Willie Morris Conversation Starter Posi-Tone While you may have seen the name Willie Morris gracing Posi-Tone releases such as those of Josh Lawrence and Something Blue, Conversation Starter is the saxophonist and composer’s debut as a leader. Hailing from St. Louis, Morris has studied at Eastern Illinois University and at Julliard where he learned from […]
The Mike Jacoby Electric Trio The Long Haul Self-released Singer-songwriter Mike Jacoby has moved away from his multi-instrumental solo act that’s sustained him through his last three albums, in favor of a trio. This is not a ‘power trio’ in the context of a blues-rock act; but simply a way to generate musician interaction, thereby […]
Mitch Woods Friends Along the Way Club 88 When one views this double-CD project from pianist and vocalist Mitch Woods, with its abundance of blues artists, the immediate reaction is that this must be a career accumulation of sessions, as the title says, “along the way” and that it seems like an artifact of the […]
Maia Sharp Reckless Thoughts Self-released Maia Sharp has been writing songs for 25 years, some for her own albums and others for artists such as Bonnie Raitt, The Chicks, Lisa Loeb, Trisha Yearwood, Art Garfunkel, Cher, Edwin McCain, Terri Clark, and many more in her genre agnostic – hard-to-pin-down approach which she has carried into […]
Ember August in March Imani We covered alto saxophonist Caleb Wheeler Curtis’ stunning 2022 Heat Map on these pages as well as bassist Noah Garabedian’s 2022 Consider the Stars. Yet, this is our introduction to the trio Ember, comprised of both Curtis, Garabedian, and drummer Vincent Sperrazza, whose name graces several releases from Posi-tone, also […]
Joe Alterman Plays Les McCann: BIG MO & Little Joe Self-released Two friends for more than decade, Atlanta based pianist Joe Alterman, more than half a century Les McCann’s junior, delivers his heartfelt tribute to his bluesy piano mentor with Joe Alterman Plays Les McCann: BIG MO & Little Joe. Alterman covers all phases of […]
Blue Cranes My Only Secret Jealous Butcher/Beacon Sound Portland, OR has increasingly gained a strong reputation for roots music and though there are several prominent jazz musicians that hail from the area, the city’s jazz presence lies relatively under the radar by comparison. Enter the Blue Cranes, a quintet delivering their eighth recording, the pandemic, […]
William Matheny Grand Old Feeling Hickman Holler/Thirty Tigers West Virginian singer-songwriters have a knack for narratives that paint vivid character sketches of desperate characters, even if those desperate ones are themselves. William Matheny is one of them. His latest That Grand, Old Feeling follows his 2018 acclaimed Strange Constellations and not only features his keen, […]
Gregory Lewis Organ Monk Going Home Sunnyside Now we have a new twist on the classic organ trio with Hammond B-3 maestro Gregory Lewis (who we just heard recently as a sideman on Melvin Smith’s Perseverance) taking on the music of the iconic pianist and composer Thelonious Monk. We certainly hear Monk covered In many […]
Beth Bombara It All Goes Up Black Mesa It All Goes Up, the seventh album from rocking Americana singer, songwriter, and guitarist Beth Bombara, follows her 2019 acclaimed Evergreen, which unlike some her previous work, delivered hopeful themes. This one is even brighter, as the songwriter reconnected with an old classical guitar during the pandemic and forced herself […]
Jonathan Suazo Ricano Ropeadope Getting directly to the point, although Ricano is the debut for the Puerto Rican saxophonist and composer Jonathan Suazo, it rivals last year’s Best Latin Jazz Grammy-nominated Música De Las Américas by fellow Puerto Rican Miguel Zenón. It’s that impressive. Suazo has both Puerto Rican and Dominican roots and fuses these Afro forms […]
Allan Harris Live at Blue Llama Love Production Renowned vocalist and guitarist Allan Harris follows up his outstanding 2021 studio release Kate’s Soulfood with his first live album in thirteen years, Live at Blue Llama. The club is a relatively new, state-of-the art-venue in Ann Arbor, MI. The live set, which includes a mix of covers and originals […]
Darlingside Everything Is Alive More Doug/Thirty Tigers The folk ensemble Darlingside follow their acclaimed 2020 Fish Pond Fish with Everything Is Alive, their fifth, which marks a slight change in their united front, in favor of more individual statements. Band members Dave Senft (vocals, bass), Don Mitchell (vocals, guitar, banjo), Auyon Mukharji (vocals, violin, mandolin), […]
SUSTO My Entire Life New West My Entire Life is the fifth album for the Americana outfit, SUSTO and the first time we have covered them on these pages. The 12-song set was produced by Wolfgang Zimmerman (Band of Horses), Justin Osborne and Johnny Delaware, three of the band’s principals. My Entire Life follows their critically […]
The Contenders The Contenders Southern Moon Sometimes an album, even one that’s been out of print for some time, just refuses to die. Such is the case for The Contenders, an immensely talented group of Carolinian singer-songwriters with eclectic tastes that merged in the late’70s in Nashville. The scene was ripe and burgeoning at the […]
Gerry Gibbs Thrasher People Family Whaling City Sound Just to set your expectations, drummer, keyboardist, and composer Gerry Gibbs is the son of the esteemed composer Terry Gibbs, who issued The Terry Gibbs Songbook at age 96, one that we covered here. In 2021 Gerry issued a trio recording, with his Thrasher Trio(s), the Grammy […]
Alan Ferber Nonet Up High, Down Low Sunnyside Although readers of these pages have seen trombonist Alan Ferber as a sideman on several projects that we’ve covered, this is your introduction to Ferber as a bandleader and composer, leading his nonet, as he’s done for over twenty years. The members are leading voices on their […]
Mehmet Ali Sanlikol & What’s Next Turkish Hipster – Tales from Swing to Psychedelic DÜNYA Often this writer has heard musicians stating that each album should be different in some way from the previous. Few take this to heart more than composer and multi-instrumentalist and cultural scholar Mehmet Ali Sanlikol. Across his seven albums he […]
Matt Von Roderick Celestial Heart BFD Trumpeter/vocalist/composer Matt Von Roderick continues to push the envelope. Case in point in his own words – “Half of CELESTIAL HEART is composed of unique arrangements of standards from the American Songbook, while the other half of the album is comprised of completely free, creative improvisation and spontaneous composition. The mixture […]
Angie Wells Truth Be Told Café Pacific Truth Be Told is the second album from Philly native and Los Angeles based vocalist and songwriter Angie Wells. Combining spiritual, socially conscious, and ‘feel good” material, the multi-talented Wells describes it this way, “My sophomore project is a collection of originals and cover tunes that I chose […]
The Nick Moss Band featuring Dennis Gruenling Get Your Back Into It! Alligator Get Your Back Into It! is the third album (and third on Alligator) for 2020 BMA Winners Chicago veteran guitarist/vocalist Nick Moss and harmonicist Dennis Gruenling, who return after their widely acclaimed, three-time BMA winner Lucky Guy! We often throw around terms […]
Leo Genovese, Demian Cabaud & Marcos Cavaleiro Estrellero Sunnyside Argentinean pianist Leo Genovese (Esperanza Spalding, Leni Stern) met his fellow countryman, bassist Demian Cabaud, while they both attended Berklee in Boston. Their twenty-year friendship has never diminished, even as Cabaud settled in Porto, Portugal. It was in Portugal, that the duo met drummer Marcos Cavaleiro, […]
Sofia Goodman Secrets of the Shore Joyous Secrets of the Shore may seem like an odd title for the Nashville based composer-drummer Sofia Goodman and her eponymous Group. This is their second album, and they move away from the funk-fusion that marked their debut, 2018’s Myriad of Flowers, into a mostly introspective post-bop mode. As […]
Greg Joseph Drop the Rock Sunnyside In what at times seems like our never-ending quest to bring you every possible variation of the classic jazz organ trio, we now present the trio of drummer/composer Greg Joseph, organist Larry Goldings, and guitarist Steve Cardenas in Joseph’s debut role as bandleader for Drop the Rock. The hand-picked […]
Melvin Smith Perseverance MISMAWO Music Perseverance is the seventh album by the saxophonist and composer Melvin Smith. The album is split evenly between an acoustic saxophone led quartet and a saxophone led organ trio. The tracks alternate as such with Smith doubling on soprano and tenor. With his gospel background, he merges spiritual material with […]
Sammy Figueroa Busco tu Recuerdo (Searching For a Memory) Ashé Records Searching For A Memory (Busco Tu Recuerdo) is a project that took massive amounts of courage for GRAMMY-nominated percussionist Sammy Figueroa to even consider, let alone complete. Figueroa’s first album in nearly a decade is dedicated to the memory and music of his father, the […]
Greg Joseph Drop the Rock Sunnyside In what at times seems like our never-ending quest to bring you every possible variation of the classic jazz organ trio, we now present the trio of drummer/composer Greg Joseph, organist Larry Goldings, and guitarist Steve Cardenas in Joseph’s debut role as bandleader for Drop the Rock. The hand-picked […]
Guy Bélanger Voyages & Other Stories Bros Quebec’s Guy Bélanger is a multiple Maple Blues Award winner for Harmonica Player of the Year and is otherwise well recognized as both an instrumentalist and singer-songwriter in his nearly fifty-year career. Voyages & Other Stories is his seventh solo album, a mix of originals and covers, featuring […]
Russ Lossing Alternate Side Parking Music Aqua Piazza Alternate Side Parking Music marks the debut of pianist/composer/improviser Russ Lossing’s new quartet, King Vulture with reedist Adam Kolker, bassist Matt Pavolta, and drummer Dayeon Seok. Even more importantly, this is a brilliant album that will have you smiling and probably even laughing as Lossing’s compositions often […]
Nicole Zuraitis How Love Begins Outside in Music Jazz singer-songwriter and vocal/instrumentalist, the Grammy-nominated Nicole Zuraitis, teams with bassist and co-producer Christian McBride on How Love Begins, a seldomly expressed and at times irreverent but realistic dissertation on the ebbs and flows of modern love. Besides the multi-talented Zuraitis and McBride, the supporting cast includes Gilad Hekselman on guitar, Maya Kronfeld on […]
Douyé The Golden Sèkèrè Rhombus Nigerian-born, L.A.-based jazz vocalist Douyé puts a completely refreshing spin on the Great American Songbook on The Golden Sèkèrè, her fifth album named after the beaded Nigerian percussion instrument. Blending her African heritage with these well-known songs introduces a unique soundscape that in essence makes these familiar songs sound new. Having sourced a bounty of songs from […]
Wayne Smith Jr. Be Still Blue Collar Drummer, composer, and educator Wayne Smith Jr. is a vital member of the Sun Ra Arkestra, stepping out here as a leader for one of the more calming albums we’ve heard recently. Leading a quintet that includes trombonist Brent White, alto saxophonist Matthew Clayton, guitarist Ian Macaulay, and […]
Franck L. Goldwasser Who Needs this Mess!!? Crosscut Veteran blues fans recall “Paris Slim’s” sets with the Mannish Boys and perhaps some of his other collaborations with West Coast blues artists. Now the French-born guitarist/vocalist, using his given name Franck L. Goldwasser, returns with a solo album, Who Needs this Mess!!?, on which the title […]
Kaisa Maensivu & Kaisa’s Machine Taking Shape Greenleaf Music The Finnish, now New York-based bassist and composer, Kaisa Maensivu, leads a high-profile unit that she calls Kaisha’s Machine. While her name may be unfamiliar, her New York debut, Taking Shape, her second album overall, comes courtesy of Dave Douglas’ Greenleaf Music, bringing instant credibility to […]
Sunnyside While it might be a bit unusual reviewing two albums in the same space, we have two solo piano efforts from two different artists that are on the same label, both essentially interpreting standards. Understand this is not an effort to compare the two or necessarily draw distinctions between the two but their different […]
Brian Kalinec The Beauty of It All Berkalin Texas singer-songwriter Brian Kalinec writes about common, everyday subjects but has a special gift for infectious hooks and memorable rhymes. He grabs us right away with his opening autobiographical title track, welcoming us into an album brimming with comforting folk songs. Acclaimed producer Merel Bregante at Cribworks […]
Patrick Cornelius Book of Secrets Posi-Tone Multi-reedist and composer Patrick Cornelius didn’t intend to originally make Book of Secrets using his arsenal of alto and soprano saxophones, alto flute, and clarinet, thinking that he’d just play the soprano saxophone. Producer Marc Free suggested the variety and the results have yielded arguably the most well-thought out […]
Terry Gibbs Legacy Band The Terry Gibbs Songbook Whaling City Sound The vibraphonist and composer Terry Gibbs thought he was done with music at age 92 but the muse struck, and he gathered several lyric writers (Steve Allen, Michael Dees, Jerry Gladstone, Arthur Hamilton, and Bobby Troup. and a dream band to play 15 of […]
Bruce Katz Connections Dancing Rooster Keyboardist Bruce Katz has a new trio that he’s unveiling on his latest, Connections, which was recorded at the famed Capricorn Studios in Macon, GA, familiar turf to Katz from his tenures with Gregg Allman’s Band, Butch Trucks’ Les Brers, and Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band. While an integral member of those […]
Daniel Hersog Open Spaces (Folk Songs Reimagined) Cellar Music When Cory Weeds and his Vancouver-based Cellar Music is issuing an artist, it behooves this writer to take notice. Conductor, arranger, trumpeter, and composer Daniel Hersog is releasing his second album, Open Spaces (Folk Songs Reimagined) and the idea of taking familiar songs and transforming them […]
South Austin Moonlighters From Here to Home Self-released Austin and South Austin may not have the bustling roots-rock/Americana scene they had in late ‘90s and early 2000s but The South Austin Moonlighters are here to evoke those glory days and remind us that their music is still a vital part of what the Live Music […]
Senri Oe Class of ‘88 PND/Sony Masterworks Every so often a story comes along that’s worth sharing, almost aside from the music itself. Contrary to the usual path of a jazz musician crossing into the pop world to achieve commercial success, here we have the former Japanese pop star Senri Oe going in the opposite […]
Larry Taylor and The Taylor Family Generations of Blues: West Side Legacy NOLA Blue Arguably, no single family has been more important to the blues than the Taylor family, headed by Jimmy Reed’s renowned guitarist and bandleader in his own right, Eddie Taylor, Sr. and his wife, singer Vera Taylor, part of the Great Migration […]
D.K. Harrell The Right Man Little Village It’s refreshing to find a youthful talent that embraces the blues tradition. The Right Man is the debut for 25-year-old D.K. Harrell of Ruston, LA. As a blues singer/guitarist/songwriter Harrell has somehow absorbed not only the history of the blues but its nuances too. While he is still […]
Nanny Assis Rovanio: The Music of Nanny Assis In + Out Multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer Nanny Assis delivers just his second album as a leader but the first with mostly his own compositions. Demonstrating his love for collaboration, Assis invites twenty guests, including renowned bassist Ron Carter, trumpeter Randy Brecker, guitarist Chico Pinheiro, pianist Fred […]
William Lee Ellis Ghost Hymns Yellow Dog Ghost Hymns is the first album in over a decade for versatile roots artist William Lee Ellis, godson of Bill Monroe and son of Blue Grass Boy banjoist and composer Tony Ellis. Currently William Lee Ellis is Associate Professor of Music and Chair of the Fine Arts Department […]
Noah Haidu Standards Sunnyside The iconic trio of Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, and Jack DeJohnette, known as the Standards Trio, established the template 40 years ago with their first of 21 albums on standards. Rising star Noah Haidu has now carried that legacy forward with an esteemed trio of his own featuring bassists Buster Williams and Peter […]
Leonard “Lowdown” Brown Blues Is Calling Me Music Maker Foundation Houston-based blues and soul singer Leonard “Lowdown” Brown is making his debut at age 70. In the tradition of Music Maker Foundation artists, he is again proving that it is never too late. Brown has been performing for four decades but finally made it to […]
Dred Scott The Pacific Jazz Group Ropeadope Pianist Dred Scott just took a gigantic left turn, but we shouldn’t be at all surprised given the vast ground the maverick pianist has covered with 11 albums as a leader, over 50 as a sideman, and performances with Anthony Braxton, Cecil McBee, Andrew Cyrille, Joe Morello, Charlie […]
Yosef Gutman Levitt Soul Song Soul Song Yes, you read that correctly as Yosef Gutman Levitt’s Soul Song is the name of the inaugural album on a label of the same name he just founded. The South African born bassist who wowed us with the sound of his five-string acoustic bass guitar on Upside Down […]
