by Tom Johnson After the disappointment I felt with 2005’s RockPaperScissors, I would never have expected a “remix” album of that material to not only stand on its own but be as strong as it was — nor be a favorite for the year 2007. And yet … BellCurve takesRead More

by Tom Johnson It took seven long years, but the moment I figured would arrive finally did: Tim Booth came to his senses and rejoined James. What is unfortunate is that in that time, it seemed that either the world forgot about James or James forgot about the world, becauseRead More

Jesus, seriously? I have a sense of humor but this is just absolute garbage. William Shatner’s 2004 project with rock piano great Ben Folds, Has Been, was actually an entertaining diversion — tongue fully in cheek, yet it had musical merit: serious fun. This is pure junk You May AlsoRead More

There are couple of ways that Kevin Crabb’s all-original Waltz for Dylan could have gone wrong. Rangy saxophonist Kelly Jefferson and, in particular, pianist John Beasley (Miles Davis) might have completely overtaken this project, dedicated to the drummer’s son. Or, they might have become lost in the distracting bashing ofRead More

A bunch of cameras followed Jimi Hendrix around the festival in question — which was the debut of the Jimi Hendrix Experience in the US — filming not only his performance but also a documentary about the man himself and the festival. This DVD included all of this, plus someRead More

by Tom Johnson It’s hard to believe that, in 2005, the voice of Iron Maiden was still able to pull it off. More than 20 years after joining Maiden in the wake of Paul Di’Anno’s dismissal, Dickinson was still the “air-raid siren” he had been back then — his voiceRead More

Australian native alto sax practitioiner Nick Hempton is distingished by his smooth tone and direct delivery. The Business is distinguished by a few things, too. First of all, Hempton is joined by Art Hirahara, is in-demand session pianist who last spring delivered a solid album himself. Secondly, Hempton’s eight originalsRead More

by Tom Johnson Ryan Adams regained the focus he had with 2000’s Heartbreaker and 2001’s Gold, turning out one of the strongest sets of music of his career here. What came through, even after a few spins, what grabbed me, was that behind the usual country tinges was a littleRead More

by Tom Johnson I have to be forgiven if I refer to this album as sounding like Frisell “getting back to his roots.” His roots, to me, are not necessarily his original sound but where I picked up with this great guitarist — the era in the early to mid-1990sRead More

by Mark Saleski This record has more often than not been out of print. Maybe it’s the legalities involved in dealing with such a large cast. Maybe it’s record company incompetence. I don’t know. What I do know is that it’s one fantastic, diverse and powerful tribute to Thelonious Monk.Read More