Every week our staff of CD Reviewers bring you the best in Independent CD releases. Making a Scene is considered the number 1 resource for the independent musician and the fans that love them.
Skip James The Complete 1931 Sessions Org Music This year Record Store Day Black Friday has something exciting for Blues fans and vinyl connoisseurs. ORG Music is re-releasing Skip James – The Complete 1931 Sessions on transparent orange vinyl. This is a great introductory record for the music of Skip James. Born in 1902 near Bentonia, Mississippi, he learned to play guitar in his youth and later […]
Rodney Whitaker Oasis – The Music of Gregg Hill Origin Detroit native, Director of Jazz Studies at Michigan State University, and esteemed bassist Rodney Whitaker is back with his third album dedicated to music of his East Lansing neighbor, composer Gregg Hill, with Oasis. If this, the first one this writer has heard, is any […]
Bruce Cockburn Rarities (Digital Only Release) True North For fans who cannot get enough of Bruce Cockburn’s music (this writer being one of them), the artist is releasing Rarities, sixteen rarely heard and newly mastered recordings for digital only consumption. These include two previously unreleased songs that are not included on the Rumours Of Glory limited-edition box […]
Kate Baker and Vic Juris Return to Shore – The Duo Sessions Strikezone We’re just a tad late for this one; shame on us if we were to overlook it. The husband-and-wife duo of vocalist Kate Baker and the late esteemed guitarist Vic Juris is one of the most intimate, tender recordings in recent memory. […]
Skip & Dan Wilkins Quartet In the Stars Deer Head At this same time almost exactly three years ago we reviewed Someday from the Skip and Dan Wilkins Quartet, an homage to the Deer Head Inn in Delaware Water Gap, PA, relatively local for this writer. Yes, it’s a rather unlikely spot to find a […]
Bywater Call Remain Gypsy Soul Records Maple Blues Award winners Bywater Call have drawn a fair share of parallels to Tedeschi Trucks Band since emerging in Toronto in 2017. Remain will likely bolster those comparisons, but also cement the distinctive character of this seven-member group through their gripping performances of eleven original songs. This […]
Santi Debriano & Arkestra Bembe Ashanti Jojo Panama-born and New York-based composer and bassist Santi Debriano has been a longtime bandmate for Kirk Lightsey but is an accomplished bandleader as well. Ashanti is his eighth release as a leader and the first for Jojo Records. Bembe is quite the ensemble, boasting a five-horn front line, with four […]
Vince Herman Enjoy the Ride LoHi The epitome of the Americana sound is present of Vince Herman’s Enjoy the Ride, the first solo album from the frontman of Leftover Salmon, a band that’s been with us for thirty years. Melding country, bluegrass, tinges of blues, and the kind of songs that echo John Prine and […]
Jussi Reijonen Three Seconds/Kolme Toista Challenge Records International If you were to know that the leader has lived in Finland, Jordan, Tanzania, OMan, Lebanon, and the United States, it would pique your curiosity. Add to that the unusual instrumentation and background of the players in his nonet: Jason Palmer on trumpet and flugelhorn; Bulut Gülen […]
Spencer Mackenzie Preach to my Soul Gypsy Soul Records Ranking high on my list of the newest wave of blues artists is Canadian bluesman Spencer Mackenzie. While just in his mid-twenties, he’s already been nominated for multiple blues awards in Canada, and is bound to push the envelope even further in his career. His talent for […]
Sun-Mi Hong Third Page: Resonance Edition As the title implies, Resonance is the third album for Korean born, Amsterdam-based drummer Sun-Mi Hong, and it marks her debut for the prestigious UK Edition label. Sun-Mi is one of the rising stars in European jazz and, if you were reading closely, she appeared on the recently reviewed […]
Emanual Casablanca Blood on my Hands Kings County Blues Blood on my Hands, the debut album from Brooklyn-based blues-rocker Emanual Casablanca has quickly garnered my admiration. Casablanca’s all-in approach to music produces deep and personal songs. That’s what makes his blues honest and real. This album contains sixteen tracks of all-original material featuring an amazing arsenal of guests which include Eric Gales, Albert […]
John Primer Hard Times Blue House Productions Hard Times, the very latest release from Chicago Blues great John Primer captures my ‘real-deal’ blues-loving heart with thirteen new originals. With Steve Bell on harmonica, Lenny Media on drums, and David Forte on bass, this recording also features special guests Rick Kreher on 2nd guitar, Johnny Iguana on piano and organ, and John’s seventeen-year-old daughter Aliya Primer on vocals. Primer states: “The name of my new CD […]
Ivor S.K. Mississippi Bound Vizztone Label Group Hailing from Sydney Australia, and now living in New Orleans, Ivor Simpson-Kennedy takes story-telling to the highest level with his music. There’s a unique spin he has on blues and roots which is very refreshing and quite captivating. The attention he pays to details in his songwriting, pairs perfectly with his laidback […]
Annika Chambers and Paul Deslauriers Good Trouble Vizztone Label Group Annika Chambers and Paul DesLauriers have both been on my radar a while. I covered Chambers’ 2019 album Kiss My Sass, and DesLauriers’ 2016 release Relentless, as well as his 2019 release Bounce. I embraced all three of those recordings. The spirited couple met at the 2018 International Blues Challenge in Memphis and started working together in 2019. Within the […]
Sam Blakeslee & Wistful Thinking Busy Body Outside in Music Ohio native, New York City based trombonist and composer Sam Blakeslee follows up his 2021 debut The Long Middle with his band, Wistful Thinking, delivering their second release, Busy Body. The bandleader has created an almost entirely new sound that contrasts to the intimate, melancholy […]
Ant Law & Alex Hitchcock Same Moon in the Same World Outside in Music Two emerging forces in the UK jazz scene have collaborated on Same Moon In The Same World. Guitarist Ant Law and tenor saxophonist Alex Hitchcock not only remotely recorded the album, but they enlisted support from top artists in the UK and the U.S. […]
Michael Blake Combobulate Newvelle Combobulate is the second release in Newvelle Records Renewal Series is a celebratory and unique exploration of saxophonist and composer Michael Blake’s compositions and arrangements featuring a star-studded brass section including TWO legendary tuba players Bob Stewart and Marcus Rojas, Steven Bernstein on trumpet, Clark Gayton on trombone and Allan Mednard […]
Eddie Palmieri Sonido Solar Truth Revolution Recording Collective NEA Jazz Master, 85-year-old Eddie Palmieri, dubbed “The Sun of Latin Music” has figuratively passed the torch to many but is doing so directly on this recording, Sonido Solar. While Palmieri’s spirit and guiding light brightens the whole album, he plays just on two tracks while handing […]
Hilario Duran and David Virelles Front Street Duets Alma Hilario Duran and David Virelles are two acclaimed Cuban pianists and composers who have known each other for over two decades. They come together here on Front Street Duets with their most extensive project to date. There seems to be a proclivity for Cuban pianists to […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an interview with Stephen Jacques A rising star in the Alt-Rock scene, frontman Stephen Jacques & legendary indie producers Alan Weatherhead and John Morand, collaborate on this prolific body of work. A manifestation of material Stephen gathered throughout his career as engineer, custom builder, and actor. Over 300 Radio […]
The Lone Bellow Love Songs for Losers Dualtone After delivering four highly acclaimed albums with reputable, decorated producers, the harmonious trio, The Lone Bellow have self-produced their fifth album, Love Songs for Losers. Recorded in the possibly haunted former home of Roy Orbison, this album weaves in some pain with the unbridled joy that characterized […]
Kenny Shore Time Stands Still Hawida Music North Carolina-based singer-songwriter Kenny Shore courses through several styles from folk-pop to soul to bluegrass to rock n’ roll and even a bit of zydeco on his hook-filled Time Stands Still. It comes across easy, but the emotions are far ranging throughout on this warm, intimate effort. An […]
Steve Tintweiss Spacelight Band Live at NYU:1980 INKY DoT Media Why bring something so ‘old’ to these pages? Admittedly, it’s due to Steve Tintweiss, the bassist and composer, who appeared on several avant-garde or free jazz recordings of the ‘70s and ‘80s, including the most intriguing album this writer has heard this year – Albert […]
Billy Truitt Abstract Truth Gutbukit Billy Truitt is a veteran musician who goes as far back as Jack Ely and Kingsmen of “Louie Louie” fame. Hailing from southern Idaho, he spent time in the Bakersfield honky tonks and L.A. club scenes. Truitt moved to Las Vegas in the ‘90s and began working with the roots/rockabilly […]
Buddy Guy The Blues Don’t Lie RCA Records “The Blues Don’t Lie” is the follow up album to the “Blues is Alve and Well” featuring producer, songwriter, and drummer Tom Hambridge. Also featured are Reese Wynans Hammond Organ; Michael Rhodes, bass; and Rob McNelley guitar. Guest artists are Mavis Staples, Elvis Costello and James Taylor. […]
Joel Quarrington The Music of Don Thompson Modica Music Joel Quarrington is one of the most renowned classical bassists in the world. He was the former principal bassist for the London Symphony Orchestra. Yet, here on The Music of Don Thompson we hear Quarrington playing jazz. Fellow Canadian Don Thompson (George Shearing, Jim Hall, Paul […]
Lee Fields Sentimental Fool Daptone The venerable classic soul singer Lee Fields has joined the Daptone roster. Few things are more fitting. Sentimental Fool finds the septuagenarian Fields in fine voice, backed by the roster’s house band that brings out the singer’s best. The album was produced by Daptone’s Gabriel Roth (AKA Bosco Mann). He […]
Angela Strehli Ace of Blues New West Records Angela Strehli “Ace of Blues” is Strehli’s first album in 17 years co-produced by her and her husband Bob Brown. Many will remember her 1990 album “Dreams Come True” with Marcia Ball and Lou Ann Barton and as part 2009’s Blues Broads also featuring Tracy Nelson. Strehli’s […]
Luke LeBlanc Fugue State 145 Entertainment Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter Luke LeBlanc delivers his fourth full-length effort with Fugue State, which is more outwardly focused than LeBlanc’s 2022 Only Human. LeBlanc gets elite support from Erik Koskinen, who in addition to playing a slew of instruments, produced, mixed, and engineered the album. Other musicians include Ryan Young […]
Matt Carmichael Marram Edition When we think of Scotland, we invariably think of the ocean coastline, folk songs, ancient structures, mythology, literature, and for some, maybe golf. A jazz saxophone record is not one of likely things that first comes to mind. Enter tenor saxophonist Matt Carmichael who arguably embodies all of the above in […]
Mud Morganfield Portrait Delmark Records This is Mud Morganfield’s newest album. Included are seven originals and seven covers. The covers include Muddy Waters “You Can’t Lose What You Ain’t Never Had” and John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson’s “Good Morning Little School Girl. This is Mud’s first album for Delmark Records. All but the first track […]
Sara Niemietz Superman Self-released Singer-songwriter Sara Niemietz has had widely eclectic musical tastes since childhood. So, it should not be surprising to see her deliver one of the most purposely diverse, genre agnostic we’ve heard with Superman. Partnering with top-notch co-producer, co-writer, and guitarist Linda Taylor, the duo brings us fourteen tunes. Niemietz, though a […]
Yates McKendree Buchanan Lane Qualified It was the singer-songwriter Kevin Gordon who first sang Yates McKendree’s praises to this writer, describing Yates’ searing guitar playing on one of Delbert McClinton’s Sandy Beach Cruises. Whether the 2019 clip of Yates’ thumb work on “Sweet Little Angel” is the right one or not (it was likely even […]
Simon Belelty Pee Wee Jojo Guitarist Simon Belelty is the founder and owner of Jojo Records, the label named after his father. Through thirty years as a professional arranger, sideman and producer Belelty has rarely assumed the spotlight until now with Pee Wee, where he carries on the spirt of his father in an emotionally rich, harmonically […]
Jeremiah Johnson Hi Fi Drive By Ruf Ah, the guitar slinger – too many notes, too much repetition, and too loud. That was my previous impression of Jeremiah Johnson. Hi Fi Drive By conjures a different one because Johnson comes to this recording with a bunch of infectiously good songs. So, it seems that Johnson […]
Roberta Donnay BLOSSOM-ing Village Jazz Café BLOSSOM-ing, a tribute to the music of Blossom Dearie, is the tenth album for the award-winning vocalist Roberta Donnay. We’ll get to Donnay shortly but just in case you need a little background on Blossom Dearie, we’ll start with the famed vocalist who made her mark mostly in the […]
Whit Dickey Quartet Root Perspectives TAO Forms Drummer and composer Whit Dickey is one of the foremost stalwarts of New York’s improvised music scene. His own label, TAO Forms, has spawned James Brandon Lewis’ poll winning Jesup Wagon, and Dickey’s own Expanding Light and Astral Long Form: Staircase in Space. His latest, Root Perspectives, is, […]
The Claudettes The Claudettes Go Out Forty Below The Claudettes Go Out, the quartet’s sixth album, is their follow-up to their 2020 High Times in the Dark, described by this writer in another outlet as their best yet. While that was a coming-out party for trained jazz vocalist, turned pop singer Berit Ulseth, this one smooths […]
Serabee Hummingbird Tea Rabadash The next great female soulful singer in the mold of Bonnie Bramlett, Bonnie Raitt, and Susan Tedeschi may well be Serabee (short for her real name, Sera Buras). She’s a songwriter too, having penned the 14 originals on this destined to be breakout album, Hummingbird Tea. Just look at these credentials […]
Joe Ely Flatland Lullaby Rack ‘Em This is not the Joe Ely album you expect. Flatland Lullaby, recorded in Ely’s home studio in 1984, is a treasured recording that has never been made public until now. It is not a re-issue, it’s not a rocker, it’s not one of those early collaborations with the Clash […]
Dave Keyes Rhythm Blues & Boogie Blue Heart The artist with the perfect name for his craft, Dave Keyes, returns with his sixth album and debut for Blue Heart Records, Rhythm Blues & Boogie. Keyes, here playing piano, Wurlitzer, B3, and accordion has earned three BMA nominations, has played in the Broadway pits, done television […]
Malaya Blue Blue Credentials Blue Heart Unfortunately, the songs on Blue Credentials are the swan songs for the late noted blues songwriter Dennis Walker (Robert Cray, B.B. King, Bettye LaVette) unless someone unearths undiscovered material. Award-winning U.K. vocalist Malaya Blue follows up her 2020 critically acclaimed collaboration with Walker, Still, making this her fourth release […]
Maria Mendes Saudade, Colour of Love Live in Amsterdam with Metropole Orkest conducted by John Beasley Challenge Portuguese born and raised, Netherlands based Maria Mendes is a Grammy and Latin Grammy nominated composer and vocalist. Saudade, Colour of Love is the follow-up to her highly acclaimed 2019 Close to Me (Justin Time) and it meshes […]
Dierk Peters Spring Sunnyside Eric Dolphy firmly established the harmonic splendor of the vibraphone, alto sax, trumpet, bass, and drums on his iconic 1964 Blue Note release, Out to Lunch. It’s a sound that we continue to hear today. The Posi-Tone label alone has issued four in their “Out to Dinner” series, patterned on the […]
Franco Ambrosetti Nora Enja Maybe it’s these unsettled times that call for calming sounds. Or perhaps it’s this writer’s enduring love for Charlie Parker with Strings together with Swiss trumpeter/flugelhornist Franco Ambrosetti’s touch on ballad material. Ambrosetti may have as a unique as resume as any jazz musician. For almost six decades he has been […]
John Escreet Seismic Shift Whirlwind John Escreet‘s Seismic Shift may well be one of the boldest, adventurous piano outings since Cecil Taylor and Don Pullen burst on the scene in sixties. And yet, for most ears, Escreet’s approach is clearly more accessible. Rarely has a album been better titled. Yes, he brings the kind of […]
Bobby Broom Keyed Up Steele It may seem a bit unusual to see a master guitarist honor piano greats, but many will recall the legendary pianist McCoy Tyner’s honoring guitarists with his album, Great Guitars. Guitarist Bobby Broom, who for the last three decades, has worked exclusively with a trio, brings aboard an acoustic piano […]
Annika Chambers and Paul DesLauriers Good Trouble Vizztone Label Group Annika Chambers and Paul DesLauriers are the lovers featured here. DesLauriers is the winner of many Maple Blues Awards and 2-time winner of the MB “Entertainer of the Year”. Annika is a 2-time winner of the Blues Music Award for Soul Blues Artist of the […]
The Lucky Losers Standin Pat Vizztone Label Group The Lucky Losers “Standin’ Pat” is the latest from our duo also featuring guitarist Ian Lamson on 2 tracks, Chris Burns keyboards, Endre Tarczy bass, and Jon Otis, drums. Produced at Greaseland, producer and guitarist Kid Anderson appears on all tracks with a horn section including saxophonists […]
