Articles by: Nick DeRiso

Vinyl

Alpha Rev – Bloom (2013)

Making music of drama, risk and uplift, Alpha Rev sounds something like Mumford and Sons meets Coldplay — though the best of Bloom boasts an originality miles away from the latter. You May Also Like: JD Allen, “A Throng of Millions Can Be One” from Bloom (2015): One Track Mind

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Miles Davis, with Quincy Jones and the Gil Evans Orchestra – Live at Montreux (2013)

You see Miles Davis’ age, you sense it, in his fingers. Otherwise remarkably well preserved on this date, just months before his death, the legendary trumpeter certainly looks the part — from the technicolor jacket to the red horn You May Also Like: When Miles Davis Finally Looked Back onRead More

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Jamie Block – Whitecaps on the Hudson (2013)

The title track, and other key moments like “Sam Patch” and “My Head” here, blend the brutal, hard-won spoken-word honesty of Lou Reed with a rootsy, rattling cadence. But this is more than an Americana take on the Velvet Underground. You May Also Like: Jamie Baum Septet + – ‘WhatRead More

Boz Scaggs on David Paich, Duane Allman and 'Silk Degrees': Gimme Five

Boz Scaggs on David Paich, Duane Allman and ‘Silk Degrees’: Gimme Five

Boz Scaggs joins us to discuss ‘Lowdown,’ ‘Dindi,’ ‘Miss Sun,’ ‘Loan Me a Dime’ and a memorable collaboration with Georgie Fame.

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Boz Scaggs on ‘Memphis,’ and singing vs. playing: Something Else! Interview

Having just released one of his very best albums, Boz Scaggs discussed a new-found sense of determination and joy after a lay off in the 1980s.

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Larry Carlton, with Robben Ford – Unplugged (2013)

There’s a reason these guys have fronted countless recordings, even while appearing as first-call sidemen with everyone from Miles Davis to Steely Dan to Joni Mitchell. Every time one of them picks up the guitar, it’s an encyclopedic wonder. You May Also Like: Robben Ford’s Tasty, Energetic ‘Soul on Ten’Read More

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One Track Mind: Rowdy House, “Hurricane Blues” (2013)

“Hurricane Blues” begins with a low levee moan, a squalling harmonica, the lonesome call of a dobro. The scene is set for the rumbling winds to come. You May Also Like: Hurricane No. 1 – Find What You Love and Let It Kill You (2015) The Moody Blues’ John Lodge,Read More

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Southern Hospitality – Easy Livin’ (2013)

One part Allman Brothers, one part Levon Helm, and one part Howlin’ Wolf, Southern Hospitality is a jam band, a blues band, and a roots band — sometimes all inside of one knee-slapping throwback tune. You May Also Like: Doobie Brothers – ‘Livin’ on the Fault Line’ (1977): On SecondRead More

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Mike Oldfield, of ‘Tubular Bells’ fame: Something Else! Interview

Mike Oldfield earned credit, or blame, for the new age movement that followed 1973’s ‘Tubular Bells.’ Then a dance-oriented sequel blew that notion to bits.

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The Cash Box Kings – Black Toppin’ (2013)

The Cash Box Kings reanimate that moment when popular music — both black and white — began to coalesce into the rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic. It’s loud music, fun music, occasionally delving into darker themes, but possessing an impetuous, undeniable rhythm. You May Also Like: Cash Box Kings – HoldingRead More