Articles by: Nick DeRiso

Vinyl

Lena Prima – Since the Storm (2010)

Lena Prima centered this project with a pair of songs by her father, Louis Prima. But she didn’t settle for the simple goal of glowing tribute, either to this legendary New Orleans-born purveyor of post-war jump blues or to his era’s great American songbook. You May Also Like: Joni MitchellRead More

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Rob Morsberger – Ghosts Before Breakfast (2012)

The risks in dealing with things that nobody wants to deal with not only suit Rob Morsberger’s art here — they are helping him define his concluding days with a terminal brain tumor. You May Also Like: No related posts.

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Jimmy Owens – The Monk Project (2012)

I was struck, time and again, by the considered, almost slow-motion attention to detail here, as trumpeter Jimmy Owens and Co. tease out every blues-soaked nuance from the oft-heard music of Thelonious Monk. You May Also Like: Gregory Lewis, with Marc Ribot – Organ Monk Blue (2018)

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Half Notes: Jennifer Cuttings' Ocean Orchestra – Song of Solstice (2011)

An uplifting shard of Celtic sunlight amidst the shivery glimmerings of winter, Jennifer Cutting’s rousing Song of Solstice is garland of emerald-island legacy pieces, serenely beautiful carols and majestic folk songs — all performed with age-old instrumentation of accordion, fiddle, whistle and bagpipes. Themes focus not just on the joysRead More

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Martin Sexton – Fall Like Rain (2012): Something Else! sneak peek

Not so much so-called “new folk” as an interesting distillation of country, blues, gospel and soul, Martin Sexton since his out-of-nowhere self-produced 1991 cassette debut has become the very definition of modern-day troubadour. You May Also Like: No related posts.

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Danny Seraphine on Chicago, California Transit Authority and David Foster: Gimme Five

Danny Seraphine discusses a pair of signature tracks he co-wrote while in Chicago, and a rambunctious remake of one of their best-known early rockers.

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Danny Seraphine, formerly of Chicago: Something Else! Interview

Chicago co-founder Danny Seraphine discusses the formation of California Transit Authority, and how it all went wrong with his old band.

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One Track Mind: Jeremy Schonfeld, "Yet" (2011)

At its core, Jeremy Schonfeld’s new Iron and Coal is the singer-songwriter’s devastatingly effective memorial to his late father and the millions of Jews who suffered and died under the brutal Nazi regime in World War II-era Germany. You May Also Like: Jeremy Morris and the Lemon Clocks – ‘OpenRead More

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Nick DeRiso’s Top Albums for 2011: Live and Reissues

Live albums and reissue projects often do much to shape the broader idea we have about a musical legacy, and this year was no different — with impressive sets devoted to Ray Charles, the Beach Boys, Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings and the Smiths You May Also Like: No related posts.

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One Alternative – Air Sculpture (2011)

One Alternative again bursts through convention with Air Sculpture, moving well outside the bounds of typical acoustic ensembles by incorporating not just classical music forms but also the boisterous attitude of roots rock and the improvisational intrigue of jazz. You May Also Like: Björkenheim, Sopko, James, Laswell, Yamaki (Inaugural SoundRead More