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Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready.... |
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Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready.... |
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City
of Dreams
Artist: David Gonzalez and the Poetic License Band Label: Laughing Horse Records Length: 14/54:24 City of Dreams is easily the most unique CD I’ve listened to this year. It is a mixture of spoken word poetry, Latino, jazz, and coffeehouse style music. At different times, it demonstrates the influences of Allan Ginsburg, Jack Kerouac, Gil Scott-Heron, Meruda, and Mike Myers in So I Married an Axe Murderer. The “City” in the title refers to New York City, and City of Dreams is a celebration of NYC, a backdrop of nationalities, races, politics, and the cornucopia of cultures that make up that city. “El Barrio” is a spoken word piece against a Latin background, and comes off as a Tito Puente/Santana meeting. “Cross Bronx Expressway” is a political critique, discussing the (inferred) crimes of New York’s past mayors. “Yankeelandia” rearranges the jazz standard “Take the A Train”, while reveling in the rich history of the baseball team. “Gathering Waters” features a gospel vocal in the background. “Cry Out Phoenix”, demonstrating New York’s ability to regroup after disaster (inspired by 9/11?), is a departure, sounding like a lost Vince Guaraldi outtake. The liner notes of this CD describe it as “musico, poeta, y loco - de todo un poco.” Translated, this is “music, poetry, and crazy - a little of everything”. City of Dreams is a rare CD in that it lives up to its own billing, at least in this regard. I can’t say it will be in regular rotation in my CD player, but it is an interesting enough project that I would pull it out from time to time. A throwback to the days of jazz clubs, beat poetry, and a little bit of Xavier Cugat. Brian A. Smith 1/11/2003
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