‘Voortvlugtend,’ from South African cult-favorite Buckfever Underground, simply begs for repeated listening – preferably wearing big, scruffy earphones.

The Vincent Meissner Trio found a perfect moment that covers youth and European, turning a brisk cover of “Young Folks” into an appealing jazz song.

The music on ‘Ribbon of Water’ is delicate, yet woven through with a lyrical strength that comes from the experiences Andrea Ward clearly taps into.

Seven albums in, the Kaze concept shows no sign of going stale. Every time out they freshen that concept in ingenious ways and ‘Crustal Movement’ with Ikue Mori returning is their most audacious undertaking yet.

Songs that didn’t make the Beatles’ original U.K. albums and the ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ LP were collected 35 years ago today on ‘Past Masters.’

In the age-old question of Beatles or Rolling Stones, I’ve spent much of my life quite firmly in the Beatles camp. Then everything changed.

Released 20 years ago this week, King Crimson’s turbulent ‘Power to Believe’ felt like an innocent’s view of war as it started right before his eyes.

We often hear about recordings ostensibly made without regard to rules, preconceptions and guidelines in pursuit of a mode of expression that’s pure and original. Marc Ducret’s ‘Palm Sweat’ actually sounds exactly like it was made that way.

Most may not put Wayne Shorter on the level of Sonny Rollins or John Coltrane, but I do. When surveying the impact he made over 50 years, it’s hard not to.

In greatly expanding the possibilities for vibraphone and marimba, Patricia Brennan’s ‘More Touch’ takes us to exciting new sonic territory fueled by exceptional musicianship and a lot of gumption.