As much as I wanted to argue with the smaller ambitions of Ramsey Lewis’ Taking Another Look,’ in the end, it was simply too ingratiating.

Only a band like the Mekons could make something like Ancient and Modern, this whipsawing triumph of country contemplation and righteous, guitar-banging indignation, work so completely. After all, that’s their story. You May Also Like: My Chemical Romance Transcended Modern Rock With ‘Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge’ The Baron FourRead More

There is often a West Coast cool this recording, thanks largely to the smoothly energetic phrasings of vibraphonist Dave Shank. That’s not to say, however, that Soundproof doesn’t have its moments of fiery interplay You May Also Like: Dave Stryker – Eight Track II (2016)

Blues records used to routinely sound like this: Loose and fun, almost anarchic in their pursuit of nothing more than good-time joy and real-time emotion. You May Also Like: How Pee Wee Ellis Finally Stepped Into the Spotlight With ‘Blues Mission’

Alyssa Graham’s “High Time,” this melancholy remake, transforms a familiar Grateful Dead song from 1970 into a scorching tale of hope replaced by regret. You May Also Like: ‘Burning Questions’ Found Graham Parker Still Angry, If No Longer Young

Asked to describe this new album, Canadian guitarist Tim Vaughn said: “It’s like Prince, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix and Radiohead all met Los Lobos at a bar in “From Dusk Til’ Dawn,” and Jack White was playing there with Elvis Costello.” Thing is, as knee-slappingly over-the-top asRead More

The distractions when it comes to Heart (gender politics, obvious curtsies to Led Zeppelin, wall-to-wall 1980s power-ballads, etc.) are swept away You May Also Like: Elton John – Greatest Hits 1976-1986 (1992): On Second Thought

Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, a former sideman with Muddy Waters who became a Grammy-winning performer in his own right, has died. You May Also Like: How Muddy Waters Came Roaring Back With ‘Hard Again’

Listen in as Paul McCartney makes his initial foray into the world of dance with the forthcoming release Ocean’s Kingdom, commissioned for the New York City Ballet and performed by the London Classical Orchestra. You May Also Like: Paul McCartney Found Collaborative, First-Take Genius Again With ‘Electric Arguments’ Paul McCartney’sRead More

Rock fans know him for his work with David Bowie and the Average White Band, jazz fans from moments alongside Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins (they’re on tour now), soul and pop fans from turns with Chaka Khan and Mariah Carey. You May Also Like: ‘All That’s Jazz,’ by SammyRead More