There is something inherently risky about large-scale collaborative composition. The more voices involved, the greater the possibility that a project will lose focus. Expressions – Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra avoids that trap by embracing its diversity of viewpoints. Conceived by the four artistic directors of the Barcelona Art Orchestra and written specifically for […]
There are few artists who have inspired more books than Bruce Springsteen, yet David Starkey’s Bruce Springsteen 1973-1987: Every Album, Every Song finds a fresh angle on one of rock’s most examined catalogs. Starkey picked perhaps the most well-known period of ‘The Boss’s’ catalog, yet manages to shed new light. Covering the period from “Greetings […]
The first single from A.J. Fullerton’s EP, Baretone, is A raw, swampy, spontaneous love letter that blurs the lines between adoration and total worship. “St. June” feels beautifully loose and deeply intimate. Tracked live in a room with minimal planning, the song captures the exact moment Colorado-born, Nashville-based roots-rock luminary A.J. Fullerton and Parlor Greens […]
There are concert films, and then there are historical documents. Crime of the Century: In Concert at Hammersmith Odeon 1975 falls firmly into the latter category. Captured on March 9, 1975, at London’s famed Hammersmith Odeon, this newly restored performance documents the moment when Supertramp transformed from a respected progressive rock outfit into an international […]
There are live albums that document performances, and others that document a worldview. Songbook belongs firmly in the latter category. Recorded during Allen Toussaint’s residency at Joe’s Pub in New York following Hurricane Katrina, this collection strips his monumental catalog down to voice, piano, memory, and rhythm. The result is less a concert than a guided tour through […]
There comes a point in the lifespan of legacy progressive rock bands where survival alone becomes the headline. Yes, called ‘The World’s Greatest Progressive Rock Band’ by the venerable Yes Music Podcast, has not only survived the deaths of founder Chris Squire and long-serving drummer Alan White, but has also thrived. Part of the band’s […]
Feef Mooney returns with her bold new album, ‘ The Really Real’, out now, which, at first listen, seems to be a cross between Rosie Vela and Martha Wainwright; however, after repeated listening, the album feels genuine and original. Produced by Mooney with journeyman, multi-instrumentalist Fernando Perdomo, Mooney has honed the twelve original compositions into […]
Yes’ penultimate song on 2001’s Magnification started life from an Alan White piano riff. This expertly constructed ballad, while not as adventurous as the preceding “Dreamtime,” is executed with the level of finesse expected from the world’s greatest progressive rock band. Every element fits: White’s piano is elegantly utilized. He frequently uses the piano to compose, with the […]
There’s a difference between revivalism and lived-in soul. Plenty of artists can recreate the textures of old lowrider ballads, rocksteady grooves, and sweet soul harmonies. Joey Quiñones, the lead singer of Thee Sinseers, understands how those sounds actually breathe together because he grew up inside the collision. On Inna Soul Steady Situation, which drops on […]
There’s a fine line between revivalism and reanimation. Plenty of artists know how to recreate the sound of vintage blues-rock, but far fewer know how to make it breathe like it belongs to the present tense. On Let The Night Begin, Troy Mercy doesn’t merely revisit the ghosts of electric blues, garage rock, and late-night […]
