Other News

Vinyl

Half Notes: Michael Brook – BellCurve (2007)

by Tom Johnson After the disappointment I felt with 2005’s RockPaperScissors, I would never have expected a “remix” album of that material to not only stand on its own but be as strong as it was — nor be a favorite for the year 2007. And yet … BellCurve takesRead More

Bruce Springsteen, "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" (1973): Sparks Fly On E Street

Bruce Springsteen, “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” (1973): Sparks Fly On E Street

“Rosalita” is my favorite Bruce Springsteen song. Well, unless you ask me on the day that my favorite is “Thunder Road.”

Vinyl

Steely Dan Sunday, "Bad Sneakers" (1975)

> *** STEELY DAN SUNDAY INDEX *** With Steely Dan completely freed up to go out and get the best musician for any part within any song, Becker and Fagen started mixing and matching more liberally on Katy Lied. At the same time, they made heavy use of two membersRead More

Vinyl

Ben Goldberg Quintet – The Door, The Hat, The Chair, The Fact (2006)

by Mark Saleski Too bad that the clarinet was the instrument guys were embarrassed to be stuck with in band. You May Also Like: Michael Coleman + Ben Goldberg – Practitioner (2018) Ben Goldberg School – Vol 1: The Humanities (2017)

Vinyl

Greg Wood III – Greg Wood III (2011)

Greg Wood takes plenty of opportunities to play his guitar with bloody-knuckled purpose on this self-titled album. But there’s more — much more — to this project, as Wood uncovers a series of complex, emotional thoughts. You May Also Like: Oliver Wood, “Yo I Surrender” from ‘Fat Cat Silhouette’ (2024):Read More

Vinyl

Half Notes: James – Hey Ma (2008)

by Tom Johnson It took seven long years, but the moment I figured would arrive finally did: Tim Booth came to his senses and rejoined James. What is unfortunate is that in that time, it seemed that either the world forgot about James or James forgot about the world, becauseRead More

Vinyl

Fergie Frederiksen – Happiness Is The Road (2011)

Dennis “Fergie” Frederiksen was, at one point, all over the radio. Then, just like that, he was gone.

Vinyl

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Nov. 18, 2003: Shows I’ll Never Forget

Bela Fleck seemed surprised at not only the turnout, which was the biggest he said they’d ever had in Phoenix, but also the enthusiasm of the audience.

Vinyl

Lydia Salnikova – Hallway (2010)

The Ballad Of Bering Strait is a documentary that chronicled the story of young Russian music students who fell under the spell of bluegrass, formed a band playing it, and struck out to America — Nashville, that is — to find their fame and fortune there. You May Also Like:Read More

Vinyl

Rudresh Mahanthappa – Samdhi (2011)

Despite his heritage, American alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa didn’t start out as a practitioner of a unique blend of American jazz and traditional Indian music, he started with the jazz style of the America he grew up in and worked his way back to the music of his forbears’ nativeRead More