With ’21st Century Breakdown,’ Green Day wears their love of rock operas right out there in the open.

by Mark Saleski One of my favorite guitar players, Ribot defines ‘angular.’ While some of his finest stuff has happened as a sideman (good gawd, he’s all over the fricken place on Tom Waits’ Rain Dogs … and now that I think of it, he applies extra twangosity on ElvisRead More

A young Bruce flashes a lot of exuberance in a rambling, upbeat dedication to New York City. Reported points of interest on the song include Bruce’s dad working as a bus driver and Bruce taking a bus trip from Freehold to Manhattan to visit a girlfriend. You May Also Like:Read More

One day back in 1996, I was on my way to work and heard this terrific song … about a kid playing in the backyard? Refusing to wear a shirt? Huh?! You May Also Like: Joe Jackson’s Rain underscored a complete modern-era return to form

by Mark Saleski No fireworks here, just some very heartfelt jazz trio music lead by Israeli pianist Ari Erev. With a mix of original compositions, Israeli songs, and selected standards (including a beautiful “Turn Out The Stars” as program closer), Erev succeeds in displaying his love of this music. ‘HalfRead More

94 people in Oslo, Norway, 1 young woman in London, England, and one elderly lady in Manchester, New Hampshire. You May Also Like: Maciek Pysz and Gianluca Corona – London Stories (2017) Fiona Ross – Black, White and a Little Bit of Grey (2017)

by Mark Saleski You’ve gotta love what Branford Marsalis is all about. In today’s music industry, where creativity is mostly overlooked in favor of bottom-line issues, Branford made a break in advance of this album from his long-time record label You May Also Like: Branford Marsalis, Lucas Lee, Tim MorseRead More

by Mark Saleski I am shocked to say that this recording left me cold. Shocked because it’s got Abdullah Ibrahim on it! There certainly are some great moments, such as the solo piano opening track (“Green Kalahari”) and the sprightly “Mandela”; come on, the melody is played on the irresistibleRead More

Because I’ve been steeping myself in rock and folk music all of these years, people are genuinely surprised when I admit that I’m not a lyrics person. I suppose it puts me in the minority of listeners. You May Also Like: Reevaluating Bruce Springsteen’s ‘The Wild, the Innocent and theRead More

As I drove down the hill into our town last night, I looked up at the horizon to see the mountains, usually nice and green, wrapped in an odd haze of gray. At 7PM, it was still 90 degrees. You May Also Like: How Beach Boys Found the Sun AgainRead More