My Flame Burns Blue

'My Flame' flickers (2.5 stars)

This is one of Costello's more unique recordings. Perhaps it will grow on me with repeated listenings as has happened recently with 'All This Useless Beauty'. That said, 'My Flame Burns Blue' has proved a challenging listen early on.

Some of my problem with 'Flame' is simply song preference. There are several selections that are among my least favorite Costello songs: 'Clubland', 'Almost Blue' and '...Forbidden Playthings' among them. YECCHH!

The good stuff.....The energized version of 'That's How You Got Killed Before' is a revelation, but nothing else quite approaches that level. 'God Give Me Strength' is pretty faithful to the studio version on 'Painted From Memory' and is sturdy if not spectacular. 'Favourite Hour', 'Almost Ideal Eyes' and 'Episode of Blonde' come off solidly. The version of 'Watching the Detectives' here will likely either amuse or repulse.

Declan is nothing if not experimental. He's certainly that on 'Flame'.

July 31, 2007

An undiscovered gem.

I have not been able to get this cd off my player. I hum themes from it constantly.
I Want More.
Anyone who wonders about the amount of production that goes into an Elvis Costello rock record will be astounded by the writing here, the thought, the musicality, and the professionalism of a full-time orchestra that swings. I don't mean that stilted Boston Pops crap, but real honest-to-God chops!
The sound clips here don't do this record justice.
This is absolutely one of his very best recordings and I urge everyone to go out and buy it! You won't be disappointed. May 24, 2007

Elvis Costello does jazz!

My love & admiration for the work of Vince Mendoza, and my search for projects he's been involved with have led me in many different directions. Apart from some obvious places like Mendoza's own albums (some of which have been very hard to come by) and albums by the likes of John Abercrombie and Peter Erskine, they've also led me to people I would never have thought of on my own; people like Jane Monheit, Joni Mitchell, Stefano di Battista and Yuri Honing.

But although I'd heard of him, I never in a million years thought this search would lead me to Elvis Costello. I consider my musical tastes to be very eclectic but still, I would never have thought that I'd enjoy listening to an Elvis Costello CD, much less that I would actually own one.

But here we are. This CD of 14 very interesting songs sang in the jazz tradition, was recorded live at the North Sea Jazz Festival in 2004. Costello is backed by the Metropole Orkest (also known as the Metropole Orchestra), conducted by Vince Mendoza. Mendoza also arranges "That's How You Got Killed Before", "Episode of Blonde" and the title track, which is only 3 of the 14 songs but it's good enough for me. Interestingly, certainly for me, Bill Frisell & Willem Friede also arrange a song here - "Upon A Veil of Midnight Blue".

Costello is no Tony Bennett but he handles the songs with great charm and feeling. This is a singer who believes what he sings and as the listener, I in turn believe him. As I fully expected, the orchestration is sublime and there are some great trumpet, sax, guitar and cello solos. I enjoy the performance just as much as the applauding audience seems to and the more I listen to this CD, the more I find that surprising. Elvis Costello. Who would've thought? Definitely not me. So does this mean I might go on to buy more Elvis Costello CDs? It's difficult to say but it's certainly more likely now than it was before.

The very generous Bonus CD has another 18 songs, excerpts from Costello's Ballet after Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream". I'm not a Shakespeare fan, a fan of the ballet or a classical music fan per se, but I do enjoy listening to this. Maybe it's because it features people whose work I've become very familiar with over the years. People like Peter Erskine on the drums, John Harle on saxophone, Chris Laurence on double bass, all backed by the London Symphony Orchestra.

All said and done, this is a wonderful CD full of rich and very rewarding music. I'm so glad I bought it.

Long live Elvis Costello! Long live Vince Mendoza!
May 13, 2007

Is It Elvis(Presley) or Duke Ellington Or both?

Never an artist that can be labelled,EC's life as an expression of the music he makes is royally showcased here in the myriad of styles presented on this very interesting CD presenting so many shades of great music eras GONE BY BUT NOT FORGOTTEN that makes Elvis not only a very interesting musician but a historical personality that leaves the imprint of a man living life to its max.
I have been fortunate to listen to the man from "My Aim Is True" saw the original Attractions more than once, and like him can identify with his changes of tastes recognizing great music for what it is despite the chronology.
For starters, reworking his songs to fit at times Latin tinged,jazzy,classical,Sinatra Bacharach, countryish arrangements and balladry remains bold considering his penchant for his songwriters style as showcased on the rocking sophistry of "Trust" albums like 'Almost Blue"(country),homage to great songwriters (Painted From Memory) even his own development as a mature songwriter (Imperial Bedroom)avant garde classical(Juliet Letters)with his later work & experiments fusing that manic angry young rock and roller of the past nodding to his old Motown love(Get Happy),with the likes of Allen Toussaint in the homage to New Orleans(The River In Reverse)what came before New Orleans was this fine sounding CD paying it's due to great music in all it's manifold stripes with passion and excitement Ala Charles Mingus to the regal elegance of Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn.
Even the CD cover harkens back to Duke's Anatomy Of Murder(Ellington's foray into movie soundtrack), and the presented music with this jazz classical orchestra is something only a Charles Mingus was capable off so highly reminiscent of Mingus is Costello at times that it is refreshing.
An additional nod to Duke in his Shakespearean jaunts through his "Such Sweet Thunder" and major works such as "Black,Brown @ Beige" is apparent in EC as is his general appreciation of these great American jazz and big band artists in his unmistakable UK sublteties.
Such is the case of the bonus CD "Il Sogno" Suite, resembling again Duke's "Such Sweet Thunder" in theme but is pretty classical.
If any comparison can be made ,what comes to my mind stylistically and thematically are Joe Jackson albums notably(The album duplicating that early Sonny Rollins album cover) 'Body&Soul' pretty sophisticated stuff for the time,and Jackson's reworking of swing and big band for a young unsophisticated punk rock audience of the day with "Jumpin Jive".
New Orleans Dr.John the night tripper, whose involvment with great cover albums and homages to Ellington and Toussaint comes to mind as well.
EC made the grade with this one and is in good company.
I would love to hear EC do a Count Basie album with some Satchmo and King Oliver thrown in for good measure.


March 28, 2007

This man does it all

Elvis as a crooner? Oh yes. He pulls it off. I saw the tour for this release at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta. It only supported my faith in this album. I am up for anything different and when I heard of this I couldn't resist. It holds up.
"HORA DECUBITIS" & "GOD GIVE ME STRENGTH" are the openers and closers for this disc. They are the 2 standouts on the disc and let me tell you, all else in between makes the perfect sandwich. You chew, disolve and are left with a pleasant taste in your mouth.
When I saw Costello perform in Atlanta, I was blown away by his voice. He came out for an encore and didn't even use a mic. He gave an incredible performance, and he did the same for this CD performance at NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL.
All in all, if you are a fan, or a newcomer, this man does not dissapoint on this. Costello is all over the place in the musical circles, but he remains stedfast on this release. He delivers! January 29, 2007

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