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Show Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, November 13-16, 2010 The Park Record C-7 REVIEWS OF NEW C D S "Treme: Music From the HBO Original Series, Season 7" Various artists (Geffen/HBO) 3 1/2 stars BY HENRY THREADGILL Los Angeles Times "Speak Now" Taylor Swift (Big Machine) 3 stars Taylor Swift sleeps with a night light on. She makes this confession - hardly the flashiest on her new album "Speak Now," but possibly the most revealing - in "Never Grow Up," a delicate tearjerker in which the singer follows herself through a childhood she's loath to abandon. "1 could still be little," she sings, teeth clenched. Swifts impossible commitment to staying little is the key to Swift's success. Her third album, "Speak Now," is meant to be her masterpiece of major declarations. But the gossip surrounding the music is much less interesting than the maturation of her sound. The musical range of ''Speak Now" expands beyond country-pop to border both alternative rock and the dirty bubblegum pop promulgated by producers like Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald. Little spoken asides pepper some songs, signifying hipness; on others. Swift lays claim to several genres' worth of signatures, from the lush strings of Celine-style kitschpop to Americana banjo to countrypolitan electric guitar. Swift, who wrote all of the songs, does push one thing: her voice. She belts out the climaxes of the romantic nightmare "Haunted" and the snotpunk catfight "Better Than Revenge"; on "Dear John," her fiery post-mortem on a fling with the guitarist John Mayer, she almost yells. If her voice has been manipulated in-studio by producer Nathan Chap-man, he's successfully masked it. And Swift always returns to her defining vocal gesture - the line that slides down like a contented sigh or up like a raised eyebrow. This companionable tone is Swift's strongest point. -Ann Powers Latin-jazz spin on "The Wizard of Oz" standard, "If 1 Only Had a Brain." -Randy Lewis "Tliis Brings Us To, Vol. IV Henry Threadgill's Zooid (Pi Recordings) 3 1/2 stars "Happy Talk" Kermit Ruffins (Basin Street Records) 3 1/2 stars HBO's "Treme" series has accomplished the none-tooeasy task of capturing the musical pulse of New Orleans, a pulse that continues despite the devastation wreaked on the Crescent City in recent years by hurricanes, broken levees and governmental ineptitude. The soundtrack from the series covers a lot of ground, but then, so docs the city's uniquely vibrant cultural melting pot, one large enough to encompass jazz, R&B. soul, hip-hop, gospel and blues. Many of the homegrown acts highlighted in the series are here, including the stalwart Rebirth Brass Band, the ever-outspoken Dr. John, the Treme Brass Band, "Soul Queen of New Orleans" Irma Thomas and breakout star Trombone Shorty. The masterstroke is the engaging inthe-streets or in-the-club atmosphere across the board. Trumpeter-singer Ruffins is represented on the soundtrack with the raucous Latinaccented "Skokiaan." Anyone inspired to explore his music further will be well served by "Happy Talk," which leans heavily on the earthy traditional style of New Orleans jazz, an improvbased music far grittier than the slick style that developed after musicians moved north and settled in Chicago decades ago. Ruffins1 band is versatile enough to handle small combo numbers such as "Panama" with lithe dexterity, shift into big-band mode for a hard-swinging take on Sam Cookc's "Ain't That Good News," provide an effervescent second-line framing for the title track and fast-forward for a percolating There's no way to talk about Henry Threadgill's Zooid without first trying to explain \vnat he's doing. Named after a type of cell that can move independent of its larger organism, the quintet operates within a unique improvisational framework that took the 66-year-old composer and member of Chicago's highly regarded Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians collective some eight years to perfect, culminating with the release of last year's acclaimed "This Brings Us To, Vol. 1." Now comes "Vol. II," and the results are just as bewitching, if lough to pin down. Trombonist Jose Davila sets the tone with "Lying Eyes," weaving through a harmonious conversation between Threadgill's flute and Liberty Ellman's acoustic guitar over a rhythmic background that's quietly assertive, yet unsettled. Throughout the album, the ground keeps moving under everyone's feet but never feels out of control. Each player gamely operates in a surprising amount of space; patiently introduced melodic turns slowly rise to the surface, such as Stomu Takeishi's rattling bass solo tangling with Davila's tuba in the title track, and Threadgill's woozily bent saxophone dialogue with Ellman in "Polymorph." Resisting familiar chord changes, scales or overt structure, the album won't be the easiest of listens for some, but it also somehow never sounds the same way twice. As its mysteries unfurl, "This Brings Us To" ultimately remains rewarding simply by being so much fun to follow. -Chris Barton CONGRATULATIONS! 2010 3RD QUARTER TOP PERFORMING AGENTS IN PARK CITY ;S|fejleam Schlopy - Mafny; Kent and Kevin Crockett V j ' M\v. Al Johnsori t ! i i # k a r i n Gage' Brigid Flint ^"Michelle Eastman Christine Reynolds Kathy Mears '*/ omefor SPA HAPPY HO earson Maire Rosol At The St. Regis Deer Valley Ruth Drapkin Remede Revealed fe, November 18tb, 5;30-8:30pm Please join us for an elegant Spa Happy Hour on Thursday, November 18th! It's the perfect Girls1 Night Outl ,^g Enjoy complimentary beverages * and "~ refreshments with your Spa mini • One Treatment - $35" • Two Treatments - $55 . • Three Treatments - $75 • All Four Treatments - $90 ^ Sample the array of appetizers and s l j F ^ complimentary St. Regis Signature beverage as Remede Spa reveals our new Yoga apparel line and cosmetic line. Bring your girlfriends on Thursday, November 18th and pamper yourselves with one or more of our luscious^ • • • • ' ^ Brad Jensen Bart Carlson Peppermint Foot Treatment'' " ' " r -• Exfoliating Hand Treatment;..,,.,. •.^ -.,Stress Relief Massage .^ ; Mini Facial ,'fiy|s ' Reservations are encouraged for Spa mini treatments. Spa treatment selections are subject to availability so don't delay. '1m • « * . Please RSVP, and remember to mark your calendars for next month's Spa Happy Hour on -.December ltftfa! 435.940.5830 y ; Heidi Ingham \i Linda McReynolds Marcie Davis Shane Herbert Call us today at 435.649.1884 and we will show you our unparalleled collection of Park City real estate. O r visit SummitSothebysRealty.com & view our latest SPA « Tie St. Regb Deer Valley ^Mm. * Collections Magazine of luxury real estate online! • • - • . : • . • !*-'>'4<mji/fr- ' Monday dofled, Toesday-Thunday 10am-6pm and Friday-Sunday 10am-7pm On i t c Second Level at The St. Regis Deer Valley 435.940.5830 , Hregutdeercrcstxom/tpfl /-''.':':-• Summit Sotheby's INTERNATIONAL REALTY |