From its vampy cover image to titles like “There Ain’t No Sweet Man that’s Worth the Salt of My Tears,” this album has the look and feel of a liberated woman pushing back — and hard — against convention. You May Also Like: Diana Krall’s Sweetly Erotic ‘Quiet Nights’ WasRead More

The disappointment isn’t so much that Elton John doesn’t make music like he used to. It’s that he almost couldn’t be bothered to try. You May Also Like: Elton John’s Unfairly Criticized ‘Rock of the Westies’ Deserves Another Listen Elton John – ‘Jewel Box’ (2020) Elton John – Greatest HitsRead More

You can’t fault Gregg Allman his nostalgia on ‘Low Country Blues.’ Legendarily restless, he’s still a man, and the leader of a band, that’s been through a great deal.

by S. Victor Aaron I know no one will believe it, but a couple of weeks ago I heard Muddy Waters’ 1948 classic recording of his first hit “I Can’t Be Satisfied” for the first time in a while and decided then and there that it needed the One TrackRead More

This Costello disc followed up the simple, organic country-folk of 2009’s Secret, Profane And Sugarcane. The personnel (the Sugarcanes), including red-hot producer T Bone Burnett, carries over but only a little of the music does. National Ransom, which also includes the Imposters as well as Vince Gill, Marc Ribot, BuddyRead More

I had intended for this essay to start out something like this: OK, I’ll come right out and say it. I used to hate John Mellencamp. Back then he was known as John Cougar. All of my friends had their copies of American Fool, and I had to put upRead More

Trombone Shorty’s sudden emergence on the national music scene from the streets of Treme is one of the big music stories of 2010. by S. Victor Aaron Sometimes when listening to music, neither jazz nor mainstream is right for the moment. Blues or something folky or rootsy is usually calledRead More

If whack jazz isn’t exactly your cup of tea, this fifth and final installment of “The Best of 2008” might suit you better. It’s all about the blues, here. I took a fairly broad view of what is called “the blues.” Some of these records may not have a singleRead More

The Quickies columns have been settling into a theme of late, a theme of pimping obscure jazzers, especially whack jazzers. Hey, I can do nothing but that for years on end, but then I’d be skipping over some albums worthy of salute that come the more mainstream side of music.Read More

by Pico Yesterday I revealed my second team selections of favorite CD’s from 2007. Now, we get into the really good stuff. Here is the Special Seven: Robert Plant/Allison Krauss – Raising SandNiether Plant nor Krauss are the kind of artists whose records I run out and buy, but I’veRead More