A little too mannered at times, Van Dyke Parks songs would fall flat on their ass were it not for his flair for musical mischief making. “Dreaming of Paris,” for instance, is the picture of genteel reverie until he announces that JFK has been shot You May Also Like: AaronRead More

Sophisticated UK pop group Matt Bianco may be best known in the US for launching the career of onetime member Basia. But their blend of Latin rhythms, acid jazz, and other world music influences render them an unfairly overlooked band. You May Also Like: Basia – Butterflies (2018) Tritone AsylumRead More

The relationship between an artist of any kind and his or her fans is compelling stuff and, thanks to the Internet, things may well be at a fever pitch. The new documentary Springsteen & I displays this relationship with what is effectively a scrapbook of footage You May Also Like:Read More

With a couple of rock solid trio records for ECM Records under her belt, the jazz pianist from Bonn, Germany undertakes something a little different for her third go around with the storied label. You May Also Like: Julia Biel – ‘Black and White Volume 1’ (2020) Marcin Wasilewski TrioRead More

Edward Ricart and Nick Millevoi are guitarists who have staked their musical careers on the experimental fringes of metal and jazz You May Also Like: Nick Millevoi – Desertion (2016)

It’s probably smart of David Egan to release a self-titled album at this point — because despite his having written a trunk-load of songs for famous people, he’s hardly a household name. David Egan shows what a crime that is. You May Also Like: Remembering David Sanborn: “A Tear ForRead More

It’s been about three years since trombone powerhouse Michael Dease has released a record of his own but that’s understandable. You May Also Like: Michael Dease – All These Hands (2017)

Embarking on a stay at Hotel Souza is a lot like sinking into silky, cool but familiar sheets. There’s a decidedly old-fashioned air to Karen Souza’s follow-up to her debut Essentials You May Also Like: Why Neutral Milk Hotel’s ‘In an Aeroplane Over the Sea’ Still Very Much Matters

Electronic music as a whole is something I’ve found hard to embrace, although Squarepusher is one of those exceptions because there’s a jazz undercurrent in his type of circuit-bent music. You May Also Like: E3 by Alex Lakusta – ‘Transmit Slow’ (2022)

Volto! came together like most side projects, by happenstance, and without any commercial considerations. Just for the pure fun of friends getting together and playing music outside their day job…err…gig. You May Also Like: Jeff Babko: The Albums That Shaped My Career Dan Rosenboom – ‘Absurd In the Anthropocene’ (2020)Read More