The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 136

New or laisc CD Pick Asleep At The Wheel RIDE WITH BOB Dreamworks Terasson-inspired "Like JT" crackles with sparse, intriguing figures as Barber stretches her piano chops. And she has the sense of humor to poke fun at her own shtick with the tongue-in-cheek "If This Isn't Jazz." The one fly in the ointment here is the absence of a strong instrumental soloist, and the similarity in approach from song to song makes this a somewhat monochromatic album. BOB MCCULLOUGH of Boston's own Igor Khoroshev through the propulsive dance of "Lightning Strikes." Chris Squire winds the forward-looking "Face To Face" in sharp bass coils, and Steve Howe's gently spiraling guitar flavors "Finally." Anderson's lovey-dovey tone swamps "If Only You Knew," But there are tasteful echoes of od Yes i tunes in layered-vocal masterpiece "Can and the mandolin- touched "Nine Voices." Progressive or not in 1999, Yes is at least still trying. Yes plays the Orpheum Dec 11. PAUL ROBICHEAU Tlhe Western swing of Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys has sparked the music of Asleep At The Wheel for more than a quarter century.

With their latest album, the Texas-based band joins a virtual who's who of contemporary country musi Long Beach Dub Allstars RIGHT BACK Dreamworks Sublime survivors Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh formed the Long Beach Dub Allstars in the wake of the overdose death of Sublime singer Brad Novell. The Allstars, a loose group of DJs and musicians, called upon a few friends for vocals and have produced a disc that combines a deft mix of reggae grooves, funky horns, and a few splashes of punk-fortified guitar. That combination makes this one a sure hit with reggae fans and genre hoppers alike. Guests include the great Barrington Levy, whose opening "Righteous Dub" leaves no question about where the disc is headed; Tippi Irie, who burns up with "Sensi" and a dash of hip-hop with a rapper named Dangr on the street tale "Kick-down." Not all California sunshine, "Rosarito" recalls a gringo's experience with poverty in Mexico, while Levy checks in again with the chilling "Saw Red." Fat grooves, steady rhythms, and excellent vocals are the order of the day for these All- St3IS JIMMY CAWLEY cians to pay tribute to Wills' influence. The new disc, a follow-up to Asleep At The Wheel's phenomenally successful 1995 all-star tribute to Wills, outshines its predecessor.

With guitarist and bandleader Ray Benson leading the group's latest incarnation through an authentic-sounding blend of Wills' big band, fiddle music and Western swing, a lengthy list of guests including Dwight Yoakam, Clint Black, Shawn Colvin, The Dixie Chicks, Manhattan Transfer, Lyle Lovett, Willie Nelson, and the Squirrel Nut Zippers turn this into a historic session. Merle Haggard's soulful singing of "St. Louis Blues," Lyle Lovett and Shawn Colvin's duet on "Faded Love," and a sizzling-hot opening instrumental, "Bob's Breakdowns," featuring Vince Gill, Steve Wariner, Tommy Allsup, and Floyd Domino, make this a Grammy-destined recording. CRAIG HARRIS I I A 4Ll Ramon Vargas Munich Radio Orchestra, MarceUo Viotti L' AM OUR, L'AMOUR RCAIBMG The new tenor on the block is Ramon Vargas, who is a very good singer indeed. Born in Mexico City, Vargas arrived at the Metropolitan Opera seven years ago, and now his recording career has clicked into high gear.

His complete recording of Massenet's "Werther" suffers by comparison to a simultaneous rival version with Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu; perhaps in an effort to cope with the uninhibited singing of his partner Vesselina Kasarova and heavy, unidiomatic conducting, Vargas loses some of his vocal equilibrium. But this new disc tells another story. Vargas sings arias in French et Juliette," "Manon," Russian and Italian Boheme," "Rigoletto," "Lucia di Lammermoor," "LTSlisir d'Amore," Donizetti's "II Duco d'AIba," and "Roberto He sings with style, conviction, honeyed tone, and lovely, spun-out line; high notes don't faze him, and neither do flourishes of coloratura. He sends the message that every tenor must am fabulous; just listen to but he also sends the messages of Romeo, Rodolfo, Lensky, Nemorino, and the other characters he assumes; he knows how to sound as if he's in love, Jiappily or in despair. RICHARD DYER Marcy Playground SHAPESHIFTER Capitol By rock 'n' roll terms, it seems ancient, but Marcy Playground's huge hit of "Sex and Candy" was just last year.

A witty take on relationship roulette, the song went to No. 1 on modern rock formats, while making this a band to watch. Marcy Playground has returned with a new CD that lacks a song of that slinkily compelling magnitude, but still brims with intelligent, if sometimes loony, tunes that are hard to resist Marcy singerproducer John Wozniak is a creative wordsmith whose new single, "It's Saturday," is a smart-alecky take on curing ailments by New Age means. He ingests "ginseng and fresh squeezed juice It just might keep me alive a couple of days." It even has a slight yodel in it, as Wozniak shows an admirable love of experimenting. He can be a worldly cynic (in "Bye Bye," he sings about bis joy in kissing off a bad love affair), but also shows a light court-jester sensibility in "Rebel Sodville" and "Pigeon Farm." He writes inviting melodies that slide smoothly between folk-rock and electric hard-rock peaks.

Marcy Playground is at Bills Bar tonight STEVE MORSE lesias Jr. (no kidding). His "Nothing Else" is not some calculated stab at the burgeoning Latin rock being marketed by Marc Anthony or Ricky Martin. It genuinely swings, with a more authentic salsa flavor worthy of Tito Puente. Vaya, hombre! -DAVID GERARD YES THE LADDER Beyond Musk Yes singer Jon Anderson's gushing optimism, in greeting-card lyrics that make one yearn for his oblique guru-speak of old, and glossy, meticulous production from the late Bruce Fairbairn (Aerosmith, Bon Jovi) make this CD hard to take at first Yet, like old Yes albums, rewards emerge on repeat spins.

In its 30th year, the British group again streamlines its epic pretensions, while absorbing its knotty virtuosity into the clean production. Horns blend seamlessly with the Rick Wakeman-style synthesizer flow Various Artists MUSK OF THE HEART SonyEpic The movie "Music of the Heart" may herald Gloria Este-fan's acting debut, but her contribution to this soundtrack is virtually non-existent. The title track is listed as a duet between Este-fan and Sync, but you've got to listen awfully hard to find her voice among the boy group's staple harmonies. Good news for actress-turned-singer Jennifer Lopez, however, who gets to appropriate Estefan's Miami sound on the bouncy number, "Baila." Aaliyah's seductive "Turn The Page" has a marvelous groove and shows off her vocal prowess. On "One Night With You," the venerable group Note go beyond its four-part synergy with an unusual arrangement, which features a sitar-like guitar weaving through the melody.

Newcomer Macy Gray contributes a spiked-up remix of her hit "Do Something," although her voice still reminds this reviewer more of Blossom Dearie. The disc's major standout comes from Julio Ig- Patricia Barber COMPANION Blue Note After making several albums in which she explored her potential as a jazz vocalist, Patricia Barber continues to integrate more and more pop songs into her repertoire, using a stripped-down instrumentation to highlight her sultry yet versatile voice. This time the pop material covers a lot of ground, starting with a down-and-dirty take on Sonny Bono's kitschy "The Beat Goes On," then moving to a bass-driven reading of Bill Withers' "Use Me," and a slow-burn-sexy version of "Black Magic Woman." The jazz songs are fewer and further between, although the Jacky.