Bedouin Soundclash – Sounding A Mosaic (Stomp Records) – We congratulate Bedouin Soundclash for picking up the ‘New Group Of The Year’ award at the 2006 Junos. The trio of Canadians wears the influence of Bob Marley, Toots and The Maytals, The Skatalites and a host of other reggae and ska heroes proudly on their sleeves. They sound more like a product of Studio One in Kingston, Jamaica than Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario where the friends first got together. Vancouver-bred guitarist and singer, Jay Malinowski explains, “The three of us came together because we all loved reggae music. Individually, we take different musical avenues and then try to slip everything into the mix. In the end, we’re a bunch of Canadian kids who are making music that is really far from our homes.” Malinowski and his buds have taken some flack for apparently assuming the mantle of Bob Marley, which of course they dismiss outright (you’d have to be three dumb-ass Canucks to think that would fly in the reggae world). But, hey UB40 were never born in the shadow of the Blue Mountains and they’ve earned a pretty good rep doing drop beat for twenty-five years. Music isn’t Jay Malinowski’s only artistic passion by the way. His major at Queen’s was Fine Arts and his paintings can now be seen in a solo exhibition at the Agnes Etherington Arts Centre in Toronto. His work also graces the cover of the band’s album, Sounding A Mosaic.

 

Jeff Martin – Exile And The Kingdom (True North) – For the past sixteen years, as singer and guitarist for The Tea Party, Jeff Martin has been weaving together an intricate tapestry of western and eastern influence. And, as the trio was carving out a rep as one of Canada’s premiere rock bands, his passion for global music and culture would become an increasingly important part of their sound. Now, Jeff has stepped away from that band to release his first solo debut called ‘Exile And The Kingdom’. When he and his former band mates in The Tea Party opened for Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, the notes were already being written for a new chapter in his musical career, one that would bring even more of his edgy introspection and eastern influence to the surface. He found a kindred soul in Paige and Plant drummer, Michael Lee, who shares his views and vision on things like music, religion and politics. With a foundation from Lee and Toronto Tabla Ensemble percussionist, Ritesh Das, Martin has built an album that not only rocks globally … in his words, “It’s packed full of soul.” Michael Lee is even more cavalier in his assessment of the new disc. “This is the new Led Zeppelin. I don’t mind saying it,” he proclaims. While shades of Kashmir echo through the first single, “The World Is Calling”, there’s no mistaking Martin’s deep tenor for Robert Plant’s nut-cracking, high-pitched wails. The tune calls George W to task for mucking up Gaia so royally but there are introspective moments as well like ‘Day Star’ a chimey, lush sitar track written for his son, Django. The album really runs the gamut from Eastern overtones to swampy blues and the production is superb. Who wants to bet that Jeff Martin emerges with a new shot at success after his self-imposed exile from the Tea Party?

 

Gor – Gor (Gor Music) - Some biblical scholars propose that Armenia was the site of the Garden of Eden. But, through wars, Soviet occupation and continuous border disputes, this neighbor of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Iran has been less than a paradise in modern times. Today, as the country regains its independence, its arts and culture are starting to filter into the western world. Gor Mkhitarian is an Armenian performer living in LA. He was the lead guitarist for one of the country’s most beloved rock bands called, Lav Eli. Today, he writes in the classic folk style of his homeland but revitalizes the music with thoroughly modern arrangements. He says, “I’m trying to build a bridge between cultures, especially between Armenians living at home and those who are living abroad.” He represents the best of Armenia’s emerging new music scene and the video for one of his hookiest numbers, ‘Wherever’, which is sung in his native language, is included as part of the album package. That clip took top honors at the 2005 Armenian Music Awards. The newer work reflected on his eponymous album continues his introspections on life, love and God but now the songs are in English as Gor reaches out to a larger audience in his adopted home. And, it seems to be working. More and more people are discovering the simple elegance of Gor’s melodies. Some of his North American friends are even making the effort to learn a little Armenian because of his music. As Gor exclaims, “What could be a bigger compliment than that?”

 

Junior Kelly – Tough Life (VP Records) –  Tough Life is an apropos name for reggae ‘sing-jay’, Junior Kelly’s latest. Things haven’t been easy for Kelly and his family, particularly during the time of his older brother’s murder. Jim Kelly was a talented DJ who was gunned down over a labor dispute. Following the trial of the accused, Junior Kelly and his siblings were shipped off from Kingston to live in the countryside in a kind of ‘witness relocation’. It was about that time that Junior Kelly started to write his first lyrics and prevailing themes of love and faith began to emerge in his music. His first big hit called ‘Love So Nice’ used the rhythm of Bob Marley’s ‘Stir it Up’ to share the universal experience of being hurt by love. But, Tough Life isn’t an album about self-pity. It’s an affirmation of how life’s adversities can help make us all stronger in the end. Kelly sampled the voice of one of his mentors, Dennis Brown for the album’s first single,  ‘Hold The Faith’. Here’s a next gen. reggae star with an abiding respect and appreciation for the old school veterans. Love You Like That, is a sweet blend of DJ rapping and the melodious voice of J.C. Lodge. The Riddim Twins lay down the bottom on a track that calls out young Jamaicans, ‘Youths Dem Nah Cool’. When asked, “What does music mean to Junior Kelly?” He replies thoughtfully saying, “Music is a living entity that takes on its own shape and form. It’s the ultimate way of communicating.”