new release Archive
30 Apr 2020
Album Review: Bobby Hatfield — Stay With Me
The history of popular music is scattered with tales of aborted projects, albums that for one reason or another never saw the light of day. Though it finally saw a […]
29 Apr 2020
Album Review: America — Heritage II
Back when I was growing up, liking the music of the band America was something one pretty much kept to himself. They didn’t exactly rock, and though their vocals sometimes […]
27 Apr 2020
Book Review: Laurence Myers — Hunky Dory: Who Knew?
When you get right down to it, everybody has a story to tell. Some tales have almost universal appeal, while others are possessed of niche quality. And there’s not really […]
26 Apr 2020
Album Review: Dave Stryker — Blue Soul
Dave Stryker’s a busy guy. In 2014 he released Eight Track, a sort of conceptually unified collection of covers, non-jazz tunes rendered in the jazz idiom and featuring his electric […]
23 Apr 2020
Album Reviews: Various Artists — The Big Stir Singles Series
Back in the days when it still actually played music videos, MTV put together a promo clip featuring David Bowie. The Thin White Duke smiled rakishly at the camera and […]
22 Apr 2020
Pimps of Pompe: Hot Jazz Meets Hip-hop
Asheville-based Pimps of Pompe has a unique musical approach. The band takes inspiration from modern hip-hop and rhythm and blues, bending those forms into the style of pre-World War II […]
21 Apr 2020
Up Jumped Three’s Implied Rhythm
Rhythm is traditionally a key component in music. But especially within the jazz idiom, some groups craft a sound that doesn’t include a drummer. In the tradition of trios led […]
20 Apr 2020
Album Review: Peter Laughner
Chances are good that you’ve never heard of Peter Laughner. And if you’re immediately replying, “Oh, yes I have!” then chances are good that you know of him via his […]
19 Apr 2020
Album Review: The Black Watch — Brilliant Failures
John Andrew Fredrick is one prolific artist. It seems that every few months a new album from his group, The Black Watch, appears on my desk. And he stands apart […]
18 Apr 2020
Album Review: Paul Shaw Quintet – Moment of Clarity
There’s an old joke that has long made the rounds in rock circles: What do you call someone who hangs around with musicians? “A drummer.” Good-natured ribbing aside, few make […]