by Tom Johnson King Crimson has been a chameleon throughout its four decades of existence, not just shifting to reflect the times but also acting as a sort of quality-assurance agent You May Also Like: King Crimson’s Brief But Important Double-Trio Era Peaked With ‘Thrak’ Why King Crimson’s Biggest HitRead More

by Mark Saleski Why do people hit a musical wall at a certain point in their life? They stop listening to anything put out after their high school (or college) years. Worst of all: they just stop listening. Music is no longer a part of their life. You May AlsoRead More

by Tom Johnson First impressions . . . you know what they say about that. They’re always right. Unless they’re not. You May Also Like: Tony Malaby’s Sabino – ‘The Cave of Winds’ (2022)

by Mark Saleski There are two things that can be counted on when cracking open a new Carla Bley Big Band record: 1. many, many interesting and twisty passages of musical architecture and 2. volume. Oh yes, the horn section is enormous You May Also Like: Riverside [Dave Douglas, ChetRead More

In a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career dating back to the early 1950s, the Isley Brothers stayed on the move — transforming themselves from gospel shouters to doo-woppers to early rock ‘n’ rollers to nasty funksters to lover-man balladeers. You May Also Like: How the Isley Brothers MadeRead More

Tomorrow is Record Store Day, that annual event reserved for the celebration of that seemingly dying breed of retail outlet. I’ve written plenty about the future of digital music (mostly my lack of interest in it), but Record Store Day transcends You May Also Like: Thrift Store Halo – ‘EnemiesRead More

Interplay. Whether I’m taking in straight ahead, bebop-style jazz or more out-there stuff, it’s all about listening You May Also Like: Darren Barrett – ‘The EVI Sessions: Mr. Steiner’ (2019)

by Tom Johnson Perhaps it was a reaction to claims by fans and detractors alike that Peter Gabriel’s previous live offering, Secret World Live, was really more “live” than live You May Also Like: When Peter Gabriel Suddenly Decided to Open Up on ‘Us’

by Fred Phillips When Volbeat’s “Sad Man’s Tongue” comes blaring out of my speakers on a shuffle, I’m always happy, and I always hit repeat — usually a dozen times or so, at least. And I always think about how I nearly missed such a great song. You May AlsoRead More

by Tom Johnson Tortoise alum Rob Mazurek had a big concept behind this project. As we all know, sometimes big concepts pay off, sometimes they simply lead to big letdowns. You May Also Like: Rob Mazurek & Exploding Star Orchestra – ‘Lightning Dreamers’ (2023) Rob Mazurek – Chants And CornersRead More