Eric Bibb – ‘Global Griot’ (2018)
Eric Bibb bites off a lot on ‘Global Griot,’ but if there’s anyone who can pull all of this together, it’s this guy.
Articles by: S. Victor Aaron
Susan Tedeschi’s Varied ‘Back to the River’ Set the Stage for Greatness
Released 10 years ago this week, ‘Back to the River’ once again blended blues, R&B, gospel and rock. But Susan Tedeschi was headed toward something big.
Colin Edwin and Lorenzo Feliciati – ‘Twinscapes Vol. 2: A Modern Approach to the Dancefloor’ (2018)
Colin Edwin and Lorenzo Feliciati once again find simpatico instead of redundancy on their second collaboration.
Dave Meder, “The Old Rugged Cross” from ‘Passage’ (2018): Something Else! video premiere
This gospel tune has been covered by countless artists, but Dave Meder’s jazzier treatment shows just how transcendent “The Old Rugged Cross” really is.
Mike Zito – ‘Blue Room’ (1998, 2018 reissue)
I like the spot bluesman Mike Zito has ended up in, but the spot where he started out on his 1998 debut ‘Blue Room’ has its own undeniable magic.
Aaron Parks – ‘Little Big’ (2018)
Aaron Parks’ progressively minded ‘Little Big’ might not be the direction jazz is currently headed, but it should be.
Jeff Oster – ‘Reach’ (2018)
The formula for Jeff Oster’s ‘Reach’ remains a familiar one, but it sounds just a little more refined now.
Brass Magic, “Journey Around the Lake” from ‘Fanfare’ (2018): Something Else! video premiere
Here is the video premiere of Brass Magic’s “Journey Around the Lake.”
Robert Walter’s 20th Congress – ‘Spacesuit’ (2018)
Robert Walter’s 20th Congress was always about making fun party music out of jazz; ‘Spacesuit’ just takes it out to the final frontier.
Devin Gray – ‘Dirigo Rataplan II’ (2018)
The big accomplishment of the first ‘Dirigo Rataplan’ was in Devin Gray’s insight in conceptualizing ways to get the most out of his fellow musicians and himself. That’s the same kind of brilliance found on ‘Dirigo Rataplan II.’
