I have a confession to make. The other morning, while munching on a bowl of hemp granola and slurping my first cuppa, I watched a Justin Timberlake video … and I really liked the song You May Also Like: Far Out Monster Disco Orchestra, “Give It to Me” (2018): OneRead More

by Mark Saleski This record has more often than not been out of print. Maybe it’s the legalities involved in dealing with such a large cast. Maybe it’s record company incompetence. I don’t know. What I do know is that it’s one fantastic, diverse and powerful tribute to Thelonious Monk.Read More

There is a contingent of “fans” out there who label this song the “mistake” of The Wild, The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle. Since I think of the record as one of rock’s perfect albums, I must disagree. You May Also Like: Reevaluating Bruce Springsteen’s ‘The Wild, the InnocentRead More

by Mark Saleski In a review of this artist, one writer said, “Oh … my … gawd. I was transfixed. Mesmerized. Jaw aslack. A pop music deer caught in Lewis’s headlights. It’s just one of those things.” Yeah, I wrote that. You May Also Like: No related posts.

by Mark Saleski Back in the dark ages (read: before the Internet) I spent a fair amount of time searching out new music by paying very close attention to the listings of my local public and classical radio stations. You May Also Like: How Bennie Maupin Left Mwandishi Behind onRead More

Salon writer Touré misses monoculture. This isn’t the monoculture of a Starbucks every 1 1/2 miles, bookending the Walmart and the Lowes. You May Also Like: No related posts.

by Mark Saleski Never heard of pianist Marilyn Crispell? I was first exposed to her work via Anthony Braxton’s momumental Willisau quartet recordings. Crispell has a unique style of play, which I put on the shelf next to Cecil Taylor and Keith Jarrett. This was her first solo record onRead More

by Mark Saleski Anybody out there who has been paying attention to my writings may have noticed that the name Marc Ribot has appeared almost as many times as Pat Metheny. Though the two guitar players are nothing alike, they do take up a considerable amount of my shelf space.Read More

Now here we have the E Street Band with David Sancious and Vinny Lopez imparting more than a little bit of their jazzier sides. The jazz feel comes partly from Lopez’ loose-but-tight work at the kit and from Sancious’ wicked organ solo. You May Also Like: Reevaluating Bruce Springsteen’s ‘TheRead More

by Mark Saleski For those unfamiliar with Fritz Hauser, he is one of (maybe the … who knows, there’s gotta be more than one though) Switzerland’s best percussionists. You May Also Like: No related posts.