Donna Grantis
Donna Grantis
Album: “Diamonds & Dynamite”
Grade: B
Like with Miles Davis or David Bowie, having played with Prince is an entry in a musician’s resume that’s worth a thousand recommendations. Canadian guitarist Donna Grantis spent four years in various capacities with the late artist who once changed his name to an unpronounceable glyph. Among other credits, Grantis wrote the title tune for “PlectrumElectrum,” Prince’s 2014 album with the group 3rdEyeGirl, which she was also part of.
For this eight-track instrumental collection, she has teamed up with a trio of Minneapolis aces – drummer JT Bates, bassist Cody McKinney and keyboard player Bryan Nichols – as well as New York-based, Minneapolis-born tabla virtuoso Suphala.
“Mr Majestic” is a mellow opener, with Grantis varying her guitar’s volume to hover over a lush base provided by electric piano and Suphala’s delicately high-pitched percussion. It’s followed by the title track – a wide-ranging composition darting across the spectrum of funky, jazz-rock fusion – which Grantis says was, as the rest of the album, greatly influenced by her experiences with The Purple One.
Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready adds fiery string work to “Violetta” and “Trashformer,” two of the heaviest tracks on the record.
Grantis saves one of the best and most dynamic tunes for last. “Elsa” closes the album with plenty of all-around movement, lively interplay between Suphala and Bates, a fuzzy keyboard solo and some nasty guitar tones.
Recorded live-to-tape in just two days, a pace similar to that of many great jazz albums, “Diamonds & Dynamite” is an experimentally adventurous set, which contains ample evidence why Prince held Grantis in such high regard.
–Pablo Gorondi, Associated Press
Luther Dickinson and Sisters of the Strawberry Moon
Album: “Solstice”
Grade: B
Some of the solo and parallel projects of North Mississippi Allstars guitarist-vocalist Luther Dickinson have been among his most fascinating work.
He continues that tradition on the diverse “Solstice,” where his role as producer and musical matchmaker gives the spotlight to Sisters of the Strawberry Moon, a custom-made lineup that includes some longtime collaborators (Amy LaVere and Sharde Thomas), a Mississippi gospel trio (The Como Mamas), the husband-and-wife duo Birds of Chicago and Amy Helm.
Recorded at the Dickinson family’s Zebra Ranch Studios in (where else?) Mississippi, “Solstice” has the kind of effortless quality that results from musicians collaborating on similar wavelengths.
Drummer and fife player (a family tradition) Sharde Thomas’ two songs – “Fly With Me” and “We Made It” – are brief, optimistic and delightfully playful, while Amy LaVere expertly reprises David Egan’s “Hallelujah (I’m A Dreamer)” and kills softly with the romantic menace of her own “The Night Is Still Young.”
Amy Helm takes the lead on the soulful “Sing to Me” and a cover of “Like a Songbird That Has Fallen,” from the “Cold Mountain” soundtrack.
–Pablo Gorondi, Associated Press
Lucy Rose
Album: “No Words Left”
Grade: B
“Conversation don’t come easy,” Lucy Rose softly sings on the opening track of her new album. “But I’ve got a lot to say.”
Guitar picking fills the space of the track “Conversation,” joined by subtle strings as Rose grapples with feelings toward a lover she longs for despite misgivings.
It’s the perfect start to the English-based folk artist’s gentle, yet salient album called “No Words Left.” Masterfully mixed, the album’s primary aesthetic feels stripped down – with an emphasis on piano and acoustic guitar parts alongside Rose’s Joni Mitchell and Laura Marling reminiscent vocals – but with the added color of brass and strings elevating the composition.
The album is also carefully paced. The instrumental track “Just a Moment” begins like a lullaby, the guitar softly strumming in. With peaceful interludes, such as “Just a Moment” and the appropriately named “No Words Left (Pt. 1),” the album never forces itself along. Rather, it flows gently and patiently.
–Ragan Clark, Associated Press