At the beginning of his 70th year, jazz saxophone colossus Sonny Rollins has released the modestly titled This is What I Do. As its name suggests, this album documents the present state of Rollins' traveling band.
Every Sonny Rollins album contains the obligatory calypso number and this album opens with an original titled "Salvador." Though entertaining, this piece lacks some of the joyous swagger associated with Rollins' other Caribbean interpretations. Rollins digs marginally further into his improvisatory bag on the two other originals, the funk-infused "Did You See Harold Vick?" and the slow blues "Charles M." to greater effect. Just as in his live performances, the standout sideman on this album is pianist Stephen Scott. The vibrancy of Scott's solos safeguard the moderate pace of the album from becoming sluggish. His swinging, soulful contribution to the '30s chestnut "A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square," combined with the lyrical opening statement and driving improvisation of Rollins, make this performance the highlight of the album.
If Rollins in concert is kung fu, then This is What I Do is tai chi; reserved, but masterful nonetheless. Rollins is one of jazz's last living legends; this album reveals an artist comfortable with that mystique. B -Malik B. Ali
Linkin Park
Hybrid Theory (Warner)
If Linkin Park's debut came with instructions, they might read something like this: 1. Argue with your mother. 2. Stomp off to your room. 3. Slam the door, crank up the stereo and sulk. Fitting this much angst into one album should be impossible, but this southern California quintet (vocalists Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda, drummer Rob Bourdon, guitarist Brad Delson and DJ Joseph Hahn) proves conventional wisdom wrong on track after track of an album destined for heavy rotation in the stereos of disaffected suburbanites everywhere.
Linkin Park's sound is the sort of sonic soup their audience hungers for: a handful of metal, a sprinkle of hip-hop and just a pinch of ambient. But the name of the game is consistency, and Bennington and Shinoda deftly pull together the squall of tracks like "Crawling" and "One Step Closer." Indeed, picking a first single must have been near-impossible, as there are no real duds on Hybrid Theory-each track offers something to hum or shout along with. At the same time, it's hard to ignore Linkin Park's packaged feel, from their myriad faux-industrial logos to their carefully coiffed scruffiness. But go ahead, pop in Hybrid Theory and indulge in some good old teen angst. You're alone in your room, after all. B -Tom Clarke
Granian
Hang Around (Granian)
Since the release of their debut album Without Change in 1996, the indie rock band Granian has been continually on the move, at some times playing over 15 shows a month on their whirlwind tour. Granian's hectic tour schedule and the year that they spent in the recording studio have led to one major result: the release of a sophomore album that represents Granian in top form.
Hang Around is one of those albums in which you can easily lose yourself. While every track harnesses Granian's unique, laid-back style, each has a distinguishing personality, avoiding one of the major downfalls of up and coming bands-what could be dubbed "the CD of one song." Instead, the band uses the variety of songs to showcase lead singer Garen Gueyikian's incredibly wide-ranging voice and a never-ending variety of solid drum rhythms. Personal favorites include "Far From Saved" and the title track, which picks up the very live-sounding tempo of this album.
Granian is truly making a name for itself and this album comes highly recommended, especially as a first introduction to Granian. For those of you who are into live music, there may even be a chance of spotting the band itself in the very near future somewhere in Cambridge. A -Laura Dichtel