We saw our share of standout instrumentalists, from Julian Lage to Rudresh Mahanthappa to Pat Martino. But, as this lists attests, 2011 might rightly be called the Year of the Big Band. You May Also Like: Julian Lage – ‘Squint’ (2021)

All good music connoisseurs are already familiar with Jamie Hoover and Steve Stoeckel who for more than 30 years now, have been making the world smile with the ear candy they create with the Spongetones You May Also Like: Stepford Knives, “Blue In the Face” (2020): One Track Mind MikeRead More

One of the more interesting moments on the new collection Cameo Parkway: Holiday Hits comes at the very end, as an impossibly young Bob Seger and an early band called the Last Heard scurry through this original Christmas romp. You May Also Like: Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band,Read More

Today, we climb inside the way-back machine for look at my favorite reissues from 2011, a list that includes established acts like the Kinks and Hollies as well as lost-classic faves like the Strawberry Alarm Clock and Neighb’rhood Childr’n. Here they are, in alphabetical order … FILET OF SOUL –Read More

Clarinetist Eddie Daniels, appearing last February at the Library of Congress’ Coolidge Auditorium, displays an almost telepathic symbiosis alongside pianist Roger Kellaway. You May Also Like: Robert Walter’s 20th Congress – ‘Spacesuit’ (2018) Here’s Chippy – Things We Left Behind (2018): Something Else! Sneak Peek TV Tunes by Tame Impala,Read More

Along with John Fahey, American composer Robbie Basho helped redefine the steel-stringed guitar as a concert instrument. You May Also Like: Exquisite Gender on Their Powerful Debut ‘Solve For X’: Something Else! Interview A Legacy Reclaimed: Robbie Robertson and the Band Robbie Dupree, Chicago, Yes’ Peter Banks + Others: FiveRead More

“My Valentine,” with a guest appearance by Eric Clapton, is one of two original compositions on Paul McCartney’s 2012 standards album.

This year’s rock and pop list is a heady mix of the old (Paul Simon, Lindsey Buckingham) and the new (the Black Keys, Death Cab for Cutie). You May Also Like: ‘Journey: Worlds Apart,’ by Nick DeRiso (2023): Books

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

Here’s a look back in tribute to some of the notable figures in music who died in 2011, broken down by the month in which they passed. You May Also Like: Jackson Browne’s ‘Hold Out’ Was Both Successful, and a Notable Stumble Natalie and Zachary Wilksch, “Can’t Get Your FaceRead More