Van Halen fans are rightly thrilled with the news that David Lee Roth is retaking the road after Eddie Van Halen’s recent health scares. But that’s not the only band he’ll apparently be fronting in 2013.

Neil Young returns with original music with Crazy Horse. Keith Emerson returns to the prog-rock glories of his time with Emerson Lake and Palmer. Black Country Communion, however, is busting up — but they left one last terrific album.

There are only two kinds of music. Good music and the other kind. There are several slight variations of this quote, attributed to Richard Strauss, Charles Mingus, Louis Armstrong, and others.

Ever since he asked that existential question “Is She Really Going Out with Him?” Joe Jackson has defied categorization, moving from the initial “new wave” label into other genres such as jazz and Latin music.

Joe Jackson has announced new concert dates in advance of his forthcoming Duke Ellington tribute album The Duke, due June 26, 2012 from Razor and Tie. We’re also streaming an advance song, “I’m Beginning to See the Light” — CLICK HERE!

Joe Jackson is promising a a decidedly unconventional salute to Ellington, hoping to highlight the timeless brilliance of his classic compositions even while showcasing Jackson’s own skills as an arranger, instrumentalist and vocal interpreter.

In a genre that’s rapidly becoming overwhelmed with vocalists reinterpreting the Great American Snoozebook (important in their time, but rapidly becoming threadbare old saws — if only because of their endless modern repetitions), Lorraine Feather (daughter of the legendary jazz critic Leonard Feather) is not kidding with this album title. Each and every song has new lyrics written by Feather [...]

When Duke Ellington strolled out on stage for this 1958 date, it had been 25 years since he’d previously appeared in Europe.

Many a jazz singer has stumbled through the Great American Songbook, slowed by imitative missteps or the inability to keep pace with a swinging quartet surrounding him. David Paul Mesler is not that singer.

by Mark Saleski I wasn’t familiar with the work of vibraphonist Bill Ware (though a quick Allmusic search said that he’s played with the Jazz Passengers, Groove Collective and even Steely Dan) but I was, then as now, a sucker for the sound of vibes. What’s more, I’ll buy anything with the name “Marc Ribot” attached to it (check out [...]