When you peel away all chordal instruments, the rhythm section gets exposed. That can be a delight or a disaster, but in the case of Toronto’s October Trio, it’s the former. Evan Arntzen’s sax or clarinet has a lot of character, a product of his expressive articulation, but Josh Cole’sRead More

Groove55 sustains both interest and delight over the course of the terrific A la Carte through intelligent interplay and a deft ability to confound expectations. That starts with the musical symbiosis found within this Canadian band You May Also Like: Adam Steffeck – Aviator (2017) Adam Larson Band – ‘ListenRead More

Both Pete Robbins’ band and music represents reaching across from one space to another. The aptly named Transatlantic Quartet consists of musicians on either side of the “pond,” starting with the Massachusetts saxophonist Robbins You May Also Like: Albert Ayler Quartet – Copenhagen Live 1964 (2017) Matthew Shipp Quartet –Read More

Bachman and Turner, the Canadian rock legends, will be taking care of business in “Dog Fight,” a new film from “Austin Powers” director Jay Roach starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis. You May Also Like: ‘Bachman and Turner’ Resurrected the Spirit of Bachman-Turner Overdrive How Bachman-Turner Overdrive Pushed Back AgainstRead More

Gregg Allman was named international artist of the year, while New Brunswick bluesman Matt Andersen was named the year’s top acoustic act, male vocalist and entertainer at Canada’s 15th Maple Blues Awards ceremonies overnight. You May Also Like: The Allman Brothers Band’s Ubiquitous ‘Whipping Post’: One Track Mind

As I write this, the power fails at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park just prior to kickoff of the Niners/Steelers Monday night football game. But as I am also listening to Frisco-based trumpeter Darren Johnston, I’m hearing lights-out music. You May Also Like: Darren Barrett – ‘The EVI Sessions: Mr. Steiner’Read More

I came back to this song again, as the anniversary of the Band bassist’s death on Dec. 10, 1999, loomed this week. You May Also Like: No related posts.

As an aside within my review of Steve Raegele’s mind blowing debut album Last Century I went into the bands Raegele had participated in and noted “I can’t say I’ve heard of these names previously You May Also Like: Thom Yorke – Spitting Feathers (2006): On Second Thought John SurmanRead More

What’s intriguing about Move by Canada’s Sultans of String isn’t so much the dancing violins that skitter here and there, or even the fizzy guitars that seem to weave in and around this globe-trotting tapestry. You May Also Like: Ivo Perelman + Arcado String Trio – ‘Deep Resonance’ (2020) DamfinoRead More

The trio of respected Canadian sidemen who complete the Cinque band, though nowhere near as famous as Joey DeFrancesco and Steve Gadd, end up providing the structure and verve for this celebration of good-time soul jazz. You May Also Like: Joey DeFrancesco, with Pharoah Sanders – ‘In the Key ofRead More