For those unaware, Sam Rivers 100 a celebration of Sam Rivers music for his 100th birthday by the Mark Masters Ensemble featuring Billy Harper (out June 6th, 2025 via Capri Records), and where Masters has arranged 11 tracks from Rivers classic Blue Note sessions.

Sam Rivers 100 grew out of a series of performances in late 2023 to celebrate what would have been Rivers’ 100th birthday on September 25th. Masters was drawn to Rivers’ earlier, mid-’60s work for Blue Note Records, in particular the saxophonist’s classic 1964 debut, Fuchsia Swing Song.

He arranged all six of the album’s tracks for Sam Rivers 100, which comprise more than half of its 11 pieces. I’ve been a fan of Sam Rivers for many years, Masters says. The idea for arranging his music was born almost 20 years ago, when Masters brought Rivers, then in his early 80s, and his trio to Claremont McKenna College as part of a series produced by the American Jazz Institute.

I was intrigued by how different Sam’s approach to music was at different times of his career. I was attracted to his music and was determined to do something with it eventually.

In thinking about a guest soloist to join the Ensemble for the tribute, Masters quickly decided on Billy Harper. Though he is 20 years Rivers’ junior, Harper’s career and wide-ranging approach to the instrument overlapped inspiringly with the elder tenor master. He was the building blocks of jazz music, Harper told Orlando Weekly in a preview of the concerts. He’s the stepping stone to go to the next place.

1. Fuchsia Swing Song
2. Cyclic Episode
3. Helix
4. Parts Of Speech
5. Point Of Many Returns
6. Beatrice
7. Downstairs Blues Upstairs
8. Calls Of The Wild
9. Paean
10. Ellipsis
11. Luminous Monolith

This beautifully crafted new recording opens on the swingingly impassioned Fuchsia Swing Song and the richly textured Cyclic Episode and then we get the sumptuously embroidered Helix, a rather defined Parts Of Speech, with a breathtakingly heartfelt Point Of Many Returns up next.

We are then brought forth the graciously-sculpted Beatrice and the melodious Downstairs Blues Upstairs and they are in turn backed by some gloriously rhythmic denotations within Calls Of The Wild, the all-embracing Paean, the set rounding out on the gloriously indulgent Ellipsis, closing on the simply heavenly Luminous Monolith.

Official Purchase Link

For those unaware, Transcendence, the trio comprised of pianist-keyboardist Bob Gluck, electric bassist Christopher Dean Sulivan and drummer Karl Latham, pays tribute to the songs of the jazz great Pat Metheny on their brand new album aptly-entitled Music Of Pat Metheny (out via FMR Records on July 1st, 2025).

In its collective interplay and expansive approach, the trio seeks to capture the emotional depth and storytelling inherent in Pat Metheny’s compositions - from lyricism and fragility to playfulness and explosiveness - while considering new possibilities and directions.

What super charges the performance is each musician’s ability to listen, respond, and truly make music together.

Pianist/keyboardist Gluck brings his gift at balancing improvisational freedom with attention to musical structure, while bassist Christopher Dean Sullivan’s deep, resonant bass sound provides a solid foundation while crafting intricate, melodic bass lines.

Karl Latham is a drummer’s drummer, rhythmically complex, precise, and creative. Latham’s approach is dynamic and responsive, employing a diverse sound pallet to shapeshift and respond to changing musical moods and levels of intensity.

1. “Question & Answer”
2. “Afternoon”
3. “The Bat”
4. “Offramp”
5. “Dolphin Dance”
6. “Everything that Lives Laments”
7. “Roof Dogs”

Seeking to capture the emotional depth and storytelling inherent in Pat Metheny’s compositions, this emotively enraptured new recording opens on the veritably glistening work of musical art “Question & Answer” and then we get the playfully flirtatious “Afternoon” and the organically emboldened “The Bat.”

Along next is the sonically-sculpted dreamweaver of “Offramp” which is in turn backed seamlessly by the fluidly elegant “Dolphin Dance,” the set rounding out on the harmonically structured “Everything that Lives Laments,” coming to a close on the statically-imbibed art-jazz that propels “Roof Dogs”

The “Transcendence” sessions also represented an exploratory laboratory for the writing of pianist Bob Gluck’s new book, “Pat Metheny: Stories beyond Words” (University of Chicago Press, 2024). The two projects, one sonic and the other written text, fed one another.

This recording was thus informed by insight gained in the study of Pat Metheny and his music, while the book was informed by the unparalleled experience that gave birth to this exciting trio and its first album.

Official Purchase Link

Official Transcendence Website

For those unaware, Glenn Dickson and Bob Familiar layer clarinet and synths to achieve a lush, orchestral sound that’s also human and intimate. The tracks, recorded live with no overdubs, become immersive soundscapes unfolding with sophisticated development and sensitivity.

Available May 30th, 2025, their brand new album All the Light of Our Sphere (via the Sounds Familiar label) brings a fresh approach with melodic improvisation, harmonic movement and compelling story arcs.

So, what happens when a cutting-edge klezmer artist and a former rock musician come together to make music? The extraordinary electro-acoustic sound showcased on All the Light of Our Sphere is the answer, my friends.

All the Light of Our Sphere layers clarinet and synths to achieve a lush, orchestral sound that’s also human and intimate. The tracks, recorded live with no overdubs, beat tracks or midi timers, become immersive soundscapes unfolding with sophisticated development and sensitivity.

1. When fortune laid the Trojans low
2. Words set free from doubt
3. Just one inch in a hundred years
4. It haunts me still
5. Sweet seed from bitter fruit
6. Pretending she was someone else
7. All the light of our sphere
8. When the mist thins
9. And even yours is mine

Seeking to capture the emotional depth and storytelling inherent in Pat Metheny’s compositions, this emotive soundscape opens on the atmospherically enriched When fortune laid the Trojans low and then brings us the expansively shimmering Words set free from doubt and the thoughtfully emboldened Just one inch in a hundred years.

Along next on this compositionally ambient, and highly impassioned album is the hauntingly ethereal It haunts me still which is itself followed by an aching yearn that lovingly threads through Sweet seed from bitter fruit, the atmospherically inspective Pretending she was someone else, the organically-hued title track All the light of our sphere, the set rounding out on the delicately confident When the mist thins, closing on the reflective And even yours is mine.

Official Purchase Link

www.glenndicksonmusic.com

Glenn Dickson @ Facebook

For those unaware, Americana artist Janie Barnett has long nurtured the dream of ushering Cole Porter’s songs of lust and longing into a roots music setting.

These sultry arrangements, which can be performed with 3-6 musicians, can shine in a vibe-full club setting, a city winery, or a Performing Arts Center, and is available for licensing to film and television projects.

Virginia native Janie Barnett has had a long run as a top NY session singer. Her freelance credits include Bonne Raitt, Linda Rondstadt, and Rickie Lee Jones, as well as numerous film and tv credits. As a teen, she cut her teeth on bluegrass festivals and church coffeehouses.

And at the American Folklife Festival she was exposed to and sat in with artists playing folk, spirituals, zydeco, bluegrass, pop and jazz. Barnett’s love affair with hybrid music forms began in this setting. She has released several albums of original music, while an in-demand freelance singer, producer, and performing artist.

Here on Under My Skin: Reimagining Cole Porter, the Cole Porter songbook is packed with love, divine sexual innuendo, wit and wisdom. Barnett has taken these exotic, quixotic and downright folksy songs and set them spinning in a hybrid Americana/Jazz landscape. The fiddle, the banjo, the old Gibson, the upright piano, the upright bass. And the dobro…that’s the longing right there.

1. I’ve Got You Under My Skin
2. Night and Day
3. In The Still of The Night
4. Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye
5. You Do Something to Me
6. True Love
7 Begin the Beguine
8. Mind If I Make Love to You
9. From This Moment On
10. You’re the Top
11. I Concentrate on You
12. So In Love
13. You Do Something to Me (Live Version)
14. You’d Be So Easy To Love
15. After You. Who?
16. Do I Love You

This expertly sculpted and dutifully heartfelt new recording opens on a sultry, breathy I’ve Got You Under My Skin, the impassioned Night and Day, an aching yearn that threads throughout In The Still of The Night and the playful Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye, and they are followed by the emboldened You Do Something to Me, the delightful duet True Love, the beautiful Begin the Beguine, and then the veritably shimmering Mind If I Make Love to You is brought forth.

Along next is her sweet Americana twist on From This Moment On, the gentle dance floor swirl of You’re the Top and the doleful duet I Concentrate on You and they are in turn backed by the serene balladry of So In Love, a spirited live version of You Do Something to Me, the set coming to a close on the atmospherically-hued You’d Be So Easy To Love, the absorbent gossamer of After You. Who? and an admirable stillness is then shown within Do I Love You.

Janie Barnett - I’ve Got You Under My Skin [Official Video]

www.janiebarnett.com

For those unaware, what happens when the finest Latin jazz musicians in the Boston area get together to play Ricardo Monzon’s arrangements of eight new melodic compositions? Dia Precioso!, of course!

Dia Precioso! is a mix of Afro-Cuban rhythms, sambas, and tango, and is Ron Rider’s second recording. These eight songs are the result of a year-long collaboration with Producer/Arranger Ricardo Monzon, whose arrangements rely on rich harmonies and novel rhythms to unlock the uplifting nature of each composition.

The intent of this recording is to transport you to a place where every day is a beautiful day. We can only believe that it is Rieder’s sincerest hope that the fruits of their labor will both delight our ears and make our body want to move! [P.S. It most certainly does!]

1. Blue Skies (4:13)
2. Beautiful Day (4:09)
3. I Fell into a Meme (4:23)
4. Dizzy Hechizo (4:08)
5. Birthday Song (3:19)
6. Danca Festiva (3:50)
7. Funday (5:04)
8. Volver a Amar (3:39)

This magnificently sculpted, wholly emotive new recording opens on the fervently driven Blue Skies and then brings us the free flowing hipsway of Beautiful Day, the spirited I Fell into a Meme and the exuberant Dizzy Hechizo.

Along next are the joyful dance floor swirls and twirls of Birthday Song and that is in turn backed by the propulsive nature of Danca Festiva, the set rounding out on the mid-tempo Funday, coming to a close on the languishing balladry of Volver a Amar.

Official Purchase Link

Volver a Amar (To Love Again) - Official Music Video

For those unaware, Madre Vaca Records is a home base for creative music. From ancient songs to psychedelic rock operas and free jazz adventures, the music they support ventures deep into the forest of musical exploration.

They champion improvisational music, original composition, and unusual arrangements that bend their expectations of what music can be. They make warm, high-fidelity recordings that combine adventurous performance with striking composition and improvisation.

Thus Madre Vaca is their homegrown ensemble, a collective of wizard musicians. Out of sound, they weave fantasies, nightmares, seductions and hallucinations. Listen at your own risk!

Their brand new album is entitled Yukon and which showcases the band performing originals ranging from infectious fusion to adventurous post-bop. The quartet features inventive solos from guitarist Jarrett Carter and keyboardist Jonah Pierre with additional grooves provided by bassist Thomas Milovac and drummer Benjamin Shorstein.

1. Blue Bird (3:52)
2. Portraits of a Swan (6:20)
3. Yukon (3:52)
4. Dormant 07:17)
5. They Say (6:15)
6. Slab City (3:40)
7. Titan’s Folly (6:39)
8. Tangle Talk (4:38)

This dutifully impassioned and vibrantly cooking new recording opens on the fervent finger-snapper Blue Bird and then brings us the dulcetly-hued ambiance of Portraits of a Swan, the emotively laid-back title track Yukon and then we get brought forth the melodious Dormant.

Along next is the more stridently confident rhythms within They Say and that is in turn backed by the smoothly funky guitar piece Slab City, the set rounding out on the low slung, at times jauntily stoic piano balladry of Titan’s Folly, it all coming to a close on the fun and upbeat Tangle Talk.

Musicians:
Jarrett Carter - Guitar
Jonah Pierre - Piano and Keyboards
Thomas Milovac - Bass
Benjamin Shorstein - Drums

Official Purchase Link

www.madrevaca.org

In the late 1970s, disco and hard rock ruled the charts and there was seemingly no room for a fresh unique sound. Enter Christopher Cross and his now classic self-titled first album.

Originally from San Antonio, TX, and known as an exceptional guitar player besides being a tremendous songwriting talent, Christopher Cross was released in the last month of the 1970s and its first single “Ride Like The Wind,” with the ubiquitous Michael McDonald on backing vocals, began a five-plus month run on the Billboard Hot 100 in February, peaking at #2 in April of 1980.

Produced by frequent Steely Dan-sideman Michael Omartian, the sounds on this album put “soft rock” (or what much later became known as “yacht rock”) high upon the charts. Cross’ debut album spawned four Top 20 hits including “Never Be The Same” (#15), “Say You’ll Be Mine,” with Nicolette Larson on background vocals (#20), and the #1 smash “Sailing” which was awarded both Record and Song of the Year Grammys.

The album went 5x Platinum On February 25, 1981, Christopher Cross achieved something no one had ever done before at the music industry’s annual gathering to recognize the best in music, the 23rd Annual Grammy Awards. Cross swept the “Big Four” awards which included not only Best Record and Best Song, but also Best Album and Best New Artist. In total, Cross and his stellar debut album collected five of the six Grammys for which they were nominated.

Over 45 years after this unprecedented achievement, Omnivore Recordings is proud to release an expanded edition of Christopher Cross. In addition to the Bernie Grundman mastered original album, this deluxe edition includes 11 extra tracks, including seven previously unissued demos from the original recording sessions painstakingly restored by multi-Grammy Award winning engineer Michael Graves.

The collection also includes Japanese-only A-Side, three songs never issued before — “What Am I Supposed To Believe,” “Smiles Of Angels” and “Passengers,” demos of classic album tracks, and new liner notes by music journalist (Crawdaddy, Billboard, Rolling Stone, Creem, etc.), Gene Sculatti who also served as the editorial director at Warner Bros. Records. His notes are informed by a fresh interview with the album’s producer, Michael Omartian.

1. Say You’ll Be Mine
2. I Really Don’t Know Anymore
3. Spinning
4. Never Be The Same
5. Poor Shirley
6. Ride Like The Wind
7. The Light Is On
8. Sailing
9. Minstrel Gigolo

What I remember the most about this CC album was the fact that it beat Pink Floyd’s The Wall to Album of the Year at the Grammys that year, a huge upset at the time. That fact, along with soft rock not being everyone’s cup of tea, has led to this album’s overall reputation not really reflecting how good it truly is, in my humble opinion.

To be honest, it really is one of the best soft rock albums I’ve ever heard, with songwriting, arrangements and musicianship being very consistent, throughout both the singles and the album tracks. This solidity makes a lot more sense when you consider who performed on the album; session legends such as Michael Omartian (who produces), Jay Graydon and Lenny Castro, along with well-known backing vocalists such as Michael McDonald and even Don Henley.

The latter pair, along with an ensemble cast of backing singers, provide some pretty amazing harmonies that create a unique atmosphere for the songs. Melodically, these songs are very memorable, with every song’s music and lyrics setting the stage for further enhancement, courtesy of tidy arrangements and neat production touches.

While the singles were chosen well, as the review states it is one of those albums where the standard never particularly dips. As a vocalist, Cross is not a virtuoso, but it has to be said that his voice was a great fit for this style of music, especially the slower songs like Sailing.

Another perk is that rather than being completely dominated by synth ballads, it does feature a relatively wide range of instrumentation, with strings, brass and prominent electric guitar solos being used to flesh out some of the songs.

In closing, and with regard the original album, it always comes up on those least deserving winners lists, but don’t let that put you off. As soft rock goes, it’s consistent, rich, full of flavor and an all-round winner (and not just in my book, trust me).

Bonus Tracks:
10. Mary Ann 11. Say You’ll Be Mine (Demo) 12. I Really Don’t Know Anymore (Demo) 13. Parade (Demo)* 14. Smiles Of Angels (Demo) 15. What Am I Supposed To Believe (Demo) 16. Ride Like The Wind (Demo)* 17. The Light Is On (Demo) 18. Passengers (Demo) 19. Say Goodbye To Mary Ann (Demo) 20. Sailing (Demo)*

Bonus Tracks previously unissued except *

Christopher Cross is a classic album that has truly stood the test of time. Now fans can explore the development of the album for the first time with the expanded edition of this towering musical achievement.

Official Purchase Link

www.christophercross.com

Pearl Harbor & the Explosions formed in 1978 during the same San Francisco punk rock/new wave uprising that brought forth Romeo Void, Dead Kennedys, the Avengers, the Mutants, the Units, Tuxedomoon, and many others.

However, Pearl Harbor & the Explosions were more tuneful and melodic than their brethren, taking cues from local pop/rock group the Tubes with whom singer Pearl E. Gates had gotten her start as a backup singer and dancer. When Gates was recruited from the Tubes to join Jane Dornacker in her band Leila and the Snakes, she met brothers Hilary and John Hanes (who billed themselves with the surname “Stench”).

After 18 months, the trio decided to split from the Snakes and go in their own direction. Pearl (vocals, percussion), Hilary (bass, vocals) and John (drums, vocals) recruited guitarist Peter Dunne (stage name “Peter Bilt”) and Pearl Harbor & the Explosions were born.

Based on the success of debut single “Drivin’” — which sold 10,000 copies for the fledgling 415 Records — Pearl Harbor & the Explosions were quickly signed by Warner Bros. Records. The band name “The Explosions” and Pearl’s name switch from Gates to “Harbor” were done in the spirit of the punk rock times during which they were working.

The group’s self-titled debut album was an early production by David Kahne, who went on to work with the Bangles, Tony Bennett, and Paul McCartney, among many others. For historical perspective, Pearl Harbor & the Explosions was released at the start of January 1980, during the same month that the world learned the name Chrissie Hynde with the arrival of The Pretenders’ debut album.

In addition to “Drivin’,” Pearl Harbor & the Explosions’ debut featured eight tracks that presented a unique blend of pop, R&B, rockabilly, jazz, and new wave energy. The jangly pop-rocker “You Got It (Release It)” was another spirited track that won favor at radio.

After a year on the road, Gates was feeling disenchanted by the direction of the band, with Bilt and the Stench Brothers wanting to go in a more “jazz fusion” direction. Much to the displeasure of Warner Bros., she decided to take a walk.

Gates, who is now in remission after a cancer diagnosis, enjoyed last year’s promotion for Don’t Follow Me, I’m Lost Too, and is eager to share her memories of Pearl Harbor & the Explosions. Liberation Hall will be releasing the same tracklist of the album that was reissued in 2019 by Blixa Sounds — including live covers of Ron Wood’s “I Can Feel the Fire,” Nick Lowe’s “Let’s Eat,” and Joe Bennett & the Sparkletones’ “Black Slacks” — but is now out of print.

The CD, vinyl LP and download all feature rare photography from Pearl’s archive alongside a liner notes essay by author and former San Francisco Chronicle music columnist Joel Selvin. Longtime fans of the band might be surprised by the album cover. Liberation Hall’s new package will feature the original UK album jacket, which is a colorful photo of the band, rather than Warners’ stateside 1980 design of an orange logo against a black background.

1. Drivin’ [4:39]
2. You Got It (Release It) [2:32]
3. Don’t Come Back [3:34]
4. Keep Going [3:24]
5. Shut Up and Dance [4:05]
6. The Big One [4:10]
7. So Much for Love [3:03]
8. Get a Grip on Yourself [3:34]
9. Up and Over [5:56]
10. Busy Little B-Side [3:03]
11. Drivin’ (415 Single Version) [4:18]
12. Release It (415 Single Version) [2:32]
13. Let’s Eat (Live 1979) [3:06]
14. Black Slacks (Live 1979) [2:00]
15. I Can Feel The Fire (Live 1979) [5:23]
16. 1979 Radio Spot [1:03]

This incredible flashback to an era that seemingly couldn’t put a musical foot wrong, opens on the jaunty pop-licious Drivin’ and the alt-pop beauty You Got It (Release It) and then we get the funky guitar piece Don’t Come Back, the mid-tempo rocker Keep Going, the vibrantly fun Shut Up and Dance, the soulful The Big One and both the rhythmic So Much for Love and the melodious Get a Grip on Yourself.

Along next is the funky grooved rock of Up and Over and the aptly-named Busy Little B-Side and they are in turned backed by another cut of Drivin’ (415 Single Version), the free flowing AOR of Release It (415 Single Version), then we get some live from The Tenderloin in 1979 tracks: the propulsive Let’s Eat, the alt-rockabilly vibe of Black Slacks and the guitar-tastic I Can Feel The Fire, the expanded version closing on a rousing 1979 Radio Spot.

Musicians:
Pearl E. Gates-Vocals/Percussion
Peter Bilt-Guitars/Vocals
Hilary Stench-Bass/Vocals
John Stench-Drums/Percussion

Translator got their start in Los Angeles as in 1979 but there wasn’t a convenient label for the music they made. Quickly finding themselves disillusioned with the L.A. music scene, the foursome moved to San Francisco. There, Translator built a fan base, made lots of friends, and landed a record deal with local indie label 415 Records.

Within weeks of signing, Translator found themselves part of the big-time music business: 415 had inked a distribution deal with Columbia. 1982’s Heartbeats and Triggers benefited (at least a little) from the promotional muscle of the major label. But the album and its emotionally-charged single, Everywhere That I’m Not had the goods to succeed with or without Columbia’s help. The song became popular on the burgeoning college radio circuit.

Each successive Translator album built upon and expanded their sound. The band toured widely, landing an opening spot on a Kinks tour, but sales figures didn’t follow the same trajectory. And there wasn’t much in terms of industry support for the band.

Near the end of the tour in support of their 4th album, the four band members came to the collective realization that Translator had reached the end of the road. They had decided that this would be the end and decided to go out with a bang, scheduling a hometown show to reward their ardent fan base with a show at The Farm in San Francisco on July 12th, 1986.

The band reunited in the 2000s and have recorded 2 new songs that are available as bonus tracks on the CD and digital albums. They are actively promoting this release through interviews and live dates.

1. Beyond Today
2. Necessary Spinning
3. Everywhere
4. Nothing Is Saving Me
5. Gravity
6. Standing In Line
7. Drum Solo/Puzzles/Favorite Drug
8. O Lazurus
9. New Song
10. These Old Days
11. Everywhere That I’m Not
12. Roll Over Beethoven
13. These Days To Come
14. With Your Dreams

This fantastic live flashback to a time in their lives where everything was coming to an end, but due to their music being adored by thousands of devoted fans all around the world they wanted to give everyone one last roll of their musical dice, opens on the grainy alt-rock of Beyond Today, some searing guitar work of Necessary Spinning and the psych-imbibed Everywhere and then we get the cranking Nothing Is Saving Me, the early-90’s jangle of Gravity and both the harmonica-driven jam of Standing In Line and after a drum solo, the rhythmic rocking sounds of Puzzles/Favorite Drug.

Along next is the melodic mid-tempo rocker O Lazurus, the rambunctious New Song and the crashing alt-pop hued These Old Days and they are in turn backed seamlessly by the low slung indie sound of Everywhere That I’m Not, an absolutely blistering Roll Over Beethoven, the set coming to a close with the brilliantly fluid These Days To Come and the R.E.M.-esque With Your Dreams.

Celebrating their 35th Anniversary in 2025, Leftover Salmon reaffirms their status as the most legendary of the bluegrass-rooted jam bands with their new studio album, Let’s Party About It.

Once again recording at Compass Sound Studio (formerly Glaser Sound Studio, aka “Hillbilly Central” and the birthplace of Outlaw Country), the band is joined by special guests Sam Bush (fiddle, mandolin), Jason Carter (fiddle), Jeff Coffin (saxophone), and more.

For those unaware, Leftover Salmon holds an iconic place in the legacy of jam bands, emerging as one of the genre’s first pioneers with a unique blend of bluegrass, rock, and improvisational jams. Formed in the late 1980s in Boulder, Colorado, their sound combined the traditional roots of bluegrass with elements of folk, rock, Cajun, and jazz, in the process creating a dynamic and energetic style that pushed the boundaries of both bluegrass and jam-grass.

Leftover Salmon influenced a generation of musicians with their eclectic approach and dedication to live, spontaneous music-making, earning a legacy as one of the genre’s foundational acts for defining the spirit of improvisational music and community connection.

1. Big Wheel [2:53]
2. Twisted Pine (feat. Del McCoury) [4:19]
3. Good Dog [5:03]
4. Salmon Scales [3:43]
5. Shine On [3:37]
6. Let’s Party About It [2:59]
7. River Takes Me [3:47]
8. Mud Season [3:33]
9. Redbird [2:52]
10. Storms [4:04]
11. Gettin’ It Done [3:37]

Recorded by Matt Coles and Joel McKinney at Compass Sound Studio, Nashville, TN, November 10th-13th, 2024, this resoundingly impassioned new recording opens on the fervent bluegrass rock of Big Wheel and then brings us the languishing folk and fiddle Twisted Pine (featuring American bluegrass musician Del McCoury), the funky blues of Good Dog, the banjo-driven Salmon Scales, before the low slung Shine On is brought forth.

Up next is one of my own personal favorites the rhythmically succulent titular Let’s Party About It and that is then backed seamlessly by an aching yearn that threads through River Takes Me, the countrified Mud Season and the upbeat and enjoyable romp Redbird, the set rounding out on the New Orleans-hued Storms, closing on the impassioned blues rock of Gettin’ It Done.

Official Amazon Purchase Link

Formed in 2014, Frolic has enjoyed a substantial rise in popularity in recent years – sharing the stage with Suicidal Tendencies, Death Angel, Possessed, Forbidden, Biohazard, Eyehategod, Warbringer, Goatwhore, Hatriot, Bewitcher, Mordred, Blind Illusion, Hellfire, and many more.

Lead singer and guitarist Edgar Sanchez shares: “One of the most epic times of our lives, careers, and for the band itself. That performance is now forever cemented for all to witness. We are excited to share this live album with everyone.”

Drummer Elijah Post adds: “We’re very thankful to Death Angel and Forbidden for giving us the opportunity to show the world that Bay Area Thrash lives on in today’s underground. For 2025, we have plans to record a second studio album and go on tour. We’re just getting started.”

1. Upon What’s Left of Me [4:08]
2. Destroy The Throne [6:35]
3. Nebula Force Field [7:18]
4. A Lesson In Violence [3:36]
5. Fusion of Spirits [8:15]

This musical tour de force from one of the Bay Area’s finest Frolic - one fueled by a love of many of the styles of today’s underground metal landscape, such as death, trad and black metal and even progressive rock and beyond - opens on the thrash metal force that drives Upon What’s Left of Me and that is then backed seamlessly by the black metal of Destroy The Throne, the propellent fan favorite Nebula Force Field, then we get the Bay Area thrash metal gem A Lesson In Violence, this brilliantly authentic live set closing out on the rhythmical shredding-style and heavy metal-imbibed eruption that becomes Fusion of Spirits.

Frolic: Live At The Great American Music Hall was produced using high-fidelity multi-channel audio captured directly from the soundboard by front-of-house engineer Ivan Garcia and mixed and mastered by Andrew Peacock.

Musicians:
Edgar Sanchez (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
Lenny “Real Steel” Ramirez (Guitar, Backing Vocals)
Zak Kufeld (Bass, Backing Vocals)
Elijah Post (Drums)

FROLIC - LIVE AT THE GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC HALL [Official Music Video]

Official Amazon Purchase Link

For those unaware, Southern California singer/songwriter Tom Ciurczak (Sir-Zak) offers up an infectious blend of energetic rhythms, danceable beats and powerful storytelling lyrics that make you think you are listening to a crossbreed of Bruce Springsteen, Warren Zevon and Steve Earle, complete with Eagles-esque harmonies and hook-laden Eric Clapton style guitar work.

Brought up to appreciate the intricacies of music by his father, a professional musician at the Military Academy of West Point, Tom learned, early on, about music’s complex and distinct sounds and rhythms as well as the imagery that great storytelling can evoke.

Now Americana Singer-Songwriter Tom Ciurczak is releasing two music videos in advance and simultaneously with his brand new album, “Yorick” out June 27th, 2025.

Click here to watch the first music video and single “The Watcher”, which is the story of an alien dropped off and abandoned on earth thousands of years ago and his attempts throughout earth’s evolution to get noticed and picked back up again.

“Top Of The Rainbow” is a R&B lament, complete with horns, and will be available as a music video on May 23rd, 2025.

On June 27th, 2025, the video, “Yorick,” which is currently being edited, will be released as will the album, also called “Yorick.” The title track is Tom’s story of the skull of Yorick, the court jester in Hamlet may have come from.

1. The Watcher
2. Wild One
3. Yorick
4. You’re Next
5. Where Do I Belong
6. Chameleon
7. Top Of The Rainbow
8. A.L.T.O.W.D.
9. Malleus Maleficarum
10. Am I M.I.A.

On an album that celebrates the artform of storytelling as beautiful, and as dutifully impassioned as you could only have wished for, this boisterously-personal new recording opens on the guitar wrangling rocker The Watcher and the Springstein-esque, yet Steppenwolf-inspired Wild One (which pays tribute to one of his friends that didn’t survive youth), the languishing balladry of the titular Yorick (as noted, his story of the skull of Yorick, the court jester in Hamlet may have come from), and then we get both the alt-rock styled, euphorically-challenging rock of You’re Next (inspired by the Who, Rage Against the Machine, and Martin Niemöller’s poem, First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak because I was not a socialist) and the rousing Where Do I Belong (which focuses on the homeless crisis).

Along next is the gritty rocker Chameleon (about a private eye and master of disguise written as a theme for a fictitious TV Show) and the low-slung R&B-drizzled ballad Top Of The Rainbow and they are in turn backed seamlessly by the silky harmonica-imbibed storytelling of A.L.T.O.W.D. (the Billy Joel-inspired track that is short for “Another Long Typical Ordinary Working Day,” which is an introduction to someone in the Afghanistan heroin trade, who we later find out is a C.I.A. agent!), the emotively foot to the floor rocker Malleus Maleficarum (which means “The Witches’ Hammer” offers parallels with the people of Ukraine fleeing the destruction from the war), the set coming to an all too soon close on the melodious Ameriana-folk-rock of Am I M.I.A. (a tongue twister about a guy so bored with his life that he disappears and moves to Miami to become a mercenary).

Tom’s first album “Call Me Ishmael” was released in 2020. Then came the 2021 single “Christmas Time in Hollywood” his second CD, “I Ain’t Ever Growing Up -Volume I,” and 2023’s “I Ain’t Ever Growing Up-Volume II” and an ep, “Christmas Time in Hollywood.”

He and five other songwriters from the Steve Earle tribe put together “Muscle Shoals Record Shop” recorded at Muscle Shoals legendary Cypress Moon Studio, home of the Swampers (aka Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section)!

Tom is fully-committed to life on the road as he regularly performs at music venues throughout the South-land to promote his own brand of Heartland Rock. Singer/songwriter/recording artist Tom Ciurczak is proof that, once lit, the musical spark never dies – it’s just waiting for the right time to blaze its magic.

Official Purchase Link

www.tomciurczak.com

For those unaware, in 1971 the ever-evolving Soft Machine entered yet another period of transition following the departure of one of their founding members, drummer Robert Wyatt five months after the release of their Fourth album in February 1971. His replacement was Phil Howard, who had come to the UK along with a wave of other top-drawer players from Australia and New Zealand in the 1960s and was part of Elton Dean’s group, Just Us.

Whilst this decision may have been born out of necessity, Howard’s arrival was a boost to Dean’s desire to move to a looser mode of expression, something he’d been doing since Fletcher’s Blemish (from Soft Machine’s Fourth) and their live blow-out, Neo Caliban Grides, which had been opening live shows of the day to startling effect.

Howard’s arrival altered the band’s sound with a challenging approach that tipped the group into a deeper improvisational direction that fully embraced a more strident and uncompromising presentation during their live shows. When observers describe drummers as whipping up a storm this is certainly true in Howard’s case.

His playing often sounds more like a force of nature than anything remotely to do with keeping time or adding rhythmic emphasis, reminiscent at times of Stu Martin or Tony Williams’ polyrhythmic salvos, constantly pushing the group out to the very edge of their material.

Though Drop contains several regular titles from the Soft Machine set list, you’re unlikely to have heard them played quite like this. As fast and loose as Robert Wyatt could be with tight arrangements such as Slightly All The Time and Out-Bloody-Rageous, Howard doesn’t so much play around with them as burst through them in a squall of ride cymbal, clearly regarding the drums as much a frontline instrument as the sax and keyboards.

As Dean and Ratledge roar full blast on their respective instruments, bassist Hugh Hopper, so integral to the early make-up of the band, provides an anchor to the heads and riffs that help the audience navigate their way as Howard embarks on the stormy seas of his rhythmic excursions.

Originally released in 2009 and mastered by Mike King, this brand new remaster of Drop has been digitally created and remastered here in 2025 by Mark Wingfield.

1. Neo Caliban Grides [6:23]
2. All White [6:14]
3. Slightly All The Time [13:16]
4. Drop [7:40]
5. M.C. [3:24]
6. Out-Bloody-Rageous [11:30]
7. As If [6:09]
8. Dark Swing [1:54]
9. Intropigling [0:52]
10. Pigling Bland [4:44]

Recorded live during the German tour in November of 1971 and now dedicated to the memory of Elton Dean and Hugh Hopper, this quite stunning flashback recording opens on the frenetically-charged, organic jam fest Neo Caliban Grides and the soulful funk grooves of All White and then we get the furtively flirtatious Slightly All The Time, the emphatically rhythmic title track Drop and the slightly more sedate, yet still psychedelically-hued M.C.

Along next is the foot to the floor prog-jazz beauty Out-Bloody-Rageous which is in turn backed by the languishing beauty within As If, the drum-fed, solidly grooved duo of both Dark Swing and the .52 second Intropigling, the set coming to a close on the propulsive jazz-rock of the wholly emboldened Pigling Bland.

With Dean and Howard preferring the free-jazz direction they were now unambiguously leaning toward in their interpretations of the repertoire, they found themselves on the opposite side of Hopper and Ratledge had been steering toward more through-composed structures from Third onwards. While Hopper and Ratledge would sometimes refer to Howard and Dean as ‘the dynamic duo’ the group now essentially sat in two opposing camps whose tension would ultimately pull the group apart.

It was a situation that came to a head as the band entered Advision Studios to begin recording Fifth in November 1971 and in January 1972 Phil Howard formally left the band to be replaced by John Marshall. Four months later in May, Elton Dean also left the group, replaced by Karl Jenkins who would ultimately take Soft Machine in an entirely different direction.

Although Howard was only with the group for five months his playing had a huge impact on the band and audiences alike, creating a chaotic thrashing jazz with Howard at its tempestuous centre.

First released in 2009 and long out of physical print, Drop’s radio broadcast-sourced audio has now been beautifully restored and remastered by Mark Wingfield, making this rare recording of a full concert by this lineup one of the most exciting Soft Machine archive recordings to date. This is Soft Machine at its most acerbic, most radical, and most compelling.

Musicians:
MIKE RATLEDGE: Lowrey organ, Fender Rhodes electric piano
ELTON DEAN: saxello, alto sax, Fender Rhodes electric piano
HUGH HOPPER: bass guitar
PHIL HOWARD: drums

Official Purchase Link

www.softmachine.org

For those unaware, the arrival of guitarist Alan Holdsworth into the ranks of Soft Machine in December 1973 marked a significant change in tone and style for the venerable jazz-rock institution.

Having started out as an experimental pop group in the mid-1960s, Soft Machine had undergone several changes not only in its personnel but in its music.

By the early 1970s albums such as Third, Fourth, boasting long-form compositions in complex and adventurous arrangements, secured their reputation as the UK’s leading jazz-rock performers.

With albums such as Fifth, Six, and Seven navigating a beguiling path through austere free-jazz meditations, minimalist overtures, and immersive proto-ambient sound worlds, the arrival of guitarist Allan Holdsworth in the ranks of this musical institution in December 1973 brought a new and excitingly bold dynamic into the group’s interlocking riffs and elegant themes.

Galvanizing the group’s fanbase at home and in both Europe and America, Holdsworth’s lightning-fast runs and edgy riffing made Soft Machine gigs a must-see, hot-ticket event, as he brought a rockier perspective to Karl Jenkins’ compositions.

By the time of this Bremen Radio broadcast in January 1975, Mike Ratledge (keyboards), Karl Jenkins Sax, Oboe, Keyboards) Roy Babbington (bass), John Marshall (drums), and Holdsworth had been working together for a year. Constantly honing their collective abilities in concert, the quintet had already recorded their first (and only) studio album together, Bundles, in July 1974.

Although not released until March 1975 the setlist at Bremen is largely drawn from Bundles in a sparkling performance that many fans felt outshone the studio versions of this material.

Of interest to fans of this later period in the band’s history, there are early versions of Song Of Aeolus and the bare structural bones of Ban-Ban Caliban later refined and developed on their next studio album, Softs, trading here as Riff III.

Beautifully remastered by guitarist and MoonJune Records artist, Mark Wingfield, this is without doubt one of the very best archival Soft Machine releases. Capturing a cracking set by a lineup at the very top of their game, Floating World Live is an indispensable counterweight to the group’s sole studio album, Bundles.

1. Floating World [4:51]
2. Bundles [4:53]
3. Land Of The Bag Snake [5:06]
4. Eaeling Comedy [6:08]
5. The Man Who Waved At Trains [4:56]
6. Peff [6:29]
7. North Point [4:05]
8. Hazard Profile, Part 1 [4:46]
9. J.S.M. [10:13]
10. Riff III [8:40]
11. Song Of Aeolous [4:17]
12. Endgame [6:39]
13. Penny Hitch (Coda) [2:40]

Recorded by Dietram Köste at Post-Aula, Bremen, Germany, January 29th, 1975, this quite stunning live show flashback recording opens on the veritably translucent title track Floating World and the propulsive, drum and guitar-fed Bundles, and then we get the rhythmically expansive Land Of The Bag Snake, the preciseness of musical bass art that subtly drives Eaeling Comedy, the fluctuating warmth of The Man Who Waved At Trains, before we are brought forth the free flowing, Tull-esque percussion of Peff.

Along next is the digitally-charged North Point and the prog rock magnificence of Hazard Profile, Part 1, and they are in turn backed seamlessly by the John Marshall drum solo work of J.S.M., the funky drum and guitar piece Riff III, the absolutely beautiful Song Of Aeolous, the set rounding out on the strident prog rocker Endgame, closing on the all-encompassing, laid low soulful jazz balladry of Penny Hitch (Coda).

While it’s true to say Holdsworth’s remarkable flights across the fretboard dominate a scorching set as the principal instrument, there’s plenty of space for others in the group to step into the spotlight. Roy Babbington’s bass solo, here titled Ealing Comedy is a masterclass in exploring texture and melody. Mike Ratledge’s use of the EMS suitcase synthesizer on North Point conjures exotic sound worlds utilizing percussive-style sequencers with harsh, ear-bending sonorities and modulations.

And no Soft Machine set would be complete without a drum solo and in JSM, John Marshall, always one of the most musical and thoughtful of performers, demonstrates why he was so highly regarded by both fans and critics alike.

Official Purchase Link

www.softmachine.org

For those unaware, this studio album recorded in London in June of 2002, and released in 2003 (Universal Japan; Mascot-Provogue Europe; Shrapnel USA), is finally back to the motherboard and available on MoonJune Records.

Remastered by Mark Wingfield and including two bonus tracks, recorded in Tokyo, Japan, on August 10th, 2003, the live album Abracadabra in Osaka is from the concert on August 11th, 2003.

Soft Machine were an English rock band from Canterbury, Kent. The band were formed in 1966 by Mike Ratledge, Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, Daevid Allen and Larry Nowlin. Soft Machine were central in the Canterbury scene; they became one of the first British psychedelic acts and later moved into progressive and jazz rock.

1. Seven Formerly (remastered 24/48) [10:20]
2. First Trane (remastered 24/48) [11:34]
3. Elsewhere (remastered 24/48) [8:00]
4. K Licks (remastered 24/48) [6:49]
5. Baker’s Treat (remastered 24/48) [5:39]
6. Willie’s Knee (remastered 24/48) [5:17]
7. Madame Vintage (remastered 24/48) [4:53]
8. Abracadabra (remastered 24/48) [7:34]
9. Has Riff - Live In Tokyo (bonus track 24/48) [9:22]
10. Facelift - Live In Tokyo (bonus track 24/48) [9:35]

Recorded in Tokyo, Japan, on August 10th, 2003, this masterful flashback recording opens on the dreamy Seven Formerly and then we get the flirtatiously playful First Trane, the spatially ethereal Elsewhere and both the organically soulful K Licks and the late night, low slung ambiance of Baker’s Treat.

Along next is the frenetically charged Willie’s Knee which is itself backed seamlessly by the guitar masterclass that is shown within Madame Vintage, the velvet gossamer of the titular Abracadabra, the set now closing out on two live in Tokyo tracks: the rhythmically fortified Has Riff and the melodiously-sculpted Facelift.

Musicians:
ELTON DEAN - saxello, alto sax, Fender Rhodes
ALLAN HOLDSWORTH - guitar, Synthaxe (1)
HUGH HOPPER - bass guitar
JOHN MARSHALL - drums

Official Purchase Link

www.softmachine.org

For those unaware, at its core, TRUCE <3 is an album about connection. It’s about what happens when three musicians come together with no preconceptions, no pre-written material, just open ears and open hearts.

This is their third album as a trio, and in many ways, it feels like a defining statement. They’ve built something here that is at once spontaneous and structured, emotionally direct yet filled with intricate detail. With this record, it is evident they feel they’ve reached a new level of cohesion, intensity, and depth.

Indeed, one of the most exciting aspects of TRUCE <3 is how it merges different dimensions of their playing. The melodic storytelling that’s always been central to this project is still here, but so is outrageous shredding — a side of Markus’ playing that doesn’t always find a home in his other projects.

So if you’re a fan of fluid, high-velocity lead work in the spirit of Allan Holdsworth, you’ll find plenty of it here, trust me.

So come experience the exclusive first pressing of a premium-quality CD, encased in an innovative, ultra-durable 8-panel cardboard package, thoughtfully crafted in the classic jewel case format. Designed with exceptional care by award-winning graphic artist Ritxi Ostariz, this physical release is a true collector’s item — a seamless blend of artistry, craftsmanship, and heartfelt connection.

1. Not Alone
2. We Have Your Back
3. It’s Not In The Cards
4. Never Apart
5. Crooked
6. Bond
7. Love Theme
8. Guardian Shadow
9. Echo of Affection
10. Shuffled Fate

Recorded live at Art Music Studio, Bassano Del Grappa, Veneto, Italy, December 11th & 12th 2024, this quite masterful new recording opens on the propulsive prog brilliance of Not Alone and the hypnotically rhythmic We Have Your Back and then we get the soaring It’s Not In The Cards, the melodically jaunty Never Apart, and the cinematic, coursing and yet all-embracing Crooked.

Along next is the emboldened guitar work of Bond and one of my own personal favorites here, the absolutely mesmerizing AOR-prog guitar balladry of Love Theme, and they are in turn followed by the bass and drum-fed, yet at all times grounded Guardian Shadow, the set rounding out on the veritably shimmering Echo of Affection, closing on some searing guitar work that drives Shuffled Fate.

Music is always about relationships — between notes, between players, between the listener and the sound. TRUCE <3 is their way of celebrating those relationships, and Markus obviously hopes that when you listen, you’ll feel the energy, intensity, and, most of all, love that went into creating it.

Musicians:
Markus Reuter: Touch Guitars® AU8, Live Looping
Fabio Trentini: Wal Fretless Bass, Bass Synthesizer
Asaf Sirkis: Acoustic Drums

Official Purchase Link

www.markusreuter.com

For those unaware, Alí Bello, a consummate artist whose love for charanga runs so deep that he’s become a prominent champion for the genre, artfully celebrates this beloved musical tradition with his brand new album Alí Bello & The Charanga Syndicate (out May 9th, 2025).

A master violinist who’s worked with a spectacular range of musical icons including Johnny Pacheco, Paquito D’Rivera, Doc Severinsen, The Roots, and Beyoncé, Bello’s vibrant alchemy of classics and originals smartly revive charanga for a new generation of adoring audiences.

Venezuelan born Alí Bello has become one of the most dazzling and sought after violinists, distinguishing himself for his versatility among different music styles in addition to his well-found classical training and multidimensional improvisational skills.

Since his surge from El Sistema, the musical education program of his country, and after building upon years of experience in New York, he has become a Latin jazz music figure to be reckoned with.

1. Guaripumpé (feat. Jeremy Bosch & Eddy Zervigón) [4:25]
2. Son de la Loma [6:05]
3. Gina’s Groove [5:15]
4. Emiliando (feat. Arturo O’Farrill) [6:49]
5. Tres (Y Dos) (feat. Manolo Mairena) [5:05]
6. Amadeus’ Rhumba [5:35]
7. Bilongo [4:56]
8. La Comparsa Influenciada (feat. Silvano Monasterios) [5:03]
9. El Manisero [4:05]

Featuring Arturo O’Fariill, Jeremy Bosch, Eddy Zervigón and Silvano Monasterios, this quite musically mesmerizing new recording opens on the propulsively vibrant Guaripumpé (featuring three-time GRAMMY Award-winning salsa and Latin jazz composer Jeremy Bosch & Cuban flautist and bandleader Eddy Zervigón) and then we get the lushly sweeping Son de la Loma, the elegance of Gina’s Groove and the vivacious Emiliando (featuring prolific pianist and composer Arturo O’Farrill).

Along next is the perky, veritably flirtatious Tres (Y Dos) (featuring singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Manolo Mairena) and that is in turn backed seamlessly by the stridently rhythmic Amadeus’ Rhumba, the impassioned Bilongo, the set rounding out on the creatively ambient La Comparsa Influenciada (featuring Grammy-nominated jazz pianist, composer, and producer Silvano Monasterios), closing all too soon on the sumptuous dance floor hipsway of El Manisero.

Musicians:
Alí Bello - acoustic and baritone violins; David Santiago Jr. - flute; Alec Castro - keyboards (1); César Orozco - keyboards (3, 6); Marcus Persiani - keyboards (7); Gabriel Chakarji - keyboards (7, 9); Abraham Saenz - baby bass; Luis Mangual - congas; Manuel Márquez - timbales, congas, bongó, gúiro & bells; Luis Rosas - vocals (1, 3); Alessandro Bello - vocals (1, 3)

Special Guests:
Arturo O’Farrill - keyboards (4); Eddy Zervigón - flute (1); Jeremy Bosch - lead vocals (1); Silvano Monasterios - keyboards (2, 5, 8); Manolo Mairena - lead vocals (3, 5)

Official Purchase Link

www.alibello.com

For those unaware, Larry Carlton’s own musical story began in Southern California. He picked up his first guitar when he was only six years old. He was introduced to jazz in junior high school after hearing The Gerald Wilson Big Band album, Moment of Truth, with guitarist Joe Pass.

Larry then became interested in Barney Kessel, Wes Montgornery and the legendary blues guitarist B.B. King. Saxophonist John Coltrane was also a major influence on Carlton, beginning with Coltrane’s 1962 classic Ballads.

As time progressed, Larry also recorded with legendary jazz groups The Crusaders and Fourplay; three Fourplay tracks are featured on this compilation including ‘Snowbound’, a cover of the Donald Fagan track from his ‘Kamakiriad’ album, and ‘Nite Crawler’ which he wrote for The Crusaders and featured on their ‘Free As The Wind’ album.

Indeed, Larry also played guitar on a few Steely Dan albums, as well as recording sessions for Joni Mitchell and The Four Tops to name but a few.

The Warner Bros. Anthology is a wondrous (3CD) compilation of the works of the legendary guitarist Larry Carlton and features the best cuts from Larry Carlton’s six albums recorded for Warner Bros.

Also featured as a bonus track on the package is Mike Post’s TV Theme for Hill Street Blues that features Larry on guitar. The track won the Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental performance, it was also a Top 30 hit in the U.K.

The package includes fabulous sleeve notes by A. Scott Galloway.

DISC ONE:
From ‘Larry Carlton’ Album
1. Room 335 2. Where Did You Come From 3. Point It Up 4. Nite Crawler 5. Rio Samba 6. (It Was) Only Yesterday

From ‘Strikes Twice’ Album
7. Strikes Twice 8. The Magician 9. In My Blood 10. Springville 11. For Love Alone

12. Fourplay – Charmed I’m Sure (From 4 LP) [Bonus Track] 13. Fourplay – Snowbound (From Snowbound LP) [Bonus Track] 14. Fourplay – Blues Force [Bonus Track]
(All from Yes Please LP featuring Larry Carlton)

For his self-titled album, Larry enlisted a small, yet highly accomplished band with bassist Abe Laboriel, drummer Jeff Porcaro, and Greg Mathieson on keyboards. Room 335, an ode to the studio in L.A. where this was recorded, all but sets the stage for the style of his early solo work. Nite Crawler, a track Carlton originally did with the Crusaders for Free As the Wind, also rightly shows up here amongst the best of tracks too.

To my mind, the album’s best track, the exhilarating Rio Samba, is a more muscular take on the work Lee Ritenour did at the time as Carlton hits amazing notes, aided by Mathieson’s keyboard work. The last track, (It Was) Only Yesterday has Carlton’s inimitable style of doing a disconsolate song with the emotion of his guitar providing a catharsis.

Strikes Twice found Carlton building upon his trademark electric guitar sound, mixing jazz, rock, and pop sound with songs that moved between bright instrumental jazz rock and melodic AM pop (The Magician), but most all of the aforementioned genre do not make it onto this small best of set sadly.

Regardless, Larry is backed here by a handful of stellar Los Angeles session musicians including his fellow Crusaders’ bandmate bassist Robert Pops Popwell, keyboardist Terry Trotter, drummer John Ferraro, Brazilian percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, and others.

In truth, the recording epitomizes a very slick and cultured jazz and rock fusion, based on great guitar solos, keyboards and vocals, especially on cuts such as both the masterful title track, “Strikes Twice” and its opening guitar arpeggio, and the hard-rocking break up and distortion on “In My Blood.”

As for the bonus Fourplay tracks, well, with respect to the basic Fourplay program, Yes, Please! does not disappoint overall. Yet, the album is a touch softer than previous releases and significantly more seductive, thus living up to the fourplay/foreplay double entendre. Best of the trio for me is always going to be “Blues Force,” which is such a deliciously smoky temptress.

DISC TWO:
From ‘Sleepwalk’ Album
1. Last Night 2. Blues Bird 3. Song For Katie 4. Frenchman’s Flat 5. Sleepwalk 6. Upper Kern 7. 10:00 P.M.

From ‘Friends’ Album
8. Breaking Ground 9. South Town 10. Tequila 11. Blues For T.J. 12. Song In The 5th Grade 13. L.A., N.Y. 14. Friends 15. Mike Post - Hill Street Blues (Featuring Larry Carlton) [Bonus Track]

For me, Sleepwalk is slightly better than Strikes Twice thanks in part to more melodic guitar playing and the brilliant “Last Night” and “10:00 P.M.” have since become staples in Carlton’s live set. The legendary Carlton feel is evident throughout this session, but “Blues Bird” stands as the high-water mark.

That said, “Sleepwalk” is played oh-so beautifully, almost preventing the listener from noticing the sap-heavy strings in the background, and thus despite now sounding a bit dated, these tracks (along with the full-length album) are still very much worth exploring; especially for guitarists.

On Friends, Larry’s blend of happy pop-jazz was the perfect background music for dentist offices! But for those who care to listen closer, there is also some excellent guitar work being performed. A good example of this would be his creative improvisation on the introduction to “South Town.” His duet with B.B. King on “Blues for TJ" is also rather wonderful.

Indeed, it is refreshing to hear two players who are more interested in sharing ideas than showing off. The scat version of “Tequila,” courtesy of Al Jarreau, is also still very interesting to hear, which means as with most all of Larry’s albums, there is something here for just about everyone.

Also included as a bonus track on the package is Mike Post’s TV Theme for Hill Street Blues that features the distinctive guitar work of Larry on guitar. The track won the Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental performance, it was also a Top 30 hit in the U.K.

DISC THREE:
From ‘Fingerprints’ Album
1. Fingerprints 2. The Storyteller 3. ‘Til I Hurt You 4. Slave Song 5. Lazy Susan 6. Chicks With Kickstands 7. Gracias 8. Crying Hands

From ‘Deep Into It’ Album
9. Put It Where You Want It 10. Deep Into It 11. It’s A Groove Thang 12. Closer To Home 13. I Can’t Tell You Why 14. Like Butta’ 15. Roll With It

Larry’s Fingerprints album was tantalizing in that you get flashes and streaks of what this extremely gifted and eloquent guitarist can do when the material is good enough to inspire him. The title cut is a fine example of the smooth jazz genre at its most ingratiating, with a nice groove and tasty guitar work.

“Slave Song” is even better, spangled with intriguing instrumental touches (including the multitracked saxes of Kirk Whalum); some great, funky octave work right in the pocket; and most unusually in the smooth jazz arena, a passionate instrumental chorus on the way to the fade. However, “Gracias,” a Latin-flavored acoustic-guitar duet between Carlton and country music’s Vince Gill, may be the album’s masterpiece.

Carlton wrote six new songs for his ‘Deep Into It’ offering, and covers such songs as “Put It Where You Want It,” written by Joe Sample, and the Stevie Winwood hit “Roll With It.” Accompanying musicians are Chris Potter on saxophone and Billy Kilson on drums, both known primarily for their work with the Dave Holland Quintet; Harvey Mason, who holds down the rhythm logic on one of my favorite tracks from the album, but which is not included here, “I Still Believe”; and smooth jazz phenom Kirk Whalum, who turns in a great solo on the title track, on tenor saxophone.

R&B hitmaker Shai lends his soulful vocals to “I Can’t Tell You Why,” and truly gives the Eagles’ mega-hit a fresh interpretation with his one-of-a-kind artistry. Larry’s updated interpretations are a nice mixture of smooth, pop, and jazz guitar stylings, making for very creative listening on the beautiful “Closer to Home.”

Official Purchase Link

www.larrycarlton335.com

Age of Fragility is the second solo album from innovative Italian guitarist and songwriter Marco Mattei. This genre-defying work blends world beat, progressive rock, and art rock, offering a rich sonic tapestry that explores the delicate realities of modern life.

Marco recorded the album in Dreamland Recording Studios in Woodstock, NY with Duilio Galioto (keys) and the classic Peter Gabriel rhythm section featuring drummer Jerry Marotta and bassist Tony Levin. Guest appearances on the album include Tony’s former King Crimson bandmate Trey Gunn and spoken word from Jennifer Maidman (David Sylvian, Boy George).

At its core, Age of Fragility is a concept album that examines themes of isolation, indifference, emotional dependency, fragile relationships, self sabotage, and depression. Through evocative storytelling and poignant lyricism, Mattei paints a vivid portrait of the complexities of the human experience, making this album a deeply introspective and thought provoking journey.

This album is dedicated to all people struggling to fit in today’s society.

1. Just Tired [7:52]
2. You Don’t Deserve It [3:39]
3. Human Again [3:42]
4. Wrong [3:29]
5. Insomnia [5:25]
6. A Trick of the Mind [4:49]
7. Watermark in My Heart [3:04]
8. So Fragile [4:22]
9. End of the Line [6:01]
10. Just Tired (Extended Version) [11:09]

This wondrously creative, wholly impassioned new recording opens on the romantically-hued hipsway of Just Tired and the veritably shimmering You Don’t Deserve It, and then we get brought forth the emboldened Human Again, the melodious Wrong and the shimmering Insomnia.

Along next is the low slung prog number A Trick of the Mind and the stoic ambiance of Watermark in My Heart and they are both in turn followed seamlessly by the passionately-imbibed smoothness of So Fragile, the set rounding out on the rhythmically empowered End of the Line, coming to a mighty fine close on a sumptuously extended 11 minute cut of Just Tired (Extended Version).

All tracks written by Marco Mattei, except for “So Fragile”, by Marco Mattei and Duilio Galioto.

Official Purchase Link

For those unaware, legendary YES vocalist/songwriter Jon Anderson launched his partnership with The Band Geeks with a US National tour in Spring 2023.

The plan was to perform solely classic YES tracks from their 70’s repertoire, including “And You and I,” “Starship Trooper,” “Heart of the Sunrise” and epic works like “Close To The Edge,” “The Gates of Delirium,” “Awaken” and others!

Jon Anderson says: “It’s true, I never left YES in my heart and soul ever!! Too many amazingly powerful memories. And of course the music never left me. So here I am, still wanting to sing the songs again, and bring MY true feelings to the lyrics. Melody and lyrics has always been my passion. I sing them now with an older and I hope wiser state of mind.”

“I’ve been wanting to have that feeling again of performing the songs I lived for, and the music I helped to create and design, with the sound of the band of old around me once more. The first time I heard the BAND GEEKS I truly freaked out – they sound just like the classic YES of the seventies, the YES that I know and love.”

The resulting live album Live Perpetual Change is a snapshot of an unforgettable event, a rejuvenated artist which explores his musical roots with a band of young virtuoso musicians who are able to breathe new life in classic songs that truly need no introduction to the fans!

CD 1:
1. Yours Is No Disgrace [9:56]
2. Perpetual Change [9:31]
3. Closer To The Edge [18:23]
4. Heart Of The Sunrise [11:43]
5. Starship Trooper [10:43]
6. Awaken [15:59]

Complete with still very much incredible vocals, at all times perfect pitch and with an immaculate sense of control, Jon and his band open this live recording on the propulsive Yours Is No Disgrace (a remarkable and subtle song about the Vietnam War) and a song that showcases Jon’s climbing vocals without any other intricacies getting in the way, the titular Perpetual Change, and then we get the powerhaus opus at nearly twenty minutes, Closer To The Edge, the compositionally emboldened Heart Of The Sunrise, the first CD rounding out on the seminal prog rock song whose inspiration originated from the classic Robert Heinlein novel of the same name, Starship Trooper, and the piano/keyboard introduced, and both musically and visually (via the accompanying DVD) one of the most sublime experiences of the song live, Awaken.

CD 2:
7. And You And I [10:11]
8. Your Move / I’ve Seen All Good People [6:48]
9. Gates Of Delirium [22:37]
10. Roundabout [8:42]

The second CD opens on the veritably translucent, simply wonderful piece of music (and one performed with such fidelity to the original) of And You And I and then we are brought forth the lushly sumptuous sing that alludes to the game of chess as a metaphor for male-female relationships, the beautiful Your Move / I’ve Seen All Good People and they are in turn backed seamlessly with the true masterpiece, twenty-two minute long psychedelic prog rock opus Gates Of Delirium (complete with a structured intro and a nice little coda), the set coming to a close on a still very much transcendental Roundabout.

Jon Anderson is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable voices in music as the lead vocalist and creative force behind YES. Anderson was the author and a major creative influence behind the ground-breaking album “Fragile” as well as the series of epic, complex pieces such as “Awaken,” “Gates of Delirium” and especially “Close to the Edge” which were central to the band’s success.

Additionally, Anderson co-authored the group’s biggest hits, including “I’ve Seen All Good People,” “Roundabout” and “Owner Of A Lonely Heart.” After 50 years of success in the music business, Jon has worked with many variations of YES, as well as collaborations with Vangelis, Kitaro, Roine Stolt and Jean-Luc Ponty. He has released several critically acclaimed solo albums including “Olias of Sunhillow,” “Song of Seven,” “Animation,” “Three Ships,” “Toltec” and “Survival and Other Stories” and most recently his successful album with the Band Geeks “True” to name just a few.

Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks - And You And I [Official Live Video]

Official Purchase Link

For those unaware, Nick Biello’s third release, New America (out June 20th, 2025 via La Reserve Records), highlights an artist coming into his maturity, both as an instrumentalist and a composer.

New America weaves a collection of personal tales from Nick’s own life with the greater narrative of social and political upheaval that the collective consciousness of America is facing.

Nick has shared the stage with world-class artists, such as Slide Hampton, Cedar Walton, the Jimmy Heath Big Band, and John Benitez. He has performed at the Pescara and Bussi Jazz Festivals in Italy, as well as the Taipei and Taichung Jazz Festivals in Taiwan, and other festivals across the globe.

Nick’s saxophone has been heard in notable NYC venues such as Birdland, Blue Note, Dizzy’s, Lincoln Center, Cellar Dog, Smalls, Mezzrow, Smoke, Zinc Bar, The Kitano, Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater, and Sony Hall.

1. Bel Canto
2. Queen of Jordan
3. Slightly Perilous
4. Before the Flood
5. A Long Way to You
6. New America

Saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist and composer Nick Biello opens his new recording opens on the spirited free flow of Bel Canto and then we get brought forth the impassioned Queen of Jordan, the frenetically-charged Slightly Perilous, the emotively immersive Before the Flood, the set rounding out on the languishing beauty shown within A Long Way to You, closing on the flirtatiously heartfelt New America.

Musicians:
Nick Biello, alto saxophone
Charlie Porter, trumpet
George Colligan, piano
Alex Tremblay, bass
Peter Kronreif, drums

Official Apple Music Purchase Link

www.nickbiellomusic.com

For those unaware, Dr. Kristen Bromley is a gifted and sought-after musician, who works as a performer, composer, arranger, recording artist, author, educator, and scholar.

As a recording artist, Kristen has released seven albums to date that feature her as a jazz and/or solo guitarist.

Kristen has eclectic tastes, and though she has mainly recorded in the jazz style or as a solo guitarist she has also performed and taught in many styles and has plans to write and record in additional styles as well. As a jazz musician, Kristen and her playing have been described by critics as entertaining, inspiring, soulful, melodic, precise, virtuosic, cohesive, spiritual, joyful, artistic, and a true tour de force.

Her jazz albums have also been well represented by radio stations and the charts. For instance, her Muagiscian album was placed at #33 on Roots Music Report’s list of top jazz albums in 2024 and her Bluish Tide album was placed at #22 on that same list for 2022, with both of those albums charting for numerous weeks on Root’s Music Report and other charts, and reaching as high as #5 during the weeks where they were charting.

Kristen R. Bromley Quartet’s brand new album is entitled Wes 101 and features her as a jazz guitarist in a quartet setting along with Melanie Shore on organ, David Ian Baker on bass, and Matt Coleman on drums. The album was recorded, in part, as a tribute to the legendary Wes Montgomery, who tremendously influenced jazz guitar.

1. Bring It On [6:37]
2. Swing It for the Maestro [7:33]
3. Wes 101 [8:33]
4. Cherished Moments [8:40]
5. House of Fire [10:22]
6. Wahoo! [8:40]
7. Indy Blues [8:31]

This brilliantly emotive, and wholly impassioned new recording opens on the rhythmic finger snapper Bring It On and the simply sumptuous Swing It for the Maestro and they are in turn backed seamlessly by the gentle dance floor swirls and twirls of Wes 101, the low slung balladry of Cherished Moments, the upbeat and joyful House of Fire, the set rounding out on the furtively strident Wahoo!, closing on the emboldened mid-tempo jam Indy Blues.

Official Apple Music Purchase Link

www.kristenbromley.com

For those unaware, those of you looking for a shining new record from an exciting new voice in jazz are in luck: Kieran Brown’s debut has finally hit the scene. Kieran Brown is a force.

By sixteen years old, she was singing the National Anthem at Madison Square Garden, and by seventeen, she had cemented herself a spot at a prestigious undergraduate jazz program.

Since moving to New York in 2023, she has performed at some of the best-known clubs on the New York Jazz scene. Jazz at the Ballroom Artistic Director Konrad Paszkudski said about Brown: “the future of jazz and the American Songbook lies in the hands of this incredibly talented artist.”

This album proves him right.

The songs Brown has selected for her debut are pulled from a rich history of classics that she makes her own. American Songbook Association Magazine cited her as a “performer who can present skillfully contrasting styles,” and this album is a fantastic representation of that mastery.

Stand outs on the album are Joe Block’s arrangement of Mandal and Mercer’s “Emily,” Brown’s own arrangement of the title track “Loving You” by Stephen Sondheim, and Aaron Matson’s arrangement of Burt Bacharach’s “Alfie.” These arrangements perfectly capture Brown’s diverse musical and vocal range, going from American Songbook to contemporary and folk.

1. You’re Gonna Hear From Me [3:27]
2. Do It Again [3:17]
3. Emily [4:13]
4. Meditation [5:06]
5. I’ll Love You Just The Same [3:20]
6. Alfie [5:33]
7. Little Bits of Magic [4:16]
8. Loving You [4:10]
9. Hallelujah, I Love Him So [4:33]
10. Somewhere [3:47]

On what is a beautifully crafted, soulful and melodious new recording, she Kieran opens it with the playfully flirtatious André Previn and Dory Previn-written You’re Gonna Hear From Me and the low slung beauty Do It Again and then we get the breathy balladry of Emily, the dulcet finger-snapper Meditation, before the sumptuous I’ll Love You Just The Same is brought forth.

Along next is a dutifully sultry Alfie which is itself followed by the heartfelt Little Bits of Magic, the emboldened duet with Nathan Farrell of the titular Loving You, the set rounding out on the percussion-fed Hallelujah, I Love Him So, coming to an all too soon close on a simply enrapturing version of Somewhere.

Brown has surrounded herself with instrumentalists and arrangers with as deep a breadth of musicianship as she. Outside of Brown’s own arrangements, the album features string arrangements by Joe Block, a renowned pianist in his own right, who has arranged for the likes of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Overton, and the Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia.

Featured tenor soloist and Grammy award winner Chris Lewis boasts an expansive jazz background, playing with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, the Count Basie Orchestra, and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Internationally recognized artist Tony Glausi, celebrated as one of the most accomplished trumpet players on the planet, has performed with the United States Marine Corp All-Star Jazz Band and more, before lending his talents to this record.

However, the true beauty in this ensemble is the fresh new musicians Brown brings along with her, including rhythm section leader and pianist Tyler Henderson and bassist Joseph Raneri. The majority of musicians on Brown’s debut are coming up in New York City as well. There’s a freshness to the energy they bring to the record, a vibrancy that can only be found amongst this younger generation, hungry to keep this music alive.

Musicians:
Kieran Brown - Vocals (Tracks 1-10); Tyler Henderson - Piano (Tracks 1-10); Joey Ranieri - Bass (Tracks 1-6, 8, 9); Joe Peri - Drums (Tracks 1-7, 8, 9); Aaron Matson - Guitar (Tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 7); Jarien Jamanila - Alto (Tracks 1, 2); Chris Lewis - Tenor (Tracks 1, 2, 4); Tony Glausi - Trumpet (Tracks 1, 2, 9); Jacob Melsha - Trombone (Tracks 1, 2); Isabella Geis - Violin 1 (Track 3); Emma Richman - Violin 2 (Track 3); Cameren Williams - Viola (Track 3); Iona Batchelder - Cello (Tracks 3, 10); Eytan Schillinger-Hyman - Electric Bass (Track 7) Nathan Farrell - Vocals (Track 8); Joe Block - Arrangements (Tracks 3, 10); Aaron Matson - Arrangements (Tracks 1, 2, 6); Kieran Brown - Arrangements (Tracks 4-9)

Official Purchase Link

www.kieranbrownmusic.com

For those unaware, Victoria Cardona is a Cuban American singer/songwriter, guitarist, and multi-instrumentalist. Growing up in a traditional Cuban household, she was influenced by legends like Celia Cruz and Gloria Estefan. After studying jazz guitar in Florida and Minnesota, she developed her live looping, One-Woman-Band project.

Victoria’s international tours took her across Europe, while her active Southeast U.S. performances sharpened her sound. Her debut album, Que Pasó (out June 27th, 2025 via Leggero Records) is produced by Tim Goodman and featuring legendary musicians like Jimmy Haslip on bass, Jimmy Branley on drums, Justo Almario on horns and Bill Payne on piano and blends Cuban rhythms with jazz, rock, and world influences, reflecting her personal history and cultural heritage.

1. Que Pasó En La Habana (3:54)
2. Ghost (4:12)
3. George From Heaven (3:09)
4. Me Voy Pa La Playa (3:39)
5. Rhodes Royale (3:30)
6. Dos Gardenias (4:41)
7. Camarena Baila (4:22)
8. Tuesday Rain (3:30)
9. Slow Burn (4:09)
10. El Carretero (3:22)
11. Spanish Moon (5:26)

Blending Cuban rhythms with jazz, rock, and world influences, Victoria opens up her brand new album on the rhythmically sublime Que Pasó En La Habana (which explores the struggles faced by the Cuban people under communist rule) and the melodious Ghost and then we get the spirited hipsway of George From Heaven (from a quirky tale based on a true encounter), the emboldened Me Voy Pa La Playa before both the sultry storytelling within Rhodes Royale (which tells the story of Victoria’s experience as the only woman in a poker tournament in Greece) and the low slung balladry of the timeless bolero Dos Gardenias are brought forth.

Along next is the free flowing Camarena Baila (a deeply personal song about Victoria’s family’s escape from Cuba) and a dulcet Latin-pop storytelling that drives Tuesday Rain and they are in turn backed by the heartfelt Slow Burn (which describes a passionate yet doomed relationship), the new set rounding out on the upbeat and joyfully bubbly El Carretero (a cover of a classic Cuban Guajira by Guillermo Portabales), coming to an all too soon close on a Latin-infused cover of Little Feat’s classic Spanish Moon.

www.victoriacardona.com

Victoria Cardona @ Instagram

For those unaware, a couplet is a pair of rhyming lines with the same meter. Each line is made up of different words, but they always come together at the end. Likewise, married couple Jordan and Jodi are completely different people, but they work together for the same goal of creating unique, but relatable folk music.

Couldn’t Be Happier’s sophomore album, Couple(t)s, will make an impact far beyond the borders of their home-state of North Carolina. Although Couple(t)s finds the most shade beneath a folk-rock umbrella, the album pays homage to a wide array of traditions - a New Orleans, second-line groover drives Come Back Tomorrow; a haunting, industrial accompaniment scaffolds Lydia’s Bridge; and a handful of bluegrass licks premiere in King Of Austin.

The optimism that community, tradition, and love are equipped to handle the terrifying prospects of climate change, authoritarianism, and other perils of modernity, plus the stunningly assertive lead vocals and harmonies, provide all the gravity needed to keep these diverse sounds in symphonic orbit.

1. Come Back Tomorrow
2. When I Die
3. Plastic Bag Odyssey (I’ll Never Die)
4. Tear It Down
5. Devil’s Tramping Ground
6. Pretty Polly
7. King of Austin
8. Wherever You Go
9. Weatherman
10. I Got You
11. Brown Mountain Lights
12. Lydia’s Bridge

With inspired lyricism and a sense of musical freeness, this dutifully crafted new album opens on the rousingly rhythmic Come Back Tomorrow and then we get brought forth the reflective ditty When I Die, the cautionary storytelling of an everyday grocery store item within Plastic Bag Odyssey (I’ll Never Die), the countrified Tear It Down, and then come both the joyfully upbeat of Devil’s Tramping Ground and the low slung Pretty Polly.

Along next is a vibrant, train track-imbibed rhythm that drives King of Austin and that is in turn followed neatly by the dulcet Wherever You Go, the heartfelt and impassioned Weatherman, the playful, harmonica-hued I Got You, the set rounding out on the languishing beauty of Brown Mountain Lights, coming to an all too soon close on the atmospheric storytelling of Lydia’s Bridge.

The title Couple(t)s holds multiple meanings also. Not only does it refer to Jodi Hildebran Lee (drums, vocals, harmonica) and Jordan Crosby Lee’s (guitar, vocals) relationship as a married couple, but it is also a nod to the duo’s favorite poetic device. The couplet is simple and powerful - much like folk music, Jodi says. But it’s also an apt metaphor for our relationship.

www.couldntbehappiers.com

Couldn’t Be Happiers @ Facebook

For those unaware, Melodic Revolution Records is thrilled to announce the forthcoming release of Roads, the highly anticipated new album by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Blake Carpenter.

Blake has captivated listeners through acclaimed projects such as The Minstrel’s Ghost, Max Nova, and Voice of the Enslaved and Roads will be available worldwide on June 6th, 2025.

Roads takes listeners on a 52-minute sonic journey across nine meticulously crafted tracks, showcasing Blake’s signature blend of melodic depth, lyrical introspection, and expansive soundscapes. This new body of work cements Carpenter’s reputation for creating immersive musical experiences that resonate with audiences across various music communities.

1. Road Trip [5:45]
2. Crossroads [5:00]
3. All Roads Lead to Now [4:06]
4. Darkened Way [7:15]
5. Life on the Road [6:17]
6. The High Road [4:13]
7. The Road to War [5:38]
8. The End of the Road [5:34]
9. Elysium (Bonus Track) [9:05]

With Carpenter’s new album capturing the spirit of life’s journey — from the thrill of new beginnings to the challenges of tough choices and the peace found at the end - he opens his new recording on the free flowing Road Trip and the upbeat, peppy even Crossroads and then we get both the emboldened AOR of All Roads Lead to Now and the synth-hued, gentle pop-rock of Darkened Way.

Along next is the atmospheric Life on the Road which is itself backed by the melodious, guitar-hued The High Road, the impassioned The Road to War, the new set rounding out on a forlorn yearn within The End of the Road, coming to a close on the veritably shimmering prog-AOR of the bonus track Elysium.

Blake Carpenter, renowned for his powerful storytelling and groundbreaking musical vision, has captivated listeners through acclaimed projects such as The Minstrel’s Ghost, Max Nova, and Voice of the Enslaved. With his latest release, Roads, Blake takes his artistry to new heights, delivering a bold and inspiring chapter that showcases unparalleled emotional depth, fearless creativity, and unwavering artistic integrity.

In addition to his solo endeavors, Blake has contributed his talents to numerous other projects, including albums by Petri Lindström Project, Corvus Stone, Coalition, Jack Potter, Telergy, and more, further solidifying his reputation as a dynamic and versatile force in music.

www.blakecarpenter.com

Blake Carpenter @ Facebook

For those unaware, Don Mularz, is a singer/songwriter/guitarist whose music is all about that direct emotional connection with the listener. “A song doesn’t have to be strictly autobiographical, but it either needs to be perceived to be so, or, even better perhaps, strike a chord in the listener who recognizes their own story in it,” he says. “That’s what makes a song valid.”

PeacockSunrise Records is excited to announce the upcoming release of Florida Street, the long-awaited solo album from Don Mularz, founder, composer, vocalist, and guitarist of Dark Horse Flyer.

This highly-anticipated album will officially launch in early 2025 and will be available in CD, LP, digital download, and streaming formats, making it accessible on your platform of choice.

Florida Street is Mularz’s first solo release since Dark Horse Flyer’s critically acclaimed 2018 album Hotel Paradise.

1. Mean Old World [4:43]
2. Twenty One [4:35]
3. Major Dade [3:53]
4. Hard Times [3:17]
5. She Lives Out in the Country [3:51]
6. Stumble and Fall [3:06]
7. Take it to the Graveyard [3:03]
8. Roadside Shrine [3:31]
9. Write On Water [4:41]
10. Florida Street [5:52]

This remarkable new chapter in the musical journey of Mularz opens his new recording on the crafty rocker Mean Old World and the low slung balladry of Twenty One and then we get the mid-tempo yean of Major Dade, the impassioned Hard Times and the heartfelt She Lives Out in the Country.

Housed in full-color echo-friendly 6-panel full-color gatefold digipak, along next is the troubadour-hued Stumble and Fall and it is itself backed seamlessly by a gentle twang that breathes within Take it to the Graveyard, the melodious Roadside Shrine, the music rounding out on the lushy sculpted bounce of Write On Water, closing on the harmonica-driven title track Florida Street.

Musicians:
Don Mularz – vocals, guitars, bass, dobro, pedal steel, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, harmonica and drums
Bob Taylor – piano and organ
Beth Cohen – harmony vocals
Richard Taylor – fretless bass on Write On Water

Don Mularz @ Facebook

Don Mularz - Florida Street [Official Lyrical Video]

For those unaware, Bright Weaving, is the new double album from renowned illustrator, composer, and musician Martin Springett (The Gardening Club Solo, A Gardening Club Project), it’s a limited-edition Factory duplicated pressing of just 100 copies—a true collector’s gem.

Bright Weaving by Martin Springett will appeal to fans of artists who appreciate intricate acoustic guitar work, folk-inspired melodies, and progressive storytelling in music.

Indeed, fans of the following artists might well enjoy it: Anthony Phillips (early Genesis guitarist known for his pastoral and classical guitar work); Steve Hackett (especially his acoustic and classical-influenced albums); Gordon Giltrap (British guitarist blending folk, classical, and prog elements); Michael Hedges (pioneering acoustic guitar virtuoso with a unique style); Nick Drake (for his melancholic yet intricate acoustic arrangements); John Renbourn & Bert Jansch (Pentangle—folk and classical guitar fusion); Jon Anderson (particularly his more ethereal, acoustic-driven solo work) and Iona (Celtic-inspired progressive music with rich atmospheres).

And so, if you like storytelling in music, rich textures, and acoustic finesse, Bright Weaving is definitely worth exploring!

1. First Light / The Gardens Of Al Rassan [1:08]
2. The Four Gardens Of Al-Rassan - Elvir [4:33]
3. Ragosa [2:05]
4. Tudesca [2:25]
5. Fezana [2:01]
6. Dianora [5:28]
7. Painted Feet On Ochre Sand [5:06]
8. Fionavar Suite Part 1 / The Crossing [10:22]
9. The Wild Hunt [1:18]
10. Midsummer Night (Kevin’s Song) [3:46]
11. Jennifer [2:53]
12. Fionavar Suite Part 2 / The Return [2:56]
13. Ysabel / Awakenings [6:03]
14. Arbonne [1:17]
15. Under Heaven [6:28]
16. Children Of Earth And Sky [3:15]
17. Shirin’s Dance [3:46]
18. River Of Stars [4:53]
19. Shan’s Theme [2:00]
20. The Last Light Of The Sun [4:50]
21. Rachel’s Song (bonus track) [5:36]

This progressive rock infused set, with plenty of other styles and influences a abounding, opens on the ethereal storytelling that is the short musical intro First Light / The Gardens Of Al Rassan which then leads us into the delicate gossamer of The Four Gardens Of Al-Rassan - Elvir, the Eastern-imbibed Ragosa and the dutiful hipsway of Tudesca, and then we get brought forth the all-embracing Fezana, the beautiful Dianora, the hauntingly playful dance floor swirls and twirls of Painted Feet On Ochre Sand, with the mesmerizingly stunning ten minute opus Fionavar Suite Part 1 / The Crossing, the drum-led The Wild Hunt and the delicately-hued Midsummer Night (Kevin’s Song) along next.

Along next on this diligently sculpted new recording is the free flowing Jennifer, the gentle stillness exhibited within the quietly strident Fionavar Suite Part 2 / The Return and the ambient Ysabel / Awakenings, and they are in turn backed by the aptly-entitled flow of Arbonne, the flavorful Under Heaven, the shrewd, Latin-hued Children Of Earth And Sky and the guitar-driven Shirin’s Dance, the set rounding out on the rhythmically Eastern-tinged River Of Stars, the sculpted Shan’s Theme, the driven storytelling of The Last Light Of The Sun, closing on a new version of the bonus track Rachel’s Song (with Danie Friesen singing).

Musicians:
Martin Springett / Composer / Acoustic Guitar / Voice
Penner Mackay / Percussion / Co-Composer on The Gardens
Maryem Toller / Voice
Ron Allen / Bansuri (wooden flute)
Rahlen Sullaphen / Acoustic and Electric Bass
Alyssa Wright / Cello
Rebecca and Miriam Springett / Flutes
Chris McKhool / Violin

The Gardening Club is a Canadian progressive rock band that infuses many other styles of music and to create a one of a kind sound, led by UK-born and founding member Martin Springett an accomplished musician and illustrator. Martin Springett is an extraordinary artist and was a friend of the legendary Pauline Baynes (an English illustrator, author, and commercial artist). Martin was born in Crayford, Kent, England, in 1947. He studied art (as he learned to play the guitar) for two semesters at the Brassey School of Art in Hastings, Sussex.

He immigrated to the West Coast of Canada in 1965 but returned to the UK in 1973 to pursue music in various bands. Furthermore, he spent time in Germany and toured through Europe. While in London, Martin started to illustrate and design record covers for Columbia Records.

Upon his return to Vancouver, Martin carried on with music and illustrated various books and magazines. In 1978, he moved to Toronto, maintaining activity in every area where illustration is required. He released his album, The Gardening Club, in 1983.

Official Purchase Link

Martin Springett / Gardening Club Official Website

For those unaware, Melodic Revolution Records is proud to announce the 10th-Anniversary Edition of Transport Aerian’s Darkblue this upcoming March 20th, 2025.

This special edition release of Darkblue celebrates a decade of artistic vision, featuring the original eight tracks, including fan favorites Black, Epitaph, and Happy with the Future, all presented in a brand-new package with a 12-page full color booklet.

Originally released in 2015, Darkblue is a deeply conceptual album, weaving a surrealist, self-penned narrative of exile, self-isolation, and love. This reimagined edition offers fans a fresh opportunity to experience the album’s hauntingly immersive journey like never before.

1. Black [4:40]
2. Full Body Access [4:15]
3. Sand Horizon [4:50]
4. Imperial [5:34]
5. Crossbreed [3:17]
6. Sniper [3:51]
7. Epitaph [8:06]
8. Happy With The Future [6:12]

Celebrating a decade of artistic vision, the album opens on the darkly transitioning Black and then we get the textured balladry of Full Body Access, the piano-imbibed ethereal stillness of Sand Horizon before the impassioned Imperial is brought forth.

This conceptual album, which is based on the surrealist self-penned story of exile, self-isolation and love, continues onward with the hauntingly melodious metal of Crossbreed which is itself followed by the mysteriously eerie, cinematically driven Sniper, the music rounding out on the enraptured esthetic Epitaph, closing on the quietly emboldened Happy With The Future.

www.transportaerian.net

Transport Aerian @ Facebook

Official Purchase Link

The Scandinavian project Arcanum brings together four artists all well-known to followers of directions in music at ECM: Arve Henriksen, Trygve Seim, Anders Jormin and Markku Ounaskari.

They’ve played together in many permutations over the years, but this is their first album as a quartet. Compositions by Anders Jormin and Trygve Seim, the Finnish traditional “Armon Lapset” (Children of Mercy), and Jormin’s arrangement of Ornette Coleman’s “What Reason Could I Give” are slotted into a program of graceful collective improvisations distinguished by lyrical imagination, reflective soloing and sensitive group interaction.

Arcanum, recorded at Village Recording Studio, Copenhagen, and mixed in Munich in January 2025, was produced by Manfred Eicher.

1. Nokitpyrt [2:57]
2. Blib A [1:31]
3. Armon Lapset [3:47]
4. Folkesong [4:06]
5. Trofast [4:41]
6. Lost in Vanløse [5:16]
7. Old Dreams [3:48]
8. Koto [5:08]
9. Polvere Uno [3:37]
10. Pharao [4:32]
11. Morning Meditation [1:41]
12. Elegy [4:14]
13. What Reason Could I Give [1:35]
14. La Fontaine [2:47]
15. Shadow Trail [2:46]
16. Fata Morgana [2:28]

This masterfully sculpted new recording opens on what Jormin call “a respectful bow to Scandinavian role models” Nokitpyrt (which the title read backwards nearly gives you Triptykon, Jan Garbarek’s seminal 1972 recording with Arild Andersen and Edward Vesala) and then we get the haunting Blib A, the effervescent [traditional] Armon Lapset, the emotive Folkesong, with the ethereal Trofast, a gradual stoic build that results in Lost in Vanløse, the organic Old Dreams and a dutifully emboldened Koto being brought forth thereafter.

On what is an intensely enthralling new collection from Henriksen and company, along next is the quietly seductive, yet at times furtively-engrained Polvere Uno, an aching yearn that resonates within Pharao and the all-encompassing Morning Meditation, and they are in turn backed seamlessly by the forthright, yet gently-hued Elegy, a heartfelt rendition of the Ornette Coleman cut What Reason Could I Give, the tenderly inquisitive La Fontaine, the set rounding out on a melodical growth within Shadow Trail, closing on the forlorn, at times, yet inquisitively astute at others Fata Morgana.

Collectively improvised pieces on Arcanum reveal an uncommon feeling for form. Exploration here is always highly focused, the musicians keeping things concise and to the point.

The band takes its musical concept to the road this autumn with concerts including Krokus Jazz Festival, Poland (October 23), Jazz In Bess, Lugano, Switzerland (November 27), Paradox, Tilburg, Netherlands (November 28), Bimhuis, Amsterdam, Netherlands, (November 29), LantarenVenster, Rotterdam, Netherlands (November 30).

Recorded at Village Recording Studio, Copenhagen, and mixed in Munich in January 2025, the album was produced by Manfred Eicher.

Musicians:
Arve Henriksen - Trumpet
Trygve Seim - Saxophone
Anders Jormin - Double Bass
Markku Ounaskari - Drums, Percussion

Official Purchase Link

Official Website

Ellis Island (due out June 6th, 2025 via Naïve Records) is an odyssey in sound, the story of a pianist with dual origins, Julia Hamos, who, in this very first album, looks at her family roots, American and Hungarian, and displays a longing for adventure.

She looks towards the Hungary of Bartok and Kurtag, engaging in a dialogue with the memory of her ancestors from Transylvania. Originally from the same region as Kurtag, her maternal grandfather knew Ligeti as a child.

This journey with its haunting poetry will lead us also to New York, the pianist’s first home, a place of hope and inspiration, which always feeds her creativity.

György Kurtág
Játékok (selection)
8 Klavierstücke: op. 3

Béla Bartók
6 dances in bulgarian rhythm (from mikrokosmos, Sz.107)
15 hungarian peasant songs, Sz.71

Meredith Monk
ellis island

Charles Mingus
myself when I am real

György Ligeti
fanfare (no. 4 from etudes, book 1)

Franz Schubert
ungarische melodie, D. 817

Combining her American and Hungarian roots with an adventurous spirit to explore the essence of repertoire ranging from Bach to composers living today, Hamos’ new recording opens on 8 Klavierstücke: op. 3; which begins with the sternly creative Inesorabile. Andante con moto, the emotively delicate Calmo, and the embodied Sostenuto, before moving into the prowling Scorrevole, the playfully jagged Prestissimo possibile, the short, yet definitively vaulted Grave, closing on the stoic Adagio and a spirited cascade showcased within Vivo.

Along next is Béla Bartók’s 6 dances in bulgarian rhythm (from mikrokosmos, Sz.107), which begins on the flourishing No. 148, Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm, No. 1 and then we get the beautiful precision of key work shown on No. 149, Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm, No. 2, the confident No. 150, Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm, No. 3, the elegant No. 151, Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm, No. 4, and both the flirtatious No. 152, Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm, No. 5 and the profound No. 153, Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm, No. 6.

We next get Bartók’s 15 hungarian peasant songs, Sz.71, which open with the grand Rubato, the stoic Andante, a poignant Poco rubato and a confidently-sculpted Andante, before the perky Scherzo (Allegro), the determined Ballad. Theme with variations (Andante), the flighty Allegro, a tenderly sweeping Allegretto, the joyful .17 second Allegretto are upon us, the collection rounding out on the studious L’istesso tempo, the sterner fare of Assai moderato, the delightful Allegretto, the resounding Poco più vivo, the cultured Allegro and finally the all-encompassing Allegrothe.

Then comes Meredith Monk’s simply gorgeous ellis island which is in turn backed seamlessly by Charles Mingus’ esoterically mystical, near ten minute opus myself when I am real, before we are brought forth György Ligeti’s flourishingly alive fanfare (no. 4 from etudes, book 1), the set closing on a mesmerizingly sweeping ambiance lovingly shown by Hamos on Franz Schubert’s ungarische melodie, D. 817.

Purchase Link

www.juliahamos.com

GRAMMY® Award-winning American soprano Susan Narucki is one of today’s most committed advocates of the music of our time. Her deep and lasting working relationship with György Kurtág dates to 1986, the year the Hungarian composer penned his iconoclastic chamber work Kafka Fragments.

Susan instinctively imbues the work with the widely varied moods of anguish, longing and rage alongside humor, absurdity and ecstasy that the texts convey.

Arranged over four sections, Kurtág sets 40 extracts from the diaries and letters of the mercurial novelist Franz Kafka. Despite being his largest song-cycle, Kurtág deploys his signature miniature style: many of the movements last less than a minute long.

Joining Susan is one of today’s foremost interpreters of contemporary classical music, violinist Curtis Macomber. Together they prove to be the perfect proponents of Kurtág’s idiosyncratic fusion of poetry and music.

GYÖRGY KURTÁG (b. 1926)
Franz Kafka (1883–1924)

Kafka Fragments, Op.24
for soprano and solo violin

Part 1:
1. No. 1. Die Guten gehn im gleichen Schritt… 2. No. 2. Wie ein Weg im Herbst 3. No. 3 .Verstecke 4. No. 4. Ruhelos 5. No. 5. Berceuse I 6. No. 6. Nimmermehr 7. No. 7. “Wenn er mich immer frägt” 8. No. 8. Es zupfte mich jemand am Kleid 9. No. 9. Die Weissnäherinnen 10. No. 10. Szene am Bahnhof 11. No. 11. Sonntag, den 19. Juli 1910 (Berceuse II) 12. No. 12. Meine Ohrmuschel… 13. No. 13. Einmal brach ich mir das Bein 14. No. 14. Umpanzert 15. No. 15. Zwei Spazierstöcke 16. No. 16. Keine Rückkehr 17. No. 17. Stolz (1920/15. November, zehn Uhr) 18. No. 18. Träumend hing die Blume 19. No. 19. Nichts dergleichen

Part 2:
20. Der wahre Weg

Part 3:
21. No. 1. Haben? Sein? 22. No. 2. Der Coitus als Bestrafung 23. No. 3. Meine Festung 24. No. 4. Schmutzig bin ich, Milena 25. No. 5. Elendes Leben (Double) 26. No. 6. Der begrenzte Kreis 27. No. 7. Zeil, Weg, Zögern 28. No. 8. So fest 29. No. 9. Verstecke (Double) 30. No. 10. Penetrant Jüdisch 31. No. 11. Staunend sahen wir das grosse Pferd 32. No. 12. Szene in der Elektrischen

Part 4:
33. No. 1. Zu spät 34. No. 2. Eine lange Geschichte 35. No. 3. In Memoriam Robert Klein 36. No. 4. Aus einem alten Notizbuch 37. No. 5. Leoparden 38. No. 6. In Memoriam Joannis Pilinszky 39. No. 7. Wiederum, wiederum 40. No. 8. Es blendete uns die Mondnacht…

Total duration: 54.30

Musicians:
Susan Narucki, soprano
Curtis Macomber, violin

Kurtág’s singular masterpiece, Kafka Fragments, is one of his most autobiographical works, the score peppered with personal references and messages to well-known musicians and other acquaintances.

The works are 40 very short pieces for soprano and violin, a cycle of a little less than an hour and here performed by the American operatic soprano Susan Narucki and Violinist Curtis Macomber. Kurtág is well-known for saying his music is made out of almost nothing and thus Kafka Fragments is certainly a case in point - just a voice and a violin above the abyss, a few essential things, conveying much with little.

Which makes for an incredible creation - powerful existentialism. The liner notes are quite informative and include all the lyrics, which I found was a nice touch. Kafka was Jewish, like Kurtág. He lived in Prague. Kafka’s concerns were spiritual, theological, and quotidian - he had more doubts than certainty, but was a seeker.

Musically, the closest parallel clearly seems to be Pierrot Lunaire, though Kurtag’s single biggest musical influence is Webern. I find it strangely compelling. It is certainly one of Kurtág’s masterpieces, and in fact I would say it is a masterpiece of the late 20th century. While there is some variation overall, the mood is full of angst and hints of tragedy. The atonal music does not convey the depth and range of emotion attributed to the work by some writers, but nonetheless the overall dulcet ambiance is thoroughly commendable.

In short, this is probably the most accessible of these works at this point, for it is a mighty fine performance and well-sculpted audio recording. The compositions are unique in that they depend solely on the ability of a soprano to accept the partnership of one instrument as accompaniment. But writing that statement immediately calls for a retraction: the soprano and the violin each hold equal value in these fragments from Franz Kafka’s bizarre diaries.

The ability of the violin to spread a pitch cluster over several strings invites the soprano to do the same - not necessarily of the sprechstimme quality but finding that inner place between two pitches that has yet to resolve in either direction. At times the violin dances and the voice dances, at other times the violin sans vibrato mourns and the voice groans and pleads. There are moments of snap and humor that are close to the Orientale sound: there are moments so mysterious that they seem to emerge from some other space unknown to anyone but the composer.

Official Purchase Link

www.susannarucki.net

Missy Raines & Allegheny announce the release of their new album Love & Trouble out now on Compass Records. Working again with producer Alison Brown, the new album showcases a band at the peak of its powers on an inspired set which includes re-workings of traditional songs, contemporary covers and Missy Raines’ originals.

Following on the heels of 2024’s Highlander, the new project firmly establishes Missy Raines & Allegheny as one of the most vibrant bands on the bluegrass scene. Talking about the new project, Missy says: We had lots of shows under our belt and there was an overwhelming feeling of connection you can only get from a lot of time on stage together. I knew I wanted to try and capture the magic again and I think we did.

On Love & Trouble, Raines expands her exploration of traditionally-rooted bluegrass through a set of original songs, fresh covers and reworkings of traditional ballads. Teaming up again with producer Alison Brown, she shines a spotlight on the members of her touring band Allegheny on the new release: Tristan Scroggins (mandolin, vocals), Ellie Hakanson (fiddle, vocals), Ben Garnett (guitar, vocals) and Eli Gilbert (banjo, vocals).

1. Yanceyville Jail [2:56]
2. Claude Allen [4:12]
3. Cold Winds [2:50]
4. Coal Black Water [3:39]
5. Anywhere the Wind Blows [3:35]
6. Stop 88 [3:52]
7. Future On Ice [3:19]
8. Scraps From Your Table [3:02]
9. Eula Dorsey [3:38]
10. Vonetta [4:38]

The most awarded bass player in the history of the International Bluegrass Music Association - along here with Allegheny - opens up here new recording on the frenetically-charged banjo, fiddle and mandolin-hued Yanceyville Jail and the mid-tempo jaunt of a traditional Appalachian ballad Claude Allen and then we get the train track-imbibed Cold Winds, the low slung Coal Black Water and the finger-snapping foot-tapper Anywhere the Wind Blows (culled from the repertoire of The Good Ole Persons and penned by Kathy Kallick).

Along next is the infectiously danceable Stop 88 which is in turn backed seamlessly by the dulcet balladry of the classic country Jimmy Martin song Future On Ice (featuring special guest Deanie Richardson (Sister Sadie) on fiddle), the free-spirited Hazel Dickens classic Scraps From Your Table, the set rounding out on the balladry gossamer of Eula Dorsey, closing on the strident Earl Klugh instrumental Vonetta.

Taken as a whole, Love & Trouble is a strong musical statement from a band at the top of its game. Missy Raines & Allegheny show the possibilities for traditional bluegrass in a contemporary context, expanding the genre’s roots even as they cultivate them. And the result is an ear-opening pleasure.

UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
16 May - Purple Fiddle - Thomas, WV
17 May - Allegheny RiverStone Center for the Arts - Foxburg, PA
18 May - Riverdog Concerts, Oberlin OH
22 May - Station Inn - Nashville, TN
23 May - Red Clay Music Foundry - Duluth, GA
24 May - Randy Wood Guitars - Bloomingdale, GA
20 Jun - Wenatchee River Bluegrass Festival - Cashmere, WA
21 Jun - Wenatchee River Bluegrass Festival - Cashmere, WA
5 Jul - Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center - Robbinsville, NC
11 Jul - High Mountain Hay Fever Festival - Westcliffe, CO
12 Jul - High Mountain Hay Fever Festival - Westcliffe, CO
18 Jul - Shady Grove Bluegrass Festival - Sundre, Canada
19 Jul - Shady Grove Bluegrass Festival - Sundre, Canada
24 July - Brewminatti, Prosser WA
25 Jul - Columbia Gorge Bluegrass Festival - Stevenson, WA
26 Jul - Columbia Gorge Bluegrass Festival - Stevenson, WA
1 Nov - Sultana Downrigging Festival - Chestertown, MD

Official Purchase Link

www.missyraines.com

For those wondering, this is a stellar collaboration between composer Michael Cashmore (Current 93) and vocalist Marc Almond of Soft Cell fame.

Two complementary creative sensibilities in intimate interlock; supreme compositional and vocal talents fusing to make uniquely dramatic musical and vocal interpretations of searing beauty and insight.

Specifically, this suite of songs features the heightened lyricism of a stunning array of cult poets, both contemporary and of yesteryear. ‘Feasting With Panthers’ is a stellar collaboration between composer Michael Cashmore (Current 93) and vocalist Marc Almond of Soft Cell fame, in the nearest thematic echo and nod, in the latter’s vast back catalogue, to the darker gothic influences of his celebrated Marc And The Mambas period and his acclaimed ‘L’Absinthe’ and ‘Jacques’ twisted chanson solo albums.

This album’s defining aesthetic is the setting of outsider poems to music. Poems by Count Eric Stenbock plus unique lyrical translations - by celebrated poet Jeremy Reed - of works by Jean Genet, Jean Cocteau, Arthur Rimbaud, Paul Verlaine, as well as Reed’s own poetry. The emphasis throughout is on decadent poems of thwarted love, ill-fated romance, self-destruction and death: many poems are woven with homo-eroticism, laced with opium dreamstates and all are accompanied by Michael Cashmore’s haunting and melancholic music that lends the verses a deft yearning for beauty and a bittersweet, melancholic longing for lost innocence and youth.

Originally released in 2011 and long since deleted, ‘Feasting With Panthers’ is now restored to back catalogue availability in a 2CD mini-album sleeve style capacity wallet complete with a fold-out poster lyrics sheet and featuring four bonus tracks.

The album was recorded over several years by the artists sending music files back and forth by e-mail and post; the artists never once recording together in the studio. Berlin based Michael Cashmore worked at home composing the music, playing all of the instruments and adding Marc’s vocals from files recorded in London.

The resulting album is a glorious union of sensual talents, both in voice and music, complementing the intriguing and evocative poetic texts.

Disc One: Feasting With Panthers (Original Album)
1. The Thief And The Night
2. Sonnet XI
3. Boy Caesar
4. The Lunatic Lover
5. Crime Of Love
6. Sleeper In The Valley
7. Song Of The Unwept Tear
8. Patron Saint Of Lipstick
9. Gabriel
10. El Desdichado
11. Hotel de France and Poetry
12. The Man Condemned to Death
13. Feasting With Panthers

After tackling the Gypsy folk songs of ostracized Soviet troubadour Vadim Kozin on 2009’s Orpheus in Exile, 80’s pop icon Marc Almond continued to pursue his avant-garde sensibilities on his what was then 12th studio album, Feasting with Panthers; a joint effort with experimental composer Michael Cashmore (Current 93) and which contained 13 musical interpretations of his favorite homoerotic poems.

In truth, it was an intriguing concept that breathed new life into classic pieces by the likes of Rimbaud (The Sleeper in the Valley), Gérard de Nerval (El Desdichado), and Jean Genet (The Man Condemned to Death), as well as showcasing the literary talents of celebrated poet Jeremy Reed on several new compositions (Boy Caesar, Patron Saint of Lipstick).

And yet by sticking to the piano-led torch song arrangements of their previous collaboration (Current 93’s adaptation of 1763 methodist hymn Idumea), the pair obviously wished to deliver forth some majestical source material, but, and in my humble opinion, they did not hit their anticipated high standard mark on each track.

That said, Almond is in mighty fine form, toning down his sometimes theatrical tendencies in favor of a more restrained vocal style that allows the new translations to take center stage. Killer cuts for me include the Hammond organ-driven The Song of the Unwept Tear, the softly brushed rhythms of the epic seven-minute title track, and the subtle sweeping strings of Hotel de France and Poetry, the latter of which provides the album’s best, and most infectious melody.

Given the over-arcing low-key and stripped-back production here, one has to admire Almond’s refusal to conform to commercial constraints, and whereas one might think that they would have been much better confining their creative flow to the duo’s previous two-track EP (the Count Eric Stenbock poems Gabriel and The Lunatic Lover, also both featured here) than trying to extend it to this highly ambitious full-length album, I myself love the ambition shown.

Bonus Tracks
1. Gabriel (2025 New Orchestrated Instrumental)
2. The Man Condemned to Death (2025 New Orchestrated Instrumental)
3. The Lunatic Lover (Live, Official Bootleg)
4. Gabriel (Live, Official Bootleg)

The project began after Current 93’s David Tibet gave Marc a book of poems by the Baltic German poet Count Stanislaus Eric Stenbock. Marc was instantly attracted to the dark eroticism and the melancholic yearning of the verse and, so, contacted Michael Cashmore, whom he had previously worked with on Current 93’s reading of ‘Idumea’.

He felt Michael would have the right understanding of the verse with his intricate, beautiful musical compositions. From this, the project developed to include many of Marc’s favorite poems by some of his favorite outsider poets with common thematic ground.

Marc Almond and Michael Cashmore - Feasting With Panthers [Official Trailer]

Official Purchase Link

www.marcalmond.co.uk

www.michaelcashmore.com

29-year-old Italian pianist Tommaso Perazzo started playing piano at the age of five, showing from the beginning a strong predilection for jazz and blues.

Although little known here in the UK, he has a reputation across Europe and the US as one of today’s finest young jazz pianist, attested here by the presence of legendary bassist Buster Williams (Herbie Hancock, Larry Coryell, Sphere, among others).

As well as three original compositions by Tommaso and one from the trio’s drummer Marcello Cardillo, there are two compositions by Buster Williams (Christina and Where Giants Dwell), plus covers of Wayne Shorter’s Footprints, and Mulgrew Miller’s Soul Leo.

“Tommaso and Marcello are two truly gifted musicians. I so much enjoyed making this record with them. I hope you the listener enjoy it also.” - Buster Williams.

1. Back At The Right Spot!
2. Alba Sul Mare
3. Kind Of Blues
4. Christina
5. Where Giants Dwell
6. Footprints
7. Soul Leo
8. Ricordi

Recorded at The Steiner Studios, Brooklyn, New York, on June 14th, 2023, this wonderfully sculpted new recording on the energetically-charged Back At The Right Spot! and then we get the melodious piano work of Alba Sul Mare (sunrise on the sea), the playfully upbeat finger-snapper Kind Of Blues and the articulate, veritably crystalline balladry of Christina (dedicated to Williams’ granddaughter).

Along next is the sweepingly ornate Where Giants Dwell which is itself backed seamlessly by their organically engaging cover of Wayne Shorter’s classic Footprints, the set rounding out on the groovy ensemble piece Soul Leo, coming to an all too soon close on the shimmering Ricordi.

Musicians:
Tommaso Perazzo: piano
Buster Williams: bass
Marcello Cardillo: drums

The album as a whole is a testament to a mentor becoming a collaborator with two talented musicians. Williams was not the leader, but rather the rudder for the adventurous trio. While Perazzo and Cardillo are Italian natives, they didn’t meet each other until 2015 when they attended the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. “We became close friends and got together right away,” says Cardillo, “We played in competitions,” Perazzo adds, “and hung a lot.”

As for the naming of the album title Portrait of a Moment, Cardillo says, “We wanted to convey the vibe of having the opportunity to be in a classroom with Buster as our mentor and how that evolved into him being a collaborator in the studio. It’s unique. It’s a portrait of that day.”

Perazzo, Cardillo, Williams – Portrait of A Moment Tour
June TBD – Peperoncino Jazz Festival (NYC)
July 6 – Levanto Music Festival – (Liguria)
July 7 – Pisa Jazz Festival – (Tuscany)
July 8 – Ancona Jazz Summer Festival – (Marche)
July TBD – (Rome)
July 11 – Masseria Torre di Nebbia – (Puglia)
July 12 – “Note di Luna Piena” – Santa Maria di Leuca – (Puglia)
July 13 – Peperoncino Jazz Festival – (Calabria)

Where Giants Dwell - Live in Studio (Tommaso Perazzo - Marcello Cardillo - Buster Williams) [Official Video]

www.tommasoperazzo.com

www.marcellocardillo.com

Christopher Dean was born August 1973 and is a NJ native but resides in Havre De Grace MD as of 2020. He has been touring since 1997 fulltime as a traveling blues/soul musician.

On Steppin Out Tonight, his sixth album for the Lost World Music label, Christopher returns to the happy mix of blues and R&B that has characterized most of his releases. Indeed, the previous one, Need a Friend, was entirely focused on blues.

For extra seasoning, we get four original love ballads by Chris in more of a soft-rock mode, with touches of gospel and samba music veined throughout.

The set opens - and closes - on a couple of deep dives into the blues whilst in-between it goes every way but musically loose to entertain us.

1. My Road is Rough and Rocky
2. It Served Me Right to Suffer
3. Here With Me
4. Walk Around Time
5. You Are The Reason
6. That Old Feeling is Gone
7. Running Stop Lights
8. Party Like Back in the Day
9. I’m the One Who Loves You
10. Save Us
11. If We Can’t Trust Each Other
12. Thank You For Letting Me Know
13. Everybody’s Blues [Bonus Track]
14. She’s Gone [Bonus Track]

This beautifully crafted, and expertly sculpted musical masterpiece opens on the country blues of Sam Collins’ My Road is Rough and Rocky and a heartfelt cover of Jimmy Johnson’s It Served Me Right to Suffer and then we get brought forth the impassioned Here With Me, the midnight stroll hipsway of Robert Cray’s Walk Around Time, the low slung rhythmic balladry of You Are The Reason, before we are given some divine West Coast sounds within T-Bone Walker’s That Old Feeling is Gone and the silky smooth R&B vibe of Melvin Waiter’s Running Stop Lights.

Along next on what is my newly-crowned favorite album of the year thus far is the soulfully-grooved beauty Party Like Back in the Day (T.K. Soul) and the beautifully dreamy Curtis Mayfield’s I’m the One Who Loves You and they are in turn backed seamlessly by the dutiful, veritably Motown-eque piano balladry of Save Us, the Phillysound of If We Can’t Trust Each Other and a shimmering Thank You For Letting Me Know, the set now rounding out on two bluesy bonus tracks: the Mississippi blues of Walter “Furry” Lewis’ Everybody’s Blues and the six finger boogie blues of Theodore Roosevelt “Hound Dog” Taylor’s She’s Gone.

www.christopherdeanband.com

The Christopher Dean Band @ Facebook

For those unaware, “BASIE ROCKS!” re-imagines timeless Rock classics from artists including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Sting, Elton John, and others, while featuring special guest Trombone Shorty and collaborations with a several highly-respected jazz musicians including Arturo Sandoval, Bill Frisell, Kurt Elling, and George Coleman.

Two-time #1 Billboard chart-topping artist Deborah Silver’s 2020 album, Glitter & Grits produced by industry legend Ray Benson, reinforces Silver’s immense versatility as an artist and landed in the top 15 on Billboard’s Traditional Jazz chart.

Her earlier album, 2016’s “The Gold Standards,” produced by Steve Tyrell was an out-of-the-box smash reaching #1 on the Billboard Traditional Jazz Album chart while landing at #1 on the Billboard Heatseeker Album chart and the #2 spot on the overall Billboard Jazz Album chart.

Rocker/producer Steve Jordan describes this project as “where classic rock meets classic big band” and not just any big band ... it’s the 2024 Grammy winner for Best Large Jazz Ensemble, The Count Basie Orchestra!

1. Paint It, Black (ft. Arturo Sandoval and Pedrito Martínez)
2. Bennie And The Jets
3. Baby, I Love Your Way (ft. Peter Frampton)
4. Tainted Love (ft. Kurt Elling, Steve Jordan and John Clayton)
5. Band On The Run
6. A Hard Day’s Night (ft. Monte Croft)
7. Joy To The World (ft. Trombone Shorty)
8. Fly Like An Eagle (ft. Bill Frisell)
9. Every Breath You Take (ft. George Coleman)
10. Old Time Rock & Roll (ft. Wycliffe Gordon and Herlin Riley)
11. Life’s Been Good

This masterfully sculpted, and wholly impassioned new recording opens on a simply sensational Paint It, Black (ft. Arturo Sandoval and Pedrito Martínez) and then we get a lushly swinging Bennie And The Jets, a yearning that threads throughout Baby, I Love Your Way (ft. Peter Frampton), before both the all-encompassing Tainted Love (ft. Kurt Elling, Steve Jordan and John Clayton) and a strident Band On The Run are brought forth.

Continuing to vibrantly swing through some of rocks most enduring songs, along next is a magnificently propellent A Hard Day’s Night (ft. Monte Croft) which is itself backed by the finger-snapper Joy To The World (ft. Trombone Shorty), the fervently-charming Fly Like An Eagle (ft. Bill Frisell), a sultry rendition of Every Breath You Take (ft. George Coleman), the set rounding out on a bluesy Old Time Rock & Roll (ft. Wycliffe Gordon and Herlin Riley), closing on the explosively melodicious Life’s Been Good.

Deborah Silver has performed at venues around the U.S. including Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, Blues Alley, 54 Below, Catalina Jazz Club, The Colony’s Royal Room and the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, both in Palm Beach, FL As she now gears up for the early 2025 release of “BASIE ROCKS!!,” she’ll be performing live with her quartet and plans are in the works for her to do select live performances with the Count Basie Orchestra, in conjunction with the album release.

www.thecountbasieorchestra.com

www.deborahsilvermusic.com

For those unaware, when Taiwanese-born pianist Jo-Yu Chen moved to New York to study at Juilliard, she had every intention of continuing on the classical career path she’d followed as a student of both piano and oboe.

It wasn’t long, however, before she detoured into the world of jazz, continuing her studies at the New School and falling under the influence of adventurous pianists like Jason Moran, Sam Yahel and Kevin Hays.

Within a few years Chen embarked on an ambitious series of collaborations, recording dazzling jazz albums with such modern greats as drummer Tyshawn Sorey (her 2009 debut, Obsession), guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel (Stranger, 2014) and saxophonist Mark Turner (Savage Beauty, 2019) – all on Sony Music, making Chen the first and only Taiwanese jazz artists signed to a major label.

Returning to her native Taiwan while the pandemic raged brought Chen full circle in other ways as well. She found herself reconnecting with fellow classical musicians, many of them also recently returned Juilliard alumni. But she had no intention of leaving her newfound passion for jazz behind.

The result is a deeply personal hybrid of classical and jazz traditions. Chen’s first full-length excursion into this distinctive fusion is Rendezvous: Jazz Meets Beethoven, Tchaikovsky & More.

Out May 2nd, 2025 via Sony Music, Rendezvous is just that – an intimate meeting, two individual styles converging on common ground. The album features reimagined works by five iconic composers, including pieces from three ballet masterpieces.

As she has been on every one of her releases to date, Chen – who also produced the album – is joined by the outstanding New York-based rhythm section of bassist Chris Tordini and drummer Tommy Crane.

1. Beethoven – Symphony No. 5 / Piano Sonata Moonlight
2. Tchaikovsky – The Nutcracker: Dance of the Reed Flutes
3. Beethoven – Sonata No. 8, Pathétique 2nd Movement
4. Tchaikovsky – Swan Lake
5. Prokofiev – Romeo and Juliet: Dance of the Knights
6. Mussorgsky – Pictures at an Exhibition: The Old Castle
7. Prokofiev – Piano Concerto #2
8. Ravel – Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte

This masterfully sculpted, and wholly impassioned new recording - one that merges her jazz and classical music influences with a singular jazz take on the classical canon - opens on a simply irresistible Symphony No. 5 / Piano Sonata Moonlight and brings us the playfully flirtatious The Nutcracker: Dance of the Reed Flutes, the sheer elegance of Sonata No. 8, Pathétique 2nd Movement and then the serene gossamer of Swan Lake is brought forth.

Along next is the more strident fare of the melodious Romeo and Juliet: Dance of the Knights which is in turn itself backed by the veritably glistening Pictures at an Exhibition: The Old Castle, the set rounding out on the gently jaunty, yet rhythmically infectious Piano Concerto #2, coming to a close on the languishing beauty of the peaceful Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte.

www.joyuchen.com

“Sub rosa” is a term that immediately conjures up shadowy images of secret messages and covert operations, espionage and investigation. In truth, Jazz has always been something of a coded language, able to convey deep and complex meaning in abstract form, communicating emotions without explicit explanation.

Pianist Julian Shore delivers his own collection of clandestine communications on his compelling new album Sub Rosa, out June 6th, 2025 via Chill Tone.

Sub Rosa is the second release for Shore’s profoundly intuitive trio with bassist Martin Nevin and drummer Allan Mednard. Their 2023 self-titled debut was a largely informal affair, an impromptu session motivated by the lifting of lockdown restrictions.

Their follow-up reflects more than two years of camaraderie and evolution since that initial meeting, capturing the remarkable fluidity with which the three bandmates reshape the music in the moment. The material that Shore has penned for them is rooted in personal experience, though the composer hopes that the music speaks for itself.

“I hinted at different elements of my life in the titles of the tunes, but I never want to give the whole picture away,” Shore says. He points to an oft-quoted interview with David Lynch, in which the late film director laments having to discuss the meanings behind his cryptic narratives. “As soon as you finish a film,” he said with a wince, “people want you to talk about it. The film is the talking. It’s the whole thing.”

1. Messenger (05:21)
2. Mission (06:23)
3. Must Keep Going (06:38)
4. Beacon (03:36)
5. Blues in Blueprint (06:37)
6. All The Things You Are (03:35)
7. Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulders) (06:23)
8. It Was A Dream (02:47)
9. Winter Song (07:46)
10. Pegasus (excerpt) (02:46)

This quite magically delicious and dutifully-hued new recording opens on the articulately compelling Messenger and then we get the rhythmically intriguing Mission, the expediently-sculpted Must Keep Going, and both the languishing beauty of Beacon and the low sung, late night smokey jazz vibe of Blues in Blueprint.

Recorded on August 27th-28th, 2024, along next is the spirited All The Things You Are which is in turn backed seamlessly by a delicate ambiance within Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulders), the veritably shimmering It Was A Dream, the set rounding out on the melodious seven minute Winter Song, coming to a close on an all-embracing excerpt of Pegasus.

Musicians:
Julian Shore (piano)
Martin Nevin (bass)
Allan Mednard (drums)

www.julianshore.com

On his brand new album Camera Obscura (out now on Capri Records), Felipe Salles blends jazz and chamber music to tell a story that will take you on a ride of different perspectives and images through his music.

Camera Obscura was the first rudimentary camera. Camera Obscura means dark chamber. He uses this as wordplay referring to his choice of classical chamber music instruments, as well as his approach to composition, which plays with imagery, color, light, and darkness.

The overarching theme in this project is perspective, imagined in different musical ways and from different angles. There is perspective in the way a picture is taken, or a drawing is made. A soundtrack helps shape the story in film or theater by choosing to express or suppress emotions. A story is told as a memory -- or the lack of one -- from one or more individual points of view, which can create or change perspective.

He has always been drawn to the imagery and storytelling in music. Just like a photographer plays with exposure, colors, sharpness, or even how a picture is cropped, he can reshape or reframe a melodic idea by changing its underlying harmony, instrumentation, and rhythmic phrasing.

There are six main pieces involving the full chamber group: jazz quartet, string quartet, and woodwinds. Camera Obscura imagines the first light entering the dark box and the journey the sequential images convey after that. Perspective plays with the idea of different approaches of tango, from pop to jazz, to a more Piazzolla-inspired take or even to classical music.

Rooms, a different name for chambers, plays with the translation of his last name (Salles, French for rooms) and uses a melody based on his children’s names. À Deriva is a heartfelt ballad inspired by the poem by his sister, Helena Tabatchnik, and masterfully sung by Tatiana Parra.

Platus is an homage to Plato, whose allegory, The Cave, is the original version of a camera obscura. Trem de Prata (Silver Train) imagines a train ride from his childhood, going from São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro overnight. The train no longer exists, so the piece imagines it magically returning to life for one last ride, stopping by many stations on the way.

1. Camera Obscura
2. Remembrance (For David Liebman)
3. Perspective
4. Memory (for my mother)
5. Rooms
6. A Deriva (Adrift)
7. Perception
8. Platus
9. Lucidity
10. Trem De Prata

Blending jazz and chamber music to tell a story that will take you on a ride of different perspectives and images through his music, this brand new recording opens on the cinematically glistening Camera Obscura and then we get the delicately jaunty Remembrance (For David Liebman), the spirited Perspective, the stern, yet cultured Memory (for my mother) and then comes the elegantly sumptuous Rooms.

Along next is the sweeping gossamer of the vocalized A Deriva (Adrift) which is in turn backed seamlessly by the ethereally-imbibed Perception, the upbeat and rhythmically driven Platus, the set rounding out on the electronically-creative Lucidity, coming to an all too soon close on the joyfully-hued Trem De Prata.

Official MVD Purchase Link

New Vienna is the fourth concert recording to be released from Keith Jarrett’s final European solo tour. It follows Munich 2016, Budapest Concert and Bordeaux Concert.

Why New Vienna? As Jarrett aficionados will know, his discography already includes a legendary Vienna Concert (recorded at the Vienna State Opera) whose music, he once claimed, spoke “the language of the flame itself”, after long years of “courting the fire”.

Keith Jarrett’s 2016 return to the Austrian capital brought the flames of inspiration to another historic location with lively acoustic properties, the Golden Hall of the Musikverein, where, at the start of the previous century, Schoenberg, Berg and Webern had premiered works that challenged and changed the course of modern music.

New Vienna, shaping its new music in the moment, is near-encyclopedic in scope.

1. New Vienna, Part I [10:58]
2. New Vienna, Part II [6:26]
3. New Vienna, Part III [5:40]
4. New Vienna, Part IV [6:01]
5. New Vienna, Part V [10:28]
6. New Vienna, Part VI [8:37]
7. New Vienna, Part VII [8:38]
8. New Vienna, Part VIII [3:06]
9. New Vienna, Part IX [4:39]
10. Somewhere Over The Rainbow [5:20]

On an album being issued as Keith Jarrett turns 80, this masterful recording opens on the spikily disjointed, yet mesmerizingly melodic, ten-minute New Vienna, Part I and then we get the hypnotic Part II, the stalking, yet resoundingly organic Part III, the ornate gossamer of Part IV, with the simply breathtaking Part V along next.

Although he has not played live since 2017, public interest in his solo music remains high, and his fine form here continues onwards with the pulsingly insightful Part VI which is in turn backed by the beguilingly flourishing Part VII, the upbeat, playful and a little flirtatious Part VIII, the set rounding out on the reflective Part IX, coming to a close on a dutifully enriched rendition of Somewhere Over The Rainbow.

And, again, although he has not played live since 2017, public interest in his solo music remains high, with this year’s 50th anniversary of The Köln Concert also generating worldwide media attention.

Official Purchase Link

Keith Jarrett @ Facebook

For those wondering, this is a stellar collaboration between composer Michael Cashmore (Current 93) and vocalist Marc Almond of Soft Cell fame.

Two complementary creative sensibilities in intimate interlock; supreme compositional and vocal talents fusing to make uniquely dramatic musical and vocal interpretations of searing beauty and insight.

Specifically, this suite of songs features the heightened lyricism of a stunning array of cult poets, both contemporary and of yesteryear. ‘Feasting With Panthers’ is a stellar collaboration between composer Michael Cashmore (Current 93) and vocalist Marc Almond of Soft Cell fame, in the nearest thematic echo and nod, in the latter’s vast back catalogue, to the darker gothic influences of his celebrated Marc And The Mambas period and his acclaimed ‘L’Absinthe’ and ‘Jacques’ twisted chanson solo albums.

This album’s defining aesthetic is the setting of outsider poems to music. Poems by Count Eric Stenbock plus unique lyrical translations - by celebrated poet Jeremy Reed - of works by Jean Genet, Jean Cocteau, Arthur Rimbaud, Paul Verlaine, as well as Reed’s own poetry. The emphasis throughout is on decadent poems of thwarted love, ill-fated romance, self-destruction and death: many poems are woven with homo-eroticism, laced with opium dreamstates and all are accompanied by Michael Cashmore’s haunting and melancholic music that lends the verses a deft yearning for beauty and a bittersweet, melancholic longing for lost innocence and youth.

Originally released in 2011 and long since deleted, ‘Feasting With Panthers’ is now restored to back catalogue availability in a 2CD mini-album sleeve style capacity wallet complete with a fold-out poster lyrics sheet and featuring four bonus tracks.

The album was recorded over several years by the artists sending music files back and forth by e-mail and post; the artists never once recording together in the studio. Berlin based Michael Cashmore worked at home composing the music, playing all of the instruments and adding Marc’s vocals from files recorded in London.

The resulting album is a glorious union of sensual talents, both in voice and music, complementing the intriguing and evocative poetic texts.

Disc One: Feasting With Panthers (Original Album)
1. The Thief And The Night
2. Sonnet XI
3. Boy Caesar
4. The Lunatic Lover
5. Crime Of Love
6. Sleeper In The Valley
7. Song Of The Unwept Tear
8. Patron Saint Of Lipstick
9. Gabriel
10. El Desdichado
11. Hotel de France and Poetry
12. The Man Condemned to Death
13. Feasting With Panthers

After tackling the Gypsy folk songs of ostracized Soviet troubadour Vadim Kozin on 2009’s Orpheus in Exile, 80’s pop icon Marc Almond continued to pursue his avant-garde sensibilities on his what was then 12th studio album, Feasting with Panthers; a joint effort with experimental composer Michael Cashmore (Current 93) and which contained 13 musical interpretations of his favorite homoerotic poems.

In truth, it was an intriguing concept that breathed new life into classic pieces by the likes of Rimbaud (The Sleeper in the Valley), Gérard de Nerval (El Desdichado), and Jean Genet (The Man Condemned to Death), as well as showcasing the literary talents of celebrated poet Jeremy Reed on several new compositions (Boy Caesar, Patron Saint of Lipstick).

And yet by sticking to the piano-led torch song arrangements of their previous collaboration (Current 93’s adaptation of 1763 methodist hymn Idumea), the pair obviously wished to deliver forth some majestical source material, but, and in my humble opinion, they did not hit their anticipated high standard mark on each track.

That said, Almond is in mighty fine form, toning down his sometimes theatrical tendencies in favor of a more restrained vocal style that allows the new translations to take center stage. Killer cuts for me include the Hammond organ-driven The Song of the Unwept Tear, the softly brushed rhythms of the epic seven-minute title track, and the subtle sweeping strings of Hotel de France and Poetry, the latter of which provides the album’s best, and most infectious melody.

Given the over-arcing low-key and stripped-back production here, one has to admire Almond’s refusal to conform to commercial constraints, and whereas one might think that they would have been much better confining their creative flow to the duo’s previous two-track EP (the Count Eric Stenbock poems Gabriel and The Lunatic Lover, also both featured here) than trying to extend it to this highly ambitious full-length album, I myself love the ambition shown.

Bonus Tracks
1. Gabriel (2025 New Orchestrated Instrumental)
2. The Man Condemned to Death (2025 New Orchestrated Instrumental)
3. The Lunatic Lover (Live, Official Bootleg)
4. Gabriel (Live, Official Bootleg)

The project began after Current 93’s David Tibet gave Marc a book of poems by the Baltic German poet Count Stanislaus Eric Stenbock. Marc was instantly attracted to the dark eroticism and the melancholic yearning of the verse and, so, contacted Michael Cashmore, whom he had previously worked with on Current 93’s reading of ‘Idumea’.

He felt Michael would have the right understanding of the verse with his intricate, beautiful musical compositions. From this, the project developed to include many of Marc’s favorite poems by some of his favorite outsider poets with common thematic ground.

Marc Almond and Michael Cashmore - Feasting With Panthers [Official Trailer]

Official Purchase Link

www.marcalmond.co.uk

www.michaelcashmore.com

There is no doubt Buck Owens and His Buckaroos were one of the biggest acts in the world from 1964–1974. Not only were they topping the music charts, they were filling concert halls worldwide. They were such a popular concert draw that many performances were recorded and released only in the corresponding foreign market. Unfortunately, much of that material never saw the light of day outside the country in which it was released. Until now.

Adios, Farwell, Goodbye, Good Luck, So Long: On Stage 1964–1974 is the first comprehensive look at this revolutionary time in music. Featuring 78 tracks on 3-CDs/Digital, the collection sports 75 tracks making their CD debut including the recently discovered The Exciting Sounds Of Buck Owens And His Buckaroos Live From Richmond, Virginia, 1964, plus tracks from the international releases Buck Owens’ Show In Japan, Live In New Zealand, and Buck Owens’ Show “Live” At The Sydney Opera House, as well as the US Top 10 albums The Buck Owens Show–Big In Vegas and Live At The Nugget.

For me, their Carnegie Hall Live album was, and is still up there with the best country live albums ever made. Although not included here, Buck Owens and The Buckaroos were so huge in the early 60’s, that even The Beatles were influenced by them. Ringo Starr singing “Act Naturally” back in the day was a great tribute to Buck, along with other tributes done down the years, of course.

Indeed, I have been a huge Buck Owens fan for as long as I can recall as I grew up watching Hee-Haw and clearly remember as a child thinking Tiger By The Tail was the greatest song ever! Still love the song and the whole Bakersfield sound today. Oh, and who didn’t love watching the band play together wearing those smart Bolero jackets. Absolutely killer!

A Bakersfield legend, I often wonder how country would have been different if Buck had been more successful at shifting the industry’s center of gravity out west. That said, he did what he could with what he had and my oh my, this brand new 3CD set of live recording from different stages of his career showcase a star shining bright, that’s for darn-tootin’ sure.

Taking it back for a sweet moment and the Owens family was musical before Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr. was born in Sherman, Texas, in 1929. He was later self-nicknamed “Buck” in honor of the family mule! His mother, Maicie, played piano, his dad played harmonica, and two uncles picked guitar. The family left Texas in 1937 to escape the crop-wrecking drought that created the Dust Bowl.

Their new home was Mesa, Arizona, just outside Phoenix. In addition to working day jobs, Buck was playing mandolin with singer-guitarist Theryl Ray Britten in the duo Buck and Britt, where he got his first performing and radio experience. Learning guitar, steel guitar, and even saxophone, he graduated to a larger band, playing an eight-string Rickenbacker steel with Mac’s Skillet Lickers when he wasn’t driving a truck. That’s where he met future wife Bonnie Campbell, the band’s vocalist, who he married in 1948.

Buck first dabbled with a new style on his 1961 hit “You’re For Me” and as 1963 approached, he refined the style, later dubbed the “freight train” sound. “I always loved music that had lots of beat and always wanted to sound like a locomotive comin’ right through the front room,” he has since said. “I saw Bob Wills so many times, he was really accessible here in California. I think my influences were the early rock with the driving beat and Bob Wills for the dance beat and the music.”

The compact combo known as the Buckaroos was a streamlined country music juggernaut that accompanied Owens on countless records, tours and TV shows. Anchored by Telecaster-wielding lead guitarist Don Rich, the Buckaroos also included steel player Tom Brumley, drummer Willie Cantu and bassist Doyle Holly.

They had a fiercely stripped-down sound, a bouncy, melody-oriented, rock-friendly style that flew in the face of the ornate orchestrations of Nashville and helped define the so-called "Bakersfield Sound" or West Coast country of the late 1950s and early 60’s. On a side note, the aforementioned Don Rich had truly come into his own as a guitarist by 1963, when he played lead on “Act Naturally,” the hit that established Buck and the freight-train style. A perfect performance vocally and instrumentally, it launched Buck’s seven-year string of 20 #1 singles. More importantly, while it showcased Buck’s vocal, Don’s simple, twangy breaks were the perfect foil, demonstrating how well “The Chief” had taught him. When the Beatles recorded their 1965 cover version, George Harrison simply copied Don.

The aggressively twang-heavy, string-bending Buckaroo sound was unlike anything coming out of Nashville. Incorporating the most elemental aspects rock and western swing, it was a minimalist, cutting-edge contrast with the slick “Nashville Sound” designed to attract adult pop music fans to country. When all that twanging started to play havoc with everyone’s strings, Buck devised a simple solution, one that gave the new sound a robust texture.

Ergo, all the live music captured here on Adios, Farewell, Goodbye, Good Luck, So Long: On Stage 1964-1974 is of the highest quality, both with regard Buck and the band and the audio recordings themselves. A most glorious time capsule of the highest order, their freight-train rhythm had driven Buck’s hits for five years as 1968 rolled around, and he was chafing to broaden his style, which he did with such un-Buck-like hits as the Ray Charles-inspired ballad “I’ve Got You On My Mind Again” and “Who’s Gonna Mow Your Grass,” the latter featuring Rich fuzztone guitar (although neither are included here sadly).

In closing, what makes this chorological journey through Buck and his Buckaroos on stage even more essential is the addition of 20 performances available for the first time anywhere: sets from Macys 7th Avenue store from 1967, the 1973 Buck Owens Golf Tournament Dinner, and a 1973 Toys For Tots benefit at the Bakersfield Civic Auditorium.

With mastering and restoration from multiple Grammy-winning engineer Michael Graves, the packaging contains a full-color, 56-page annotated book with an extensive essay from Grammy-nominated writer and set co-producer Scott B. Bomar. Adios, Farwell, Goodbye, Good Luck, So Long: On Stage 1964–1974 is the definitive look at a catalog and career that remains untouched, unrivaled, and unbelievably important to popular music and culture.

Disc One:
Live at the Bellevue Theater in Richmond, Virginia, 1964
Intro; Act Naturally; Love’s Gonna Live Here; Together Again; My Heart Skips A Beat; Band Intros; Orange Blossom Special; The Streets Of Laredo (The Young Cowboy); I Don’t Care (Just As Long As You Love Me); Close Up The Honky Tonks; Mexican Polka/Buck’s Polka; Truck Drivin’ Man; A-11; Release Me; Hello Trouble; I Don’t Hear You; Dang Me; Hello Walls No. 2; Long Tall Texan; Twist And Shout

Live at Macy’s 7th Avenue Store in New York, 1967
Intro; Act Naturally; Buck Talks To The Audience; Together Again; Sam’s Place; Buck’s Welcome & Band Intros; Orange Blossom Special; Leave Me Something To Remember You By; Round Hole Guitar; Tokyo Polka; Steel Guitar Polka; Medley: Crying Time / Don’t Let Her Know; Waitin’ In Your Welfare Line; Medley: My Heart Skips A Beat / I Don’t Care (Just As Long As You Love Me) / Love’s Gonna Live Here; Medley: Think Of Me / Where Does The Good Times Go; Medley: Tiger By The Tail / Open Up Your Heart; Medley: Under Your Spell Again / Above And Beyond / Excuse Me (I Think I’ve Got A Heartache) / Foolin’ Around / Hello Trouble / Truck Drivin’ Man

Disc Two:
Live at The Bonanza Hotel, Las Vegas, 1969
Intro; Big In Vegas; Las Vegas Lament; Together Again; I’m A Natural Loser; Catfish Capers; Rovin’ Gambler; Along Came Jones; We’re Gonna Let The Good Times Roll

Live at John Asuaga’s Nugget Hotel Casino Resort, Reno, 1971
Intro; Good Ole Mountain Dew; Nugget Lament; Rollin’ In My Sweet Baby’s Arms; Buck Talks To The Audience; Ruby (Are You Mad); We’re Gonna Get Together; I’ll Still Be Waiting For You; Johnny B. Goode

Live at the Buck Owens Golf Tournament Dinner, Bakersfield, 1973
Buckaroo; Buck Owens Intro; Rollin’ In My Sweet Baby’s Arms; Buck Talks To The Audience; Big Game Hunter

Live at Toys For Tots Benefit Show, Bakersfield, 1973
Y’all Come; Tall Dark Stranger; Together Again; Rollin’ In My Sweet Baby’s Arms; Big Game Hunter; Johnny B. Goode

Disc Three:
The 1974 International Tour Highlights
Y’all Come (Live at Nakano Sun Plaza, Tokyo, 1974); Your Daddy Was A Preacher (And Your Mama Was A Dancing Girl) (Live at Christchurch Town Hall, New Zealand, 1974); Big In Vegas (Live at Christchurch Town Hall, New Zealand, 1974); Roll Over Beethoven (Live at Sydney Opera House, Australia, 1974); Talk & Jokes (Live at Sydney Opera House, Australia, 1974); Rollin’ In My Sweet Baby’s Arms (Live at Sydney Opera House, Australia, 1974); Medley: Act Naturally / Together Again / Love’s Gonna Live Here / Waitin’ In Your Welfare Line / Sam’s Place / Cryin’ Time / I’ve Got A Tiger By The Tail (Live at Christchurch Town Hall, New Zealand, 1974); Green Onions (Live at Nakano Sun Plaza, Tokyo, 1974); Duelin’ Banjos (Live at Christchurch Town Hall, New Zealand, 1974); Orange Blossom Special (Live at Nakano Sun Plaza, Tokyo, 1974); Cajun Fiddle (Live at Nakano Sun Plaza, Tokyo, 1974); Medley: Diggy Liggy Lo / Louisiana Man (Live at Christchurch Town Hall, New Zealand, 1974); On The Cover Of The Music City News (Live at Nakano Sun Plaza, Tokyo, 1974) Made In Japan (Live at Nakano Sun Plaza, Tokyo, 1974); Georgia Pineywoods (Live at Nakano Sun Plaza, Tokyo, 1974); Dust On Mother’s Bible (Live at Sydney Opera House, Australia, 1974); Jackson (Live at Sydney Opera House, Australia, 1974); Somewhere Between You And Me (Live at Christchurch Town Hall, New Zealand, 1974); Looking Back To See (Live at Christchurch Town Hall, New Zealand, 1974); You’re Gonna Love Yourself In The Morning (Live at Nakano Sun Plaza, Tokyo, 19874); Johnny B. Goode (Live at Nakano Sun Plaza, Tokyo, 1974); Good Ole Mountain Dew (Live at Nakano Sun Plaza, Tokyo, 1974); Ruby (Are You Mad) (Live at Nakano Sun Plaza, Tokyo, 1974)

Disc 1, Tracks 1–20 previously issued on vinyl only, March 2025
Disc 1, Tracks 21–37; Disc 2, Tracks 19–23, 26–28 previously unissued
Disc 2, Tracks 1–20 and all tracks on Disc 3, first time available on CD / Digital

Official Purchase Link

For those unaware, on June 6th, Alma Records will release Crashbox, the seventh album from the internationally acclaimed jazz/pop ensemble Monkey House.

Formed in 1992 by Emmy-winning songwriter and producer Don Breithaupt, the group gained momentum with Headquarters in 2012, marking a key moment when Breithaupt solidified his core lineup of Toronto musicians--guitarist Justin Abedin, bassist Pat Kilbride, and drummer Mark Kelso--and partnered with his trusted studio team: producer Peter Cardinali and Grammy-winning engineer John ‘Beetle’ Bailey.

Crashbox demonstrates these collaborators are still at their best. Breithaupt explains the process: writing and demoing songs for years before the band hears them. After selecting the material, they record live off the floor at Noble Street Studios, refining arrangements and incorporating horns, background vocals, and guest stars. Production is compared to a rollercoaster ride, where all the prep work leads to an exciting descent.

Some guest artists on Crashbox have a long history with Monkey House, including guitarist Drew Zingg (Boz Scaggs) and trumpeter Michael Leonhart (Steely Dan). They’re joined by vocalists Michael Dunston and Selena Evangeline. The album blends jazz, rock, pop, and R&B. The mood of Crashbox is brighter than the often dark Remember the Audio (2022), though some tracks, like What’s Left of This World, explore dark themes in a lively, funky way. The lead single "Someplace on Madison" offers a breezy New York tour, while Sundaying is a sunny ode to relaxation. The title track, a musically complex yet catchy composition, symbolizing how media keeps us on edge.

All 12 tracks on Crashbox are Breithaupt originals, with the exception of the piano ballad Disappear in Plain Sight by Marc Jordan. Monkey House’s growing global fanbase eagerly anticipates each release. Breithaupt says, The goal is to outdo ourselves every time, and with Crashbox, that goal is achieved.

1. Return of the Mayfly
2. Someplace On Madison
3. Crashbox
4. Disappear in Plain Sight
5. What’s Left Of This World
6. Sundaying
7. Smoke ’Em If You Got ’Em
8. Bring The Stars Down
9. You Just Don’t Know It Yet
10. Chasing The Muse
11. Friday Night Jam
12. Feeling You Breathe

Emmy-winning songwriter Don Breithaupt, featuring Michael Leonhart (Steely Dan), Drew Zingg (Boz Scaggs), and a stellar cast of guest artists come together to first bring us the smoothness of Return of the Mayfly and the low slung coolness of Someplace On Madison, and then we are brought forth the storytelling within the sumptuous title cut Crashbox, the pure gossamer of Disappear in Plain Sight, and both the mid-tempo funk-n-rock of What’s Left Of This World and the saxophone-hued, easygoing beauty Sundaying.

Tracked live at Noble Street Studios in Toronto and meticulously crafted with longtime producer Peter Cardinali and Grammy-winning engineer John ‘Beetle’ Bailey, along next on this Steely Dan-esque recording is the rhythmically dutiful Smoke ’Em If You Got ’Em and the elegant piano balladry of Bring The Stars Down and they are in turn backed by the free flowing You Just Don’t Know It Yet, the all-embracingly ambient Chasing The Muse, the new set rounding out on the gracefully-honed Friday Night Jam, closing on another piano ballad, this time the atmospherically-imbibed, wholly impassioned Feeling You Breathe.

Official CD Purchase Link

Official Website

Monkey House @ Facebook

Monkey House @ X

For those unaware, Jack Barksdale is a 17-year-old folk/Americana singer/songwriter from Texas. Inspired by folk, rock, and blues legends, Jack started performing original music at the age of nine and has already shared the stage with Wynonna Judd, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Junior Brown, John Fullbright, and Hayes Carll.

Recently Jack signed a record deal with Truly Handmade Records, formed by the estate of Guy Clark and so this brand new album entitled Voices - which features many notable guest artists - is the first full length album under that label and is released on June 13th, 2025.

“I’ve been exploring many things,” Barksdale reflects. “Art, religion, reality, society, philosophy, and myself. I guess you could say I’m searching for a better understanding of it all. I hope this album provokes thought on big questions, and the complexity and nuance that exist within pretty much everything around us, if you look hard enough.”

1. The Man, The Myth, the Legend
2. Martyrs
3. Only Human
4. The Cost
5. A Funny Song
6. Song Of The Arist
7. 21st Century Savior
8. God Is Dead, I Am Dead, And So Are You
9. The End Of Days
10. Entropy
11. Voices

Already a veteran singer-songwriter even at the tender age of just 17, this musically expansive new recording opens on the languishing The Man, The Myth, the Legend and then brings us the dulcet duet with Sarah Jarosz Martyrs, the perfectly jaunty Only Human, and both the hushed, Paris-hued The Cost and the low toned ebb of A Funny Song.

After a quiet lead in, along next on this sumptuously crafted new album is the free flowing Song Of The Arist which is itself seamlessly backed by the rhythmically sculpted 21st Century Savior, an aching yearn found veined throughout God Is Dead, I Am Dead, And So Are You, the folk americana of The End Of Days (featuring Kelley Mickwee and Jeff Plankenhorn), the set rounding out on the veritably ethereal one minute, quietly soaring the next Entropy, coming to an all too soon close on the reflective title track Voices.

As aforementioned, the album benefits from an all-star cast of personnel. Engineered by Britton Beisenherz of Ramble Creek Studios in Austin, Texas, Voices features additional contributions from Luke Moller, Diana Burgess, and Chris Gelin, among others. Barksdale expresses deep gratitude for the collaborative effort, saying, “Thanks to all of these people, these voices are being heard. I hope you enjoy and become acquainted with them.”

With Voices, Jack Barksdale cements his place as an artist of rare depth and insight — one unafraid to explore the vast terrain of human experience, and to share his discoveries, one song at a time.

In September 2024 Jack released his 2nd EP “Out of Order and in October 2023 Jack launched a 7-song instrumental EP entitled Phantom Trails.”

Jack tours nationally and wows audiences with lyrics wise beyond his years. Jack plays guitar, slide guitar, harmonica, mandolin, piano, and ukulele, but identifies first and foremost as a songwriter.

Jack Barksdale - A Funny Song (Official Lyric Video)

Official CD Purchase Link

www.jackbarksdale.com

For those unaware, Oasis have just released their reissue of their fourth studio album, Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants, to mark its 25th anniversary. Released in 2000, the band’s fourth album was the first on the band’s own Big Brother Recordings label, with band members Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs and Paul “Guigsy” McGuigan no longer part of the group.

A pivotal moment in Oasis’ storied history, Standing on the Shoulder of Giants marked the start of a new era for the band. Go Let It Out was the first single release on Noel and Liam Gallagher’s own label Big Brother Recordings Ltd, established in January 2000 following the sudden closure of Oasis’ former UK label Creation Records. Big Brother’s debut release was rushed into production and released on 7th February 2000, only seven weeks after the label’s inception.

The album was produced by Mark Stent, and the lead single ‘Go Let It Out’ reached number one, quickly followed by the album itself.

The reissue is only available on vinyl: silver vinyl or purple marbled vinyl, depending on where you shop. Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants was released via Big Brother Recordings on 28th February 2025.

1. Fuckin’ In the Bushes
2. Go Let It Out
3. Who Feels Love?
4. Put Yer Money Where Yer Mouth Is
5. Little James
6. Gas Panic!
7. Where Did It All Go Wrong?
8. Sunday Morning Call
9. I Can See A Liar
10. Roll It Over

This affluently expressive, wholly impassioned album, and easy to listen to after the overblown excessiveness that was Be Here Now. When it came out, my initial reaction was more positive than it was for Morning Glory. Go Let It Out and Gas Panic! immediately became two of my favorites and still are to this day.

Sunday Morning Call and Where Did It All Go Wrong are essentially what would become the solo Noel sound. Definitely Maybe made me a fan, I was let down by WTSMG, the aforementioned Be Here Now might well have been a little pretentious and yet still convinced me they were one of the greatest bands of all time, and SOTS showed how they could evolve their sound - even if they borrowed everything from the 60s for Who Feels Love. Personally, I still think it’s their 3rd best album after DM and BHN.

In one word, SOTSOG is Underrated. Taking this further, Fuckin’ In the Bushes is a belting opener and the harmonies on Who Feels Love? are some of the best in their repertoire. Put Yer Money Where Yer Mouth Is is a very decent track and I Can See A Liar is like Acquiesce Mark II, with Roll It Over a quite brilliant closer.

The 25th anniversary of Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants lands at the start of a year that is sure to belong to Oasis as fans eagerly anticipate the Oasis Live 2025 tour, the reunion that ended years of feverish speculation. Unprecedented demand and a resounding global appetite made the announcement the music story of 2024. Last year also saw the 30th anniversary edition of Definitely Maybe reach No.1 in the UK album charts for a second time in its history.

Oasis - Go Let it Out (Official Lyric Video) [Remastered Audio]

www.oasisinet.com

For those unaware, released to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Oasis’ debut No.1 single “Some Might Say”. No released as a limited-edition, numbered, pearl colored 7” single, taken from the band’s monumental 2nd album (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? - which celebrates its 30th anniversary in October this year - it comes backed with Talk Tonight (via their Big Brother label).

“Some Might Say” was released as the lead single off (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?, April 24th 1995. It went on to become Oasis’ first number one in the UK charts.

In 2006, it was included in the “Best Of” compilation Stop The Clocks and in 2010 it was included in the singles collection Time Flies … 1994-2009.

Side A:
1. Some Might Say

Side B:
2. Talk Tonight

The song is now legendary and contains one of the most poignant lyrics every put to paper: “Some might say they don′t believe in heaven. Go and tell it to the man who lives in hell.”

Everyone, including Noel, calls it the quintessential Oasis song, but how do I personally rank it? Highly. Very highly. On WTSMG, it only ranks below Morning Glory. I think it’s because the elements such as it’s got a sunny vibe, Liam’s vocals and Noel’s backing are on point, plus it has a killer solo, of course.

As for the now infamous cover art shot, well it was basically a visual interpretation of the lyrics. Noel had wanted to have the photograph set at a working train station but the photographer, Michael Spencer thought it would make for a more interesting and surreal shot if the station was disused, with a set of characters waiting for a train that would never arrive.

As he himself says, “The platform could act as the stage. I must have spent two weeks reccying the shot all around England. In the end a neighbor who I had been chatting to about the shot suggested Cromford station near Matlock in Derbyshire. I checked it out and it was the ideal location. I shot it on black and white film and spent a week or so hand painting the photograph with watercolors and a brush to create more of a surrealist effect.”

Oasis - Some Might Say (Official HD Remastered Video)

www.oasisinet.com

For those unaware, the Claudio Scolari Project returns on April 18th, 2025 with their new release, Bloom. A modern jazz exploration, the album’s title reflects the organic growth of musical ideas — embryonic concepts that naturally evolve and flourish through improvisation. This dynamic quartet, known for its rich instrumentation—including dual drums, synths, piano, Rhodes, percussion, electric bass, and trumpet — now expands its sonic palette. Bloom introduces additional piano sections and the spontaneous vocal lines of new member Ilaria Cavalca, adding fresh textures to their ever-evolving sound.

A bold step in modern jazz, Bloom captures the essence of creative spontaneity and innovation.

1. New Ground (8:19)
2. Velvet Currents (7:24)
3. Unfolded Silence (5:55)
4. Bloom (5:12)
5. Broken Thumb (6:03)
6. Floating in the Dark (5:38)
7. Twilight Serenade (3:37)
8. Acid Roots (2:10)
9. Whispers of Life (7:15)

Continuing the tradition of the project, the album encompasses various influences: jazz, classical, funk, and experimental, all structured around improvisation, this musically expansive new recording opens on the sumptuously-crafted New Ground and then we get the funkily grooved Velvet Currents, the furtively jagged, sonically bold Unfolded Silence and the laid-back, silky-smooth title track Bloom.

Along next on this sumptuously crafted new album is the strident Broken Thumb which is itself backed up seamlessly by the at times effervescent, at others swirling and atmospherically-charged Floating in the Dark, the late night smoky jazz club appeal of Twilight Serenade, the set rounding out on the emboldened Acid Roots, closing on the all-encompassing rhythms and melodies brought forth within the compelling Whispers of Life.

Musicians:
Claudio Scolari: drum set 1, synth programming
Daniele Cavalca: drum set 2, live synths, rhodes, piano
Simone Scolari: trumpet
Ilaria Cavalca: piano, voice
Michele Cavalca: bass

Official CD Purchase Link

www.claudioscolari.com

For those unaware, Dr. Meltem Ege is a Turkish jazz vocalist, composer, and academic whose work as a performer and educator has earned her recognition and acclaim in the international jazz community, with notable honors such as first-place wins at the Lady Summertime Jazz Competition (2007) and the Jazz Voices Competition (2006). Meltem has performed as a featured soloist with several big bands and symphony orchestras, headlining jazz festivals and concert halls across the globe.

Currently based in Los Angeles, Meltem combines her classical piano background and her jazz vocal expertise—having earned degrees from Bilkent University and Berklee College of Music— with the artistic freedom found during her years studying experimental music and theater at the California Institute of the Arts, where she is currently full-time faculty.

Meltem’s performances run the gamut from straightforward jazz to solo with electronics to experimental opera as she continues to expand her artistic practice.

Although jazz is rooted in early 20th century African-American communities in the South, particularly in New Orleans, it has been adopted and adapted by different cultures around the world. Turkey, which is one of a handful of countries that straddles two continents, has been the nexus of civilizations since ancient times, creating a unique blend of Eastern and Western traditions.

And now, Turkish American jazz singer Meltem Ege (Eg-eh) is releasing her debut jazz album Solitude on May 23rd, 2025, which was recorded in both the US and Turkey.

1. Anlayana
2. We Must Not Say Yes (feat. Theo Bleckmann)
3. Solitude
4. Aklinda Kalmasin
5. Dawn
6. Seninle Dans
7. Eyes of Innocence
8. Brush Strokes

Reflecting Ege’s cross-cultured pedigree throughout these sumptuously delivered eight tracks, the album opens on the flirtatiously perky Anlayana and then we get the low slung, yet alluringly soulful We Must Not Say Yes (featuring German singer and composer Theo Bleckmann), the rhythmically sculptured title track Solitude and the emboldened Aklinda Kalmasin.

Singing half the album in English and half in Turkish, along next is the sweepingly gorgeous Dawn which is itself backed seamlessly by the upbeat and free flowing Seninle Dans, the set rounding out on the balladry gossamer of Eyes of Innocence, coming to a close on the impassioned storytelling within the melodious Brush Strokes.

Official Apple Music Purchase Link

www.meltemege.com

For those unaware, it’s been seven years since her last release, but multi-faceted artist Jennifer Lee has been busy manifesting the prophesy of track #2 from her new album Glimpse (out June 6th, 2025).

Farewell to Comfort, a lively samba that Lee penned in 2017, turned out to be a premonition, foretelling a cascade of monumental changes in her life that began in 2019. These changes include meeting and marrying her husband George Visger; moving from her beloved Oakland home of 21 years to a tiny, rural town in southwestern Idaho; as well as authoring and illustrating her first children’s book Relativity. (Books number two and three are currently in the works!) Now settled into her new home (and her expanded professional identity), Lee has at last freed up the bandwidth to release recordings she’s had in the can for a while.

The resulting album – a glittering collection of nine originals, one standard and one song written by her close friends – is the fourth by the esteemed Bay Area jazz vocalist/guitarist/pianist turned composer/lyricist.

Showcasing her songwriting skills across a wide spectrum of musical styles, similarly to her 2018 release. Glimpse is sure to catch the attention of vocalists in search of beautifully crafted songs to add to their repertoires.

As on her previous, critically-hailed albums – 2003’s Jaywalkin’, 2009’s Quiet Joy, and 2018’s My Shining Hour (all on the label SBE Records) – Lee draws on two deep pools of talent from San Diego and the Bay Area, with the addition of one East Coast jazz virtuoso, trumpeter Randy Brecker.

1. I Caught A Glimpse Of Your Soul
2. Farewell to Comfort
3. Dave Don’t Mind the Rain
4. Vivid Technicolor Love
5. If I Only Had a Brain
6. Serendipity
7. Warrior, Drop Your Sword
8. Hold On
9. Superhero
10. Here You Are
11. Strange and Beautiful

Lee, who honed her jazz technique on a succession of regular gigs around the Bay Area, opens her new album on the sumptuously enraptured I Caught A Glimpse Of Your Soul and the joyfully soulful Farewell to Comfort and then we get the low slung, moody and yearnful Dave Don’t Mind the Rain, the majestically sculptured Vivid Technicolor Love, and then comes the soft and sultry If I Only Had a Brain.

Along next is the furtively melodious Serendipity and that is itself backed smoothly by the engaging Warrior, Drop Your Sword, the beautiful balladry of Hold On, with the Latin-flavored hipsway of Superhero and the all-embracing Here You Are next brought forth, the music closing all-too-soon on the exquisitely crafted decadence of Strange and Beautiful.

Lee changed her artist name (the name under which she officially releases her recordings) to “Jennifer Lee and the Ever-Expanding Universe” in 2018 when she realized that, on the streaming platforms, her profile had been interwoven with that of another vocalist named Jennifer Lee.

While she continues to perform as Jennifer Lee or as Jennifer Lee and the Ever-Expanding Universe, depending on the gig, the artist’s full name is Jennifer Lee Sevison, which is how she publishes (via Muitapaz Music, her publishing company established in 2003) and copyrights her songs.

With each album, Lee’s music has become more finely wrought and fully formed. Since teaming up with Peter Sprague on her debut release, Spragueland Studios in Encinitas has turned into a creative refuge and laboratory for Jennifer Lee – a renewable chrysalis from which this gifted artist emerges again and again, each time taking flight as a more brilliantly-hued and expansive musician.

Official Apple Music Purchase Link

www.jenniferlee.xyz

For those unaware, pianist Noah Haidu sees a certain irony in his current recorded output. “I love composing but improvisation has always been my greatest passion. When I started releasing music in 2011 I relied on my songwriting to make a unique artistic statement, but I’ve come full circle and realized that finding my own voice on a simple, unadorned standard is a rare and necessary endeavor.”

Haidu embraced that endeavor on his 2023 release Standards and again on his 2024 release Standards II and does so once again on his follow-up to them both, the third in the trilogy entitled Standards III (out now via Sunnyside Records).

1. Yesterdays
2. Lover
3. Things Ain’t What They Used To Be
4. A Child is Born
5. Alone Together
6. After You’ve Gone (6:04)
7. Casual
8. Old Folks
9. Stevie W.
10. Tonight ... Teach ... Me
11. Teach Me Tonight

Complete with Haidu’s clear, light touch bringing forth some of the most magical of musical renderings here on this third album, it opens on the confidently impressive Yesterdays and a rather illuminous Lover and then comes forth the gracefully-sculpted Things Ain’t What They Used To Be and the entertaining A Child is Born (which both also feature bassist Buster Williams and drummer Billy Hart), with the rhythmically hearty, complete with dutifully catchy bass line of the Great American Songbook classic Alone Together along thereafter.

With four of the tracks here having been recorded back in 2023, the remaining seven recorded specifically for this session, along next the trio are also joined by Steve Wilson (alto saxophone), Peter Washington (bass), and Lewis Nash (drums) for the strongly compositional Slipstream, which is backed by the trio’s glorious interpretation of Chappell Roan’s anthem Casual, and then comes a highly impassioned Old Folks, the soulful sounds of Stevie W. (along with both Williams and Hart; the song a nod to Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely”), the set rounding out on some emboldened hipsway shown veined throughout Tonight ... Teach ... Me, closing on Teach Me Tonight, where Haidu brings his own compelling brand of pianism into the spotlight one last time.

Musicians:
Noah Haidu- piano
Gervis Myles- bass
Charles Goold- drums

www.noahhaidu.com

Official Purchase Link

For those unaware, after four years of upheaval—including illness, divorce, and a cross-country move, Reed Turchi found himself right back where he started, playing the same songs he learned when he first fell in love with the North Mississippi Hill Country blues as a teenager. This time, though, something felt different.

“I’ve known how to play these tunes for a long time now,” Turchi explains, “but I didn’t know how to sing them until I lived them. I had to find my voice.”

Indeed, Turchi’s captivating new album, World On Fire, is an alternatingly harrowing and hopeful journey of self-discovery, one fueled by doubt and despair, pain and healing, loss and redemption.

Recorded live over two nights without any edits or overdubs, the collection is the raw and haunting testimony of a man who’s been to the brink and back, as stark and eerie as it is enthralling and hypnotic.

The songs here are all vintage blues and spiritual tunes Turchi picked up along the way on his circuitous route through the music industry—some traditional with no documented authors, others performed by so many artists with so many variations over the years that it’s impossible to pin down any definitive version—but he makes each his own with striking honesty and intimacy.

1. Walk With Me (3:57)
2. When You’ve Got A Good Friend (3:51)
3. Get Back Train (2:36)
4. Lay My Burden Down (3:30)
5. Don’t Leave Me Baby (3:47)
6. Backdoor Man (3:51)
7. 51 Highway (4:33)
8. Someday Baby (4:10)
9. Reprise (1:40)

Hailed by the Oxford American as an artist “beyond genre constraints,” Turchi opens his new recording on the plainspoken, reflectively laid low, aching yearn-veined Walk With Me and then brings us the gently strident fare of When You’ve Got A Good Friend, the rhythmically sculpted gem Get Back Train and the measured Lay My Burden Down.

Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, along next a languishing brood can be heard within Don’t Leave Me Baby which is itself backed seamlessly by the summoned Chicago blues of Backdoor Man, then we get the earnestly impassioned 51 Highway, the set rounding out on the earthy-hued Someday Baby, closing on a short, but sweet guitar instrumental simply entitled Reprise.

Turchi produced the record himself, stripping each track down to its barest essentials with only acoustic guitars, upright bass, and drums to accompany his evocative slide playing and aching vocals.

The result is a timeless recording that lands somewhere between Muddy Waters’ Folk Singer and Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska, a work of devastating beauty that feels at once intensely personal and profoundly relevant.

“In a lot of ways, this record feels like the culmination of everything I’ve done so far,” Turchi reflects, “but it also feels like a new beginning. I can hear myself turning a corner and, for the first time, knowing who I am and where I’m headed.”

With World On Fire, Reed Turchi hasn’t just found his voice, he’s found himself, too.

Musicians:
Reed Turchi - Guitar / Vocal
Eric Burns - Guitar
Seth Barden - Bass
Joseph Yount - Drums

www.reedturchi.com

Official Purchase Link

When a group reaches their fifth decade like Firefall has, they develop deep roots with their fellow musicians, whether it’s from sharing touring bills or the shuffling of band members.

On their 2023 album Friends & Family, Firefall celebrated these relationships by performing songs from bands whose histories are intertwined with their own.

On May 23rd, 2025, they return with their second Friends & Family album via Sunset Blvd. Records, paying tribute to even more of those special musical relationships.

Friends & Family 2 features Firefall’s takes on hits by the likes of Fleetwood Mac, the Beach Boys, and Kenny Loggins, with special guests including Wynonna Judd, Buffalo Springfield co-founder Richie Furay, and former Elton John/Hall & Oates bassist Kenny Passarelli.

“When our first album came out in 1976 and hit it so big, we suddenly got to tour with just about everybody,” Firefall co-founder Jock Bartley explains. “Bands like Fleetwood Mac, the Doobie Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Loggins and Messina, and many more.”

Friends & Family was the brainchild of Firefall’s manager Len Fico, who also heads their label, Sunset Boulevard Records. After the original 2023 album was so well received, Fico encouraged Bartley and his current bandmates to record a follow-up.

“With Friends & Family, we’re really tipping out hat, acknowledging, and respectfully playing songs from the late ‘60s and the entire great decade of the 1970s which, frankly, will never happen again,” Bartley continues. “And there are so many people in their thirties, forties, and fifties who don’t even know this music.”

1. Love The One You’re With (Stephen Stills)
2. Go Your Own Way (Fleetwood Mac)
3. Mr. Soul (Buffalo Springfield)
4. Longer (Dan Fogelberg)
5. Shakin’ (Eddie Money)
6. I’m Alright (Kenny Loggins)
7. I Need You (America)
8. So You Want To Be A Rock ‘N’ Roll Star (The Byrds)
9. Let Me Love You Tonight (Pure Prairie League)
10. Sail On Sailor (The Beach Boys)
11. Christine’s Tune (Flying Burrito Brothers)
12. Cool Change (Little River Band)

Having originally made a name for themselves in the 1970s, and have been going ever since, this brand new recording opens on their melodious cover of the timeless Love The One You’re With and an earthy version of the late 70’s cut Go Your Own Way and they are then followed by the guitar-laden, Neil Young-composed Mr. Soul, the languishing ballad Longer, and both the vibrant Shakin’ and a rather subdued rendition of the now iconic soundtrack tune I’m Alright.

Along next is their smooth as silk take on the Gerry Beckley-written hit I Need You and that is in turn backed seamlessly by a propulsive So You Want To Be A Rock ‘N’ Roll Star (itself a song supposedly partly inspired by beloved TV band-turned-real-life superstars the Monkees), a dutifully free-flowing cover of the originally sung by Vince Gill hit Let Me Love You Tonight, an all-embracing cover of the Van Dyke Parks and Brian Wilson-written track Sail On Sailor, this second set rounding out on the gently rambunctious, countrified twang of the late 60’s cut Christine’s Tune, closing on the mid-tempo AOR of the Glenn Shorrock-written Cool Change.

Official Spotify Purchase Link

Official Website

For those unaware, formerly the core of neo-prog-rock bands Ars Nova and Nepenthe, Matt, Todd, and Jamie are back with their first new music in two decades.

Multi-instrumentalist brothers Matt and Todd Mikenzo, along with drummer Jamie Boruch, have been making music together for a long time now, having begun in the early 1990s, playing gigs in the New York/New Jersey club area.

Under the name ARS NOVA, and releasing an album in 1993, their mix of Euro Pop and Neo Prog was a big hit with their legion of fans, but soon they changed their band name to the short-lived NEPENTHE; releasing an album called Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt in 1997.

Not content to follow the status quo, Cheat The Prophet is defining its own prog-rock future - definitely not the one that was predicted. While still maintaining their core focus on intricate arrangements with strong instrumental and vocal performance, this time on their brand new album Redemption (released this past February 7th, 2025) their influences are pulled from as far and wide as EDM, metal, ambient, alt-rock, and oh-so much more.

1. Chaos (5:43)
2. Bad Bitch (8:11)
3. Marvelous World (Losing Season) (6:53)
4. Paper White (4:11)
5. Whisper (11:08)

Already a veteran singer-songwriter even at the tender age of just 17, this musically expansive new recording opens on the smoothly sculpted Prog-AOR of Chaos and then brings us the grunge-rocker Bad Bitch, the flighty, melodiously ambiently renaissance-hued Marvelous World (Losing Season), the set rounding out on a quite beautiful, expertly crafted instrumental Paper White, coming to a close on the all-embracing musical storytelling within the dulcet one minute, respectfully sonically encompassing, then euphorically soaring the next 11 minute Whisper.

Musicians:
Todd Mizenko - Guitars, Keyboards, Programming, Vocals
Jamie Boruch - Drums and Percussion
Matt Mizenko - Vocals, Basses, Guitars, Keyboards, Programming

Cheat The Prophet - Paper White (Official Music)

Official CD Purchase Link

www.jackbarksdale.com

In his sixth and latest album “New African Orleans”, released by ENJA and Yellow Bird, bass guitarist and composer Alune Wade explores the multiple junctions between his native West African rhythms, the Afrobeat and juju rhythms from Lagos and the brass band repertoire immortalized in New Orleans.

“I’m exploring a world that goes from my roots to the lost branches on the other side of the Atlantic,” explains the musician from Senegal. He has whittled down around 50 compositions – both original and standards - to a dozen which Alune recorded in Paris, Dakar, Lagos and New Orleans.

“The idea first came to me during the Jazz à Gorée festival I organized back in 2014,” he explains. “It had me reflect on the notion of reversing the musical trip most people take from the United States to the African continent. I wanted to set out westward and begin a musical conversation with the best artists, both in Nigeria and the US.”

To achieve this, Wade has invited top artists from both sides of the Atlantic, including the Nigerian talking drummer Olaore Muyiwa Ayandeji, the percussionist Weedie Braimah and the jazz drummer Herlin Riley from New Orleans.

The musical inspirations are equally transatlantic, ranging from Dr. John to Manu Dibango and Charlie Parker. But the 45-year-old also pays homage to his father who was a brass band star in his native Senegal back in the Sixties.

1. Night Tripper [4:13]
2. Boogie and Juju [5:08]
3. Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya [5:11]
4. Voodoo Child [4:55]
5. Water No Get Enemy [5:05]
6. From Congo to Square [5:40]
7. Taxi Driver [4:03]
8. Same Fufu [5:49]
9. Three Baobabs [6:57]
10. Watermelon Man [3:20]
11. Dialect from the Mulattozy Tribe [4:03]

This musically insightful new recording opens on the deep grooved Night Tripper and then we get the scat-tastically rhythmic Boogie and Juju, the soulfully-driven Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya and both the all-embracing sounds of Voodoo Child and the languishing balladry of Water No Get Enemy.

Along next is the emboldened, yet free-flowing storytelling of From Congo to Square which is itself backed by the melodious Taxi Driver, the playfully upbeat Same Fufu, and the delightful hipsway of Three Baobabs, the set rounding out on the funky Watermelon Man, closing on the infectious foot-tapper Dialect from the Mulattozy Tribe.

Musicians:
Yehmi Olutosin : Baritone Saxophone; Victor Ademofe : Trumpet; Camille Passeri : Trumpet; Olaore Muyiwa Ayandeji : Talking DrumAlune Wade : Vocals, Bass, Keyboards; Cédric Duchemann : Keyboards; Alix Goffic : Drums; Harry Ahonlonsou : Tenor Saxophone; Camille Passeri : Trumpet; Victor Ademofe : Trumpet; Yehmi Olutosin : Baritone Saxophone, Trombone; Kirk Joseph : Sousaphone; Alix Goffic : Drums; Kyle A. Roussel : Piano, Organ; Hugues Mayot : Bass Clarinet; Weedie Braimah : Percussions; Julia Sarr : Backing Vocals; Olyza Zamati : Backing Vocals

Official Purchase Link

www.alunewade.net

A music producer, recording engineer, and songwriter, Adam Tilzer has over 20 years of experience working with artists like Keith Richards, Norah Jones, and John Legend. A key figure in NYC and Jersey City’s vibrant music scenes, Adam brings a deep love for collaboration and sonic storytelling.

After years of releasing music as frontman of Avon Junkies and The Defectives, Adam is gearing up to release his debut solo album Cult Leader on June 13th, 2025.

“I guess I’ve started a cult / I swear it’s the good kind,” the experimental rock artist declares on “I’m Gonna Start a Cult,” an exaltation that became the inspiration for the track/album.

Furthermore, the tongue-in-cheek title is an homage to the talented musicians Tilzer is surrounded by, and the enviable community they have created.

With lead singles “Burn It Down” and “I’m Gonna Start A Cult” out on all platforms, his third single, “The Best F**king Plan” was also just released this past May 13th and is also available.

1. Chocking on Vomit
2. I’m Gonna Start A Cult
3. The Best F**king Plan
4. ... Can’t Be Wrong
5. My Man
6. Burn It Down
7. Gram
8. Love You Til You Cry
9. Les Lius
10. And I’ll Die

With Cult Leader marking the first project built solely on what is necessary for Tilzer to say in this moment, and with the release coinciding with his 40th birthday, this musically expansive new recording opens on the heavy hearted, yet emboldened four-line fever dream poem Chocking on Vomit and then we get brought forth an aching strength within I’m Gonna Start A Cult, the boisterously driven The Best F**king Plan and both the alt-countrified balladry of ... Can’t Be Wrong and the free flowing My Man.

Along next is the rhythmically sculpted hipsway of the love song Burn It Down and that is itself backed by a melodic sway that drives Gram (a duet with longtime friend and pop-noir vocalist Giselle), the alt-pop-rock of Love You Til You Cry, the set rounding out on something that actually started as a drunken jam in 2020, the atmospherically charged, fuzzy guitar plotted Les Lius, coming to a close on the top down, summer-leaning ambiance of the guitar-driven resurfaced 2013 track And I’ll Die.

Official Purchase Links

www.adamtilzer.com

Austin, TX-based Alt-Pop singer/songwriter Sophia Warren has released her sophomore EP, Adesso, the second in a series of three EPs, out now via Tigris 33/UMG.

Warren moves through an “anxious fog as she attempts to quiet her mind” on the single “Purple” and its matching visualizer, out now [link below].

Adesso, meaning “now” in Italian, is a “declaration of independence” from Warren. Produced by Chris Coady (Beach House, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Slowdive), each track is its own portrait of Warren’s “innermost struggles, fears and hopes” as she seeks “a path towards healing and deeper self-discovery.”

“The EP asks, who am I without them?,” Warren reveals. “What do I truly want? These songs are about me peeling back the layers of uncertainty and learning to trust my own voice. It’s scary, it’s raw, but it’s real.”

1. Static
2. GRIN
3. Doltish
4. BOR
5. Purple

With Adesso serving as the second installment in a three-part series of EPs that trace Warren’s experiences of growing up, first up is a melodica languishing yearn that threads throughout Static, the 90’s-imbibed alt-guitar piece GRIN, the rhythmically mellifluous Doltish, the EP rounding out on the impassioned, faithfully driven BOR, coming to a close on the veritably flourishing Purple.

Sophia Warren - Purple (Visualizer)

Official EP Spotify Purchase Link

For those unaware, Brazil and samba are Inexorably linked and samba is everywhere, from Africa to the Far East, Europe and the US. Having embraced the language, culture, and instructional generosity of master Brazilian musicians, percussionist Steven Brezet brings us Diferenciado, an ingenious follow up to his highly-praised effort on Circle 9, World Traveler.

Furthermore, Diferenciado is a musical tribute honoring the cultural heritage of samba by fusing it to funk, salsa, ambient, and pop.

Featuring legendary Brazilian vocalists Leandro Lehart and Wilson Simoninha, jack-of-all-arranging Oscar Cordero, the rhythmic authenticity of the São Paulo percussion ensemble SP Ritmo, and guest artists from the popular Jazz fusion groups Snarky Puppy and Ghost Note, Brezet leverages ancestral and modern instrumentation, as Diferenciado advances traditional and radically new takes on samba.

1. Familia Brasileira [4:15]
2. Samba Pra Papa [4:37]
3. Chora Chora [4:09]
4. Congo (Interlude) [1:14]
5. Diferenciado [3:20]
6. Tem Bafafa [3:51]
7. Quebra (Interlude) [1:32]
8. Rumbra [4:02]
9. Batucada Do Mundo [5:38]

Inspired with references to Herbie Hancock, funk, guaguancó, “samba rock” and smooth jazz, this vibrantly sculpted new album opens on the impassioned Familia Brasileira and then brings is the colorfully-hued Samba Pra Papa, the gently flourishing Chora Chora and a rather delightful, short but oh-so sweet Congo (Interlude).

Along next is the sumptuously smooth title track Diferenciado which is itself followed seamlessly by the infectiously grooved Tem Bafafa, the quiet growth of the veritably shimmering Quebra (Interlude), the set rounding out on the emboldened Rumbra, closing on the fervently-crafted Batucada Do Mundo.

Musicians:
Steven Brezet - percussion (quinto, conga, timbau, repique de mao, caixa, minor percussion)
Leandro Lehart - cavaquinho, guitar, vocals, piano

Official CD Purchase Link

www.stevenbrezet.com

For those unaware, today, the Dallas-based singer/songwriter Joshua Ray Walker released a new album entitled Tropicana this past Friday, June 13th, 2025.

Written during his treatment for stage 3b colon cancer, the album’s beach-country songs were born from fantasies of ocean breezes and sandy beaches, dreamt up while the longtime road warrior was confined to his home while undergoing chemotherapy. Tropicana trades honky-tonks for hammocks, offering a rallying cry of resilience wrapped in tropical twang.

Also today, Walker announced his Tropicana Tour that will kick off on August 14th in Little Rock, AR and make stops in Memphis, Cleveland, Nashville and more. In June, he will perform a handful of shows in Austin and Los Angeles before heading to New York City for a performance at the critically-acclaimed Honky Tonkin’ In Queens concert series on June 27th.

“I was at home for a year, without the ability to play shows or even take a vacation,” Walker explains. “Since I couldn’t leave town and go see a palm tree in real life, I started writing about them.”

Inspired by Jimmy Buffet’s early records, George Strait’s vacation-minded hits, and the glory days of ’90s country music, Walker’s new songs all shared a common location: a mythical beachside hotel called The Tropicana. “It’s the sort of place where you can order a piña colada at the pool bar and go wander down a nondescript beach,” Walker says. “I couldn’t go to the beach, so I decided to bring the beach to me.”

1) Tropicana
2) Keys to the Tacoma
3) Laguna
4) Dance With Who You Came With
5) I Don’t Wanna Be Alone
6) Heavy Stones
7) Dirty Laundry
8) Whiskey to My Heart
9) Novella
10) I Hope I Have Fun Dying

With some dulcet steel guitar and steel drums sharing the same space, up first is the low slung title track Tropicana and the guitar driven Keys to the Tacoma and then we get the languishing balladry of Laguna, the accordion-imbibed Dance With Who You Came With and the feisty I Don’t Wanna Be Alone.

Along next is some impassioned storytelling that drives Heavy Stones which is itself backed by the countrified twanger Dirty Laundry, the AORC of Whiskey to My Heart, the set rounding out on the softly Americana vibed Novella, closing on the rhythmically melodic I Hope I Have Fun Dying.

Tour Dates:
6/12 – Houston, TX – The Armadillo Palace
6/13 – San Antonio, TX – The Lonesome Rose
6/14 – Austin, TX – Sagebrush
6/24 – Los Angeles, CA – The Desert 5 Spot
6/27 – Queens, NY – Gottscheer Hall
8/14 – Little Rock, AR – Revolution! Music Room
8/15 – Memphis, TN – Hernando’s Hideaway
8/16 – Indianapolis, IN – Duke’s Indy
8/17 – Ferndale, MI – The Loving Touch
8/19 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom & Tavern
8/21 – Nashville, TN – Skinny Dennis
8/24 – North Charleston, SC – Marcus King Band Family Reunion

Joshua Ray Walker - Tropicana (The Album Trailer)

Official Digital Purchase Links

www.joshuaraywalker.com

For those unaware, The Singles Collection is a31 track 2CD digipack featuring every A and B-side issued by 70’s band Pilot.

It includes ‘January’ which topped the charts in 1974 in both the UK and Australia and reached the Top 10 in most European countries. Years later (2016) it was featured as the theme tune to Asda TV commercials.

It also includes ‘Magic’ which reached No.11 in the UK, No.5 in the USA and No.1 in Canada and which has also been used regularly in TV commercials.

Other UK hits ‘Just A Smile’ (No.31) and ‘Call Me Round’ (No.34) are also featured alongside bonus solo singles by vocalist David Paton and keyboardist William Lyall.

The booklet contains detailed liner notes overseen by the Pilot official webmaster plus pictures from across the globe of the various singles.

I grew up listening to 70’s music on the radio and Pilot - the Scottish soft rock band formed in 1973 by David Paton, Billy Lyall, and Stuart Tosh, and later joined by Ian Bairnson - was a band whose music always brought a smile to my face.

They achieved mainstream success in the mid-1970s with hits like ‘Magic’ and ‘January,’ which reached number one in several countries, the former an absolute banger of a soft rock tune. While initially inspired by The Beatles, Pilot developed their own unique sound within the pop rock genre, characterized by polished, radio-friendly melodies.

Later Pilot members David Paton and William Lyall first played together in an early formation of what later earned fame as Bay City Rollers. David Paton and Billy Lyall were both born in Edinburgh. Paton left BCR on the eve of their signing to Bell Records because he refused to wear stupid-looking tartan outfits with trousers that finished halfway up the shin!

Pilot disbanded in the late 1970s but continued to be active in various projects and recordings later on. Stuart Tosh later became a member of 10cc, and Paton and Bairnson worked as session players. Billy Lyall passed away in 1989.

Over the years, various demos from the band have surfaced, providing a fascinating insight into Paton’s songwriting process. Many of the demos feature fully-formed arrangements and musical content rather than the usual scrappy ideas or brief song outlines.

But when they were on radio hit fire, man they were smokin’! A signature mark of the band’s sound were the harmony guitars, largely due in part to Bairnson.

As aforementioned, the 1974 single ‘Magic’ from their debut album was their first major hit and remains to this very day a genuine pop classic. The simple but catchy pop ditty ‘January’ gave them their biggest hit, securing the #1 spot in the UK singles chart in January 1975.

Indeed, at the time of the release of ‘January,’ Pilot were label mates on EMI Records with Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel and Queen, who were all wanting to reach No. 1 first. This created a healthy competitive rivalry between all the acts. In the end, Pilot became the first to achieve the feat of reaching the top position.

But I’m getting ahead of myself as their first single ‘Just A Smile,’ as well as the album From the Album of the Same Name, failed to chart, but both releases were a good indication as to what could be expected with records to come. Even at that point Pilot represented solid hand-crafted musicianship, combined with unique composition talents.

Interestingly enough, before releasing the second single ‘Magic’ the band recorded the novelty song ‘Ra-Ta-Ta’ under the pseudonym Scotch Mist and both are also included here on this two CD set.

From March on the band started putting their second album together, again using Alan Parsons as their producer. Much to everyone’s disappointment, both the album Second Flight as well as the single taken from it, ‘Call Me Round’ failed to reach high chart positions (but is also here in this collection).

The next Pilot single was a Paton/Lyall composition, ‘Lady Luck’, which wasn’t contained on any regular album, but is also on this set, and skipping forward, after the band break up, eventually Paton would record the solo single ‘No Ties No Strings’ in 1980 and later join Camel for a short period of time (also included); along with two solo singles from Lyall in Us and Maniac.

Pilot’s music continues to be celebrated and enjoyed by fans, and they have occasionally reunited for performances.

DISC ONE:
1. Just A Smile
2. Don’t Speak Loudly
3. Ra-Ta-Ta (as Scotch Mist)
4. Pamela (as Scotch Mist)
5. Magic
6. Just Let Me Be
7. January
8. Never Give Up
9. Call Me Round
10. Do Me Good
11. Love Is
12. Just A Smile (Second Version)
13. Are You In Love
14. Lady Luck
15. Dear Artist
16. Running Water
17. First After Me

DISC TWO:
1. Canada
2. The Mover
3. Penny In My Pocket
4. Steps
5. Get Up And Go
6. Big Screen Kill
7. Monday Tuesday
8. Evil Eye
9. Ten Feet Tall
10. One Good Reason Why
11. Us [Bonus WILLIAM LYALL single]
12. Maniac [Bonus WILLIAM LYALL single]
13. No Ties No Strings [Bonus DAVID PATON single]
14. Stop And Let Go [Bonus DAVID PATON single]

Official Purchase Link

www.pilotmagicmusic.com