John McLaughlin, Jaco Pastorius, Tony Williams. Those three names on the same album are enough to make any jazz or fusion fan take notice. Incarnated here as Trio of Doom, the three virtuosos played a short but fiery set at the 1979 Havana Jam festival in Cuba, followed by a brief recording session in New York the following week.
For a man who sings in 7 languages, one is surprised at how clearly his consistent passion comes alive. Manu Chao manages to instill all of his songs with a sense of purpose, whether extolling his far left politics, serenading a loved one in a back alley or pumping up the partying pogoing masses, the passion comes through to the listener, even if they do not comprehend the meaning of the words, they still comprehend.
With his new album Peter Case has come full circle. While Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John is not the same sharp turn as his eponymous 1986 album was (in contrast to the preceding rockin’ Plimsouls), the Californian’s first on the Yep Roc label does constitute a return to simplicity (not to mention a homage to roots) that’s refreshing in conception and execution.
Both indie and math rock can easily degenerate into dispassion on their own. Combining the two should increase that possibility exponentially, making Building the State's latest EP all the more remarkable.
his Meets That is as guitarist John Scofield describes, “real jazz music,” and he’s not exaggerating. With so many albums being tagged with some variation of the jazz label (acid, free, smooth), it is refreshing to hear an album that recalls the classic jazz greats: Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, and Chet Baker.
It’s perfectly appropriate Jorma Kaukonen writes the brief liner notes to this recently exhumed Jefferson Airplane concert recording. Sweeping Up the Spotlight documents Jefferson Airplane just as it was fracturing along the fault line that opened earlier in 1969 when the guitarist/vocalist/songwriter launched Hot Tuna with bassist Jack Casady.
On their third studio album, Mr. Patterson’s Hat (the title is a tribute to a local auto mechanic who haunts the local bars and music venues), Papa Grows Funk mostly does it right, displaying great respect for the musical traditions of the Crescent City, from funk to blues to R&B to jazz and beyond.
Country Mouse, City House draws on Josh Rouse's 70's vibe, and again, makes it work with Rouse’s signature vocals and steady rhythm. Melody has always king for the singer-songwriter from Nebraska, and this new effort doesn’t disappoint.
Retro orchestral pop makes up Clare and the Reasons’ debut release The Movie. Nestled under its throwback pulp movie poster cover design, the music has a light and scattered appeal to it.
When attempting to describe the HBO comedy cult hit Flight of the Conchords, the short answer is that it is Tenacious D for people who like Crowded House.
