Frank Kohl approaches the guitar with an exuberant curiosity, but also a well-crafted ability — skittering from influence to influence without ever stumbling. He sounds like he’s having a ball, too. That’s led to an album called Coast to Coast that boasts a savvy veteran player’s satisfying structural logic, butRead More

So here’s the thing: Have I ever bought a CD and/or box set just because of the cool packaging? Hmmm … probably not You May Also Like: Bjork’s Vocal-Focused ‘Medulla’ is Still Filled With Countless Surprises For the Love of Vinyl: An Appreciation James Taylor – ‘One Man Band’ (2007;Read More

Jesus, seriously? I have a sense of humor but this is just absolute garbage. William Shatner’s 2004 project with rock piano great Ben Folds, Has Been, was actually an entertaining diversion — tongue fully in cheek, yet it had musical merit: serious fun. This is pure junk You May AlsoRead More

According to the calendar, winter is just around the corner. To some people that means gloomy skies, the holiday blahs, frostbite and catching colds, while to other people it means mugs of steaming hot chocolate, relaxing by the cozy fireside, beautiful snow capped scenarios and holiday cheer. No matter howRead More

There are couple of ways that Kevin Crabb’s all-original Waltz for Dylan could have gone wrong. Rangy saxophonist Kelly Jefferson and, in particular, pianist John Beasley (Miles Davis) might have completely overtaken this project, dedicated to the drummer’s son. Or, they might have become lost in the distracting bashing ofRead More

by Tom Johnson Somewhere out there, music fans cower in fear. The day has come again: Peter Gabriel returns with yet another album of orchestral covers! But fear not. This time he’s covering his own songs. You May Also Like: When Peter Gabriel Suddenly Decided to Open Up on ‘Us’

This is a script-flipped blues rock record, with a plugged-in emphasis on the rock part. Back to New York City, in many ways, is as loud as it is brash — a thundering restatement of Popa Chubby’s outsized persona and even outer-sized personality. You May Also Like: Chubby Tavares, “GottaRead More

It’s one thing to cover somebody, quite another to expose something fundamentally true about the original song through your interpretation — and that happens with Johnny Cash’s take on this Bob Dylan classic. You May Also Like: How Johnny Cash Challenged Convention Once Again on ‘American Recordings’ How Johnny Cash’sRead More

Darius Jones might be the fastest rising star in the whack jazz world or at least, the fastest rising alto sax player within that realm. You May Also Like: David S. Ware & Matthew Shipp Duo – Live In Sant’Anna Arresi, 2004 (2016) How Rickie Lee Jones Fulfilled Her SteelyRead More

Ben Folds, for all his blind-alley turns into jokes that go nowhere, retains a particular eye for the turn of phrase, for the precise word the opens your heart like a flower You May Also Like: Ben Folds Returned to Older Work on ‘Stems and Seeds,’ and Vastly Improved It