far more arresting are the two classic mariachi numbers and a bilingual duet with David Byrne recorded for the movie Don Juan DeMarco, in which Selena had a bit part. The contrast between her passionate invitation to "come dance with me" and Byrne's nerdy white-guy delivery indicated her wide-open creative potential. The rest of the album consists of remixes of Selena's Latin-pop hits, including a masterful version of "Techno Cumbia" that bring out the hip-hop and reggae flavors in the groove. The tragedy was that such a promising introduction also served as a sad farewell. --Rick Mitchell ... Read more

Asin: B000000VFL
Subjects:  1. Latin    2. Latin Pop    3. Mexican   

After re-establishing her Latin identity with Mi Tierra, her tribute to Afro-Cuban music, Cuban American singer Gloria Estefan made yet another surprising move, this time exploring the music of Latin America, mostly Colombia. What started as a modest, end-of-the-year holiday album became perhaps the most artistically satisfying album of her career. Aided by Colombian arranger and producer Kike Santander (who also wrote most of the material), Estefan explores vallenato (the title track and "Dulce Amor"), merengue ("Tres Deseos"), currulao, a Colombian rhythm ("Farolito," the highlight of the album) and, of course, salsa ("Nuevo Dia"). For fans of her ballad singing, Estefan also includes the elegant, "Mas Alla." A quirky Gloria Estefan album, yet one of her best. --Fernando Gonzalez ... Read more

Asin: B000002B9I
Subjects:  1. Adult Contemporary    2. Christmas    3. Dance-Pop    4. Latin    5. Latin Pop    6. Tropical   

No fat cigar, not even Cuba's gorgeous sunsets, can register close on the sublimity scale to the country's lush, commercially unsullied music, something lots of folks discovered a few years back when a subtle loosening of regulatory strings let the brilliant, boundary-busting Buena Vista Social Club cross the shore. On Cuban Lullaby, another of Ellipsis Arts' impressively packaged, carefully annotated, and sweet-smelling Lullaby series (the scent of lavender, said to promote heavy-liddedness, comes wafting out once the protective plastic is removed), the tradition-steeped African and Spanish elements that fused the Cuban sound fall in for a 16-track close-up--intimacy, after all, is what lullabies are all about. The music moves from lilting piano ("Drume Negrita," "Berceuse a Jessie," "Drume Mobila") to elegant guitar (a different rendition of "Drume Negrita," "Suenos de Colores") to tribal-sounding bata drums ("Oguere"). The set is by turns sweepingly beautiful, twinkly sweet, and rhythmically soothing--no surprise, considering this record's artist roster. Grammy-winning pianist Chucho Valdes, immortal entertainer Bola de Nieve, and Buena Vista Social Club singer Omara Portuondo raise the talent bar to a dizzying level, the right altitude, it turns out, for drifting off to dreamland. If your little one is the lucky intended dozer, leave the light on and read the liner notes. The English translations of these songs, like "El Amor de Caracol y Lombriz," about a snail-worm romance, and "Nana Animalera," describing a late-night all-animal hootenanny, crack a window on Cuban culture, causing, without intending to, sharp regrets that it's been sealed away for so long. --Tammy La Gorce ... Read more

Asin: B00004Z3YH
Subjects:  1. Childrens    2. Cuba    3. Latin    4. Lullabies    5. Lullaby    6. Tropical    7. Trova   

The soundtrack from Woman on Top, starring Madrid-born bombshell Penelope Cruz as the beauty and brains behind a popular cooking show, is the perfect introduction to the Brazilian sound--and just might live up to the label's promise that it's "destined to bring Bossa Nova music to the world" (though bossa nova has long been popular in the West, albeit in specialized circles). The highly listenable album features contemporary Brazilian artists such as singer-songwriter Lenine; pop-rocker and Joao Gilberto sound-alike Paulinho Moska; and the three-DJ collective Bossa Cuca Nova putting a new spin on a classic Geraldo Pereira tune. It also includes gems such as Maria Creuza and her delicately wavering voice, and guitarist Dori Caymmi performing one of his father's songs. Mellow yet upbeat, it's relaxation music that won't put you to sleep. --Jamie FitzGerald ... Read more

Features

• Soundtrack

Asin: B00004XSXX
Subjects:  1. Afro-Brazilian    2. Brazil    3. Brazilian Jazz    4. Brazilian Pop    5. MPB    6. Pop    7. Samba    8. Soundtracks & Film Scores   

It is not just the timbre of Norah Jones's voice that is mature beyond her 22 years. Her assured phrasing and precise time are more often found in older singers as well. She is instantly recognizable, blending shades of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone without sounding like anyone but herself. Any way you slice it, she is a singer to be reckoned with. Her readings of the Hank Williams classic "Cold Cold Heart" and Hoagy Carmichael's "The Nearness of You" alone are worth the price of the CD. Jones's own material, while not bad, pales a bit next to such masterpieces. They might have fared better had she and producer Arif Mardin opted for some livelier arrangements, taking better advantage of brilliant sidemen such as Bill Frisell, Kevin Breit, and Brian Blade; or if the tunes had simply been given less laconic performances. Jones has all the tools; what will come with experience and some careful listening to artists like J.J. Cale and Shirley Horn is the knack of remaining low-key without sounding sleepy--sometimes less is not, in fact, more. --Michael Ross ... Read more

Asin: B00005YW4H
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

Brushfire Fairytales
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (29 January, 2002)
list price: $13.98 -- our price: $9.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Fans of Willy Porter, Ben Harper, and G. Love will all want to check out Jack Johnson's engaging folk- and blues-inflected pop. Born in Oahu, Hawaii, Johnson, a former surfer and film-school graduate, has a knack for acoustic ballads whose calm surfaces hide a subtle but strong lyrical undertow. "It seems to me that 'maybe' pretty much always means 'no,'" sings Johnson on "Flake," which features crony Harper on slide guitar. Production by J.P. Plunier (who also handles Harper's recordings) is simple and uncluttered: acoustic guitar and drum tracks share the foreground with Johnson's easygoing vocals, which evoke everyone from G. Love (who recorded Johnson's "Rodeo Clowns" on his Philadelphonic album) to Nick Drake to Willy Porter. And while Johnson may not have Porter's guitar chops, these songs have a relaxed beauty and understated depth that reward repeated listening.--Bill Forman ... Read more

Reviews (451)

JACK JOHNSON CAN'T BE BEAT!
I bought this album because I liked the songs I heard from Jack on the radio. the thing is, (and this is a rarity these days), is that the radio singles are actually the worst ( if i can even say that about this album) songs on this record. By far, this and Jack's other two releases, "On and On", and "In Between Dreams", are the definitive sounds of summer. If you are choosing between his cds, I would reccommend them in this order:
1. On and On
2.Brushfire Fairytales
3. In Between Dreams

And there ya go.
-Chris-

For An Old Man, It's Just Deja vu
I note that there are 449 reviews on this CD and I don't have time to search them all, but has ANYONE out there noticed this artist's pale imitation of Michael Franks? Besides me, is there anyone out there old enough to remember Michael Franks? A twenty-five year old graduate student has me listening to this and one of my co-workers (who's in her early 30s) has sung this person's praises. I feel I cannot join the chorus. For those who think this is new, go back to the seventies and discover Mr. Franks. Then you will realize how clumsily Mr. Johnson has copied someone else's muse.

I Gave My Love A Cherry.
This weepy balladeer fits nicely between fellow Hades dwellers Ben Harper and John Meyer, and, like his ilk, has nothing to offer to anyone who possesses a brain larger than a pea.

"Brushfire Fairytales" is exactly the kind of krap you're bound to find playing at the local coffee house during those torrid poetry reading nights or Saturday nights at Borders.

It's precisely the kind of CD that's bound to get you laid, but are you really willing to sell your soul for the beav? ... Read more

Asin: B00005V8PZ
Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Bass    4. Drums    5. Drums (Steel)    6. Guitar (Acoustic)    7. Guitar (Electric)    8. Percussion    9. Piano    10. Pop    11. Rock    12. Singer/Songwriter    13. Slide Guitar    14. Vocals