Editor's Note:  TGP member "JJBoogie" is the guitar player for Arrested Development, a hip-hop band with a previous album that sold over four million copies, had a hit single ("Tennessee"), won some Grammy Awards, and which was named Band of the Year in 1993 by Rolling Stone magazine.

I was driving home the other night with my two oldest boys and decided I needed to hear a bit of Old School. I loaded up Tennessee, by Arrested Development, and pressed play, ready to sink low in my seat and turn it up way too loud - something my daughter is always yelling at me for. But my iPod apparently had other ideas. It wouldn’t play and I was left driving, seat reclined, and no Tennessee. So when I was asked to write a review of their latest album, Strong, the very next day, I of course said, “YEAH!”

Whether you call it Rap, Hip-hop or don’t call it at all there, are 2 elements that must be clear and present to ensure consistent head nodding and seat reclining: beats and rhymes. They are the soul and breath of hip-hop, and are certainly not missing in Arrested Development’s new album, Strong. But you cannot label Arrested Development (featuring TGP member jjboogie) as simply hip hop or any one single definition. I think that is what attracts me the most to this album. As you listen, the diversity between the rhymes, the styles, the music, the vocals and the tracks are ever changing, which keeps you listening and grooving. I guess that is what you get when you mash up MC’s, vocalists, musicians, performance artists and boast the oldest living man in hip-hop, Baba Oje’ at age 77.

Arrested Development’s unique outlook on life clearly bleeds into their music as all good music should, and as you’d expect from a group who has been at it since Baba Oje’ was a spring chicken in his 50’s the production and quality is excellent. Throughout the album there are positive lyrical elements mixed with strong melodies and harmonies that please the ear. Maybe it’s the melodies, maybe it’s the classic beats on songs like Freedom or the tribal rhythms on Africa We Thank You but at times you can almost sense strong ties to a past where family wisdom was passed down from one generation to the next.

The stand out track for me is “Too much Woman for Ya.” Besides the fact that I am a sucker for a fresh organ, the track is Fire!! It has an old school feel that instantly makes me smile and starts the head bobbin’. I dig their use of the live instruments and think it is a testament to why they are still around and making good music. If you appreciate a group that has diversity from track to track, hot beats and does not assume the listener has a limited musical view than Strong is an album you will want in your rotation. Stop stalling and go get it.

Arrested Development Website
Arrested Development MySpace Page

TGP member Nobuki Takamen first came to our attention at the 2009 Montreal Guitar Festival. Born in Japan, but now residing in New Jersey, Nobuki is attracting increasing international prominence, playing jazz festivals and high end clubs. It is always a pleasure to review a CD by one of TGP's members and From Now On, consisting of original jazz compositions, brought me an incredible amount of listening pleasure as I played it numerous times to prepare a review. What the album brings to the table is a combination of music that hit me as not only a recording that was musically solid from beginning to end, but has some exceptional engineering and production values. I admit to being an audiophile, so being able to listen to a CD that has superb sonic virtues was a blessing for my ears.

If you are a music fan who tends to shy away from jazz recordings because you just couldn't “connect” with the music, forget that bias. THIS recording just sounds right! Takamen's style is from the melodic jazz genre many of us are used to. From the opening notes on the first cut, “C.M.G.”, chordal structure and pace allow you to sit back and enjoy the music without feeling like you don't "get" what Nobuki is saying with his guitar. Yes, the music is relaxing but, in no way boring.

I could find no weaknesses in Takamen's compositions, playing or with the supporting musicians. While Takamen's guitar is obviously the dominant instrument, it sits well in the mix, allowing sufficient room for the listener to admire the stand-up bass, drums, piano and sax......each filling its own space in the wide and deep soundstage presented by this recording. At least on my audio system, the band is right in the room with you. In the case of this CD, the sense that “you are there” is truly a good thing!

Takamen's playing style is hard to define. If you are looking for blazing speed or a jazz/rock fusion style, you will be disappointed. What you get here is a well-paced sense of a player who knows how to control his guitar and chooses to have his playing fit the music. Throughout the CD there is always room left for the supporting instruments to form a foundation for the tunes. The supporting cast isn't just there to lay the groundwork; Takamen allows each musician to showcase their talents. This is especially true in the aptly titled “Nine”, which happens to be the ninth cut on the CD. Any questions about the skills of the supporting players are quickly put to rest. They are world class!

If tone is important to you, Takamen's guitar and playing highlight the purity of a clean guitar sound played with impeccable precision. He seems to enjoy a minimalist style, yet can sweep with the best of them when the music calls for it. All but one tune was played using Nobuki's 1998 Gibson ES-335 '63 reissue model. That Gibson has been his primary axe for more than 10 years. He played his Taylor 714 for Nebergall Loop. The amp setup included use of an Acoustic Image Clarus SL-R and Raezer's Edge Stealth 12 speakers. Effects used were a Boss DM-2 for a few songs and Carl Martin Surf Trem for one song. Takamen likes to use his DM-2 as kind of reverb so you don't hear a delay sound on the recording.

The key to my enjoyment of this wonderful CD is that Nobuki Takamen shows a maturity in his playing that is well beyond his chronological age. In my opinion, he constructs his compositions with an ear to the sum of all instruments, not to highlight his own skills. This creates a beautiful gestalt between the different musicians. From Now On is not a CD for the listener who wants a guitar hero. It is not a CD to buy if your concept of jazz consists of bands like Weather Report or Return To Forever. If you like a clean guitar and technical skills more than fiery, overdriven sound with a relaxing style, I highly recommend From Now On.

To listen to clips or purchase the CD, please go to THIS link.

Brian Kahanek, A longtime TGP member, has released his newest CD, One True Thing. Kahanek (the musician) has a wide range of musical credits that include recording guitar and mixing for such artists as Tim Mcgraw, multi-platinum Latin group RBD and Virgin recording artist, Betzi. When you add in that Kahanek also has numerous credits as an ADR recordist and mixer, including Pixar's Finding Nemo and The Incredibles, and Peter Jackson's King Kong, what you are left with is an incredibly talented and diverse artist.

One True Thing is Kahanek's third CD release and is, by far, the most difficult to pin down in terms of genre. Just when you think you have a sense of where Brian is heading, a new flavor appears in the tracks on this recording. The material, written by Kahanek, covers a wide spectrum of styles. The tracks are unpredictable in the best sense of drawing the listener's attention. From the very first track, Bottle Rocket, it was clear that Brian wanted varied musical textures and dynamics to stand out. He succeeded! Elements of the first cut bring forth whispers of Jeff Beck, but it's all Kahanek and nothing but Kahanek. This isn't a "I want to sound like this guy" album. Rather, you walk away from the listening experience with a sense that Brian refuses to allow himself to be painted by a single brush. Brian features both his guitar playing and his vocals in this recording. The musicians who join him are deeply talented and help to bring a strong pulse to the tunes presented. The production qualities of the CD are excellent, with no instrument pushing out the others and all blending well, while filling their own acoustic space.

Kahanek did not set out to present listeners with a fireworks display of his guitar playing. This is not a "showoff" recording. It is a selection of songs that appear to speak from the soul. Yes, there ARE some guitar fireworks to be found in the tunes, but it was obvious that Brian is more about the tune than accolades for being the next "guitar wizard". There are layers of guitar on some tracks, including some incredible sounding acoustic playing where you can almost see the wood of the guitar if you close your eyes! Effects are used tastefully throughout on the electric tracks, sometimes leaving me with a desire to hear more of the pure guitar/amp/hands that I have heard on past Kahanek CDs. Yet, the interplay of guitar textures and willingness to allow dynamics tell the story make this CD a joy to listen to. By the end of the CD I decided that Kahanek is not "just" a guitar player and vocalist. He is an artist who writes great songs and this CD is well worth the price of admission!

To hear soundclips or purchase, click HERE.