In defense of Rush, a band that delved into Ayn Rand, sci-fi, songs about balding, fights between dogs and, well, whatever a Bytor is.

Photo from www.BobbySelvaggio.com by S. Victor Aaron For a serious post-bop performer to take a leap into Grooveland, it can often be a risky bet. Will they be able to keep their artistic integrity? Will they even care? A couple of years ago, alto saxophonist Bobby Selvaggio made his secondRead More

Ginger Baker’s all-too-brief ‘Horses & Trees’ was fusion in the most complete sense of the word.

With a voice that’s axiomatically compared with winged messengers from God, Aaron Neville’s gospel records ought to form the cornerstone of his resume, right? Instead, the New Orleans singing legend’s two previous attempts felt too forced, like being dragged into church. Not this one. Neville, paired with producer Joe HenryRead More

Photo from After Midnight’s gigsalad.com web page by Nick DeRiso Clarinetist Roger Campbell has turned an enduring passion for swing legend Benny Goodman into a sizzling six-piece jazz project called After Midnight. It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that a new live effort finds him slithering his way through “Memories ofRead More

by Tom Johnson I love Jack Black, and while I can’t say everything of his has been outstanding (Saving Silverman, as I often say, is the worst movie I’ve ever seen,) he has a good track record for being entertaining, and in a “rock” context, he is usually hilarious. HeRead More

Photo from Jos Knaepen/ amsterdamjazzagency.com by S. Victor Aaron When I first started the Stacks series last year, I had two formatting rules about it: each artist was to be allotted one paragraph each and there must be at least six albums examined. I’m bending both rules this time, asRead More

There was an article out this past week by Steven Hyden at the Onion A.V. website entitled How long does it take to “get” an album? Interesting stuff. I’m not sure I agree with the whole “professional critic” vs. “regular person” deal, but I can see Mr. Hyden’s point whenRead More

Here was Billy Joel: talented, confident and getting ready to bust out into superstardom.

Photo by Steve J. Sherman by S. Victor Aaron When reviewing Vijay Iyer’s sublime piano-only disc Solo last year, I tossed out my personal maxim that “when a great, small combo jazz pianist makes a solo record, it usually doesn’t signal that pianist’s arrival, it means he’s solidifying his legacy.” Well,Read More