instrumental Archive
07 Dec 2022
Album Review: Connie Han — Secrets of Inanna
There was a time when jazz was edgy, boundary-pushing and even threatening (albeit in a good way). Some may disagree, but other than free jazz – which is frankly too […]
22 Nov 2022
Album Reviews: David Javelosa – Atomic Odyssey! and Modern Work Volume One
David Javelosa is an inspired musician whose work is primarily synthesizer-based. But his bent, whimsical and playful approach to music results in sounds that are far from the “serious” kind […]
21 Nov 2022
Album Review: The New Mastersounds — The Deplar Effect
For more than two decades now, The New Mastersounds have been creating and refining their winning brand of fusion/funk/what-have-you. Right out of the gate, the result of their creative endeavors […]
09 Nov 2022
Joe Satriani: Telling Stories With and Without Words (Part 2 of 2)
Continued from Part One… Sometimes the timeline exceeds two years. Satriani mentions “Through a Mother’s Day Darkly,” a breathtaking highlight of The Elephants of Mars. He wrote the song in […]
08 Nov 2022
Joe Satriani: Telling Stories With and Without Words (Part 1 of 2)
Joe Satriani is the most popular instrumental rock guitarist in the history of music. Though he has yet to win a Grammy Award for his work, Satriani is one of […]
22 Oct 2022
Album Review: Craig Davis — Tone Paintings
Pianist Michael “Dodo” Marmarosa was a bebop musician whose most celebrated period was the 1940s to ‘60s (he passed away on 2002). In his early years, he played with a […]
16 Oct 2022
Album Reviews: Rob Silverman — Drumology Vols. II and III
These two releases offer a fascinating array of musical styles. The unifying characteristic is the involvement of drummer Rob Silverman, but beyond that, it’s a dazzlingly varied collection. Wholly instrumental, […]
09 Oct 2022
Album Review: Jan Hammer – Seasons Pt. 2
Listeners of a certain age know Jan Hammer for his work with the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Jeff Beck; younger ones will recall his “Miami Vice Theme.” In recent years his […]
24 Sep 2022
Album Review: BakerzMillion – Live in Racine
While it is unlikely ever again to have a fan base on par with its 1950s-’60s heyday, hard bop jazz remains very much alive. And even with all manner of […]
18 Aug 2022
Album review: Azymuth – Telecommunication
It may be difficult to imagine such a thing today, some five decades after the fact, but in the early 1970s, jazz/funk/fusion was more than a blip on the commercial […]