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 […]

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: 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 […]