But she's also had a parallel career as a part-time actress and as one of the Chicago area's busiest jazz vocalists, not only singing in clubs but also portraying two of her idols - Ella Fitzgerald and Nancy Wilson - in theater settings. And the musical part of her life is definitely in ascendancy with the release of her debut album, So Many Stars, on the Divavet Music* label. (DivaVet — get it?)

With the help of some skilled pros, including guitarist Henry Johnson (who also acted as producer), pianist Larry Novak, bassist Larry Gray, and drummer Leon Joyce, Ava has put together an intriguing collection. It's obvious that she's picked a diversified mix of tunes that should appeal to a wide spectrum of listeners.

Among those are familiar standards such as "Day In, Day Out" and "The Song Is You," along with a few surprises, including "Day Dream," an Ellington piece that also features Johnson chipping in on vocal. The duo deliver a soft and sweet treasure. Another sparkling track is "So Many Stars," a Latin-flavored song often performed by Sergio Mendez — but Ava's inspiration might also be a later version by Sarah Vaughan.

Ava's warm and vibrant voice is certainly reminiscent of Sarah and others, but she wisely doesn't seem to be trying to imitate any of the legends. Instead she shows confidence in her own abilities, even taking on a couple of pieces that others might avoid. For example, she tackles a Peggy Lee song, "I Love Being Here With You," and does a fine job with it. But she shows real courage by including "At Last," an iconic classic that is absolutely owned by Etta James — so much so that it's difficult to get past.  But with Johnson's guitar work helping to pave the way, Ava gives us something that's well worth the listen.

An outstanding debut album for Ava Logan, one that should appeal to many listeners.

Lionel Hampton: Live In ’58 is a jumpin’, jivin’ romp through some of the best jazz/swing by one of the best ever. By 1958 you might expect Hamp to be outdated as rock ‘n’ roll had been ripping the scene apart for just about five years but he brings his “A” game and puts on a hell of a show. Hamp leads his band with the fire and fury of a young man. Even though he is fifty, he shows that you’re never too old to swing. And Hamp would do just that, well into his later years he was still “Flying Home” with the same pace that he drove in his prime.

Recorded in Belgium, Live In ‘58 opens with “The High And The Mighty” already in progress, a slow tune that has him tapping the vibes and giving a hint of his genius. According to trumpet player Art Hoyle, Hamp would never open a show with a number like that. So combined with the fact that Hamp and company usually put on a show that would last a couple of hours (here we get fifty-eight minutes), we’re left to believe that the filmed portion of the show was only half or part of the whole. Also missing is “Flying Home,” a crowd favorite and Hamp’s biggest hit. Oh well, any footage is worth having of this musical great in action.

Hamp moves over to the piano for “Hamp’s Piano Blues” and picks up the pace as his band does the same. Things star to really jump as Hamp sits next to his regular piano man, Oscar Denard, to trade runs on the black and whites. Both display fine skill tickling the ivories but with the spotlight on Hamp we see that he has fingers like Olympic sprinters, dashing to and fro as they skip along the 88 keys. We get good solos from the sax and trumpet before Hamp heads back to the vibes with a bit of scatting and moves us into “The History Of Jazz.”

“The History Of Jazz” puts the clarinet, trumpet, and trombone up front to wail throughout. The opening is a sleepy tune that sounds a bit like “Stormy Weather” and brings the feel of a New Orleans street scene circa late 1800s/early 1900s. The “History” continues with “Hot Club Blues,” a mid-tempo blues that goes out to the hot club of Belgium and mixes traditional with modern jazz, featuring Cornelius “Pinocchio” James on vocals. “Pinocchio” has a good jazz/blues voice in the same style as Billy Eckstein but not as powerful as “Big” Joe Turner.

JLT has also worked with Glenn Hughes and Finnish band Brazen Abbot. I suppose that the counterside to my case is that he has also released nine solo albums during his long career. In my defense, very little of his solo material actually appears on this collection. So it’s Eurorock, right?

Recorded exactly a year ago, September 30, 2007, at the United Forces Of Rock festival at Ludwigsburg, Germany it captures JLT demonstrating that his voice is still very much intact. Material from his Rainbow days features heavily with the opener “Death Alley Driver”, “Power”, “Street Of Dreams”, “Stone Cold”, “Can’t Happen Here”, “Can’t Let Go”, “Jealous Lover”, “Spotlight Kid”, and, of course, “I Surrender”. There are three tracks from his solo career “Your Love Is Life”, and “Blood Red Sky” both taken from last year’s Second Hand Life album, and “Power Of Love”. He ends the set with Deep Purple’s vocally demanding “Burn”.

Surprisingly, despite a hugely impressive discography dating back over thirty years, Joe Lynn Turner Live In Germany (Frontiers Records, October 2008) is the first live album released under his own name. Therefore, for his many fans and admirers, this is an attractive addition. The sound quality on the album is excellent with JLT’s immediately recognizable voice out front in all its powerful glory.

For the festival recorded here JLT gathered around him an impressive line-up. Guitar was covered by Karl Cochran, bass by Greg Smith, drummer Michael Sorrentino, and Carmine Giglio on keys. It is a nicely balanced set lasting 75 minutes that acts as testament to his incredible career to date.

Joe Lynn Turner has been characteristically active of late and is currently on tour. Please check out his dates on the website link below. On September 11 this year he appeared with Big Noize on a brief tour of Iraq and Kuwait. His last solo album Second Hand Life gained him many excellent reviews. This release, Live In Germany, plugs that surprising gap in his live solo album output. Whilst a second Sunstorm album is eagerly anticipated, his career just keeps going from strength to strength.

With his distinctive voice on such impressively good form you know that he still has a huge amount to offer. Live In Germany will satisfy fans of both his Rainbow days and his solo career when it is released on October 10 this year. So mark that date in your diary and add this one to your JLT collection.

Visit JLT’s Official Website or his Myspace Profile for current tour dates.

For these events, the HOB took on a new look. The exterior of the building was draped in images of Idol created by acclaimed Obey Giant graphic designer and illustrator Shepard Fairey, who also designed the album artwork for the June 2008 release The Very Best Of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself. "My own house is way too orderly, so we decided to go down to the Strip and make a mess," said Billy in a recent press release. 

As I arrived at the HOB, there was another change up. The traffic on the Strip was at a standstill! I’ve been to this venue many times and I have never seen such a mob surrounding it. Not only that, they were the most eclectic group of fans for a single performer than I’ve ever seen. Old-time punks wore the “colors” that showed their affection for bands like Agnostic Front, Black Flag, and The Damned with worn and ragged tee shirts, ripped denim, leather and Doc Martens. On the other hand were a lot New Wave enthusiasts in the leggings/stonewashed jeans and skinny tie fashion modes. And in between just your average Joe/Josey of every age group over 18. Quite a mix-up of characters, considering that they were all there for the same reason... to worship in the House Of Billy.

The set list gave every one their monies worth. “Cradle Of Love,” “Dancing With Myself,” “Flesh For Fantasy,” and “White Wedding” were the opening tunes. Very high energy from Idol and his band and the crowd was with them all the way. I think the audience got a little lost during “John Wayne” (one of two new songs on Idolize Yourself) but the band kicked up their energy level even higher and kept it there for the rest of the (nearly two hour) show.

“To Be A Lover” drew the audience back in and it felt like the atmosphere in the whole place was on vibrate. When “Eyes Without A Face” started out pretty mellow, it lead to a surging build that left everyone panting for more. And the hits kept on coming after that; “Blue Highway,” “Rebel Yell,” “Hot In The City”.  Best of the lot for me was the inclusion of my ultimate Billy Idol tune taken from his early days, “Ready, Steady, Go”. WOW! Was it actually thirty years since that first Gen X album came out? It doesn’t seem possible and yet the song still sounded fresh and exciting.

Where Clutch has released live albums before, this is the band’s first live DVD to be released and also is their first release under the band’s own label Weathermaker Music.  Clutch plans on releasing further material on their own label. 

Formed in the early nineties, Clutch was not your typical rise-to-the-top rock band.  Gaining early commercial attention was something the band seemed to never worry about.  Starting off selling out small clubs, they, through hard work and perseverance, soon found themselves selling out larger shows and were later headlining tours.  Their sound is that of metal, stoner rock, and even a little blues mixed up. Their solid sound seems to lure in new fans with every release.

Speaking of fans, famous skater misfit Bam Margera labels himself and hug fan of Clutch and even helped direct the video for “The Crowd Goes Wild” for the band.  As a return perhaps, Clutch played live for Bam Margera and a few lucky attendees on a ski slope on a past episode of Viva La Bam.  That is about as mainstream the band has ever been as they really do not care for the predictable rock band approach. 

If you have never seen Clutch live, you need to know that they are here to rock.  They do not have fancy stage setups nor do they pause a lot in between songs.  I can say this from experience as once I heard them through the doors of the House Of Blues in Cleveland. The show was sold out and my only way in fell through (it sounded great).  I also can say that a year later I went back to the same venue with ticket in hand (visually just as amazing).

The CD and DVD capture tracks played by Clutch on four separate occasions in New Jersey, Pittsburgh (Mr. Small’s Theatre, one of the coolest venues I have ever been to), and overseas in Sydney.  For a review of the DVD check out what fellow Blogcritic Charile Doherty had to say about it. 

So, how did this London based foursome start to play Americana? Maybe it can be explained in part by the lead singer and chief songwriter Felix Bechtolsheimer moving to Florida. He hooked up with an old muso who had played with none other than Gram Parsons and Little Feat. Taking in the experience and the local bar and music scene, he became quickly absorbed in all things Americana.

During this time Felix began writing material that appeared on Hey Negrita’s first album We Are Catfish in 2005. It told of his battle against heroin addiction. When he moved back he brought his new found influences with him. Hey Negrita was born. By the time their second album The Buzz Above was released in 2006, Felix was writing about another life experience, the break up of a relationship.

With You Can Kick Hey Negrita dish up another dose of gritty defiance in the face of numerous adversities. Yet they strut through the album with a refreshing blend of honky tonk, country, rockabilly, and good old rock ‘n’ roll. There are some dark lyrical recesses but the songs are so well written that they just ooze life. They will immediately transport you to a basement bar full of life’s wreckage. It is a scene played out with Hey Negrita’s music providing the perfect backdrop.

Hey Negrita have been through a recent roundabout of change and now consist of Felix on lead vocals, Matthew Ord’s bluegrass guitar, Paul Sandy on upright double bass, Neil Findlay on drums and Captain Bliss on harmonica. They laid this album down in a lightning ten days before it was mixed by Eric ‘Roscoe’ Ambel of Steve Earle and Yayhoos fame. Between them they have produced a raw, vibrant, earthy record encased in great harmonies, contagious melodies, and all things Americana at its best.

Their latest album, OH (ohio), continues this tradition of genre bending and is perhaps the band’s most melodic and understated album since 1996’s How I Quit Smoking. The first few songs float along at a relaxed, breezy, and mellow pace, with the band establishing both the tempo and instrumental quirks that run through much of the record. Opening track “Ohio” unfolds slowly with a subtle piano and guitar melody, with background vocals accompanying Wagner as he sings a variation on an old country conceit that “green doesn’t matter when you’re blue.” Second song “Slipped Dissolved and Loosed” likewise follows this pattern, utilizing another textured blend of guitar, keyboards, and background vocals. 

Other songs have no background vocals but move at a similar restrained pace, this time placing the emphasis on Wagner’s voice as it alternately sings with or in front of the instruments. He kinda sorta croons on “Of Raymond,” which also features subdued horns and keyboards that provide additional textures to the song. “A Hold Of You” and closing song “I Believe In You” are also noticeably downbeat and slow; the former song also shows a touch of irony as Wagner sings that he’s “such a bad enunciator.” 

Some of the faster songs provide a nice change of pace for the album. The humorously-titled “National Talk Like a Pirate Day” and “Sharing a Gibson with Martin Luther King Jr.” are two such examples. Yet “Popeye” is a separate beast altogether. The album’s most experimental song – and those who like their Lambchop obtuse will likely get giddy over this one – its first few minutes lull the listener in with quiet keyboards and Wagner’s hushed vocals, unexpectedly giving way to a manic swirl of instrumental noise that comes on like a kick upside the head. Maybe it’s the sound of Popeye finally getting his spinach, who the hell knows. 

On Friday (October 3), the House of Representatives passed the $700 billion financial-bailout bill that it had previously defeated on Monday. After the House approved the rescue plan by a vote of 263-171, it was sent to President Bush, who in a statement to the press said he would sign it into law later that day.

"By coming together on this legislation, we have acted boldly to prevent the crisis on Wall Street from becoming a crisis in communities across our country," he said. "I know some Americans have concerns; in this situation, action was clearly necessary."

Following Monday's House vote, the Senate made several alterations to the bill, increasing it from a three-page proposal to a 100-plus-page document, and passed it on Wednesday. The bailout legislation allows the Treasury secretary to use up to $700 billion, contributed by taxpayers, toward purchasing troubled assets from banks. It is the biggest government intervention in the economy since the Great Depression.

According to CNN, House Minority Whip Roy Blunt, a Republican from Missouri, told reporters that many representatives changed their minds about the bill after receiving calls from voters supporting it, having the SEC accounting rules clarified and seeing the Senate's additions to the bill — which included tax-break extenders and an increase in FDIC deposit-insurance coverage from $100,000 to $250,000.

"While the focus has been on the Dow Jones and Wall Street, we are addressing the real pain felt by Mr. and Mrs. Jones on Main Street," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters. While some representatives still lamented giving assistance to the very banks they blame for the country's mortgage crisis, the bill's supporters hope that it will both encourage reform and make sure individuals and small businesses continue to receive the loans they need.

"The legislation is a critical step toward stabilizing our financial markets and ensuring an uninterrupted flow of credit to households and businesses," Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said.

The band had broken up in 2001, but reuniting in 2007 for a tour to promote their double disc compilation “Fresh as Daisy: The singles”. The reunited group consists of Tim Booth, Jim Glennie, Larry Gott, Saul Davies, Mark Hunter, Dave Baynton-Power and Andy Diagram. The audience response to the band’s reunion has been nothing less than euphoric and the band hopes that their tour will be a big success.

James 2008 Tour Dates
10/05/2008 - Anaheim, CA - House Of Blues
10/07/2008 - Mexico City, MEX - Auditorio Nacional
10/08/2008 - Guadalajara, MEX - Arena VFG
12/09/2008 - Brighton, UK - Brighton Dome
12/11/2008 - Leeds, UK - Carling Academy
12/12/2008 - Glasgow, UK - S.E.C.C.
12/13/2008 - Birmingham, UK - The NIA
12/15/2008 - London, UK - Carling Academy Brixton
12/16/2008 - London, UK - Carling Academy Brixton
12/19/2008 - Manchester, UK - Manchester Central Conv. Center
12/20/2008 - Manchester, UK - Manchester Central Conv. Center