With all respect to the likes of
David LaFlamme,
Papa John Creach.
David Cross, and
Jean-Luc Ponty, it is arguably
Scarlet Rivera (violin) who has consistently found specific and viable places for the violin in rock. While best known for her stint with
Bob Dylan circa his
Desire (1975) album,
Rivera would go on to accompany a literal who's who of popular music ranging from
New York Doll David Johansen to the
Indigo Girls and blues revivalist
Keb' Mo'. She also issued two solo long players in the mid-'70s, commencing with this eponymously titled platter.
Scarlet Rivera (1977) reflects the artist's classical training as well an obvious love of jazz and even the genesis of the world music scene, although the genre would not develop the moniker for several decades yet. Backing
Rivera are future
Joe Jackson Band percussionist
Gary Burke (drums/vibes) and former
Mama Lion member
Ed Mikenas (bass). There are also a pair of lesser-established -- but no less crafty -- musicians in the form of
Dominic Cardinale (keyboards) and Rolly Hui (woodwinds/vocals/harmonica). In addition to fusing with jazz and demonstrating her aforementioned classical prowess, cuts such as the
Cardinale composition "Leftback" dabble in the area of progressive rock. The song's tricky time signatures and aggressive melody lines instantly recall
Frank Zappa's "Thirteen," with
Lakshminarayana Shankar [aka
L. Shankar] (violin). "Wicked Witch of the East" is earthier and fuelled by
Rivera's fervent, impassioned fretwork and stinging intonation. Hui's vocals ethereally drift over the bridge and atop the pungent, propelling instrumental. As the name suggests, "Cloak and Dagger" is a mysterious and funky composition allowing
Rivera and
Cardinale to weave some tasty call and response licks within a darkly guilded and sinister tangent. The album concludes with the moody "Ring Around the Moon" featuring a brief spoken monologue, presumably from
Rivera. The tune evolves with a palpable intensity, yielding an urgency steeped in tradition. After years out of print,
Scarlet Rivera was reissued in 2004 by Collectors' Choice Music, which also restored the follow-up,
Scarlet Fever (1978).