Archive for December, 2015

Vinyl

Billy Sherwood on Citizen, Yes’ Cruise to the Edge: Something Else! Interview

Billy Sherwood goes in depth with Douglas Harr on his new solo project ‘Citizen,’ and discusses Yes’ surprise setlist addition during Cruise to the Edge.

Frank Sinatra's Trilogy offered one final thunderous triumph

Frank Sinatra’s Trilogy offered one final thunderous triumph

Frank Sinatra would enter a studio again only a handful of times after ‘Trilogy’ arrived 35 years ago. None produced more timeless results than this.

Vinyl

Neil Young’s Sugar Mountain: Live at Canterbury House finds an artist in ascension

‘Sugar Mountain: Live at Canterbury House,’ issued on Dec. 2, 2008, presents Neil Young before he rose to solo stardom. But you’d never know it.

Pat Metheny - '80/81' (1980): Track by Track Through a Classic

Pat Metheny – ’80/81′ (1980): Track by Track Through a Classic

’80/81′ visits “out” material and more straight ahead jazz, with a healthy introduction to Pat Metheny’s idea of “folk jazz.”

Brand New Heavies' self-titled debut defined a now-lost acid-jazz cool

Brand New Heavies’ self-titled debut defined a now-lost acid-jazz cool

As brilliant as N’Dea Davenport is, I’m drawn more these days to feel-good instrumentals on the Brand New Heavies’ self-titled album from 25 years ago.

Vinyl

Caroline Davis Quartet – Doors: Chicago Storylines (2015)

“The yearning to do more is completely validated by what came before.” Caroline Davis helps to make sure we know what came before.

Doobie Brothers' Minute by Minute was more than 'What a Fool Believes'

Doobie Brothers’ Minute by Minute was more than ‘What a Fool Believes’

The Doobie Brothers’ ‘Minute by Minute,’ released on Dec. 1, 1978, features most people’s favorite Michael McDonald-era song. But mine’s not “What a Fool Believes.”

Toto, "Live For Today" from Turn Back (1981): Toto Tuesdays

Toto, “Live For Today” from Turn Back (1981): Toto Tuesdays

As a Toto song, “Live For Today” is an interesting footnote for the band and a hint of the greatest of future Toto contributions by Steve Lukather.

Vinyl

Transitional ‘Sorcerer’ changed Miles Davis, and his music, forever

Released in December 1967, ‘Sorcerer’ is the clearest sign yet that Miles Davis was letting go of the wheel.

Vinyl

Inside the classic pre-Tommy Shaw moment that predicted everything for Styx

This Dennis DeYoung-led track illustrates all that Styx aspired to on the way to becoming one of the biggest late-1970s arena rock bands.