Philadelphia Daily News from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 76

PAGE 76 PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS FRIDAY, 'SEPTEMBER 1999 1 Bailey finds truth in falsetto; Vejrtu returns to Forever it-- Tan. Grade: I In record stores Tuesday: After igniting the Woodstock crowd, Megadeth hopes to burn the charts with "Risk" (Capitol). Blues Traveler front man John Popper branches out on the tasty "Zygote" with a half-dozen harmonica-free tracks and a few showing off his mellower (Cat Stevens-ish) ballad sound. 01 Skool requests your "R.S.V.P." (Universal). Chuck shares his hip-hop faves on "Louder Than a Bomb" (Rhino).

Quincy Jones' newest discovery is Michael Fredo, doing the "Introducing" (QuestWB). Classical and country flavors merge marvelously on "Short Trip Home" (Sony Classical), melding the talents of bassist Edgar Meyer and violinist Joshua Bell with pickers Sam Bush and Mike Marshall. Country singer Doug Stone, recuperated from heart and vocal ailments, aims to "Make Up in Love" (Atlantic). Heartland rocker Cindy Bullens copes with the death of her daughter (by cancer) on the emotional "Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth" (Artemis), supported by friends like Bonnie Raitt Lucinda Williams, Rodney Crowell and Bryan Adams. Ozzy Osbourne sits in on a cover of "Shock the Monkey" on Coal Chamber's new set "Chamber Music" (Roadrunner).

Bruce Cameron enjoys a "Midnight Daydream" (Brain Cell) with notable help from Jimi Hendrix band-mates Mitch Mitchell, Billy Cox and Buddy Miles, Cream singerbassist Jack Bruce and others. Britain's flamboyant fiddler Nigel Kennedy gets down with classical Versions of Jimi Hendrix tunes on "The Kennedy Experience" (Sony Classical). Guitar torcher Steve Vai visits "The Ultra Zone" (Epic), featuring tributes to Frank Zappa and Stevie Ray Vaughan. An expanded version of the by Al Hunter Jr. Daily News Staff Writer To be honest, Philip Bailey's solo career hasn't set the world on fire.

Yes, he had a 1985 pop hit with Phil Collins' "Easy Lover." And yes, one of his gospel albums, "Triumph," won a Grammy. But the lead singer of Earth, Wind Fire is still better known for his falsetto work on songs like "Reasons" and "After the Love Is Gone," tunes that go back to the 1970s. So Bailey has taken a chance on his new CD, "Dreams' (Heads Up). Going back to the music he calls his first love, Bailey serves up a jazz-flavored disc that is as impressive as his four-octave singing range. The producers, Erik Huber and Robert Brookins in particular, have done justice to Bailey.

It would have been easy to throw mindless charts together and place the burden of bringing them alive on Bailey's vocal cords. But Huber creates fresh and challenging environments for Bailey (check out Van Morrison's "Moondance" or the ballad "Dream Like I And Bailey is surrounded by outstanding contemporary jazz artists like Gerald Albright, George Duke, Pat Metheny, Grov-er Washington, Peter White, Gerald Veasley and Kirk Whalum. Brookins gives Bailey street presence, with the drum-heavy "Are We Doing Better Now" and the bass-heavy "Strength to Love You." Most of the CD's tunes are in the pop-jazz vein, but Bailey goes ust like the fall TV season, clubland is abuzz with activity. September will bring about a gazillion bands to Philadelphia, many of them en route to the CMJ (College Music Journal) festival in New York City (Sept. 15-18).

This week, all the notables seem to be landing at the Theater of the Living Arts (334 South 215-922-1011). All of the following shows are all-ages and have an 8 p.m. start time. Tonight, it's Scottish sensation of the moment Mogwai, or at least a big deal to those still mourning the breakup of Slint or the disappearance of My Philip Bailey i Heads Up Vcrtu Vertu 550 MusicLegacy with pure jazz on "Masquerade Is Over," produced by Morris Pleasure, and sounds great, going with his tenor voice at the beginning and wrapping up with his trademark falsetto. "Dreams" is an excellent showcase for Bailey, and a good way for people to hear that there's more to him than that high-flying solo on live version of "Reasons." v.

"Vertu" (550 MusicLegacy) is a blast from the jazz-fusion past. This is sort of a return of the Return to Forever band from the 1970s. Led by bassist Stanley Clar- Bloody Valentine, two bands that these young instrumentalists take their cues from, in terms of the loud-soft dynamics and bent guitars. Also on the bill are newcomers Ganger, and another fave in the record clerk set, Godspeed You Black Emperor, a Canadian mini-orchestra of sorts known for their symphonic soundtracks and found sounds. Tickets are $11.50.

Tomorrow night, it's joke rockers Tenacious otherwise known as the hilarious spinoff of HBO's "Mr. Show." Jack Black and Kyle Gass dont just parody rock stars, like Spinal Tap, they portray two schlubs Grade: E4 Assembled for Vertu are (clockwise, from left) Rachel Karen Briggs, Lenny White, Stanley Clarke and Richie Kotzen ke and drummer Lenny White, who were members of Return to Forever, Vertu strives to recreate some of the past glories with an eye toward the future. Clarke's nimble runs and White's multi-drum rolls are included. Asked to fill Chick Corea's void are violinist Karen Briggs (who worked with Yan-ni) and keyboardist Rachel Z. Richie Kotzen is on guitar, where Al Di Meola used to be.

The best tunes are the open-ended ones where the musicians have a chance to show off, such as on "V-Wave" and "Toys." After a promising beginning, the vocal "Start It Again" sounds out of place on this disc. Overall, "Vertu" is a good way to catch up on real jazz-fusion that's been lacking for nearly 30 years. Send e-mail to hunteraphiHynewxoni by Sara Sherr For the Daily News who want to be rock stars, but learned everything about playing in bands from the Grand Funk Railroad episode of VHl's "Behind the Music." With just two acoustic guitars, they are the stars of the open-mic scene, searching for the "inspirado," reigning supreme, "like chicken supreme, like nachos supreme," or a grown-up Beavis and Butt-head. Opening up is our own funnyman Atom and His Package, which is one man and his Casio, rapping and singing about Philadelphia and Philip Bailey, best known as Earth, Wind Fire's lead singer, goes solo with jazz. punk rock, and everything in between.

Tickets are $15.50 in advance, $16.50 day of show. And now the best for the last: Wednesday night is Cibo Matto and Solex, two outsiders who rewrite pop songs like insiders. Cibo Matto are Miho Hatori and Yuka Honda, a Japanese-by-way-of-downtown-New York duo on their second go-round, the very delightful "Stereotype (Warner Because of their Japanese background, people love to lump them in with Shonen Knife or Pizzicato Five, but they're more varied than the former and less self-conscious than the latter. Besides, "Stereotype A's" bossa novas, bike raps, Talking Heads' "Stop Making See CD RELEASES Page 80 and love songs are more a tribute to the city than anything else. Solex is Dutch record store ownersound collector Elisabeth Esselink, also working album No.

2, "Pick Me Up" (Matador). While it lacks the cohesive atmosphere of last year's "Solex vs. the Hitmeister," "Pick Me Up's" impromptu sketches are a lot of fun and take the listener to some interesting places. (They're purported to be about imaginary conversations that she had in the loo.) Get tickets ASAP for this one, it could be a sellout ($12.50 in advance, $14.50 day of show). Send e-mail to ftStwfrao4.com.