Album Reviews

The North Mississippi Allstars’ Up And Rolling is a decidedly tighter and more focused piece of work than their last two albums. World Boogie Is Coming and Prayer for Peace found siblings Luther and Cody Dickinson collaborating much more informally than not with a broad aggregation of musicians and singers and while the level of […]

With now six solo albums to her credit, aside from her huge popularity in the UK, and in her home base region of Philadelphia, it’s fair to say that Lizanne Knott might still be an “emerging artist” in Americana terminology for national recognition. Her Bones and Gravity should go a long way in cementing her […]

Kelsey Waldon leverages the success of her prior acclaimed album I’ve Got a Way to this new, even more, personal effort, White Noise/White Lines, her debut and the first artist signing for John Prine’s Oh Boy label in fifteen years. Waldon, of course, hails from one of this country’s most uniquely named towns, Monkey’s Eyebrow, […]

The title of songstress Alexa Rose’s debut album is the song that won her the acclaimed songwriting competition at Merlefest in 2019. Much is made of her Appalachian roots, but the most unique aspect of her debut is the intersection of mountain music with Memphis rock n’ roll. Through Rose’s association with Tim Duffy 0 […]

Canadian duo from rural Saskatchewan, second cousins Clayton Linthicum and Kacy Anderson, are releasing their sixth album, Carrying On, their second consecutive effort with Jeff Tweedy producing.  Like its predecessor, Sirens, the duo has moved away from the minimalist style of their early records with a fuller band sound. Both Clayton and Kacy sing and […]

Too much is made of the distinction between various genres, especially by writers like this one.  Musicians often have a much broader view and cross lines rather seamlessly. The late Wendell Holmes of the blues outfit The Holmes Brothers once related, “country is our favorite music because they tell the best stories there.” Think back […]

Detroit has long been known as Rock City. And with good reason. With artists like MC5, Bob Seger, and others, Detroit has certainly birthed a fair amount of rock and roll into the world. Carrying on that tradition is Bison Machine with the new album Seas of Titan. This album is such an ode to […]

As we’re about to write this review, the news feed indicates that Trigger Hippy drummer Steve Gorman will appear on Late Night With Seth Myers to play with the house band from October 7 -10. The buzz has begun, or better said, is already well underway. Gorman’s Hard to Handle: The Life and Death of […]

Put aside any notions of the harmonica not being a legitimate jazz instrument. Put aside any notion that a genuine jazz organ trio must have a horn that’s a sax or trumpet. And, put aside any idea that a harmonica only belongs in the hands of blues players. Recalling the mastery of jazz harmonica great […]

The pairing of San Francisco-based guitarist Ripley Johnson (Wooden Shjips) and keyboardist Sanae Yamada resulted in hard psychedelic rock riffs and saturated guitars when the form Moon Duo in 2009. While their debut full-length LP, Mazes, has the feel of modern psych-rock, albeit with a drum machine, it doesn’t take long for the band to […]

The presence of keyboardist Jeff Lorber, makes many, including this writer, a bit wary of a smooth jazz offering. Even after the first couple of tracks that wariness remains but soon dissolves away due to the edgy playing of mostly guitarist Mike Stern who sets a fiery direction that Lorber follows and, at times, flourishes. […]

Singer-songwriter Michaela Anne is an emerging artist who is sure to garner plenty of accolades at the 2019 Americana Music Fest and for this Yep Roc debut, Desert Dove, which follows up her acclaimed Bright Lights and the Fame. Michaela Anne leans country and brings a classic honky-tonk vibe, but more often her pristine voice, […]

In his short professional life, Billy Strings has proven he is aptly named, becoming a must-see live act by twisting upbeat bluegrass and acoustic Americana into expansive excursions. Now comes his second full-length studio record (following 2017’s debut Turmoil and Tinfoil) titled Home and while there are a few excessive passages, Strings rings true.  The mix […]

The debate about the value and quality of “lost” jazz albums in recent years rages on. This writer has covered John Coltrane’s Both Directions at Once (1963), Mingus Live  in Detroit (1973),  Monk in Copenhagen (1963) and Getz at the Gate (1961), all on these pages and all of which are worthy because respectively :it  […]

There’s no way that master conguero Poncho Sanchez knew that a recently discovered, unreleased John Coltrane album would hit the streets on the same day of his tribute to the saxophone icon. He did time it to coincide with the late icon’s 93rd birthday, however. Nonetheless, we’re blessed to hear Coltrane, or versions thereof, at […]

Bright Dog Red (BDR) is an improvising collective from Albany, NY that fuses free improvisation, electronica, jazz, hip hop, psychedelia, noise, and whatever else strikes their fancy. This is their second release for Ropeadope, a label that specializes in these kinds of creative ensembles. The band was founded by drummer and composer Joe Pignato, a […]

Farm Aid has hosted their yearly festival for 34 years and still counting. It is the granddaddy of fund-raising concerts and the event is much like a family reunion and this year the family consisted of 30,000 people. Many of those people have been returning to the event every year. The rain showers did not […]

While most may know songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist John Calvin Abney in a producer or sideman role, he does make solo albums too. Safe Passage is his follow-up to 2018’s Coyote which dealt with external tragedies. This one is more inward-oriented as Abney tries to find the balance between the joy of making music and […]

16 years since their last studio album –Vida Blue is back with the funky Crossing Lines. The original trio of keyboardist/bandleader Page McConnell, bassist Oteil Burbridge and drummer Russell Batiste welcome Adam Zimmon (Shakira, Ziggy Marley) on guitar to the party for this side project get-down. Legendary in the jam community as individuals, when they […]

Minneapolis may not be associated with funk and soul the way Chicago is with the blues, but it did give us Prince. Now, following in the footsteps of Prince, is Nooky Jones with a new EP called Like Candy. With this EP, the band wanted to capture the energy and soul of its live shows. […]