• Smith/Kotzen

    Music

    Smith/Kotzen

    Black Light/White Noise

    This is the third album from rock veterans Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden) and Richie Kotzen (The Winery Dogs). The busy axeslingers – especially Kotzen, who is always involved in solo and band projects – released their full-length debut and an EP in 2021. Smith-Kotzen has happily blossomed into a going concern. What’s interesting about Smith/Kotzen’s

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Del McCoury Band

Almost Proud

Over four decades, Del McCoury carved a unique niche in the bluegrass universe. His pure tenor voice and flawless rhythm guitar – complete with subtle bass runs – have propelled a band that…

Pat Metheny Group – Speaking of Live Now

Speaking of Live Now

Hard to believe, but we’ve been listening to Pat Metheny and his groups for almost three decades. At times, we take ol’ Pat for granted. Face it, the guy’s an amazing guitarist. His…

Julian Lage

EmArcy

After appearing on record with David Grisman and Martin Taylor and having a documentary short about yourself nominated for an Oscar, all before turning 13, what do you do for a second act?…

Yes – Yesspeak: 35th Anniversary DVD

While many music DVDs contain mostly concert material, the 2-disc Yesspeak takes an alternate approach – it features the famous members of the prog-rock giant Yes talking about the music created during its…

Carl Verheyen – Slingshot

I admit that although I’ve seen Carl’s name a lot, I’ve never become familiar with his playing. But after hearing this great CD, that’ll change. He’s a fabulous player whose style falls somewhere…

Lionize

Maryland’s Lionize has concocted an appealing blend of Deep Purple-style heavy rock, reggae, and sci-fi imagery. With a musical vision that began on 2005’s Danger My Dear and reaching a creative peak on…

Florence Joelle

Zoltan Records

Florence Joelle sings rock and roll like Billie Holiday might, croons a torch ballad as Wanda Jackson may, and spices it all with a bit of Patti Smith attitude. Add to that Joelle’s…

Joan Osborne – Pretty Little Stranger

“Versatile” doesn’t quite do justice to Joan Osborne’s uncanny range. One minute she’s guesting with the Chieftains, the next she’s touring with the Dead. Then she utterly steals the show in the Funk…

SRV – Box Set

With every boxed retrospective that hits the changer, I’m reminded of the words of my old friend, Cub Koda. Quote: “All compilations suck except the ones you compile yourself” (an image of Roger…

Birthright: A Black Roots Music Compendium

Various artists

This double-CD’s 40 tracks represent a wide swath of black roots music, from zydeco to gospel, from a Mississippi fife-and-drum crew to one-man band Jesse Fuller. If some of the cuts are familiar,…

Alex Hall

Six Strings

A Georgia native, Hall is an emerging Nashville singer/hot lick specialist in the vein of Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, and Keith Urban. He picks a Tele and his loose, supple tenor voice is…

Harvey Mandel and Dennis Coffey

Two Instrumental Masters

If it’s possible to be both unsung and an icon, then guitarists Dennis Coffey and Harvey Mandel would fit the description. Mandel is one of those rare examples of a guitarist who’s not…

Rodney Crowell

Rodney Crowell, who gained fame during country’s New Traditional era of the 1980s, has always drawn from his personal life for inspiration. He doubled down on that on his 2001 album The Houston…

Bucky Pizzarelli & Scott Hamilton – The Red Door & Bucky Pizzarelli Nirvana

The Red Door, Bucky Pizzarelli and Scott Hamilton’s tribute to sax god Zoot Sims, is an amazingly sublime album. Sims was a true sultan of swing, a classic golden-age jazzer of the ’30s…

Jimi Hendrix Experience

Hollywood Bowl: August 18, 1967

 Imagine a Jimi Hendrix Experience concert where the audience actually disliked the band. That’s the scenario here, a secretly recorded gig opening for The Mamas & the Papas, a week before the U.S.…

Bill Thomas – Ain’t Halfsteppin’

Don’t know where Bill came from, but I hope he sticks around. A short bio I received with the disc indicates he’s been around playing since the ’70s, mostly as a sideman who’s…

AC/DC – Family Jewels DVD

Family Jewels DVD

Like AC/DC? As in, a whole lotta AC/DC? If so, check out this massive 40-track/2-DVD set. Hardcore Angus-philes will dig that the first disc is devoted to the Bon Scott era, ca. 1975-’80…

Dervish – Decade and Midsummer’s Night

Decade and Midsummer's Night

Most bands have a tough time putting out one record a year, but Dervish finds it hard to do just one. Their music is so infectious they can’t help but want to spread…

Jeff Beck

Breaking the Rules

Jeff Beck’s high-end coffeetable book and autobiography is a tour along the many tributaries of rock and roll. It’s also about his passion for vintage hot rods, guitars, and music spanning more than…

Black Star Riders

A few years ago, a rejuvenated lineup of Thin Lizzy hit the road, earning great acclaim thanks to longtime Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham, singer Ricky Warwick (The Almighty), and later, co-riffer Damon Johnson…

The Minus 5

Former R.E.M. fifth man Scott McCaughey is more significantly the longtime leader of Pacific Northwest rock legends Young Fresh Fellows, the brilliant Baseball Project, and the Minus 5. Considering the latter collective’s revolving…

Marty Robbins – The Essential Mary Robbins

With a repertoire so extensive and wide-ranging, it would be impossible to track down, let alone list, all the session players backing this country icon on this two-disc retrospective. The Mottola/Caiola crew played…

Joe Ely – Live Chicago 1987

Texas’ rockin’est troubadour has a reputation for featuring great guitarists – from the late Jesse Taylor in his original lineup to Mitch Watkins (when Joe transformed the fusion band Passenger into his least…

Alan Jackson

Where Have You Gone

Few have so done more to maintain the sound and spirit of classic country in the face of ever-changing fads than Alan Jackson. Fiddles and pedal steel still frame his warm, earthy voice.…

George Barnes

Country Jazz

When Chet Atkins arrived in Chicago for his first RCA recording session in August 1947, he was astounded to meet George Barnes, who’d been hired to play rhythm guitar. To Chet and others,…

Hamilton De Holanda Quintet

Adventure Music

Brazilian jazz, when played by a native group such as Hamilton De Holanda’s quintet, is far more interesting than what usually passes for Brazilian jazz. Holanda combines his native Choro music with foreign…

Jackson County Line

Self-distributed

Led by acoustic guitarist/singer/ songwriter Kevin Jackson, Jackson County Line has a California countrysoul with elements of War and Santana and plenty of Buffalo Springfield with an emphasis on Neil Young. “Easy To…

  • Yes

    Yes

    Close to the Edge: Super Deluxe Edition

Howard and the White Boys – Made In Chicago

The Howard who hangs here with the White Boys is Howard McCullum, bassist and vocalist extraordinaire. The White Boys are a fine bunch of players that include Rocco Calipari and Pete Galanis on…

Mark Chesnutt

Saguaro Road

In the ’90s, Mark Chesnutt had a string of 21 Top 10 singles, eight of them topping Billboard’s country chart. He played George Jones (hailing from the Possum’s hometown of Beaumont, Texas) on…

Shawn Camp – Live at the Station Inn

Perhaps you’ve never heard of Shawn Camp, but chances are you’ve heard his songs. He penned number one hits for Garth Brooks and Brooks and Dunn, and wrote songs for George Strait, Kenny…