Matthew Shipp Trio – ‘The Unidentifiable’ (2020)
No matter how free or straight it’s played, ‘The Unidentifiable’ is always eloquent, audacious and artful. The Matthew Shipp Trio continues to set the standard for the modern jazz trio of our time.
Something Else!
‘Bachman and Turner’ Resurrected the Spirit of Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Released 10 years ago today, ‘Bachman and Turner’ was a Bachman-Turner Overdrive comeback in every way except the album title.
Takuya Kuroda – ‘Fly Moon Die Soon’ (2020)
Takuya Kuroda already located the sweet spot where funk, jazz, hip-hop and R&B intersect. Now he’s amping up the studio creativity with ‘Fly Moon Die Soon.’
Soft Machine – ‘Live at the Baked Potato’ (2020)
‘Live at the Baked Potato’ shows that you can’t keep a good band down. But does this edition of Soft Machine stand up to what went before?
Anna Webber – ‘Rectangles’ (2020)
Anna Webber builds a talented band around an idea from years earlier, and her deeper dive into that idea is well justified, judging from this galvanized performance.
Circuline – ‘CircuLive::NewView’ (2020)
Circuline’s new concert recording ‘CircuLive::NewView’ is melodic and molten rock that sizzles right out of the pizza prog oven.
Sameer Gupta + Ben Tyree – ‘Unruly Neighbors’ (2020)
Sameer Gupta and Ben Tyree make music that’s direct and sometimes abrasive but also easy to absorb because they mesh so well together.
Steve Smith: The Albums That Shaped My Career
Steve Smith, of Journey and Vital Information fame, joins Ross Boissoneau to discuss Max Roach, Buddy Rich, Herb Alpert and others.
Kaze + Ikue Mori – ‘Sand Storm’ (2020)
Satoko Fujii and Natsuki Tamura always have something new to say in part because they are so open to allowing new musical personalities to disrupt an existing chemistry.
Death Cab for Cutie, “Summer Skin” from ‘Plans’ (2005): One Track Mind
Released 15 years ago today, Death Cab for Cutie’s meaningful and idiosyncratic “Summer Skin” seems to be about youth, but really it’s all about growing up.
