Reviews

Kindred spirits pianist and composer Vijay Iyer and the iconic creative trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith have forged a telepathic and deeply spiritual connection through their three-plus decades of intermittent collaborations. Defiant Life is their second duo recording for ECM, following 2016’s A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke. Iyer states – “This recording session was conditioned […]

By the early 1970s, Joe Pass had already built a strong reputation as a jazz guitarist, but his career was nearly derailed by a long struggle with heroin addiction. After completing rehab at Synanon, he found a second wind, and Virtuoso was the perfect vehicle for his resurgence. Joe Pass’ “Virtuoso” is a landmark jazz […]

When Russ Lawton (drums), Ray Paczkowski (keys), and Scott Metzger (guitar)—collectively known as LaMP—piled into Ben Collette’s Tank Recording Studio in Burlington, VT, last summer, it was obvious they were going in with a genuine groupthink mindset.  “If there is a theme to this record, it might be the three of us”, Paczkowski states in the liner notes to the […]

Celia Cruz’s Tremendo caché is a brilliant showcase of the remarkable partnership between the legendary “Queen of Salsa” and visionary producer Johnny Pacheco. Their collaboration represents a pinnacle moment in salsa music, illustrating a dynamic partnership rooted in mutual respect and undeniable chemistry. Originally released in 1975, the album beautifully captures the synergy of Cruz’s […]

On March 14th, the Brant Bjork Trio offered an evening of pure stoner rock to a sold-out crowd at John & Peter’s in New Hope, Pennsylvania. Bjork’s name is synonymous with the Palm Desert Scene, and he tours in a formidable trio that includes Mario Lalli, bassist and co-founder of pioneering bands Yawning Man and […]

Across two decades, Russian Circles have evolved from a sinister math-rock outfit to a brutally efficient post-metal machine that’s finally selling out theaters across the world. Their headlining gig at Revolution Hall on Saturday, March 15th was one such show, and within the span of their first two tracks–“309” from their 2011 Empros, and “Harper […]

It’s been 20 years since emo outfit Armor for Sleep released their record What to Do When You Are Dead, so the NJ rockers have been touring to celebrate their fan-favorite concept album. The band made their return to a packed house in Detroit at St. Andrew’s Hall, with lead singer Ben Jorgensen fondly bantering […]

This past Friday, an unforgettable evening occurred in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, when the Infamous Stringdusters performed at XL Live, showcasing their distinctive spin on bluegrass music. Situated just south of Harrisburg, XL Live is a superb venue that provides the ideal environment for listening to music and enjoying the ambiance. From those who wanted to dance […]

For Coheed and Cambria’s eleventh album, the prog-rock veterans return to the Amory Wars saga while adding a new introspective flavor. All but one of the band’s albums are concept albums set during the fictional Amory Wars. This epic sci-fi storyline branches out into a series of novels and comic books by frontman Claudio Sanchez […]

Kim Deal, a figure synonymous with indie rock’s raw, unpolished heart, graced the stage on March 10th at Boston’s historic Wilbur Theater, showcasing her latest solo endeavor, Nobody Loves You More. This album, a testament to her enduring creativity, was crafted over a decade of meticulous refinement and deeply personal exploration. The concert, a journey […]

To mark the centennial of the birth of the “Queen of Salsa”, Celia Cruz, Craft Latino is celebrating by reissuing some her best-loved and most influential albums throughout 2025. The celebration kicks off with a reissue of Cruz’s North American solo debut Son con guaguancó. By the time Son con guaguancó was released in 1966, […]

Since the late 1990s, Jason Boland and his longtime band The Stragglers have blended elements of classic country, bluegrass, and Southern rock, never straying too far from the formula that allowed them to steadily build up a strong fanbase. They’ve also managed to ignore the various fads that have dominated popular country music radio. While […]

Bone Bells is the third collaboration between pianist Sylvie Courvoisier and electric guitarist Mary Halvorson, two kindred spirits who continue to evolve their collective sound. Courvoisier has now begun writing the duet pieces specifically with Halvorson in mind.  As in their previous works, this is clearly a split effort as the pianist composed four pieces […]

In recent years, Nels Cline’s albums on Blue Note have run the gamut from the lush, orchestrated romanticism of the expansive double-CD set Lovers of 2016 to the bristling interactions by his quartet on Currents, Constellations two years later. And the often other-worldly sounds of the Nels Cline Singers’ Share The Wealth are something else altogether.  Now, as befits […]

The newest release from ZZ Ward, Liberation, finds the songstress rediscovering her love of the blues and delivering a stirring effort. Judging by the title and lyrical themes, Ward feels free of preconceived notions and makes her own musical choices for this record, becoming a blues artist on her terms.  Working with producer and multi-instrumentalist […]

In the early ‘80s through the late ‘90s, the British label Creation Records helped usher in a slew of new music genres thanks to their signings – from shoegaze (My Bloody Valentine, Jesus And Mary Chain, Ride) to Brit Pop (Oasis, Super Furry Animals) and just about every rock subgenre in between. One of their […]

A decade into his career, Charley Crockett’s music still sounds like it comes from a wholesome, warm place. While his music has expanded to touch on American traditions such as blues, gospel, and folk, the artist’s underlying love for traditional storytelling and classic country scenes continually give his music a familial feeling. His prolific release […]

Singer/songwriter Neal Francis manipulates time in more ways than one. His nostalgic yet refreshing approach to pop fusion harkens back to the heyday of soul and disco, and he takes his time crafting these albums. The deep grooves Francis implements into his music feel timeless upon first listen, allowing the artist to take his time […]

With over fifty years under their collective belts, no one could blame bluegrass mainstays The Seldom Scene for resting on their laurels and taking it easy. After all, the Bethesda, Maryland, area quintet has claimed authorship to an iconic discography consisting of over two dozen releases and has been an influential presence throughout the country’s […]

Talking about a festival’s weather is about as cliché as it gets—something we’ve read a thousand times and probably could do without. But when a city goes nine months without significant rain, and then a storm rolls in during a festival weekend, maybe that’s worth mentioning. Such was the case at the M3F Festival in […]