Every now and then, an album comes along that reminds you just how much fun the blues can be. Perhaps I was just in the right mood, or perhaps I was only hearing what I wanted to hear (not a bad way to go through life, by the way), or perhaps Bare Knuckles & Brawn … Continue reading
Category Archives: Music
New Pop / Americana: Flagship Romance — ‘Concentric’
Flagship Romance — Concentric (Release date: August 9th, 2019) The hypnotic piano lulls you into a place where, encountering perfect harmonies, you ask “What’s this?” It’s a web of notes, words, feelings, images, and emotions, all waking up your deeper sensitivities. In other words, it’s a song doing exactly what a great song does what … Continue reading
New Americana: Red Idle Rejects — ‘Room With A View’
Red Idle Rejects — Room With A View Is Red Idle really a place? Clearly it’s a state of mind, at least, and Red Idle Rejects captures its essence perfectly with their new album Room With A View. If there are any musical ancestors in the historic environs of Red Idle, it would be a song … Continue reading
Omnivore to Release Five-CD Set of Jazz Saxophonist Art Pepper’s Sessions for Artists House Label (Sept. 23)
PROMISE KEPT: THE COMPLETE ARTISTS HOUSE RECORDINGS DUE OUT SEPTEMBER 23. Package contains the four albums drawn from the sessions, Plus a fifth disc of additional takes. Nineteen previously unreleased performances included. Laurie Pepper contributed liner notes and rare photographs. Producer John Snyder had always wanted to record alto saxophonist Art Pepper and booked him … Continue reading
Must-Hear Music: Glenna Bell — ‘Let Freedom Ring: Songs for a New Generation’
Glenna Bell — Let Freedom Ring: Songs for a New Generation Glenna Bell has given us a new gift. Heck, Glenna Bell is a gift. The first time I was honored to hear her sing live, she took my breath away. Her latest album, Let Freedom Ring, is everything I hoped it would be—simply more … Continue reading
Notable New Music: Kevin Breit — ‘Stella Bella Strada’
Kevin Breit — Stella Bella Strada Label: Stony Plain Records (release date: May 31, 2019) The album cover says it all. Playing guitar master Kevin Breit’s new album, Stella Bella Strada, will result in your own expression of mirth, from the relief at hearing something so original and of such quality. Call it blues, call … Continue reading
BMG Celebrates 70th Anniversary Of Hank Williams’ ‘HEALTH & HAPPINESS SHOW’ With Program’s First Vinyl Release
Three-album vinyl or 2-CD set contains the complete recordings of William’s eight 1949 radio shows, which include hits and rarities all newly restored and mastered. Street date June 14, 2019. Hank Williams began 1949 with his career at a crossroads. Although he was headlining the Louisiana Hayride radio show and achieved a few hits, big-time … Continue reading
New Roots/Blues: Manx Marriner Mainline — ‘Hellbound For Heaven’
Manx Marriner Mainline — Hellbound For Heaven Label: Stony Plain Records Having a stack of recently released CDs to choose from, I decided to go for the most promising title. Scanning the stack of CD spines, I spied the words “Hellbound For Heaven.” Now this, I thought to myself, sounds like the source of some original … Continue reading
New Blues: Peter Ward — ‘Train To Key Biscayne’
Peter Ward — Train To Key Biscayne Label: Gandy Dancer Records Peter Ward’s Train To Key Biscayne is a trip in the best sense. There’s a lot of musical territory covered and each stop along the way on this follow-up to his 2017 release (Blues on My Shoulders) is a rewarding discovery. The album showcases … Continue reading
New Country: Marty Brown — ‘American Highway’
Marty Brown — American Highway Label: Plowboy Records (Available: May 17, 2019) Once a modern day traditionalist, always a modern day traditionalist. Truthful, honest music doesn’t really age, nor does the artistic sense to sustain it. Thank God. American Highway is Marty Brown’s first album in two decades. He may have taken twenty years off … Continue reading
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