The main interest of this disc will be the opportunity to hear unknown works by hardly known composers from the ex-Soviet block: the Latvian Jurgis Juozapaitis (birth date not provided), the Russians Vladimir Kobekin (b. 1947) and Leonid Bobylev (b. 1931). I can't say I've found them entirely remarkable. Juozapaitis' Sonata is imbued with an intense and gnawed lyricism, Bobylev's five short "Foreshortenings" for Violin and Piano is a mixture of Webern terseness, Shostakovich wry humor and Bartok raw brutality, but none break any grounds in their use of the instrument. It is also the case with Kobekin's Double Variations, but I found it more interesting, with its enigmatic mood and, when the suspended cymbals enter at 8:03, its mysteriously ritualistic character. But Schnittke's Moz-art, even if it little more than an elaborate pastiche, is more innovative in its language and use of the instrument

Why doesn't more R&B sound like this? Although hampered by a poor mix, Brother's Keeper is nevertheless a classic example of what makes the Neville Brothers so good — and so frustrating. Tracks like the booty-shaking funk of "Brother Jake" or the gospel-tinged "Steer Me Right" are full of soulful vocals and wonderful harmonies. Aaron Neville's timeless voice is displayed beautifully on "Fearless," where he is joined by Linda Ronstadt for one of the strongest tracks on the record. The Neville Brothers' ecumenical spirituality permeates every second of Brother's Keeper, making for a few awkward moments (like the head-scratching opener "Brother Blood," for example), but a few moments of true sublimity (as when Art Neville spits "Pro choice-no choice/We're sending our sons and daughters to their slaughter" on "Sons and Daughters"). The pop material on Brother's Keeper, such as Link Wray's "Fallin' Rain," works well, but other tracks, like "River of Life," seem forced. If the Neville Brothers showed a little discretion with regard to their lyrics and cut a couple tracks, they would have had a much stronger album, which in a way is as good a statement as one could make about their entire career.