Milton Nascimento’s Genius Confirmed Even on Guest-Packed ‘Angelus’
Released 25 years ago, Milton Nascimento’s ‘Angelus’ deftly blended jazz greats, lithe pop music and these title-worthy textures from another land.
Articles by: Jimmy Nelson
How Son Volt Got Back on Track With the Searching ‘American Central Dust’
Released 10 years ago today, Son Volt’s ‘American Central Dust’ found Jay Farrar asking questions – and being OK when he didn’t always get answers.
How Levon Helm’s ‘Electric Dirt’ Confirmed a Stirring Late-Career Resurgence
Released 10 years ago today, Levon Helm’s ‘Electric Dirt’ was the sound of a man, and a singer, reborn.
How Johnny Cash Challenged Convention Once Again on ‘American Recordings’
Johnny Cash’s ‘American Recordings’ arrived 25 years ago today like this shimmering life preserver amid a sea of hat acts.
Diana Krall’s Sweetly Erotic ‘Quiet Nights’ Was Perfectly Named
Released a decade ago today, Diana Krall’s ‘Quiet Nights’ succeeds as easy listening – in the best sense of those words.
Return to Forever’s Surprise ‘Returns’ Smartly Focused on the Past
‘Return to Forever: Returns’ arrived 10 years ago today as a reminder of everything we loved about this cosmic, muscular and damned funky band.
Wynton Marsalis Finally Learned How to Have Fun Again With ‘The Magic Hour’
Wynton Marsalis signed with the Blue Note label 15 years ago, then released an album worthy of that bastion of earthy joy.
U2, “New Year’s Day” from ‘War’ (1983): One Track Mind
Dozens of winters later, as “the world in white gets underway,” U2’s message on “New Year’s Day” is still worth exploring.
How ‘Wish’ Scuffed Up Joshua Redman’s Initial Melodicism
Joshua Redman’s sophomore album, released 25 years ago, represented a bold new direction for the just-debuted saxophonist.
Ramsey Lewis, “Here Comes Santa Claus” (1961): One Track Mind
It seems Ramsey Lewis can make anything listenable, even transcendent.
