Shopping List: The New and the Notable
Elizabeth Cook, Balls (31 Tigers); Larry Sparks, The Last Suit You Wear (McCoury Music)
"Sometimes looks can be deceivin', when you're quietly overachievin'," declares twang queen Elizabeth Cook in "Sometimes It Takes Balls to Be a Woman," the title track of this highly recommended old-school country effort produced by Rodney Crowell. Cook's version of the Velvet Underground's "Sunday Morning" would make the perfect radio segue into the title track of former Stanley Brothers, Clinch Mountain Boys, and Lonesome Ramblers guitarist Larry Sparks's often dazzling and always dignified album of gospel-tinged bluegrass.
Bebel Gilberto, Momento (Six Degrees)
Calm, reflective, and kind of blue, Bebel Gilberto's third solo album blends the smooth electronica of her 2000 debut (especially in the woozy and melancholic "Bring Back the Love") with the acoustic arrangements of her 2004 sequel. The material veers from classic bossa nova, such as uncle Chico Buarque's "Cacada," to Cole Porter's "Night and Day," to the mentholated Latin explosion of "Tranquilo."
Angelique Kidjo, Djin Djin (Razor & Tie/Starbucks)
The first half of the Benin-born singer's tenth album of ambitious afro-fusion features market-driven, and generally unrewarding, guest appearances by Alicia Keyes, Josh Grobin, Branford Marsalis, Carlos Santana, and Ziggy Marley. Fortunately, Kidjo returns to her West African roots in its second half, delivering an optimistic, can-do dance party of densely woven rhythms, peppy vocals, and all-American slide guitar. For dessert Kidjo serves "Lonlon," a nifty choral interpretation of Ravel's "Bolero."
Frank Zappa, Apostrophe(') / Over-Nite Sensation (Eagle Rock Entertainment DVD)
The consummate entertainer's two most popular albums (from 1973 and '74, respectively) get the making-of treatment. Zappa's music always turns out to be a lot more complex and thoughtful than his lyrics about dental floss, yellow snow, and life on the road might suggest. One highlight is watching currently retired percussionist Ruth Underwood perform the clever and difficult-looking marimba solo "Rollo Interior" (from "St. Alphonso's Pancake Breakfast"). "Well, three mistakes," she concludes. "One for each decade I've been away from the music. And the instrument."