As a Beach Boys splinter group featuring original contributors Al Jardine, David Marks and Brian Wilson continues a summer tour, it’s stirring up a host of new memories. You May Also Like: Why the Beach Boys’ ‘Sail On, Sailor’ Pointed to So Many Unrealized Triumphs How Beach Boys Found theRead More

So yesterday I read Matthew Shipp’s review of Keith Jarrett’s latest album Somewhere, or least ostensibly, it was a review. You May Also Like: Ivo Perelman, with Matthew Shipp + Joe Morris – ‘Shamanism’ (2020) Matthew Shipp – ‘The Intrinsic Nature of Shipp’ (2023) Matthew Shipp – ‘Codebreaker’ (2021)

When the Monkees initially began recording, sessions musicians filled in for the neophyte Micky Dolenz at the drums. When he decided to learn to play himself, things became even more difficult. It wasn’t just living up to a standard set by the legends who’d performed on the earlier Monkees records,Read More

Blues-rock music don’t normally lend itself to big themes, and the trio of Moreland & Arbuckle didn’t start out intending to have one, but when they got done finalizing the song roster for their latest release, they took a look at what they had and found one. You May AlsoRead More

A little too mannered at times, Van Dyke Parks songs would fall flat on their ass were it not for his flair for musical mischief making. “Dreaming of Paris,” for instance, is the picture of genteel reverie until he announces that JFK has been shot You May Also Like: AaronRead More

It seems that no matter where you go, if you have a handful of musicians in the crowd, you can always strike up a conversation about Neil Young. Heck, you don’t even need musicians You May Also Like: Part of Neil Young’s Creative Process Was Ignoring Bob Dylan How NeilRead More

Sophisticated UK pop group Matt Bianco may be best known in the US for launching the career of onetime member Basia. But their blend of Latin rhythms, acid jazz, and other world music influences render them an unfairly overlooked band. You May Also Like: Basia – Butterflies (2018) Tritone AsylumRead More

I often imagine myself in the 1990s as crawling through a musical desert and finding the occasional oasis. It is, I think, my least favorite musical decade. You May Also Like: Elton John – Greatest Hits 1976-1986 (1992): On Second Thought Black Sabbath – ‘Black Sabbath’ (1970): On Second ThoughtRead More

The relationship between an artist of any kind and his or her fans is compelling stuff and, thanks to the Internet, things may well be at a fever pitch. The new documentary Springsteen & I displays this relationship with what is effectively a scrapbook of footage You May Also Like:Read More