instrumental Archive
04 Dec 2025
Mann Underground: Geoff Mann Pays Brilliant Tribute to His Father (Part 3 of 3)
Continued from Part Two… (NOTE: A portion of this feature appeared previously on The Tonearm.) What were some of the guiding aesthetics that you brought to the project? I’ve been […]
03 Dec 2025
Mann Underground: Geoff Mann Pays Brilliant Tribute to His Father (Part 2 of 3)
Continued from Part One… (NOTE: A portion of this feature appeared previously on The Tonearm.) Why drums and not some other instrument? Geoff Mann: When I was a kid, I […]
02 Dec 2025
Mann Underground: Geoff Mann Pays Brilliant Tribute to His Father (Part 1 of 3)
A portion of this feature appeared previously on The Tonearm. Over the course of his career, flautist Herbie Mann released nearly 90 albums of original material. Nominally a jazz artist, […]
23 Nov 2025
Album Review: Elizabeth Naccarato – Salonnières
Variously described as a classical and new age artist, Texas-born and Colorado-based pianist Elizabeth Naccarato has a foot in both camps. She has been recording and releasing albums for at […]
20 Oct 2025
LaMP is Burning Brightly
Three esteemed players have joined forces almost by chance, and the result is one of music’s more dynamic and vital outfits. Combining a melodic jazz sensibility with the unpredictability of […]
09 Sep 2025
Album Review: Soft Machine – Floating World Live
In my recent look at Soft Works’ Abracadabra, I laid out a very rough sketch of the convoluted timeline that is the Soft Machine story. One of the mileposts in […]
04 Sep 2025
Album Review: The Haas Company – Thirteen
I’ve written before of my belief that fusion gave birth to smooth jazz. The latter being an unforgivable sin, I look askance at any new release presenting itself as fusion. […]
30 Jul 2025
Album Review: Various Artists — Legends of Surf Guitar
As rock subgenres go, surf instrumental is among the most timeless. Eschewing vocals means that there are not past-their-sell-by-date turns of phrase, and few instruments are more durable in their […]
21 Jul 2025
Album Review: Sendelica – The Complete Mankind
Here’s something different. A band most have never heard of, based in Wales, with shifting personnel built around two or three main players, and with an extensive catalog. They release […]
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 […]