Speaking from the heart is one thing, but to sing from that tender place — to reveal just how vulnerable you are on stage — takes a different kind of courage. And Haley Dreis, the South Carolina classical fiddle player turned budding popular songsmith, has that courage. You May AlsoRead More

Gregg Rolie, a founding member of Santana and then of Journey, shares unique insights into songs from across a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career.

Early fans could be forgiven for barely recognizing Chicago by the 1980s, as fussy power ballads eventually flushed out the band’s signature horn sound.

Gregg Rolie discusses Santana and Journey, two legendary bands he co-founded, as well as his intimate solo EP ‘Five Days.’

by Nick DeRiso Jazz guitarist Al Di Meola, the former teen prodigy in Return to Forever, accomplishes an uncommon thing here, making something out of a cover attempt at the Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever.” You May Also Like: ‘Danny Says: A Documentary on the Life and Times of Danny Fields’Read More

by Nick DeRiso Forgive me if I thought this was going to be trumpeter Nicholas Payton’s further ruminations on the turbulent brilliance of Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew. Instead, Payton really means it. You May Also Like: Nicholas Payton – ‘Smoke Sessions’ (2021)

by Nick DeRiso Upset over a world that wronged him one too many times, Troy Lindsey begins his bumpy Ride Across the Sun in a foul mood. Luckily, as is so often the case, a good woman can make all the difference. You May Also Like: Lindsey Buckingham’s Live atRead More

by Nick DeRiso Maceo Parker — leader of the ferocious JB Horns, James Brown‘s band and musical backbone back in the day — once put it all in perspective, introducing a song from the stage: “We like to play two percent jazz … and 98 percent funky stuff.” You MayRead More

Photo by Tom Marcello A new reissue series focusing on turn-of-the-1980s sides by the underappreciated Woody Shaw doesn’t consistently illustrate why he’s sometimes considered the last of the true innovators at the trumpet. But United certainly does. You May Also Like: Woody Shaw – ‘Love Dance’ (1976, 2026 reissue) Pre-FameRead More

by Nick DeRiso Neo-soul singer Victor Nelson, in an aptly titled new disc, doesn’t try to hide his emotions on Transparent. In fact, across 10 songs (nine of them self-penned), the vocalist opens up completely. That raw, tender-hearted emotion finds a home in comfy musical surroundings, as Victor references manyRead More