by Tom Johnson Three discs and a DVD that covered the entire career of Tortoise, so far. That’s generally a formula for something pretty spotty, but like Tom Wait’s magnificent Orphans box, this one worked on the virtue that it covered so damn much territory that it kept listeners onRead More

Electronic and eclectic, Exegesis represents one of the latest attempts to marry technology to the spirit of jazz. You May Also Like: Evil Genius – Experiments On Human Subjects (2018)

by Mark Saleski I’m not generally known for buying best-of packages (the last exception was Tom Waits’ Used Songs, because I arrived on vacation to discover that I’d not packed any Waits. Two weeks with no Tom Waits? No way!), but Ani’s career has been so prolific that this isRead More

Saxophonist and composer Jeff Coffin, a three-time Grammy winner, traverses a fine line on Live!, a record that feels both timeless and fresh. The beauty is that he and his Mu’Tet don’t stumble into the pitfalls of either concept. You May Also Like: Ivo Perelman, Matthew Shipp + Jeff CosgroveRead More

Though they often play with a familiar steely aggression, the Red Hot Chili Peppers seem nevertheless to be rounding the corner into middle age. I’m With You, the band’s first project since the 2006 double-album Stadium Arcadium, is often focused on departures You May Also Like: When John Frusciante ReturnedRead More

Claudio Roditi is on a roll coming off the critical triumph of Grammy nominated Brazilliance X 4 (2009), and the master trumpet player continues “trumpeting” his Brazilian roots with Bons Amigos. You May Also Like: Claudio Roditi’s Gorgeous ‘Brazilliance x4’ Deftly Balanced His Many Influences Claudio Scolari Project – ‘Cosmology’Read More

Sparks fly on E Street when the boy prophets walk it handsome and hot… Yeah, sometime a song hits hard because of the meaning. You May Also Like: Reevaluating Bruce Springsteen’s ‘The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle’

by Tom Johnson I find myself torn today between commemorating the anniversary of a horrific attack and giving in to my cynical side. The cynical side is winning. You May Also Like: Jamie Leonhart Goes In-Depth on ‘The Illusion of Blue’: Something Else! Interview

by Mark Saleski At this time, there’s really no point in starting another Iraq war ‘debate.’ It’s all been mashed out on the Internet so many times before. I have my opinions. You have yours. You May Also Like: Vince Tomas, “Anything and Everything” (2018): One Track Mind How BobRead More

by S. Victor Aaron In the wake of 9/11, LA producer Carlos Nino initially put together a collective of about 20 area musicians he named Build An Ark with the intent of spreading a message of peace, love and harmony through music. You May Also Like: Mats Gustafsson – MGRead More