r&b Archive
15 Sep 2023
30 Days Out, September 2023 #2: Damien Jurado, Durand Jones, Henry Rollins, Margaret Glaspy
Asheville has a stellar array of musical artists based here. And I would encourage you to support them as enthusiastically and often as possible; they’re worth it, and their music […]
14 Sep 2023
Album Review: Graham Parker and the Goldtops — Last Chance to Learn the Twist
Across his nearly 50 years as a recording history, Graham Parker has had it both ways: he’s made fiery, passionate, rocking music, and he’s delivered subtle, stripped-down solo/acoustic work. But […]
19 Jul 2023
Album Review: Various Artists – Detroit Harmonisers
Music licensing requirements in the UK and Europe are less stringent than they are here in the U.S.; what that means for listeners interested in compilations exploring music made in […]
25 Feb 2023
Album Review: Ruthie Foster – Healing Time
It’s the rare artist capable of creating a body of work that transcends genre. True, Ruthie Foster has been recipient of many, many awards in the blues idiom. Foster has […]
15 Dec 2022
30 Days Out, Dec. 2022 #2: Russ Wilson, Datrian Johnson, Asheville Jazz Orchestra, Moon Hooch
The end of the year and the cold of winter represent something of a return to form for Asheville; most of the tourists are gone, and locally-based artists who tour […]
07 Jun 2022
Randall Bramblett: Lucky That Way
The music business has a built-in tendency to categorize artists: they’re a rocker, a country act, a jazz cat, a rapper or something else. And in those relatively rare instances […]
28 May 2022
EP Review: Diplomats of Solid Sound – The Live EP
This nine-person ensemble released a fine album, A Higher Place, in 2019. That was my first exposure to the Iowa group, but I soon discovered that they have been together […]
13 Feb 2022
Album Review: Ben Levin — Still Here
Postwar jump blues, swing and proto-rock ‘n’ roll is the order of the day on pianist Ben Levin’s latest release, Still Here. Informed by the rollicking New Orleans piano stylings […]
06 Dec 2021
Album Review: Tito Jackson — Under Your Spell
If you’re any of the offspring of Joe Jackson of Gary, Indiana, your surname carries with it a great deal of baggage. The stunningly talented Jackson 5 (later The Jacksons) […]
15 Nov 2021
30 Days Out, November 2021 #2: John “Papa” Gros, Mike Zito, Hiss Golden Messenger, Steve Gunn, Jeff Parker
The new normal, yeah. Heck, even I am going to shows again. But I wear a mask, I’m vaccinated, and I’m getting the booster soon. Because let’s display at least […]