Doug Collette

John Hiatt: Mystic Pinball

Doug Collette October 3, 2012 No Comments

John Hiatt's last two albums (The Open Road 2010, Dirty Jeans Mudslide Hymns 2011) are among the most memorable of his career, in large part because of the assertive yet sympathetic accompaniment of The Combo, a streamlined three-piece band consisting of guitarist Doug Lancio, bassist Patrick O’Hearn and drummer Kenneth Blevins. No doubt inspired by their intuitive savvy, Hiatt writes with the confidence of a craftsman who knows his band can handle anything he composes and the mutual surety of the four men permeates Mystic Pinball.

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Medeski Martin & Wood: More Than Magic

Doug Collette October 2, 2012 No Comments

Far from being merely a sequel to their previously-released acoustic album, Tonic, this latest title incorporates new songs and new sounds into an oeuvre that has been fascinating to follow since it began and continues to grow.

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The English Beat: Live! at the US Festival

Doug Collette October 1, 2012 No Comments

An ideal companion piece to The Complete Beat, the comprehensive chronicle of the Two-Tone band's recording output, this combination CD/DVD set captures the bulk of the Beat's two performances at the groundbreaking US Festival. And though the second of the two appearances occurred near the end of the band's initial run, they acquit themselves equally stylishly on a span of material from their three studio albums.

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Medeski Martin & Wood: Free Magic

Doug Collette September 26, 2012 No Comments

Free Magic might sound too arcane for its own good, but the title track, coupled with  "Ballade in C Minor, Vergessene Seelen," interweaves the exotic sounds of the opener in almost equal proportion to the traditional piano trio approach. "Where's Sly," from their second album in 1993, It’s A Jungle in Here, thus becomes a refreshing and emphatic close to a recording that, through the course of its playing time, develops an identity all its own…much like the band who made it, by the process of constant reinvention.

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Ian Hunter & The Rant Band: When I’m President

Doug Collette September 4, 2012 No Comments

Some of the greatest songwriters invariably have some of the greatest backing bands. Bob Dylan had the Band, Graham Parker had The Rumour, John Hiatt had the Goners (and now The Combo) and Ian Hunter has The Rant Band. The vibrancy with which they bring to life the material on When I'm President reaffirms why the former frontman for Mott The Hoople chooses to share headline status with them on his 20th solo album.

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Strangefolk: Waterfront Park, Burlington, VT 8/11/12

Doug Collette August 20, 2012 No Comments

Cynics might see the Strangefolk reunion show at Waterfront Park August 11 as nothing more than an indulgence in nostalgia, something akin to the classic rock shows that tour the sheds each summer. But the rain-delayed event was more like the get-together of old friends in a genuine reconnection of their relationship, all parties just as interested in how they had changed as in how much they had stayed the same.

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Shoes: Ignition

Doug Collette August 17, 2012 No Comments

Their first recording in 18 years, Shoes' Ignition reaffirms both their status as unsung heroes of American power-pop even as it confirms how willfully they've embraced their self-styled insularity over the years. This vibrant studio project is the work of musicians capitalizing on their chemistry

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The English Beat: The Complete Beat

Doug Collette August 16, 2012 No Comments

English Beat were not the first of the Two-Tone groups–that honor goes to The Specials–but the Dave Wakeling-led band nurtured an eclectic style that broadened their appeal beyond the bounds of their peer bands from the early Eighties. In short order, then, The English Beat usurped the mantle of the movement.

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Dawes: Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT 7/31/12

Doug Collette August 13, 2012 No Comments

At roughly mid-set of Dawes’ July 31st appearance at Higher Ground, front-man Taylor Goldsmith flipped his center stage mic stand around to face the audience as a means of capturing them singing along to “When My Time Comes,” which the approximately 125 attendees did with remarkably practiced-sounding precision. It was a brash move on the part of the Los Angeles band’s /guitarist/vocalist/songwriter, especially since his invitation to help the group was offered only moments before and seemed to be only in passing.  But it was testament to Dawes’ faith in their fans, not to mention their devotion and, above all, another gesture of quiet self-assurance on the part of a band earnestly devoted to their craft and their listeners.

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