COLLIN WALCOTT, DON CHERRY, NANA VASCONCELOS-Codona 2 (ECM) s: Brian Eno’s recent stuff has gone a long way toward making cross-cultural mix-’em, mateh-’em music hip again but he’s really only the most visible barrier basher. Trumpet great Don Cherry has gone much further afield: who else do you know who’s recorded with Ornette Coleman, Krzysztof Penderecki and Lou Reed? His playing here is fine as usual but equally important is the way his playfulness has affected Oregonian Walcott, who responds with subtle outrages like tympani solos and running down walking bass lines on his sitar. Fun stuff and easily as groundbreaking in its own way as Bush Of Ghosts. M.D.

PHIL SEYMOUR (Boardwalk):: An ambitious refugee from the old Dwight Twilley Band, and I never could understand what the big deal was about him, either. No, that’s too harsh; Mr. Seymour, reportedly the pride of L.A.’s Starwood, does sweet midrange pop that earnestly invokes all the early-Beatle, rockabilly, etc. icons, thereby pleasing many and offending none. And he’s much better-looking than Rex Smith, while he’s at it. (Spontaneous blindfold test when Teresa walked thru while this was playing: “She sounds like Melanie!”) R.R.