Spin Factor: Vassar nails the keys to success

Vassar

Banging the ivory is not synonymous with rock ‘n’ roll piano players.

Phil Vassar, country's finest piano-playing singer/songwriter divides his time on his latest work, Traveling Circus (Universal), between memorable message tunes, sentimental tributes and light romps.

Vassar does them all with distinction, examining on tunes such as "Life" and "I Will Remember You" the issues of aging and misfortune, while "Tequila Town," "John Wayne" and "Where Have All the Pianos Gone" display both his excellent vocal skills and the dashing chordal accompaniment and flurries within arrangements and passages that are another Vassar signature.

While pianists from Little Richard and Fats Domino to Elton John and Billy Joel have made the instrument a key factor in rock, R&B and pop settings, Vassar's among a select number who've proven just as influential and successful in a country setting.

Traveling Circus, which Vassar also produced, is another solid effort.

Rihanna
Rated R (The Island/Def Jam)

Neither his name (Chris Brown) nor the incident that got international attention are ever specifically referenced, yet it's clear many songs on Rihanna's latest disc are reflections linked to very unpleasant former experiences.

"Mad House," "Hard" and "Stupid Love" directly address past errors in judgment, her inability to recognize character flaws and the fallout suffered from not exiting a bad situation fast enough.

Even as co-executive producer Antonio "LA" Reid frames several tunes with electro-funk beats to take some of the lyric sting out of the messages, this isn't the lighthearted, almost cavalier Rihanna presenting another set of joyous club and urban tunes. Instead, these numbers and stories represent the thoughts and views of a smarter, sharper and disillusioned woman determined to keep others from repeating her mistakes.

Rodrigo y Gabriela
11:11 (ATO)

The expressiveness and energy displayed by the acoustic guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela resounds throughout this CD/DVD package that's the antithesis of this era's worship of volume, distortion and spectacle.

This collection of tunes dedicated to their various musical heroes shows that despite their feathery sound and calm demeanors, the duo play with passion and often at remarkable speed. The duo explores everything from rock (Buster Voodoo" and "11:11," a piece dedicated to Pink Floyd that also has a superb electric guitar solo from Alex Sknonick)to Arabic sounds ("Triveni"), flamenco ("Master Maqui"), Indian music ("Savitri"), tango ("Hora Zero") and fusion ("Logos").

The video portion shows why so many in the rock/hip-hop generation are drawn to the duo. They might prefer unplugged fare to amplified presentation, but they definitely are contemporary in style and entertainment savvy.

Delbert McClinton
Acquired Taste (New West)

A weathered, assured voice and biting, animated harmonica solos are Delbert McClinton's twin trademarks — evident again on his latest release.

His experiences date back to the breakout days of rock ‘n’ roll, encompassing the arrival of the British Invasion, and incorporating into his music decades of blues, honky-tonk and country sessions from Texas to Chicago and back again.

Acquired Taste blends wry sagas ("Never Saw It Comin", "People Just Love To Talk"), pieces with blues/soul foundations and refrains ("Mama's Little Baby," "Cherry Street") and others where McClinton and special guests like saxophonist Dennis Taylor ("People Just Love To Talk") and the Waters ("Starting a Rumor") mix, match and sandwich influences and styles.

The result is a tapestry of American vernacular music that's fresh, profound and enjoyable.

Claire Lynch
Whatcha Gonna Do (Rounder)

The Claire Lynch Band has been in the forefront of progressive bluegrass and folk developments since the mid-1990s, making eventful, flashy and sometimes experimental acoustic music that extends idiomatic boundaries, yet never goes so far it abandons the core values that include tight playing, exuberant vocals and dynamic group interaction.

The latest Lynch release is definitely a band project, with the fabulous guitarist/mandolinist and banjo soloist Jim Hurst as much a key figure in their showcase tunes as Lynch (who also produced the session). The band also has a fine rhythm section of Jason Thomas (fiddle, mandolin) and Mark Schatz (bass, clawhammer banjo).

The prime selection "That's What Makes You Strong," features a stirring guest vocal from special guest Jesse Winchester, while ace covers of Garth Brooks' "A Canary's Song" and Bill Monroe's "My Florida Sunshine" reaffirm the traditional end of the band's approach.