Ellis Marsalis would have had a sweeping impact as a musical innovator and longtime educator even if he hadn’t parented a series of famous jazz-playing sons.

This new instrumental is interesting because Steve Smith showed up just as Journey took a turn in the late 1970s from its more fusion-informed early period toward a platinum-selling arena-rock formula. You May Also Like: No related posts.

Julian “Cannonball” Adderley is the undisputed leader on this date — the big-hearted, soul-lifting center of every song. But the proper focus here might just be on keyboardist Joe Zawinul You May Also Like: Cannonball Adderley – ‘Poppin’ in Paris: Live at L’Olympia 1972′ (2024) ‘Elegant People: A History ofRead More

Credit Justin Townes Earle for refusing to stick with the tried and true, even after 2010’s ‘Harlem River Blues’ shot to No. 50 on the Billboard charts.

This isn’t a eulogy, no sad occasion, mostly because Tommy Bolin is so very present on the pleasantly unsanctimonious Great Gypsy Soul. You May Also Like: Gypsy, “Gypsy Queen, Part 1” (1970): One Track Mind

Macy Gray has apparently been listening to rock radio over the decade or so since her breakout R&B-soaked hit “I Try.” Her new album of reinterpretations, simply called Covered, is dotted with songs from the likes of Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Sublime and My Chemical Romance. You May Also Like: DevinRead More

This is an album for people who still think Trinity Sessions stands as the Cowboy Junkies’ best recording, but also for those who want to hear how that sound has expanded and matured over the years. You May Also Like: Bobby Avey – Inhuman Wilderness (2016) Location Location Location [MichaelRead More

New Standard Quintet lives up to its name, time and again, not by resurrecting age-old tracks but by trying to fashion its own rules for approaching original jazz music. You May Also Like: Laurence Juber – Standard Time (1982; 2018 reissue) Pearcy / Gratzmiller Jazz Quintet – ‘Over the Edge’Read More

The disappointment isn’t so much that Elton John doesn’t make music like he used to. It’s that he almost couldn’t be bothered to try. You May Also Like: Elton John’s Unfairly Criticized ‘Rock of the Westies’ Deserves Another Listen Elton John – ‘Jewel Box’ (2020) Elton John – Greatest HitsRead More

Papa Grows Funk returns with its most collaborative effort yet, as Needle in the Groove boasts a whopping three producers — including Louisiana legend Allen Toussaint — and a set of songs composed together as a group. You May Also Like: John ‘Papa’ Gros – River’s On Fire (2016)