Takuya Kuroda – ‘Fly Moon Die Soon’ (2020)
Takuya Kuroda already located the sweet spot where funk, jazz, hip-hop and R&B intersect. Now he’s amping up the studio creativity with ‘Fly Moon Die Soon.’
Other News
Soft Machine – ‘Live at the Baked Potato’ (2020)
‘Live at the Baked Potato’ shows that you can’t keep a good band down. But does this edition of Soft Machine stand up to what went before?
Chicago, “You’re Not Alone” from ‘Chicago 19’ (1988): Saturdays in the Park
Bill Champlin does his best, but Chicago’s utterly generic “You’re Not Alone” could have been a minor hit for any number of other bands of the same era.
William Shatner + Ritchie Blackmore, “The Thrill Is Gone” (2020): One Track Mind
William Shatner uses his unique speak/sing vocals with disturbingly dark effectiveness on this unexpected update of a B.B. King favorite.
Anna Webber – ‘Rectangles’ (2020)
Anna Webber builds a talented band around an idea from years earlier, and her deeper dive into that idea is well justified, judging from this galvanized performance.
Circuline – ‘CircuLive::NewView’ (2020)
Circuline’s new concert recording ‘CircuLive::NewView’ is melodic and molten rock that sizzles right out of the pizza prog oven.
Sameer Gupta + Ben Tyree – ‘Unruly Neighbors’ (2020)
Sameer Gupta and Ben Tyree make music that’s direct and sometimes abrasive but also easy to absorb because they mesh so well together.
Richard Turgeon, “Never Good Enough” (2020): One Track Mind
An engaging slice of heartland rock, “Never Good Enough” follows the release of Richard Turgeon’s fourth studio album, ‘Sea Change.’
Steve Smith: The Albums That Shaped My Career
Steve Smith, of Journey and Vital Information fame, joins Ross Boissoneau to discuss Max Roach, Buddy Rich, Herb Alpert and others.
Kaze + Ikue Mori – ‘Sand Storm’ (2020)
Satoko Fujii and Natsuki Tamura always have something new to say in part because they are so open to allowing new musical personalities to disrupt an existing chemistry.
