Short Tracks: ‘Only Fools Love Again’ by Danny Ayala (2025)
‘Only Fools Love Again’ by Lemon Twigs touring member Danny Ayala is a throwback to an era of music when songs, not production tricks, ruled the music industry. Ayala teamed primarily with producer/guitarist Fernando Perdomo to put forth ten pop-rock songs that conjure the classic singer-songwriter era. “I Was Wrong” kicks things off in fine […]
Short Tracks: ‘Waves 10’ by Fernando Perdomo (2025)
Fernando Perdomo’s year-long , ‘Waves’ series reaches the 100 songs milestone, and a bit of a quandary. Perdomo has consistently provided engaging songs on these albums. A lesser artist would have included some fillers among the ten songs on each album; yet, reviewing the prior nine albums, Perdomo has kept true to his vision of […]
Short Tracks: ‘Stargazer’ by Armen Donelian (2025 reissue)
When pianist Armen Donelian recorded his debut album Stargazer in 1981, he was hardly a newcomer to the jazz world. Having already played with Sonny Rollins and Billy Harper, he entered the studio with a vision of music that was both deeply personal and boldly exploratory. Alongside bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Billy Hart, Donelian […]
Slang Of Ages Podcast : Vernon Reid talks ‘Hoodoo Telemety’ and bringing Order to Chaos
Guitarist, composer, and Living Colour co-founder Vernon Reid has never been one to play it safe. From shaping the sound of Black Rock in the 1980s to a lifetime of collaborations across jazz, funk, metal, and experimental music, Reid’s career has been a fearless journey. With Hoodoo Telemetry, his first solo album in nearly two […]
Short Tracks: “Silence to Song: La Tanya Hall’s Triumphant If Not Now, When…” (2025)
La Tanya Hall’s ‘If Not Now, When… ‘ (out on October 10) is more than just a return; it’s a reclamation. After losing her voice during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hall has emerged with a project that feels at once intimate, courageous, and artistically liberated. Produced by fellow Steely Dan bandmate Michael Leonhart and featuring a […]
Short Tracks: Steve Porcaro returns with the powerful, ‘The Very Day’ (2025)
With The Very Day, Steve Porcaro makes a bold and deeply personal statement, one that highlights his mastery as a songwriter while refusing to be confined by expectations. Nearly a decade after Someday Somehow (2016), Porcaro returns with an album that is expansive, sonically rich, and unashamedly adventurous. Now free from the rigors of touring […]
Short Tracks: Vernon Reid’s Hoodoo Telemetry: A Winning Combination Mapping Chaos, Memory, and Groove (2025)
Vernon Reid has always been a restless innovator. As the driving force behind Living Colour, his guitar redefined what Black artistry could sound like in the late ’80s rock mainstream—equal parts metal, funk, jazz, and political urgency. With ‘Hoodoo Telemetry’ (out October 4), Reid returns to the solo spotlight, crafting an album that resists easy […]
Steve Porcaro on the Making of The Very Day : Inspiration, Process and Personal Stories (2025) –
– Preston Frazier How are you? – Steve Porcaro I am fantastic. – Preston Frazier It’s good to hear new music from you. This is a fantastic album, ‘The Very Day’. We last discussed your new music back in June 2016. – Steve Porcaro I hate that it’s been so long. It’s been nine years. […]
Short Tracks: La Tanya Hall – ‘Say Yes’ (2019)
Say Yes is the latest release by versatile singer La Tonya Hall. She recorded this first new work since 2009’s It’s About Time in between dates as a backup singer for Steely Dan. The results on Say Yes are what you would expect from such an acclaimed vocalist. Working with Andy Minle on piano, Clarence Penn on drums and John Hebert on […]
Slang Of Ages Podcast Interview: Inside Miguel Zenon’s New Live album: A Conversation on ‘Vanguardia Subterranea’
– Preston Frazier I’m speaking with Miguel Zenon regarding his new album, his first live album with his quartet called ‘Vanguardia Subterranea’ . Miguel, how are you? – Miguel Zenon I’m doing great. Thank you for having me. It’s really a pleasure to get to talk. – Preston Frazier How did this band come about? […]