Eric Johnson, David Sancious and Jeff Beam are part of Five for the Road, an occasional look at music that’s been in my car lately.

Liberty Ellman’s new PI Recordings release ‘Last Desert’ is some cerebral jazz, yet avoids the clutter of some music that often falls into that category.

A mix of contoured creations, Julie Campiche’s ‘Onkalo’ is one of those albums which improves listen by listen.

The Lickerish Quartet’s first track “Lighthouse Spaceship” carries many of the same hallmarks that made its predecessor band Jellyfish so great.

‘The Fantastic Mrs. 10’ boils down to Matt Mitchell’s simple words: Tim Berne’s designs provide a context for insanity. Sweet insanity.

Ex-E Street Band member David Sancious’ ‘Eyes Wide Open’ is a wondrous hybrid that infuses funk, pop, rock, blues, jazz and prog with a social conscience.

Released 45 years ago today, ‘Chicago VIII’ found the band at a low creative ebb. But these five lesser-known songs make it worth a return visit.

Soul-jazz songstress queen Lindsey Webster succeeds not by keeping up with current trends but instead through mastering the little time-honored things.

Concept albums have been among Willie Nelson’s greatest and most confounding works – sometimes simultaneously.

Satoko Fujii and Tatsuya Yoshida are heavyweights in Japan but are both world-class vanguard musicians. ‘Baikamo’ is a welcome return to their summit meetings on the edge of what is possible with just a piano and drums.