by Mark Saleski One of the markers of high-level instrumental interplay is the perception of intimacy. We see this again & again in review language — that the musicians seemed as though they were “of one mind,” that their communication was “telepathic.” There are plenty of recorded examples that comeRead More

We already knew how well they can rock it, with searing lyrics and memorable melodies. ‘Go-Go Boots’ showed the Drive-By Truckers had soul.

Photo from www.Jonathan-Parker.com by S. Victor Aaron Many up and coming jazz artists we’ve covered here typically come from just about every corner of the U.S.A., attend a prestigious music school and, perhaps after some intermediate stop at a regional jazz hub, eventually end up in the intensely competitive butRead More

Photo from www.SashaMasakowski.com by Nick DeRiso Sasha Masakowski, at once fearless and charming, is featured on two new EPs, one as a leader with Musical Playground (a sampling from the forthcoming next-gen jazz recording Wishes on Hypersoul Records) and another as part of the New Orleans indie rock/electronic band BionicaRead More

photo: Jazz Eyes Records by S. Victor Aaron BANN is a jazz supergroup of sorts, consisting of saxophonist Seamus Blake, bassist Jay Anderson, guitarist Oz Noy and drummer Adam Nussbaum. We know how supergroups can be hit-or-miss affairs; either egos clash and the different voices don’t click together, or theyRead More

Photo from Todd Christoffel’s ReverbNation.com page by Nick DeRiso Seattle-based folk-rockers Don’t Ask have a fondness for the comfy sounds of 1970s pop, though they are careful not to get too caught up in nostalgia. They simply use that era’s singer-songwriter-inspired prose, its soaring symphonic pop structure and its feel-goodRead More

Photo by Autumn De Wilde by Mark Saleski We here at Something Else! were sad to see the report of the official breakup of The White Stripes. However, there are many, many websites out there that appear to be swallowing Meg & Jack’s word on the subject (a fine compendiumRead More

photo: Bruno Schlumberger by S. Victor Aaron Peter Hum is, in a few ways, like me. We’re a couple of middle-aged guys who both love jazz, love to write about jazz and critique jazz records, and post our reviews on the internet. I’ve been an admirer of Hum’s jazz blogRead More

Photo by Pieter M Van Hattem by Mark Saleski I have no doubt that a lot of Bob Dylan fans will be incensed at what I’m about to admit, but here we go: if you don’t count his first Greatest Hits collection (which I inherited from my sister), the firstRead More

’21’ could have been a game changer for the big-voiced Adele. Instead, it’s just another weigh station.