New Releases Tuesday (12/14)

Just when I was about ready to give up and post that there wasn't a damn thing to report this week, I ran across this little gem: Mark Sandman - Sandbox (2 disc Box Set w/DVD) (Hi-N-Dry) Morphine leader Mark Sandman was the inventor of a sound called "low rock" — the distinctive blend of sonorous saxophone, bass and deep grooves that, along with Mark’s lyric poetry, propelled Morphine to fame. But Mark created much more than the brilliant music of Morphine. He was a tireless musical experimenter who wrote and recorded constantly throughout his life. Although Morphine and the seminal swamp-blues quartet Treat Her Right became well known and successful, much of his work was never commercially released and remains unheard — except by his large circle of friends, who he regularly commandeered to critique his latest, usually over a bottle of Patron. Sandbox brings everyone into that circle. After 5 years meticulously culling the large collection of original music, poetry and art left behind by Mark after his untimely death in 1999, the surviving members of Morphine, Bill Conway and Dana Colley, have assembled the essential Mark Sandman collection. More a musical adventure than a "greatest hits" set, the 30 songs on Sandbox are connected by the voice and the singular musical and lyrical vision of Mark Sandman. For Morphine and Treat Her Right devotees, it’s a final affectionate encore. For the uninitiated, an invitation to discover the depth and scope of Mark’s unique and challenging artistry. Sandbox also includes a DVD of rare and unseen footage, artifacts of Mark’s career and even more Sandman music. -Amazon.com