An unconventional combination of the sound of early solo Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads, and touches of David Bowie with hip-hop and minimalist post-rock sensibilities of today, TV On The Radio doesn’t really sound like rock per se, yet doesn’t sound so esoteric that their music is a turn-off. Instead, theRead More

The weight of desperation infuses “Something In The Night.” But then again, in one form or another, it infuses the whole of Darkness On The Edge Of Town. You May Also Like: Reevaluating Bruce Springsteen’s ‘The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle’ Night Songs by Elvis Costello, TomRead More

Trumpeter, composer and bandleader Wadada Leo Smith, who celebrated his 70th birthday just last month, is as productive as he’s ever been, and I’m getting nearly exhausted just keeping up covering all his new releases. You May Also Like: Wadada Leo Smith – Najwa (2017) Wadada Leo Smith and OrangeRead More

Both Walter Becker and Donald Fagen have an affinity for reggae music, one that’s most notably borne out on Becker’s Jamaican-styled Circus Money CD from 2008. You May Also Like: Walter Becker, “Hard Up Case (Live at Slim’s 1995)” (2024): Steely Dan Sunday

When I think of the the overlap of jazz and funk, ensembles that come to mind are Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, On The Corner-era Miles, and even some of the smoother offerings out of the CTI label. You May Also Like: Ross Hammond and Jon Bafus – Masonic Lawn (2017) DaveRead More

“Wings,” from Ringo Starr’s ‘Ringo 2012’ album, is actually a badly needed remake of a song he co-wrote decades ago.

At thirty-one minutes, this debut album by the Jeff Kimmel Quartet is shorter than some EP’s, but bass clarinetist Kimmel and his friends make the most of their time. You May Also Like: Jason Stein Quartet – Lucille! (2017) Jeff Coffey, “Got to Get Away” (2018): One Track Mind MichaelRead More

What with all of the bits of nasty weather, work deadlines, etc … a person can get just plain frazzled. So what’s needed on the drive to work is some romantic and swanky musings. Pink Martini definitely fits the bill. You May Also Like: No related posts.

I don’t know exactly what kept Cynic apart for a decade and a half following 1993’s groundbreaking Focus, but the band returned almost as if little time had passed — still technical, still heavy, and not a little bit weird and jazzy in places … maybe even “beautiful,” some oddRead More

An exploration of the more notable hidden surprises in jazz.