r&b Archive
10 Apr 2026
Album Review: Stax Revue: Live in ‘65!
In 1965, a professional recording was made at the 5-4 Ballroom in Watts, Los Angeles; the recording documented the powerhouse Stax Revue. The recordings sat unissued until 1991-92 when Stax […]
31 Mar 2026
Album Reviews: Four by Ray Charles
Among his myriad achievements, Ray Charles was the consummate crossover artist. Across the scope of his lengthy career, he made music in a wide variety of styles: r&b, rock ‘n’ […]
04 Mar 2026
Hundred-word Reviews for March 2026: Archival
This roundup of new(ish) archival releases features five albums, all available on good ol’ back-to-vinyl. Jeffrey Runnings – Piqued Though the label is bandied about with reckless abandon, Lo-fi is […]
03 Mar 2026
Hundred-word Reviews for March 2026: New Releases
This time around it’s an assortment of riches in a variety of styles, all with my enthusiastic recommendation. Salt Collective – A Brief History of Blindness One of the most […]
23 Feb 2026
Book Review: Land of a Thousand Sessions
My first knowing encounter with the writing of Rob Bowman came when I bought a used paperback copy of his 1997 book Soulsville USA. That book was and remains a […]
13 Feb 2026
Book Review: Graham Parker’s Howlin’ Wind
On the face of it, an entire book dealing with the first album by Graham Parker and the Rumour might seem a bit excessive. While Howlin’ Wind is an important […]
19 Sep 2025
The Mind Movies of Adrian Younge
This feature appeared previously in SPIN Magazine. Some artists combine genres as a stylistic challenge, motivated by curiosity: Can it even be done? But when Adrian Younge blends musical forms […]
28 Jul 2025
Album Review: Sly and the Family Stone – The First Family: Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967
The history of music is filled with brilliant yet deeply troubled artists. Syd Barrett. Brian Wilson. Roky Erickson. Skip Spence. Arthur Lee. Emitt Rhodes. Bill Evans. I’m sure readers can […]
15 Jul 2025
30 Days Out, July 2025 #2: Abacab, U.S. Christmas, Budos Band, Psycodelics, Amanda Anne Platt
The highlights of live music in the coming 30 days Asheville-wise lean in a decidedly progtastic, indiefied and psychedelicized direction, with a bit of country for flavor. Three of the […]
02 Jun 2025
Album Review: Southern Avenue — Family
When I first encountered Southern Avenue in 2017, I remarked that their music bore the influence of Steve Cropper. I crossed path with their music again in 2019, at which […]