• 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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Jackson Browne

Eagle Rock

Part documentary, part performance (then-current and archival), this reissue of the 1999 portrait of the singer/songwriter reveals his sense of humor, commitment to social causes, and, most of all, talent. There is no…

Kenny Burrell – Lucky So and So

Here’s the latest from a true legend. Kenny’s been doing it for so long, and doing it as well as or better than everyone else, that it’s foolish to even think there’d be…

Jerrod Niemann

Jerrod Niemann is a successful songwriter whose tunes have been recorded by Garth Brooks, Jamey Johnson, and Blake Shelton. His 2010 Arista debut Judge Jerrod and the Hung Jury yielded a #1 single…

Peter Case – Leet Us Now Praise Sleepy John

Peter Case has typically been thought of as a folksinger, and this record showcases that side of his talents. Except for a few songs, it’s Case and a guitar. But some of these…

Paul Asbell

On Chicago’s south side, Paul Asbell recorded and played with Howlin’ Wolf, Lightning Hopkins, John Lee Hooker, and other legendary greats, including holding down the rhythm guitar chair for the studio side of…

John Thomas

Intrigued by that “Only A Gibson Is Good Enough” decal on the headstock of his World War II-era Gibson Southern Jumbo, musician and writer John Thomas began delving into the story behind the…

Eric Gales – The Psychedelic Underground

The Psychedelic Underground Eric Gales’ new disc picks up where last year’s Crystal Vision left off. It’s a double-barreled dose of muscular blues-rock riffs, real-deal life stories, and refreshing solos. Classic blues-rock riffage…

Jon Herington

Jon Herington, best known for his current work as Steely Dan’s lead guitarist, put out one of the decades’ great records with his last effort, Time On My Hands, back in 2012. This…

Neil Young

Uncle Neil’s at it again, issuing the seventh disc in his live Archives Performance Series. Once more he’s alone with his Martins and a piano (a “really outta sight” Steinway), this time post-Thanksgiving…

Mac Arnold

PFOB Music/Plantation #1 Productions

On one of this album’s best cuts, “Gas Can Story,” Mac Arnold tells of how his then 10-year-old brother, William, so desperately wanted a guitar he made one from a gasoline can with…

The Ford Brothers – Center Stage

Center Stage

The Ford Brothers are Robben on guitar and vocals, Patrick on drums, and Mark on harp and vocals. Robben, of course, has a solo career, but on occasion gets together with his brothers…

Blues Icon John Mayall

Check This Action

Few living blues artists could merit a package of 35 CDs. But what makes John Mayall: The First Generation most remarkable is that it only documents the British blues legend’s career up to…

Jim Lauderdale – Country Super Hits! Vol. 1: Bluegrass

It’s rare to see simultaneous releases by one artist in two different genres, but singer/songwriter/guitarist Jim Lauderdale ably juggles the trick, proving along the way that this is one of the simplest in…

Rene Mailhes Trio – Chtildo

René Mailhes is a holdout. On any night in Paris, you can hear young Gypsy tyros tearing up the fretboards playing hot Gypsy jazz in emulation of Django Reinhardt’s early classics. Mailhes, on…

Dave Alvin – West of the West

Dave Alvin is one of America’s best songwriters, and as such runs the risk of alienating casual fans when he does an album of covers. But then again, maybe not… The idea with…

The Lucky Tomblin Band – In a Honky-Tonk Mood

Sometimes, a record is just meant to be fun. Nothing more, nothing less. Welcome to In a Honky-Tonk Mood. Of course, it’s easy to have fun with the likes of this band. There…

Wilco- A.M. Deluxe Edition/ Being There Deluxe Edition

Wilco’s been around for more than a quarter-century, and this new pair of expanded releases goes all the way back to document the Jeff Tweedy-led outfit as they established their footing and then…

Swamp Rat – Swamp Rat

The cartoon rats on its cover are a humorous representation of the three guys in this band – Dan Cohen (guitar, banjo, vocals), James Cook (bass and vocals), and Derek Mixon (drums), and…

Pete Anderson – Dogs in Heaven

Pete Anderson is no stranger to these pages, having been featured in an interview, performance review, and record review for his first release on Little Dog. This time around, Pete has come up…

Charlie Byrd, Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis – Great Guitars Live

Great Guitars Live

Call it a gimmick if you will, but the Great Guitars super trio of Charlie Byrd, Barney Kessel, and Herb Ellis made some great music. The concept came by accident. Byrd’s own trio…

Brad Allen Williams

Brad Allen Williams is a fine guitarist who has served the last few years as a sideman to numerous artists, most notably José James. Fans of his work with other folks might be…

Mountain Heart – The Road That Never Ends (The Live Album)

Mountain Heart plays music its own way. What makes the band so different? Breadth. While most bands narrow their scope to one particular sound, Mountain Heart pushes boundaries past traditional bluegrass into other…

Sonny Black – Hart And Soul

Sonny Black is an English guitarist who has absorbed several styles of American music and made them his own. It’s a hard sound to describe, but suffice it to say it contains jazz,…

Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers – Beyond The Source

There is no group more dedicated to the blues idiom then Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers. And they are a group. You can rest assured this it not some off-the-cuff aggregation. These…

Flatt & Scruggs and Earl Scruggs – Foggy Mountain Jamboree, Gospel and I Saw The Light

Flatt & Scruggs and Earl Scruggs – Foggy Mountain Jamboree, Gospel and I Saw The Ligh It’s surprising that Legacy didn’t issue this bluegrass treasure trove closer to the heels of O Brother,…

Buffalo Stack

Buffalo Stack is an easy band to like. The ensemble’s debut record is a mix of various styles, including rock, soul, country, and blues. Saying that, though, gives the music short shrift because…

JJ Grey & Mofro – Country Ghetto

JJ Grey is not your classic bluesman, but he’s a genuine southern soul and roots talent who supplies guitars, keyboards, and amazing vocals to a set of songs that celebrate southern people and…

  • Yes

    Yes

    Close to the Edge: Super Deluxe Edition

Rory Block – I’m Every Woman

I’ve always thought of Rory Block as a modern country-blues, acoustic-slide playing, soulful singer. Here, she changes the program a bit. The emphasis here is on soul music. Not the stuff of Robert…

Kenny Olson Cartel

Think Detroit rock and roll – the MC5 and Iggy by way of Ted Nugent and Kid Rock: gear-grinding rock with plenty of volume and aggression. Throw in some Hendrix, Guns N’ Roses,…

Willie Nelson – Naked Willie

The forced, intrusive background vocals on the “definitive” versions of “Funny How Time Slips Away” or “Crazy” (from The Essential Willie Nelson) are argument enough in favor of this project. The songs on…


Frank Zappa

Funky Nothingness

Otis Redding

Live At The Whisky A Go Go: The Complete Recordings

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Sweetheart Of The Rodeo – Live!

Roger McGuinn & Chris Hillman with Marty Stuart