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.

Van Halen’s first reunion gig with original lead singer David Lee Roth included plenty of parachute-pantsed favorites, but there was also one new track. Hear the original demo! You May Also Like: No related posts.

Recently, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, fiddler Stuart Duncan, double bassist Edgar Meyer and mandolin player Chris Thile got together to make an Appalachian styled string music record, and called it The Goat Rodeo Sessions. You May Also Like: The Most Surprising Moment on Alan Parsons Project’s ‘Eve’ Alison Brown: The AlbumsRead More

The surface comparisons were nearly impossible to ignore and, I have to admit, I immediately associated the Bad Plus to Medeski Martin and Wood. You May Also Like: No related posts.

I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions, mostly because the chance of completely (or even partially) following through is pretty much near zero. Some people get angry at the mere mention of these resolutions You May Also Like: No related posts.

Greg Lake reveals how the keyboard solo on Emerson Lake and Palmer’s most memorable song almost got erased before anyone ever heard it.

OK, so I tried the Pandora Radio thing again. After the first tune from my Marc Ribot channel, an excellent live version of his really screwy take on Jimi Hendrix’ “The Wind Cries Mary,” we ended up at a tune from Bill Frisell You May Also Like: Bill Frisell –Read More

Daniel Bennett is a saxophone, clarinet and flute player in Manhattan, but he’s not like any jazz horn player out of NYC. And the reason for that is because what he plays is just as much not jazz as it is jazz. Blending in heaping helpings of folk and someRead More

Stealers Wheel, a band featuring Gerry Rafferty from Paisley, Scotland, bumped up against the too-much, too-soon dilemma.