Best known for his work with Carlos Santana and Etta James, keyboardist David K. Mathews brings a fresh coat of paint to the Great American Songbook. Vocalists from the past couple of generations team up to make vintage songs relevant…
Month: February 2018
IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR…Elvis Presley and His Competitors: The Heartbreak Hotel Top 100
On May 5th, 1956, Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel” went to Number 1 on the Billboard top 100 chart. So, what was the competition that he was dealing with? Many times, people denigrate the popular music of the mid-50s claiming that…
StefanoTravaglini: Ellipse
Italian pianist Stefano Travaglini delivers an impressive solo performance on this mix of originals and jazz standards. His touch is warm, confident and with a dash of thoughtful introspection as he uses space as a sound on patient pieces such…
THE MARLENE DIETRICH OF JAZZ? Melody Gardot: Live In Europe
I’ve seen her twice in concert, and in person Melody Gardot veers between the hip rebel and vulnerable waif, with a voice that is palpably tender, but sometimes a delivery of a rebellious student.Like Marlene Dietrich, she exudes both exotic…
SIMO: Rise & Shine
I just caught guitarist/vocalist JD Simo in a solo concert, and was impressed enough to want to check out his latest album. He teams up with Elad Shapiro/b and Adam Abrashoff/dr for an album that drips with smoky blues. The…
Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa: Black Coffee
Like all good women, vocalist Beth Hart brings out the best in guitarist Joe Bonamassa, and vice versa. Hart’s soulful and gritty voice reflects a hard won battle with life, and teamed with Joe B’s encyclopedic knowledge of the boogie-ing…
SHOB: Karma Obscur
Geoffrey “Shob” Neu is an electric guitarist that mixes hard driving funk with metal in a wide variety of settings. His heartbeat partner is drummer Morgan Berthet, but after that he rotates guitarists and keyboard with brass and vocals to…
Julian Lage: Modern Lore
Guitarist Julian Lage is a pilgrim on search of new musical lands. His albums of late have been intimate and personal conversations with a select group of friends. This time around, he picks up his Fender Telecaster and goes into…
YOU SHOULD BE DANCING! Bee Gees: One For All Tour Live In Australia 1989
Once upon a time, bands not only sang their songs, but they harmonized their vocals together. In this day of indie, grunge or loose jazz improv, this concert by the Bee Gees shows this talent to be a sadly lost…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Robert Hurst: Black Currant Jam
Robert Hurst plays both acoustic and electric bass while leading a flexible team of musicians and vocalists through his creative originals. The core unit of Nate Winn/dr, Ian Finkelstein/p-key, Rafael Statin/sax-woodwinds and Pepe Espinosa/perc are augmented by a rotating team…