If people thought the Beatles and the Rolling Stones were radical, they were probably stunned to the core by the Doors. Although the Los Angeles band arrived at a time, in 1966 to be exact, when rock music was rapidly expanding beyond its traditional format, they pushed the envelope toRead More

When I first listened to Chicago-based jazz singer Abigail Riccards I had that strange and wonderful feeling of temporarily “forgetting who I was.” This is the kind of power that music can have You May Also Like: No related posts.

It’s always interesting to hear how bands got their names, and in this case it’s simple and fitting. Formed on Valentine’s Day, in the year 1977 I may add, the Romantics certainly picked an appropriate moniker. You May Also Like: The Singles – ‘L.O.V.E. From the Santa Cruz Archives ’82-’85’Read More

When Duke Ellington strolled out on stage for this 1958 date, it had been 25 years since he’d previously appeared in Europe. You May Also Like: Sacred and Great Gigs in the Sky: The Vocalise Tradition from Duke Ellington to Pink Floyd Nick Finzer’s Thoughtful ‘Hear and Now’ Also HonorsRead More

“Green Earrings” has such a great, clavinet-laden groove to it, thanks to the Chuck Rainey/Pretty Purdie rhythm machine that keys up nearly every track on The Royal Scam, it doesn’t need any close inspection to appreciate. You May Also Like: Steely Dan’s The Royal Scam: Seeing the glory 40 yearsRead More

A finely judged treatment of David Bowie’s music, done without hewing too closely to the old sides — and without fear of going too deep into his catalog for material. You May Also Like: How David Bowie’s ‘Reality’ Stood Out For What It Was Not

Longtime reedman Bill Barner has played it all in his career: Dixieland, free jazz, bop, Latino music, fusion jazz, and on and on. You May Also Like: Bill Frisell – Music IS (2018) Andrew Cyrille, with Wadada Leo Smith and Bill Frisell – ‘Lebroba’ (2018) Bill Evans – Time Remembered,Read More

Adrian Belew had never been more on top of his game and – solo, at least – had never had a more energetic band back him.

“Thank you very much, you make me feel so wonderful. It’s been a pleasure being here but I really must go now, it’s so hot.” — Clifford Brown at the end of his final performance, June 25, 1956 You May Also Like: Jazz’s Best Last Records by John Coltrane, EricRead More

Founded in 1965, the Druids of Stonehenge not only looked dark and mysterious, but the music they played emitted a menacing bite as well. Gaining recognition on the local front, the New York band even had a chapter devoted to them in Richard Goldstein’s Goldstein’s Greatest Hits, a book pertainingRead More