Parables - Tarrus Riley

Today I'm not in the mood to do much blogging but this album and artist is worth sharing. I've known Tarrus Riley since the late 90s and he's really come a long way from where he started. He believed in himself, he was determined, he persevered and it has paid off.
Scheduled to release another album this summer supported by a European tour I now introduce you to what I believe is a great piece of work released in 2006 - Tarrus Riley: Parables.

Fifteen tracks of contemporary roots, rock reggae. This album is sure to please the Reggae lover. The album includes his hit singles "She's Royal" and "Stay With You" (John Legend Cover).
If you're into the new faces of Reggae, you should definitely check out the works from this artist and get "Parables", a great album to check out in my opinion. 

Here's his video "She's Royal"

Have A Great Day!

ICONIC - Appetite For Destruction - Guns N' Roses

This album was released way before I was interested in Rock music. I wouldn't have even known the name of the band till (ashamed to say it..) I was in my 20s and I still wasn't even interested in listening to their music.
It wasn't until I bought "Slash" the autobiography of Slash - their lead guitarist when I said to myself "I'm learning a lot about this guy and his band yet I have no idea what their music sounds like. Its only fitting to get the album". So I went and got Guns N' Roses "Appetite For Destruction" .

I was eleven years old when this album was released and as I said I wasn't into Rock nor was I exposed to this genre at that age.  But listening to it, reading the book and watching TV interviews with all the rock stars from the 80s I can tell that this period was when music & expression was still at its rawest from.  I can literally feel the energy from the band every time I listen to "Appetite For Destruction"

Twelve tracks of raw expression from Guns N' Roses. Well produced & mixed. I can just imagine in the 80s how "organic" it must have been to work on this record compared to how we do things today.
I don't have any faves on this album, they're all great songs, from "Welcome To The Jungle" (track 1) to "Rocket Queen" (track 12). Also I didn't now how well Slash played until I heard this record. The whole band was awesome.

"Appetite For Destruction" is a must have in your collection, this album is ICONIC and set the standard for what all the young rockers are doing today. Hey, when you have sex with your girl in the vocal booth, record it and put it in a song on your album ("Rocket Queen"), if that doesn't say "Rock Icon" the term doesn't exist.

A great album to check out in my opinion.


Here's "Paradise City"

Have A Great Day!

Smokin' At The Half Note - Wes Montgomery

As a musician I try to listen a wide variety of music. I was always encouraged at an early age by my father to do so and thus I have developed an appreciation for a wide variety of music genres.  Being a guitarist I often seek and find inspiration in listening to other guitar players, especially those that came long before my time, those who are innovators and who stand out "above" the rest (in my opinion at least).  Wes Montgomery is one such guitarist, and some years ago while trying to find something "new" to inspire me I found "Smokin' At The Half Note".

I was, and still am truly inspired whenever I listen to this album.  Recorded in 1965 at The Half Note Club in New York as well as at Van Gelder Studios in New Jersey, Wes Montgomery is accompanied by Miles Davis' rhythm section ('59-'63) - Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers & Jimmy Cobb.

"Smokin' At The Half Note" has eleven tracks of straight ahead Jazz and a few Jazz ballads - "Misty" & "Portrait Of Jennie". My faves would be "Four On Six", "No Blues", "Misty" and "Unit 7". 


I'm not a Jazz guitarist and at present have no intention of becoming one but hearing a great musician play always gives me a good feeling, no matter the genre. So if you are into Jazz and are a collector of a wide variety, this is a great album to check out and a must have.


Here he is performing "Impressions" in Belgium 1965




Have a great day!

A Common Case Of Disappearing - Amber Rubarth

A few months ago I had the pleasure of meeting Amber Rubarth at a gig. Coincidentally we both were going to be in Jamaica the day after our meeting and my dad and I were invited to pass by the studio where she would be recording. Amber was actually working on some recordings as a member of a group with Dave Eggar which by the way is an amazing Cellist. 

Anyhow, I asked her if she had done any recordings on her own, she said yes but didn't have any copies at that moment. She eventually emailed me a link to download  her album - "A Common Case Of Disappearing" 

 

If you know me well, there are only a few genres I don't listen much so I'm always open to new things. This album is labeled on iTunes as "Singer/Songwriter","Pop". Some of the songs remind me a little bit of when I used to listen to Norah Jones' "Come Away With Me", but it's not a Jazz album.  

It always amazes me the amount of new music and artists that exists in the world but we are only exposed to that which the major companies want to push/promote to be "commercially successful".

"A Common Case Of Disappearing" has nine tracks of which my favorites are "Letter To My Lonelier Self", "City Starts To Bloom", "Mirror" and "One Last Look".

A really nice album to listen, chill, have a drink. If you're into guitar oriented singer/songwriter styles of music, this is a great album for you to check out in my opinion. 

Here's a video showing the making of some of the tracks and a little bit of history behind the album

Have A Great Day!!

Electrifying Grooves Of DiVersion - Robert Dubwise

After this album's initial release in 2010 it was withdrawn from all online stores due to an unforeseen issue. Now slated for release again this month with two tracks that weren't previously released, check out "Electrifying Grooves Of DiVersion" - Robert Dubwise

As you all know I am Robert Dubwise,  so I thought it best to hear what others had to say about this album instead of going at it myself.

"As a radio host I love the vibrant and expressive sounds that come from this body of work. Taking me back to the authentic bedtracking used to deliver the news and special broadcasts on radio during primetime hours.
Eclectic, Evolving and Enticing are a few simple words to describe 'Electrifying Grooves Of DiVersion' " - Carrie Mullings (Host of Rebel Vibez On CHRY 105.5 FM Toronto, Canada)

."....guitarist Robert "Dubwise" Browne establishes himself as one of the top instrumentalists to come out of Jamaica. From the urban contemporary groove of  "You Got Me" to the to the achingly romantic  "It's So Beautiful," to the electrifying pace of "On My Mind," this recording can be played in any format: reggae, smooth jazz, traditional jazz and dancehall. ...... "Electrifying Grooves Of DiVersion" solidifies Robert "Dubwise Browne's place in this pantheon. -- Shelah Moody (former writer/journalist for San Francisco Chronicle).

This album is a great album to have in your collection for one reason, there is no other like it on the market today, there never was, and there probably never will be another. So check it out, hope you enjoy my "Electrifying Grooves Of DiVersion"  

Here's Robert Dubwise performing "You Got Me" & "Sun Is Shining" (Bob Marley Cover)

Have A Great Day!