GIRAFFE
Giraffe (KMG Records)
Reviewed by Steve Marshall

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The music world lost a major talent when Kevin Gilbert passed away. Most people, if they've heard of him at all, know him as part of the infamous Tuesday Night Music Club, the group that backed Sheryl Crow on her debut album. But Gilbert was much more than just a side musician. He was able to play just about any instrument you'd put in front of him, and was an excellent songwriter as well. He was intelligent and articulate, as his lyrics showed in no uncertain terms.

One of Gilbert's first musical efforts was Giraffe, a California-based group in the late 80's. The band only recorded two CDs, The View From Here and The Power of Suggestion. Both releases were extremely limited, all hand numbered by Gilbert himself. Most of them never even hit the streets. Musically, the group was reminiscent of Lake (the band, not Greg Lake), with a tinge of early Genesis thrown in for good measure.

In 1999, the Gilbert estate authorized the first of three posthumous releases--a compilation of the two Giraffe discs. Three of the tunes would later appear on The Shaming of the True, the brilliant album Gilbert was working on when he died. Collectors will be interested to know that the new compilation has a different version of "The World Just Gets Smaller," plus a previously unreleased live version of "This Warm Night." At times, the CD sounds a bit dated, but the material gives the listener a rare look into the mind of one of the most talented musicians to grace the airwaves.

Giraffe is currently available via the Kevin Gilbert website (www.kevingilbert.com).

© 2000 - Steve Marshall