Articles by: S. Victor Aaron

Vinyl

Joe Bonamassa – Black Rock (2010)

A year ago, we drooled a little over a power blues record by an ascending star on the blues scene, Joe Bonamassa. Since then The Ballad Of John Henry rocketed to the #1 position on Billboard’s Blues Albums charts, #103 on its Top 200, #35 Rock chart and #1 Heatseekers,Read More

Vinyl

Tineke Postma – The Traveller (2010)

by Pico If I were to tell you that I’m going to discuss the sax playing skills of a certain Dutch lady, you might think I’m talking about Candy Dulfer. Not hardly. Tineke Postma (pronounced TEE-na-ka POST-ma), from Heerenveen, The Netherlands, is an alto and soprano saxophonist who has aRead More

Vinyl

U.O. Project (Ulysses Owens, Jr.) – It's Time For U (2010)

by S. Victor Aaron Another record by a jazz drummer? Heck yeah! Ulysses Owens, Jr. isn’t just a young up-and-comer percussion specialist with a radiant smile. Behind the cheerful expression is a serious commitment to his craft. A graduate of the world renowned Julliard School, Owens has been touring withRead More

Vinyl

Matt Slocum – Portraits (2010)

When you read the liner notes to Matt Slocum’s new record Portraits, it’s full of effusive but knowledgeable praise from one of Slocum’s former instructors at the University of Southern California, where he earned a degree from the prestigious Thornton School of Music. That’s a pretty good reference, but itRead More

Vinyl

One Track Mind: Alex Hargreaves, "April Joy" (2010)

Photo by Maria Camillo by S. Victor Aaron Sometimes it takes a fantastic cover of a song to make you realize how good the original has always been. This One Track Mind is about one of those times. When I think of the eponymous Pat Metheny Group album from wayRead More

Vinyl

Torben Waldorff – American Rock Beauty (2010)

photo: Arne Reimer by S. Victor Aaron A couple of summers ago I was treated to the pleasing but discerning modern jazz found all over Torben Waldorff’s Afterburn. The great Dane guitarist/composer who resides in Sweden is a household name in our little ‘berg on the internet, and needs noRead More

Vinyl

The Arcangels – Living In A Dream (2009, CD-DVD)

Since we’re on the topic of Austin-based acts, why not shift our focus to one of the most acclaimed and yet most elusive since the death of Stevie Ray Vaughan? I’m talking of course about the Arcangels. It would be impossible to discuss the Arcangels without a discussing their sometimes-volatileRead More

Vinyl

Erik Telford – Kinetic (2010)

by Pico We all know that Austin, TX is a hotbed for music, with so many artists located there to take advantage of its vibrant scene. Normally when we think of Austin music, blues-rock, roots, folk and singer-songwriter acts come to mind, like The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Eric Johnson, Monte Montgomery,Read More

Vinyl

Orrin Evans – Faith In Action (2010)

by S. Victor Aaron In the promo video below, pianist Orrin Evans performs the first cut from his new album Faith In Action, and the camera ever so slyly captures a picture of Thelonious Monk in the background. The subliminal advertising is undoubtedly intended to suggest that Evans’ playing styleRead More

Vinyl

The Best of 2009, Part 5: Whack Jazz

by S. Victor Aaron There’s jazz and and there’s whack jazz, that label I assign to jazz that is unrestrained, unconventional and sometimes, rude. The kind of jazz that you wouldn’t play at any party, but boy, they sure are fun to listen to when you’re really engaged to theRead More