The brilliant pianist from Cuba Aruán Ortiz made a strong positive impression to anyone who paid attention to his 2010 release Alameda, a sophisticated outing of modern jazz that eludes adequate comparisons. You May Also Like: Aruan Ortiz, with Andrew Cyrille + Mauricio Herrera – ‘Inside Rhythmic Falls’ (2020) JamesRead More
I can’t remember the last time I heard Chris Squire approach the bass with this much unadulterated passion, with this much joy.
Though hip hop had been around for a few years, it started to become a national phenomenon 30 years ago — a period that still resonates because of the way the music connected on several different levels. You May Also Like: Butcher Brown – ‘#KingButch’ (2020)
Ric Harris put his career as a jazz guitarist on hold to raise his kids and deal with a life long seizure disorder, so he can be excused to taken so long to make his first album, but he made the most of that long-delayed moment. Coming back to thisRead More
It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since this snarling beast first roared out of my speakers. You May Also Like: Pantera – ‘Power Metal’ (1988): Forgotten Series
P.J. Pacifico’s voice, like a honeysuckle breeze, is inviting, deeply pastoral, almost hypnotizing. Not for nothing, it seems, do two of the first three songs here focus so completely on “home.” You May Also Like: No related posts.
I don’t often use the word “haunting” but dammit, I think I feel it coming on. Here we have a tale, like many on The River, of a troubled life, one that may not even have had much promise to start with. With darkly-lit piano tones and reverb-laden guitar echoesRead More
Two things became apparent to me when first hearing “Glamour Profession” on Steely Dan’s ‘Gaucho.’
Garbage shows it can still swirl alt-rock, post-pop and electro-dance beats in a highball glass of lip-busting attitude on this, their first album in seven years. The difference here is the band’s newfound sense of angsty consequence. You May Also Like: Why R.E.M.’s ‘Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, PartRead More
Jens Wendelboe is putting together some terrific stuff with his big band and Fresh Heat is the latest in what should be a regular occurrence on the jazz release calendar. You May Also Like: The Maharajas – You Can’t Beat Youth (2017) William Shatner and Canned Heat, “Let’s Work Together”Read More
