Music Publicity

Artist: Laurel Zucker & Mark Shapiro
Title: The Dark Side of the Flute
Genre: Classical
Label
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Even in the world of classical, where the music and listeners are well educated and refined, you can find some humor in a serious world. Laurel Zucker (flute) and Marc Shapiro have united once again to record compositions that look at the darker side of music on The Dark Side of the Flute (a play on words with the Pink Floyd classic Dark Side of The Moon). As Laurel talks about in the liner notes, the flute is normally uplifting and bubbly; however looking at the darker places of the mind and the time and space that it inhabits is an entirely different way to use the instrument.

Zucker and Shapiro travel down the road of composers dating back to the 1700’s such as Christophe von Gluck. There are 13 tracks with two suites, tracks 3-7 and 9-11. The suites are the most impressive work as they take you through a story without words. Zucker’s flute carries with it emotion and the vicissitudes of life while Shapiro walks right alongside her, playing equally effective piano. The two instruments make musical interplay a joy to hear.

It has been a while since I explored the music of this renowned flutist and now I can renew my interest once again. There are four other recordings out now as well. Surely each one is quite different from the other and will challenge my imagination and heighten my senses. I enjoyed the pensive anticipation this music made me feel and the relaxing atmospheres suddenly changing to a faster pace and brooding mood. It all amounts to an amalgam of human emotions interpreted through beautiful classical music.

© Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck

October 15, 2006

Tracks:

01. Frank Martin - Ballade for flute and piano
02. Kent Kennan - Night Soliloquy for flute and piano
03. John Harbison-Duo for flute and piano- Fanfare
04. Harbison duo - lullaby
05. Harbison duo - Intermezzo
06. Harbison duo - Dithyramb
07. Harbison Duo - Sonata and Coda
08. Charles Griffes- Poem for flute and piano
09. Hans Werner Henze - Sonatine for flute and piano -Moderato
10. Henze - Sonatine -andantino
11. Henze -Sonatine -Presto
12. Laurel Zucker -Pandora's Box for solo flute
13. Christophe Gluck - Scene from Orpheus for flute and piano

Artist: Rusty Wright Blues
Title: Ain’t No Good Life
Genre: Blues-Rock
Label: Sadson Music
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Yeah baby! This is mighty fine rockin’ blues music, yes sir! It may be that this CD portrays the other side of the fence of the unfortunate and it Ain’t No Good Life but the Rusty Wright Blues band cooks along as if they are playing their last gig and life is not so bad after all. Don’t let the pretty flowers fool ya, they are all nice but look at the old buildings behind the colorful plant, looks like an old broken down distillery to me. Umm, makes you wonder. Pictures can say many things but living in an old run down shack does not make for a good life although when you have good music surrounding you there can be some color in your life (i.e. the flowers in an otherwise grey gloomy world). So look at this cover and you decide what it means to you.

Well it’s the blues so the title has to fit right? The lyrics and music do too as the husband and wife team of Rusty Wright and Laurie LaCross are having a ball bouncing lyrics off each other. They also play their instruments in a spirited fired up manner. Wright peels off some licks that will make the paint peel off the walls. On “Hang Dog” all I could think of was ZZ Top. They way the music sounds and Wright’s from-the-gutter vocals, my god, I thought I was listening to the Tres Hombres from Texas. Coincidentally the next track just keeps on churning right along and its title is “Do It Again,’ and they most certainly do. “Don't Need Yo Bad Mind” is another one that got my attention. Wright plays the six-string with passion and soul and kicks out some bee stinging licks, one after another.

I heard 13 tracks and there was not one that I did not enjoy, really, this is a great album, and the sound and production is top shelf. So from top to bottom this CD pretty much has it all covered. Its indie and it rocks, its not wonder the major labels got da blues, bands like this are making their own way and putting out music that is as good or better than any of the major labels can offer, and that is for sure partner.

© Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck

October 15, 2006

01. Ain't No Good Life
02. I Ain't From Mississippi
03. The Fool Will Do
04. Hang Dog
05. Do It Again
06. Summertime
07. Nasty Reputation
08. Somethin' Missin'
09. Long Time Comin'
10. Missin' You
11. Don't Need Yo Bad Mind
12. Toppy
13. Hell On My Heels
Credits:

Rusty Wright-Lead Vocals, Rhythm and Lead Guitar, Bass Guitar
Laurie LaCross-Wright-Lead Vocals, Rhythm and harmony guitar
Steve "Hitman" Himes-Keyboards
Tommy Stewart-Drums