Ross Boissoneau

Music Ross Boissoneau The Manhattan Transfer - Vibrate - Telarc

From the opening of the relaxed but jaunty “Walkin’ In New York,” the Transfer seems intent on delivering its most listenable set in some time. Trumpet great Lew Soloff delivers some screamers, but the focus is on the quartet of nonpareil singers, as it should be. The exotic strings of “Greek Song” stand in contrast to lyrics extolling Barnes & Noble, while the title track similarly juxtaposes lyrical references to cell phones, karaoke and Britney Spears with instrumental backing that brings to mind a Parisienne coffeehouse, complete with accordion. Elsewhere there’s some vocalese, classic material by Gershwin and Jobim, and the joy of hearing four of the finest singers in the world enjoying themselves as they harmonize.

Music Ross Boissoneau Where can you hear songs by Three Dog Night, the Police, the Platters, James Taylor, McFadden & Whitehead, Gene Pitney and Prince?
Well, you could spin the radio dial back and forth, from oldies to classic rock to r stations. But a better option would be going to Interlochen’s Corson Auditorium this Friday, Jan. 14, where the Nylons will be wrapping the above and more in their inimitable four-part harmonies. Claude Morrison, the lone remaining original member, says the group is sounding better than ever.
“There was a period in the early ‘90s where one member had died (the angelic-voiced Marc Connors, who passed away from AIDS-related cancer) and one left (Paul Cooper). It wasn’t the apex.
“But at a crucial point Garth (current member Garth Mosbaugh) and Gavin Hope joined. After three or four years Gavin went off to do major musicals, then we got Mark Cassius, who’d just finished major musicals. He was feeling a need for change.
That was seven-plus years ago. But according to Morrison, “We still refer to him (Cassius) as the New Guy.”

Features Ross Boissoneau Red vs. Blue
The divisions in the country are deep. Whether they ended up Red or Blue, most of the states were nearly evenly divided, and Michigan is no exception. But the President who has vowed to unite America rather than divide it has replaced most of his cabinet with insiders and close personal advisors, a move that doesn’t bode well for discussion of divergent viewpoints. If he is to truly unite the country, then inclusion of those who hold different viewpoints is essential. Time will tell.

Music Ross Boissoneau Each year’s holiday time brings some treats for the season. This year is no exception, with new seasonal favorites sure to join the Christmas chestnuts you pull out each year.
Of course, there are some that don’t measure up as well. Maybe they’re like the proverbial fruitcake that gets passed around each year, and there are really only a couple clinkers. It’s Christmas time – we can wish, right?
Various Artists: I’ll Be Home For Christmas (Windham Hill)
Easily one of the best holiday discs of this or any other year. It covers a lot of ground stylistically, from light, swinging jazz (Phillipe Saisse’s “Winter Wonderland” and Sean Harkness covering the Charlie Brown classic “Christmas Time Is Here” by Vince Guaraldi) to more classically-oriented and new age pieces such as Tracy Silverman’s “O Holy Night.” Not that all is sweetness and light: Piano favorite George Winston grabs his harmonica for a way-too honky-tonk version of “Sussex Carol.” But for the most part this is engaging music with the spirit of the holidays intact.

Music Ross Boissoneau Christine McVie – In The Meantime (Koch Records)

If you thought that 20 years between records would augur change, in the case of Christine McVie you’re wrong. The former Fleetwood Mac singer and songwriter’s new solo disc doesn’t sound all that dissimilar to her “Christine McVie” from 1984. Like that disc, “In The Meantime” is pleasant but not exceptional. “Friend” is this album’s “Got A Hold On Me,” a Mac-ish piece of soft pop, empathetically delivered by McVie and her band, which includes her nephew, Dan Perfect, on guitars and backing vocals. Other standout tracks include “So Sincere” and “Easy Come, Easy Go” which has some of those funky clavinet sounds and backing vocals like “You Make Lovin’ Fun.” McVie’s best singing comes on “Liar.” Overall an engaging but less than scintillating excursion.

Music Ross Boissoneau Elvis Costello – The Delivery Man – (UMG Records)

Here it is at last, the album almost no Elvis Costello fan was looking for: The followup to 1981’s “Almost Blue.” Costello shocked nearly everyone when he made the musical move to Nashville honky-tonk with that record, and on “The Delivery Man” Costello explores country twang and emotion once again. Guests include Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, and John McFee, one of the members of Clover with whom he recorded his debut disc (McFee subsequently became a Doobie Brother). But this is more than just a country homage. There’s no shortage of rock voltage (“Bedlam” in particular) alongside the rootsy twang, while “The Name of This Thing Is Not Love” features jazzy lounge organ. And while “Almost Blue” was a collection of covers, Costello wrote or co-wrote all the tracks herein.

Music Ross Boissoneau Mike Keneally – The Universe Will Provide (Favored Nations)
Former Zappa guitarist Mike Keneally certainly learned a few things from Frank, and on “The Universe Will Provide” he puts some of them to use. His compositions are more like min-symphonies than rock songs, which makes sense given the fact he’s accompanied by the Metropole Orkest, a 60-piece Dutch orchestra. Keneally’s lines are ofttimes jarring, placed almost in opposition to the orchestra; at other times, the two blend, or the orchestra supports Keneally’s electric excursions. Keneally touches many bases here, from shred guitar to complex orchestral passages to sweeping melodic grandeur. If titles like “Worrywart Spoonguy” and “Four Slices of Toast” intrigue you rather than put you off, chances are the music will as well.