As I listen to pianist Matthew Shipp’s latest release, there’s a part of me that finds it difficult to not be unduly influenced by the knowledge that Shipp thinks that Stanley Crouch is a horse’s ass. That influence is hard to ignore, since one of the qualities of Shipp’s pronouncementsRead More

At the height of Beatlemania, the Beatles performed at Shea Stadium in New York City on August 15, 1965. The sweltering summer night would rank as one of the most important in rock history, as over 55,000 screaming fans packed the stadium to see their heroes. You May Also Like:Read More

Not yet recognized as the Soul Queen of New Orleans, Irma Thomas had gone some time without a hit by the time she signed with Atlantic’s Cotillion subsidiary in the early 1970s. She’d last charted a pop hit in 1966, and had only gotten to No. 42 with her mostRead More

I can say without reservation that the Los Angeles-based Ozomatli puts on the best live show I’ve ever experienced.

The first-call acoustic bass player best known in five words or less as “Branford Marsalis’ bassist since forever” is preparing to release his own led-date In Memory of Things Yet Seen (March 25, 2014, Clean Feed Records). You May Also Like: Eric Revis – Sing Me Some Cry (2017)

Following the assassination attempt on Bob Marley’s life in December of 1976, he flew to London to escape the imminent threat hanging over him in Jamaica. He’d spend more than a year in Britain, developing and recording songs that would eventually make up both 1977’s Exodus album and Kaya, theRead More

If there’s a real-world sensibility to this record, a firm grasp on the passion it takes to withstand hard times, you can credit Jim Grant’s resume as a working man. If there’s a remarkable eloquence to his phrasing, look to this Chicago vocalist’s time at the Bloom School of Jazz.Read More

Composed by Yardbirds lead singer Keith Relf and rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja, “New York City Blues” was nestled on the B-side of “Shapes Of Things,” which reached the No. 11 position on the charts in the spring of 1966. You May Also Like: No related posts.

A primer on Yes alum Billy Sherwood’s subsequent solo career, including work with ex-bandmate Chris Squire and with Circa.

The classically trained, Croatian born pianist Matija Dedic’ certainly wears his Euro-classical heritage on his sleeve, and why not? You May Also Like: No related posts.