Missionaria Protectiva

  JULIE DRISCOLL  1969  (Polydor,1971) - Folk rock       Popular pop diva drops the pop in 1969, recruits a group of musicians to record this record, marries one of them (Keith Tippett). That one-sentence summary of Julie Driscoll's bio brushes over a long career of successes but 1969 was certainly a turning point in her career, in her style of music, and of course, in her domestic life.       Mosy of the music is relatively mellow, but some sections - like the jazzy "Leaving It All Behind" build a sound almost reminiscent of the big-band era. "The Choice" is a standout, in which her simple vocal melodies are accompanied by an equally simple acoustic guitar line, punctuated by wonderful flute inserts that contrast with the somewhat somber singing to cause this otherwise linear song to sparkle with character. Probably the most impressive song is "Those That We Love" - with Tippett on piano - which tells the story of Elaine, a beautiful woman ...

  JENNIFER WARNES  Jennifer Warnes  (Arista,1977) - Country, Pop, Rock       J ennifer Warnes is the fourth album by American singer/songwriter Jennifer Warnes , released in late 1976 as her inaugural Arista Records album. It was her first album where she was credited by her full name, after being credited as simply “Jennifer” on her first three albums. The album generated Warnes’ first Billboard Hot 100 single “Right Time of the Night” which also ranked on the Billboard hit listings of C&W and Easy Listening tracks, with “Right Time…” reaching No. 1 on the latter. The second single, “I’m Dreaming” also reached the Easy Listening top ten. TRACKLIST : Love Hurts                        Round And Round                        Shine A Light                        You're The One ...

  KERRY LIVGREN  Seeds Of Change  (Kirshner/CBS,1980) - Progressive rock      Seeds of Change has a spectrum of songs that would sit comfortably on a Kansas album to those that would not.  The album’s high points are the two songs sung by Ronnie James Dio, who had then recently replaced Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath (after himself having been replaced in Rainbow by Graham Bonnet).  Distinctive drum work by Jethro Tull’s Barriemore Barlow also reverberates through most of the songs.  A few other members of Kansas ; a few wives; a few musical friends from Ambrosia, Atlanta Rhythm Section, LeRoux; and even a few Kansas roadies also get to participate.  Overall, it's an album that any Kansas fan should have in his or her collection; and any Dio fan will find his performances here a lost treasure at the end of the rainbow. TRACKLIST : Just One Way                     ...

  LEON RUSSELL  Leon Russell & The Shelter People  (Shelter,1971) - Rock'n'Roll         This record appears to have been recorded in fits and starts, because it lists four different groups as background musicians. It’s less a band and more like a loose collective; there’s The Shelter People, the Tulsa Tops, Muscle Shoals Swampers, and Friends in England. That being said, there is a cohesive fluidity to the album that belies the varied and seemingly complicated background groups.       Russell has a unique ability to compose his songs from the piano outward, which is to say that his songs feel played versus constructed .       Leon Russell and the Shelter People reminds me of what I like about albums from this era: the imperfection. This was a popular and successful record, but it isn’t perfect. So much popular music today is perfect; sure, imperfection is found on the fringes, but by and large, perfection is the name o...

  Dr. JOHN  Loser For You Baby  (Babylon,1982) - Voodoo funk   "Loser for You Baby" is a compilation album released in 1982 that packages some of Dr. John's earlier, often experimental or alternate recordings. Depending on the specific pressing, the collection is widely viewed by fans as an interesting curio rather than an essential studio album. TRACKLIST : Loser For You Baby                          The Ear Is On Strike                          I Pulled The Cover Off You Two Lovers                          Bring Your Love                          Make Your Own                          The Time Had Come             ...

        Guitar-slinger Richie Kotzen has recorded more than 20 albums under his own name since his debut at age 19, evolving from metal whiz-kid to mature singer-songwriter. Kotzen, born in Pennsylvania but a longtime resident of Los Angeles, was drafted for a bit into glam-metal MTV favorites Poison in the early-’90s and served a turn in L.A. hard-rock band Mr. Big around the turn of the century. As well as playing guitar and singing in the band Vertu alongside Jazz legends Stanley Clarke and Lenny White, he also impressed 6-string aficionados with a long string of solo ventures that touched on everything from metal to fusion. In 2012, Kotzen reunited with Mr. Big bassist Billy Sheehan for the power-trio Winery Dogs alongside ex-Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy; the band recorded two studio albums and a live DVD. Over the past few years, Kotzen has re-focused on his solo albums, playing all the instruments for such studio releases as Cannibals and, most recently, ...