{"id":31182,"date":"2026-07-21T05:30:28","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T09:30:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=31182"},"modified":"2026-07-21T20:37:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T00:37:37","slug":"hundred-word-reviews-for-july-2026-blues-and-jazz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/21\/hundred-word-reviews-for-july-2026-blues-and-jazz\/","title":{"rendered":"Hundred-word Reviews for July 2026: Blues and Jazz"},"content":{"rendered":"

So much good music, so little time. Here\u2019s a quick look at five newish releases.<\/p>\n

\"\"Duke Robillard \u2013 Blast Off!<\/i><\/b>
\nGuitairst Duke Robillard has been a recording artist for more than 50 years. After founding Roomful of Blues, he served as first-chair guitarist in the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Even the, he maintained a concurrent solo career, one that continues to this day. And despite his close association with blues and r&b, Robillard\u2019s musical vision has always taken in more than those forms. His jazz\/swing proclivities come to the fore on Blast Off!<\/i> Fans of Louis Prima, Louis Jordan and other giants of jump blues\/wing will delight in this collection. It\u2019s authentic without sounding dated, true to the style without feeling gimmicky.<\/p>\n

\"\"Lil\u2019 Ed and the Blues Imperials \u2013 Slideways<\/i><\/b>
\nSlide guitarist Lil\u2019 Ed was an early star on Bruce Iglauer\u2019s Alligator Records. And his music with the Imperials transcends blues, often serving as an excellent entry point for listeners venturing into the blues. His accessible, good-timin\u2019 approach to songcraft combines killer riffage, sinewy slide playing and wonderfully uptempo arrangements. Ed and his band have racked up numerous awards, all richly deserved. Slideways<\/i> is a showcase for both Ed\u2019s top-flight guitar work and the whip-smart ensemble work of his Imperials. Co-produced with Iglauer, Slideways<\/i> showcases a 70 year old musician, bandleader and songwriter still at the top of is game.<\/p>\n

\"\"Selwyn Birchwood \u2013 Electric Swamp Funkin\u2019 Blues<\/i><\/b>
\nContemporary bluesman Selwyn Birchwood\u2019s fiery style has won him fans well outside the comparatively insular world of blues. Some purists might take issue with his rock-leaning approach, but the fact remains that at age 41, Birchwood is a master of whatever musical task he takes on. Notably, as thrilling as his fretwork can be, his approach doesn\u2019t lead listeners to think, \u201cOh, he sounds just like [fill in the blank].\u201d The sturdy songs on his latest album \u2013 all self-composed \u2013 showcase his many assets. For newcomers, Electric Swamp Funkin\u2019 Blues<\/i> can serve as a fine entry point into his impressive work.<\/p>\n

\"\"Soft Machine \u2013 Thirteen<\/i><\/b>
\nThe roster of celebrated musicians who\u2019ve passed through the ranks of Soft Machine is indeed impressive. While the players have changed, the aesthetic remains the same. Rock sensibility merged with the adventurous and improvisational fire of jazz, all presented without compromise. The current lineup is anchored by longtime guitarist John Etheridge, who first joined in 1975. Emphasizing the band\u2019s pedigree and through-line, Thirteen<\/i> features a track (\u201cDaevid\u2019s Special Cuppa\u201d) that includes a 2000 recording of founding member Daevid Allen. Listeners who dug Third<\/i> all those years ago will remain impressed by this lineup, proudly carrying on in the grand tradition.<\/p>\n

\"\"Daggerboard \u2013 The Skipper and Mike Clark<\/i><\/b>
\nWide Hive Records can be counted on to bring boundary-pushing jazz that remains rooted in the form\u2019s most enduring musical values. The label\u2019s flagship group, Daggerboard is joined by jazz stars Henry Franklin (\u201cThe Skipper\u201d) on upright bass and drummer Mike Clark. They receive co-billing, and their subtle, stellar work more than justifies it. In fact subtlety is a key value on this set; the songs feel composed (which they are) yet maintain the mystery and allure that comes with improvisation. The percussion work and piano are standout elements, but this deeply layered music has something for all jazz aficionados.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So much good music, so little time. Here\u2019s a quick look at five newish releases. Duke Robillard \u2013 Blast Off! Guitairst Duke Robillard has been a recording artist for more […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31183,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,42,49,65],"tags":[5539,5599,5920,3136,1994],"class_list":["post-31182","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blues","category-jazz","category-new-release","category-review","tag-daggerboard","tag-duke-robillard","tag-lil-ed-and-the-blues-imperials","tag-selwyn-birchwood","tag-soft-machine","cat-9-id","cat-42-id","cat-49-id","cat-65-id","has_thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31182"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31182\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31997,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31182\/revisions\/31997"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31183"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}