13 is Brian Setzer’s 13th album, featuring 13 new songs that in some cases, are a departure from his trademarked rockabilly roots. In fact, his last release, Rockabilly Riot Vol. 1, was about as close to pure rockabilly as you could get, with its meticulous recreations of classic Sun Records sides. This new project ventures into a harder-edged rock sound, with rockabilly surfacing only on a few tracks. How does it shape up?
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For Herbie Hancock, this Head Hunters album was a breakthrough. Stripping down the music to the bare essentials, Hancock created an album that featured a tight, funky groove, over which his keyboards soared. Back in the day, it was a commercial success for Hancock, and opened the doors for a wave of similar funk-jazz recordings. I’d heard both “Chameleon” and “Watermelon Man” on our local jazz radio WJZZ back in the 70s and 80s, but had forgotten about them. It wasn’t until I got this SACD that I got to hear them again, and also found an unexpected surprise on the disc.
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