Drew Paralic is that most unusual of things, a jazz pianist and composer who has released an album of originals played by others. Having taken up the instrument too late, he says, to approach the mastery of deeply appreciated influences like Bill Evans and Thelonious Monk, Paralic instead decided toRead More

by Mark Saleski Tom Waits is a mysterious fellow. I mean, how much do we really know about him? Given the erudite nature of his music, I suppose we know enough. You May Also Like: Mary Halvorson – ‘Cloudward’ (2024) Mary Halvorson and Sylvie Courvoisier – Crop Circles (2017) MaryRead More

by Derrick Lord This was just what Ike Turner fans had been waiting for. The Clarksdale, Mississippi native returned to his roots with a barrel-house style blues recording that brought him back as a force on the music scene, earning two W.C. Handy Awards from the Blues Foundation for bestRead More

During the first year or so of my post-college life, I developed a habit of visiting my local record shop every Saturday afternoon (it goes without saying that I already had this habit, maybe not so firmly attached to a particular day). It was an unassuming little store hiding inRead More

There are moments in time, musical moments, when things come together perfectly. Warren Zevon’s ‘Stand In The Fire’ was one of them.

Some of the earlier Steely Dan tunes sound a little like they were meant for a different act. “Dirty Work” is like that.

There is a magic in the old songs, but not necessarily in performing them in the old ways. You May Also Like: Yves Leveille – ‘L’echelle du Temps’ (2022) ElectroBluesSociety Featuring Boo Boo Davis – ‘Chicago Blues Covers’ EP (2020)

Part of the genius of Miles Davis (aside from the incredible compositions, insanely great trumpet work, and spooky ability to play just the right notes) was his amazing talent for selecting band members. You May Also Like: How Bennie Maupin Left Mwandishi Behind on ‘The Jewel in the Lotus’ WhyRead More

Pardon me as I continue on the topic of Bill Frisell The Sideman on an interpretation of a Miles Davis fusion deep cut You May Also Like: Bill Frisell’s Timeless ‘Live’ Opened Up a New Musical World for Me Cuong Vu 4Tet with Bill Frisell – Ballet (2017) Bill FrisellRead More

Speaking from the heart is one thing, but to sing from that tender place — to reveal just how vulnerable you are on stage — takes a different kind of courage. And Haley Dreis, the South Carolina classical fiddle player turned budding popular songsmith, has that courage. You May AlsoRead More