ROSCO GORDON -- NO DARK IN AMERICA

A Memphis Blues legend who started out on Sam Phillips' Sun Records, Rosco Gordon scored a number of chart hits in the '50s and later went on to record for the Duke and Chess labels. Gordon became known for his unique piano style. A loose-limbed, unpredictable, off-beat shuffle and herky-jerky rhythm all his own, Rosco's pianistic prowess was a big influence on early Ska when his records reached Jamaica. While his pioneering piano pounding continued to be celebrated and emulated in far-flung outposts around the globe, Gordon's career faltered and he eventually settled in Queens, N.Y. Rosco was re-discovered in the late '90s and enjoyed a renewed career until eventually succumbing to a heart attack in 2002. Just before passing on, he made one last record, and it's an immensely enjoyable listen with a surprising array of tempos and varying styles, from Jump Blues to slow burners and ballads. Rosco's famous sense of humor and undeniable charm make even a novelty tune like "Cheese and Crackers" a memorable experience, and the old man's emotions still burn bright, anxious and sentimental in the Caribbean-influenced "A Night In Rio." Unlike the despicable and indefensible trend of 9/11-inspired songs in Country music -- corporate contrivances intended to capitalize on one of the darkest hours in U.S. history -- the title cut on Rosco Gordon's No Dark in America CD is a surprising success. Stripping away all the inherent complexities, the lyric is a warm, fatherly admonition to hold your head high in the face of troubled times. But the tune is set to an infectious and galloping Jump Blues beat, with Rosco and his band swingin' dangerous and reckless, like NRBQ at Mardi Gras. You might not think such a combination could actually work and not be cheesy. But it does. And it ain't. If you're a fan and collector of the Blues, you know how difficult it can be to find contemporary recordings with the fire and funk of the old stuff. Rosco Gordon's swan song is gritty, greasy and loose. You'll find many great rewards within. (Ric Hickey) Grade: B

· GRAHAM COXON ­ HAPPINESS IN MAGAZINES (ASTRALWERKS)

GRAHAM COXON -- HAPPINESS IN MAGAZINES

Listening to former Blur guitarist Graham Coxon's solo work is like listening to the first post-Beatles solo albums: You want to give them a chance on their own merit, but it takes some adjusting to completely forget their storied pasts. Happiness in Magazines shows just how vital the guitarist was in Blur's seminal BritPop sound, particularly on the band's self-titled "rebirth" album and the ones that followed. Coxon's U.S. Indie Rock fixation (first apparent on the aforementioned Blur) continues on Happiness, with some nods towards the bluesy, post-White Stripes movement (The Fall-gets-the-Blues spaz-out, "People of the Earth," and the Black Keys-like "Girl Done Gone"). Where Coxon's previous solo efforts seemed to be more demo sketches, Happiness is a fully-realized album. The disc is eclectic and eccentric, full of Pop oddities like the madcap Post Punk anti-stardom treatise "Right To Pop!" and the fuzzy, energized "Freakin' Out," but there are also more tempered tracks -- like the lush, sweeping "All Over Me" and "Are You Ready?" -- making for a well-rounded album that is cohesive yet rarely repetitive. Coxon's biggest drawback is his singing voice, which is not so much weak as it is lacking in personality, occasionally making the songwriting appear less impressive than it is. Just as it's clear something was missing on Blur's Graham-less Think Tank, it's hard at first to listen to Coxon's solo fare without speculating what it might sound like with Damon Albarn singing. But a few more spins and it's clear that Coxon came out better in the end, as Happiness retains Blur's more fulfilling adventurousness mixed with a slanted but accessible melodic sensibility that is more often than not captivating. This really is Blur sans Albarn, which, surprisingly, isn't a bad thing at all. Certainly better than Think Tank. (Mike Breen) Grade: B+

· JIMMY CHAMBERLIN COMPLEX ­ LIFE BEGINS AGAIN (SANCTUARY)

JIMMY CHAMBERLIN COMPLEX -- LIFE BEGINS AGAIN

There are three Rock drummers with truly viable solo careers -- Ringo Starr, Ginger Baker and Charlie Watts (Dave Grohl doesn't really count, since he's not playing drums with Foo Fighters). So there isn't a huge precedence for drummer-as-creative-sparkplug projects. Former Smashing Pumpkins/Zwan drummer Jimmy Chamberlin looks to change that mindset with his new band, the Complex, and album, Life Begins Again. Teaming with multi-instrumentalist Billy Mohler (who flunked his Zwan audition), guitarist Sean Woolstenhulme and Rhodes keyboardist Adam Benjamin, Chamberlin fashions a primarily instrumental soundscape equally grounded in Jazz Fusion finesse and Indie Rock basics. Chamberlin's previous work has always been marked by an innate ability to shift from pummeling power to subtle delicacy at the turn of a phrase and he brings that ability to the Complex, from the eight-armed crush of "Cranes of Prey" to the subdued intricacy of "Owed to Darryl." When Chamberlin offers words, he graces them with a handful of amazing talents, from friend/ex-bandmate Billy Corgan ("Loki Cat") to ex-Catherine Wheel frontman Rob Dickinson ("Love is Real," the title track) and legendary Righteous Brother Bill Medley ("Lullabye"). Life Begins Again is aptly named as Jimmy Chamberlin opens a new and diverse musical chapter in a career that has already seen more accomplishment than could be expected in two lifetimes. (Brian Baker) Grade: B+