The cover for Ralph Bowen’s newest release Total Eclipse is a picture of a “ring of fire” solar eclipse, much like the one that provided a spectacular show for residents of the U.S. Southwest on Monday. Putting on a saxophone show is what Ralph is about, though, and for theRead More

Is this going to draw fans from the electronica crowd into Robert Lamm’s Chicago catalog? Hard to say. Piss off the old fans? Likely.

The brilliant pianist from Cuba Aruán Ortiz made a strong positive impression to anyone who paid attention to his 2010 release Alameda, a sophisticated outing of modern jazz that eludes adequate comparisons. You May Also Like: Aruan Ortiz, with Andrew Cyrille + Mauricio Herrera – ‘Inside Rhythmic Falls’ (2020) JamesRead More

I can’t remember the last time I heard Chris Squire approach the bass with this much unadulterated passion, with this much joy.

What to call this kinda music? Do a little research and you’ll see stuff like: Krautrock, cosmic punk, ambient, moody, art rock, minimalist, etc. Heck, when I originally popped this disc into my cdrom drive the CDMax selection dialog came up with three entries with musical genres of “misc”, “newRead More

Though hip hop had been around for a few years, it started to become a national phenomenon 30 years ago — a period that still resonates because of the way the music connected on several different levels. You May Also Like: Butcher Brown – ‘#KingButch’ (2020)

Ric Harris put his career as a jazz guitarist on hold to raise his kids and deal with a life long seizure disorder, so he can be excused to taken so long to make his first album, but he made the most of that long-delayed moment. Coming back to thisRead More

It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since this snarling beast first roared out of my speakers. You May Also Like: Pantera – ‘Power Metal’ (1988): Forgotten Series

P.J. Pacifico’s voice, like a honeysuckle breeze, is inviting, deeply pastoral, almost hypnotizing. Not for nothing, it seems, do two of the first three songs here focus so completely on “home.” You May Also Like: No related posts.

I don’t often use the word “haunting” but dammit, I think I feel it coming on. Here we have a tale, like many on The River, of a troubled life, one that may not even have had much promise to start with. With darkly-lit piano tones and reverb-laden guitar echoesRead More