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.
Various Artists Highway Butterfly – The Songs of Neal Casal (3 CDs, 5 LPs) Royal Potato Family Neal Casal never got his due as a complete artist and certainly as a songwriter until now. Spread across 5 LPs and 3 CDs from a stunning list of artists are 41 of the late Casal’s songs in […]
Eberhard Weber Once Upon a Time Live in Avignon ECM Bassist Eberhard Weber has been recording since the mid-1970s back in the dark ages when this writer was just beginning his now-retired radio career. Perhaps that’s why we are taking up for the first time a review of a solo bass album. You may not […]
Shubh Saran inglish Art of Life Shubh Saran is a New York-based guitarist, composer, and producer who has performed globally and grew up in six different countries. His nomadic raising shapes a wide range of influences in his music, sourcing from modern jazz, neo-soul, rock, classical Hindustani and Rajasthani folk music, and more. In short, […]
Dylan Jack Quartet Period Pieces Creative Nation Music Period Pieces is the follow-up to this quartet’s 2020 Tale of the Twelve-Foot Man which we covered on these pages. Although we don’t see “Dylan Jack Quartet” on the cover, we see the same four names – guitarist Eric Hofbauer, drummer Dylan Jack, bassist Anthony Leva and trumpeter Jerry […]
Dave Specter Six String Soul – 30 Years on Delmark Delmark Guitarist Dave Specter lives up to the enticing album title Six String Soul, with his career-to-date selection of 28 remastered tracks spanning his three decades with Chicago’s Delmark records. It’s so tempting to engage in the kind of wordplay found in the liner notes […]
Dino Govoni Hiding in Plain Sight Whaling City Sound Hiding in Plain Sight is a terrific title when considering that tenor saxophonist and composer Dino Govoni hasn’t issued a recording in nearly a decade yet has remained continually active as an educator, a long-time faculty member at Berklee School of Music. This is his third […]
Dave Meder Unamuno Songs and Other Stories Outside in Music Undoubtably you are wondering just what are Unamuno songs? This album has quite a concept behind it. Pianist and composer Dave Meder is using the writings of Spanish Civil War-era philosopher Miguel de Unamuno as a historical analogy to recent sociopolitical unrest here in the States. Meder […]
Sylvie Courvoisier and Mary Halvorson Searching for the Disappeared Hour Pyroclastic Pianist Sylvie Courvoisier and guitarist Mary Halvorson are two of the most forward-thinking musicians on their respective instruments. While a duo recording of two chordal instruments may seem bound for clashing rather than harmonizing, one can point to classics such as Bill Evans and […]
Paul Jost Quartet While We Were Gone – Live at Soapbox Gallery Self-released Paul Jost’s While We Were Gone may well be the top jazz vocal album of 2021. Yes, we said the same about Roseanna Vitro’s Sing a Song of Bird, but let’s just consider that one a collaborative vocal effort. Jost delivers a […]
Jeremy Monteiro & Alberto Marsico Jazz-Blues Brothers Jazz Note Back in April of this year, we brought you the elite trio of pianist Jeremy Monteiro aka Singapore’s King of Swing, bassist Jay Anderson, and drummer Lewis Nash Live at No Black Tie. That session introduced this writer and you readers to the swinging, bluesy piano […]
Jane Ira Bloom and Allison Miller Tues Days Outline/Supaphine In 2017 in one of the first jazz reviews (see Wild Lines) this writer contributed to these pages, we praised soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom with these words – “If you love the pure sound of the soprano without the screeching and honking and free from […]
Hayes Carll You Get It All DualTone Hayes Carll has built his career mostly on singer-songwriter roots-rock records but he claims that You Get It All is a country singer-songwriter record. He turns to his wife, Allison Moorer, and her favorite producer, guitar great Kenny Greenberg as co-producers of this, his eighth album. The many […]
Alex Brown The Dark Fire Sessions Self-released Pianist and composer Alex Brown is relatively new on the scene and The Dark Fire Sessions marks only his second release as a bandleader. Having seen Brown perform in virtual performances such as Sean Jones’ Dizzy Spellz at the 2021 Detroit Jazz Festival and at Baltimore’s Keystone Korner […]
Benjamin Schnake Ensemble The Joy of Playing Self-released The Benjamin Schnake Ensemble presents an enticing meshing of jazz and South American music. Schnake, a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger was born in Chile and studied both classical and popular music growing up. He is skilled at the charango (Andean small guitar), pan flutes, and quena (Andean […]
Sue Foley Pinky’s Blues Stony Plain Canadian-born and longtime Austin TX resident Sue Foley is back with Pinky’s Blues, the follow-up to her acclaimed 2018 The Ice Queen. The title references her signature pink paisley Fender telecaster, “Pinky.” Foley is at the peak of her still growing career as she won “Best Traditional Female (Koko […]
Kazemde George I Insist Greenleaf Music I Insist is the debut as a leader for Brooklyn-based tenor saxophonist, composer, and educator Kazemde George. The title is to both signify an emphatic statement and a nod to Max Roach’s landmark 1960 protest album We Insist! Freedom Now Suite. George has previously released a series of electronic […]
Ben Levin Still Here VizzTone Still Here is the third release for the youthful pianist/songwriter/vocalist Ben Levin, who has already matured well beyond his years. When we last visited him on his 2020 release Carryout or Delivery on these pages, Levin was still in college, having just reached drinking age. And, as we said then, […]
The Delerium Trees STORMS ON THE MOON The Delerium Trees have just released their great album “Tales from the Western Isles” and the next one is already at the start! And this time a double album which of course means double enjoyment! “Storms On The Moon”, sixteen songs, sixteen times unearthly good music and selected […]
Farnell Newton Feel the Love Posi-Tone Feel the Love is third Posi-Tone release for Portland, OR-based trumpeter and composer Farnell Newton. We covered his second one, Rippin’ and Runnin’, on these same pages in May 2020. Newton, who after being raised in Miami, FL attended the Philadelphia High School for creative and Performing Arts, studied […]
Rodeo FM All the things you asked for Rodeo FM is Pat – lead vocals and acoustic guitar, Masataka – bass, Dominik – drums and backing vocals, Desmond – guitars and backing vocals, Gigi (guitar & banjo) Rodeo FM is a band based in Berlin, Germany, making music for 15 years. They have really played everywhere, at weddings and funerals, […]
Adonis Rose and The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra feat. Cyrille Aimée Petite Fleur Storyville The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (NOJO) under the direction of drummer Adonis Rose issues its second release, cementing the city’s French connection on a 10-song collaboration, Petite Fleur, with French vocalist, turned Crescent City resident Cyrille Aimée. It was she who […]
Marilyn Crispell and Yuma Uesaka Streams Not Two/Polyfold Music Avant-pianist Marilyn Crispell has built her distinguished career in the company of inventive saxophonists, from the AACM artists Anthony Braxton and Joseph Jarman to more recent outings with Joe Lovano’s Tapestries. She now teams in duo format with Yuma Uesaka, and emerging talent among multi-reed performers. […]
Kurt Elling SuperBlue Edition Recently this writer is pondering if there are any limits to Kurt Elling’s talent. We witnessed a two-hour radio play, Big Blind, at the virtual Detroit Jazz Festival held in the beginning of September. His 2020 project Secrets Are the Best Stories, with pianist Danilo Perez won a Grammy. Now we […]
Mary LaRose Out Here little (i) Music Seldom has there been a more appropriate title for an album but it’s fascinating for fans of Eric Dolphy and the edgy music that he made in the early sixties. Vocalist Mary LaRose dedicates Out Here, a play on ‘out there,’ entirely to the music of Dolphy, using […]
Q’d Up Going Places Tantara This is for all the folks, and there are many, who say that there’s no jazz in Salt Lake City, let alone Utah, despite the name of its NBA team. This quintet, Q’d Up, is here to negate that statement. The founder is multi-instrumentalist Ray Smith who started a band […]
Zac Harmon As Long As I Got My Guitar Catfood Long As I Got My Guitar is the latest from Texas-based blues singer/guitarist Zac Harmon who returns to Bob Trenchard’s Catfood label and again taps producer Jim Gaines, recording at Trenchard’s base studio, the Sonic Ranch, near El Paso. Although Harmon is based in Texas, […]
Michael Stephenson Meets The Alexander Claffy Trio (with Benny Benack III) Cellar Music Group Sometimes just a couple of highly recognizable names will draw one to an album. Although familiar with Claffy and Benck III, it was Executive Producer Cory Weeds and Producer Jeremy Pelt that caught my attention and neither plays on this album […]
Mark Zaleski Band Our Time – Reimagining Dave Brubeck Origin Our Time is far edgier than one might guess, considering that the Mark Zaleski Band is reimagining the music of Dave Brubeck. Mark Zaleski is featured here on alto and soprano saxophone alongside tenor saxophonist Jon Bean, pianist Glenn Zaleski, guitarist Mark Cocheo, bassist Danny Weller, and drummer Oscar Suchanek. […]
Joe Farnsworth City of Sounds Smoke Sessions Drummer and composer Joe Farnsworth has done a great job of branding himself with ‘swing.’ His 2020 album and accompanying emblazoned merchandise are entitled “Time to Swing.” So, it’s that time again as Farnsworth reenlists pianist, NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron, and renowned bassist Peter Washington for another […]
Miki Yamanaka Stairway to the Stars Outside in Music This is our second entry for Miki Yamanaka, who’s stunning 2020 Human Dust Suite we covered on these same pages. She returns with a more intimate recording, Stairway to the Stars, her third album, this time with a drumless trio featuring returning bassist Orlando le Fleming […]
Chet Doxas You Can’t Take It With You Whirlwind Tenor saxophonist Chet Doxas leads a drumless trio featuring bassist Thomas Morgan and pianist Ethan Iverson for You Can’t Take It With You, his twelfth album as leader or co-leader. Doxas plays in another esteemed band, Riverside, with his brother Jim and Dave Douglas and while […]
Eric Wyatt A Song of Hope Whaling City Sound Saxophonist and composer Eric Wyatt bursts out firing on A Song of Hope, his follow-up to 2019’s The Golden Rule, which was a tribute to his self-described godfather, Sonny Rollins. Here, with mostly different bandmates, he moves in a more eclectic direction, honoring Rollins at times, […]
Hybrid Spirits The Forgotten Hybrid Spirits are – Nigel Rooke – Vocals, lyrics, keyboards and drum programming. Paul Kirk – Vocals, lyrics, keyboards, guitars and drum programming. Voodoo Jade – Vocals and lyrics. When three different types of people meet to make music together, only something special can come out of it. And that is with Hybrid […]
Joe Tullos Vessels Big Sun New Orleans musician Joe Tullos left us just shy of a year ago, but he was determined to leave a parting gift, his posthumous release Vessels. Tullos was a legendary character of several pursuits that included writing music for Jimmy Buffet, cooking for John Grisham, and touring with Carl Perkins. […]
Raymundo Sodré Dengo Ropeadope Listening to the uplifting music of Raymundo Sodré for the first time evoked two references. His Brazilian music hails from the Nordeste (Northeast) and resembles the juju music from Nigeria. Casual listeners may in fact think that it is African music. Also, Charlie Musselwhite once explained to me in an interview […]
The Delevantes A Thousand Turns Moon River A Thousand Turns is the third album from Americana band The Delevantes, helmed by New Jersey brothers Bob (the main writer) and Mike (lead guitarist). They are a band that first appeared in the mid-‘90s in the early gestation of Americana but many thought they disappeared as their […]
MARRANDRO Dark Light Emotions When two musicians meet who could hardly be more different … The result is something that can justifiably be called incredible … the new album by the duo MARRANDRO. Who is this duo? MARRANDRO is on the one hand the songwriter Andrea Hager who has an unmistakable tendency towards the mystical […]
Kris Gruen Welcome Farewell Mother West When we use the term country & western, we do not often think of a place like Vermont. That’s not to say Kris Gruen’s Welcome Farewell falls into the country & western camp but the predominant presence of the pedal steel guitar and rootsy accompaniment deliver a similar refreshing, […]
Avey Grouws Band Tell Tale Heart Navy House The Avey Grouws Band hails from Quad Cities, Iowa, which is not your usual home for a blues-based unit. Yet, they have leveraged the strong impact of their 2020 The Devil May Care by hiring Grammy-winning engineer/producer Casey Wasner, who has worked with Keb’ Mo’,Taj Mahal, and […]
Chick Corea Chick Corea Akoustic Band LIVE Concord We are still mourning the sudden, unexpected passing of Chick Corea earlier this year and his smiling face that adorns the cover and photos within, not to mention his spirited playing, deeply reminds us how much we miss him. However, not surprisingly there is Corea music left […]
Satin Origami Heart Satin is a four-piece band from Los Angeles, California. Band members: Robert Cross, vocals / guitar David Bucci, lead guitar Scott Wintermute, bass Tim Frantz, drums They released their debut album “Drop Dead Gorgeous” in 2019 and started the production for the second album “Origami Heart” shortly before the lockdown due to the pandemic and one of […]
David Sanford Big Band (Featuring Hugh Ragin) A Prayer for Lester Bowie Greenleaf Music We must warn you that this is so far from your father’s big band music, that you need to be ready for progressive, improvised jazz that weaves in modern classical and defiant flavors of both avant-garde and punk. Okay, so with […]
Roseanna Vitro Sing a Song of Bird Featuring Sheila Jordan, Bob Dorough, Marion Cowings, Gary Bartz, Mark Gross Skyline Sing a Song a Bird is a collaboration of four vocal and two saxophone giants as they celebrate the music of the iconic Charlie Parker. The main mover here is Grammy nominee vocalist Roseanna Vitro who […]
Marc Cary Life Lessons Sessionheads United Keyboardist Marc Cary is veteran who built his reputation backing such giants as Abbey Lincoln, Betty Carter, Roy Hargrove, Jackie McLean, and Randy Weston. Yet, with now 18 albums as a leader, this trio debut Life Lessons, with bassist Dan Chmielinski and drummer Diego Joaquin Ramirez reveals a very […]
Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette Skyline 5Passion Skyline is the first of a planned trilogy of piano trio albums for his own label, 5Passion Records, that the Cuban-born pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba founded in 2010. Rubalcaba tapped two living legends to deliver this inaugural foray, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Jack DeJohnette. They were two […]
Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge Within Us Summit Chuck Owen reconvenes his 19-piece big band along with special guest Warren Wolf to commemorate the five-time Grammy-nominated band’s 25th anniversary with Within Us. This is the Florida-based ensemble’s seventh recording and marked the first time many had recorded with other musicians in the same room […]
The Delerium Trees “Tales From The Western Isles” Today I would like to invite you to discover the new album by The Delerium Trees. I’ve already written a few reviews of this band and I’m always thrilled, but I have to say that “Tales From The Western Isles” is something very special. After the debut […]
Teresa James & the Rhythm Tramps Rose Colored Glasses Vol. 1 Blue Heart Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps are a Los Angeles-based band, but James was raised in Houston and has been able to mix Texas style blues with a West Coast jump and swing sound for over five decades now. They have received […]
Hector Anchondo Let Loose Those Chains VizzTone Every so often a wonderful surprise comes along, and this is one of them. Let Loose Those Chains is one of the most finely crafted, song driven blues releases of this year. Hector Anchondo is the 2020 IBC winner in the solo/duo category, and this is his first […]
Colin Linden bLOW Highway 20 We associate Colin Linden with the blues, yet bLow is his first electric blues release of the fourteen he’s made as a solo artist over his four-decade career. Linden, of course, has been equally or even more prominent on the roots scene with his band Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, […]
