South Indian jazz is practically Arun Ramamurthy’s life’s calling and he answers that call to virtual perfection with ‘Jazz Carnatica.’

We review ‘Blues and Daily News’ by Ross Hammond and Grant Calvin Weston, a creative guitar/drums improv record.

Far from losing its freshness, this power jazz trio led by its virtuosic trumpet player Avishai Cohen has delivered its best set of recordings yet.

Lucinda Williams’ ‘Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone’ is an expection to the rule of double albums being full of filler. This one is all killer.

‘Etymology’ by Burnt Belief, featuring Porcupine Tree’s Colin Edwin and Jon Durant, is as good as you can get with downtempo music.

Maybe “Wet Side Story,” played during the 1996 tour, should go on Steely Dan’s next album, too.

Here’s a review of Kenny Shanker’s Action City, a perfect blend of top-notch composing and refined musicianship.

Rory Block returns to a well of some two dozen haunting, unequivocal and profound blues songs recorded by Skip James for Paramount in 1931.

You got to come on, man, and take a piece of Mr. Nathan Parker Smith’s band.

We review ‘Ragged & Dirty,’ which finds Devon Allman getting it done his own damned way.