Gems From The Used Bin, Part 2
By Chris Cooper
Every now and then I acquire a few ³new² discs from the used section of various music stores, and feel compelled to write about my discoveries. Itıs not so much that these are albums that werenıt appreciated the way they may have deserved as it is that theyıre new to me, or maybe theyıre some of those ³wow, I had that album way back in the day² recordings that I never thought Iıd stumble across again. So here for your perusal are a few CDıs that deserve a listen, should you be so lucky as to find a copyŠ

Come Together:                           A Guitar Tribute To The Beatles
Often, when a bunch of jazzbos get together to make a batch of well-known tunes, well ‹ jazzy ‹ itıs kind of lame. Visions of Kenny G or Dave Koz butchering some classic melody with a soprano sax come to mind, and thatıs never, ever a good thing. And while thereıs a bit of that new-agey goofiness to parts of 1993ıs Come Together: A Guitar Tribute To The Beatles, for the most part itıs a darn good listen.
Mark Whitfieldıs fleet-fingered take on ³Come Together² opens the proceedings, and his sometimes Montgomery-esque octave work and tastefully melodic expansion of the main theme more than make up for the somewhat dated sound of the recording. Ralph Townerıs gorgeous solo reading of ³Here, There and Everywhere² is full of adventurous re-harmonization of the signature melody, casting a set of notes that we all know by heart in new light with each verse and chorus. Sadly, Zachary Breaux takes ³Eleanor Rigby² straight to lame-o early 90ıs drum machine land, sounding like a poor manıs Pat Metheny without the harmonic adventurousness or heart. But the inimitable Adrian Belew redeems things with a typically quirky (but anything but ³typical²) reworking of ³Blackbird.²
But what led me to this album way back in 1993 when it first appeared was seeing the name ³Allan Holdsworth² in the credits for a version of ³Michelle.² Anyone familiar with the British fusion guitarist probably had a hard time imagining what in the world someone with such a distinct and unusual sense of phrasing and melody would do with a tune like this. He takes it straight to Mars, thatıs what. Stating the main melody with an ethereal (and somewhat ominous) set of chords, Holdsworth takes the song to an aggressively swinging place that stands out as one of the finest interpretations here, despite his somewhat aloof statements in the liner notes. Guitarist Leni Stern and vibraphonist Mike Manieri as well transport ³Norwegian Wood² somewhere new entirely, and Larry Coryell delivers a beautiful take of ³Something,² offering something new with every turnaround of the songıs timeless melody.
Come Together: A Guitar Tribute To The Beatles wasnıt a perfect endeavor, but its high points far exceeded its lows. And for those adventurous enough to dig into these expansive interpretations of Beatles classics, and those with an appreciation of jazz guitar, itıs well worth the admission price.

Soul Coughing: Ruby Vroom
Now this is a band that defies description at every turn. And as Iıve learned, somewhat the hard way, people either ³get² the band or they absolutely, positively donıt. Maybe ³got² is a better term, since Soul Coughing hasnıt been around in a very long time, and band leader Mike Doughtyıs recent solo work is certainly easier to digest than anything his former band laid out there. But Iıve subjected my coworkers to the clangorous joy of Ruby Vroom at least once a week since I found a copy (itıs still in print, Iım just cheap and occasionally lucky) and let me tell you, some of them hate me for it.
All disclaimers aside, Ruby Vroom is an amazingly weird and enjoyable album ‹ in a very odd way. Not being a huge fan of hip-hop, Doughtyıs smartass spoken word delivery and often seemingly nonsensical wordplay somehow appeals to me still, and combined with the minimalist funk of the rhythm section (upright bass and small trap kit) let alone the ³library of congress² samples of turntablist Marl de Gli Antoni, I guess I should be a little surprised that I actually DO like it. I never thought Iıd have a song like ³Down To This² stuck in my personal favorites list, with its repeating chorus of ³you get the ankles and Iıll get the wrists,² but damn, I sure do. Murder? Sex? What the heck is this guy talking about?
But the goofiness (³Down To This² features samples of both the Andrews Sisters AND Howlinı Wolf) is tempered with easier to digest fare, like ³True Dreams Of Wichita² and the sometimes frantic, sometimes soothing sarcasm of ³Screenwriterıs Blues.² In fact, Iıd venture to say that your appreciation of sarcasm as a conversational (cultural?) tool could directly affect your appreciation of Ruby Vroom. This isnıt the easiest album to find, let alone listen to, but itıs funky and smart, grating and smooth, and Iıve heard nothing like it since. On those merits, Iıd say itıs fantastic and a classic ‹ albeit in a disarmingly strange way.
(Chris Cooper can be reached at thumbpick43@yahoo.com)