She walked into English class. I took one look at her blonde hair, her bright yellow blouse, and (dear me) her smile and was (as I’m fond of saying) gone. You May Also Like: Beth Hart, “Might As Well Smile” from Better Than Home (2015): One Track Mind Hall andRead More

by Mark Saleski Paul Simon’s career has something that is becoming quite rare in the entertainment world: longevity. Yes, the songs on this collection span over three decades. During that time period our culture, the music biz, and Simon himself have seen great changes. So has every one of us.Read More

by Mark Saleski This is not about politics. Though I do try to keep a safe distance from it, the volume level of that particular circus has risen to something beyond deafening. You May Also Like: Joaquin Sabina, “Y Sin Embargo” from Yo, Mi, Me, Contigo (1996): One Track MindRead More

The early Warner Bros.-focused ‘In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003’ does a great job of exploring a period I refer to as the band’s Adult Years.

by Mark Saleski Back in the late 1980s, there was a backlash of sorts against the new traditionalist tendencies in mainstream jazz. Wynton Marsalis and his cohorts had come along to celebrate (and honestly, expand upon) the early strengths of bop and, as usual, the major labels started releasing likeRead More

by Mark Saleski Jazz fans have always been sort of coy with the word ‘fusion.’ We like to make jokes about it, even applying a nickname of sorts — The F-Word — because we’d hate to admit that we’re ever serious about the genre. Yeah, fusion seems to get theRead More

Imagine a musician who was totally immersed in his craft. Imagine that person setting down his instrument for 45 years. All of those decades away (and I’m sure Mort is tired of hearing about this story), all of that bad living. A reasonable person might think that attempts at aRead More

  by Mark Saleski Just what in hell is going on here?! That was my reaction back when I had my first crack at records like King Crimson‘s In The Court Of The Crimson King, Pink Floyd‘s Ummagumma, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s Tarkus. Art rock. Art … Rock. I’veRead More

by Mark Saleski  Tomorrow would have been Jack Kerouac‘s 89th birthday. I often wonder what the mad & exuberant fool would have been writing today, had he been able to overcome his drinking demons. Would he be distraught at the fact that his beloved jazz has fallen to the veryRead More

There was an article out this past week by Steven Hyden at the Onion A.V. website entitled How long does it take to “get” an album? Interesting stuff. I’m not sure I agree with the whole “professional critic” vs. “regular person” deal, but I can see Mr. Hyden’s point whenRead More