Peter Green – Kolors – MOV
FourScore
Composed of leftover blues-rock tracks from several of Green’s earlier recording sessions (ones that didn’t make it to the actual albums), this is an interesting collection — especially considering any of the tunes would’ve fit in to his other sets seamlessly. It’s like finding a nearly-new item at the thrift shop. Highlights include the pedal-floored “Funky Jam” and whining guitar riffs of “Big Bad Feeling,” plus vintage blues-inspired numbers like “Same Old Blues” and “What Am I Doing Here.” **
Dave Holland, Zakir Hussain, and Chris Potter – Good Hope – Edition Records
With Potter on saxophone, Holland on bass, and Hussain on drums, this is quite a collaboration between three standout musicians who complement each other quite well. Inspired in part by a Crosscurrents ensemble that wove itself around East Indian music blended with jazz, those same sounds are featured here, on tunes like the multifarious “Suvarna,” featuring Holland’s deft bass work; “Mazad,” which showcases Potter’s sax; and standout “Ziandi,” with its exotic twists and turns. ***
Steve Cole – Gratitude – Artistry
Even when there are vocals involved in the tracks, the lead instrument on pretty much this entire album is Cole’s saxophone. Whether or not that’s a good thing really does depend on just how much you like sax. Alternately ’60s soulful and ’70s groovy, the set lightly jumps between both feels, glazing the tracks with other influences, like funk, on “Starting Over”; island vibes on “Sun Goddess”; or downtempo gritty sounds on “Toronto.” ** ½
L’epee – Diabolique – A. Records
The duo of Emmanuelle Seigner (French movie diva and wife of controversial film director Roman Polanski) and Anton Newcombe (of French garage rockers The Liminanas) make a quirky and not-altogether-convincing pair in this new band (the name means “The Sword”). Blending droning shoe-gaze rock, cocktail music, and ’60s psychedelia, the sound is a pretty obvious nod to Nico and The Velvet Underground, from “Lou” to “Last Picture Show,” but without the authenticity of the original outfit. * ½