• 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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James Brown – I Got the Feellin’

While a generation may remember James Brown as a soul star who fell on hard times, or as a man whose death has led to a tabloid-ready story of a fight for his…

Caroline Gnagy

Stars Behind Bars

Sometimes the most interesting books are ones that delve into a subject readers didn’t know about and never considered. And except for now-elderly people who were around the right place at the right…

James Burton and Ralph Mooney – Corn Pickin’ And Slick Slidin’

The first domestic CD release of this pickin’ fest from 1968 is cause for celebration. This all-instrumental outing featuring two of country’s greatest stylists – Tele maestro James Burton in his post-Ricky Nelson/pre-Elvis…

Stanton Moore – Groove Alchemy

Telarc

On Groove Alchemy, drummer Stanton Moore, Robert Walter (organ) and Will Bernard (guitar) serve up groove after groove. Bernard’s solos show his versatility and chops, while his rhythm work is solid as a…

King Wilkie – Low Country Suite

King Wilkie takes a calculated but risky turn from bluegrass, toward new acoustic music. Unlike their 2004 release, Broke, which was very much in the modern hot-picker bluegrass mold, Low Country Suite concentrates…

Lincoln Durham

Minimalist begins to describe Durham’s music and approach, but it doesn’t capture everything that is involved. All 11 of the songs here feature pretty much some form of guitar and percussion and not…

Pete Levin

As with his last record, keyboard whiz Levin concentrates on the organ and invites outstanding guitarists to join him. Among those taking part here are John Cariddi, Mike DeMicco, Jesse Gress, and the…

Various Artists – Philadelphia Folk Festival – 40th Anniversary

As you might suspect, after 40 years, the Philadelphia Folk Festival has some fine performances in its archives. For those not fortunate enough to attend over the years, this is a musically rich…

The Space Age Travelers

Satellite Shuffle

Though their name tosses them into the surf/space pond, this instrumental trio defies pigeonholing. It’s an eclectic set – no wonder, considering guitarist/composer/producer B.J. Baartmans’ influences; he lists a few as Cliff Gallup,…

Eric Bibb – An Evening with Eric Bibb

Eric Bibb plays blues and folk with his own touch, and is one of t he most underrated acoustic artists making the rounds. On this disc, an appreciative audience hears 14 songs delivered…

Pee Wee Crayton – Pee Wee’s Blues: The Complete Aladdin and Imperial

Pee Wee Crayton learned his lessons well. Moving from Texas to California during the Depression, he slaved away in Navy shipyards until some buddies dragged him along to a T-Bone Walker show. Pee…

Robert Cray

Sweet Soul Music

Robert Cray’s new album with producer-drummer Steve Jordan and the Hi Rhythm section is a no-brainer slam-dunk – and a brilliant collaboration. Together with Cray’s indelible hybrid of R&B, blues, and soul-drenched vocals…

Steve Earle

Hillbilly Highway

When Epic Records dropped Steve Earle in ’85 after a series of fiery but commercially unsuccessful recordings, Nashville was in panic mode. The frothy, easy listening mainstream country of Kenny Rogers and others…

Charles Lloyd

In 1965, when these previously unreleased tracks were recorded at two New York venues, saxophonist/flautist Charles Lloyd and guitarist Gabor Szabo had recently left drummer Chico Hamilton’s group – an incubator for numerous…

Darrin Stout & the Starlighters

Stout is an obvious devotee of a number of different ’50s roots musical styles. You hear country twang, but it was early Sun stylists who left the strongest mark on this West Coast…

Violinjazz

Dorian Sono Luminus

African-American jazzman Eddie South was known as the Dark Angel of the Violin. His moody compositions and hot solos were influenced strongly by Eastern European Gypsies, with whom he studied. And it was…

Little Charlie and the Nightcats – Deluxe Edition

Alligator has started a “best of” line that features cuts from various artists. Here’s one of the first, and if future releases are this nice, it’ll be a definite plus for the great…

Big Daddy Love

This North Carolina-based band makes its own rules. Call their music bluegrass or newgrass, Southern rock, hippie country, or anything else, and it’s still refreshingly original music from a quintet whose members must…

Vince Gill and Paul Franklin

Vince Gill emerged in the mid ’80s as part of country’s New Traditionalist movement. The style was partly built on Bakersfield’s twang-heavy honkytonk, especially the music of Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. Coincidentally,…

Triumph

Rock & Roll Machine

“How are these guys not as big as Led Zeppelin?” In this documentary, guitarist John 5 poses a legitimate question. Despite commercial success in the ’80s, Triumph disbanded prematurely and were largely forgotten…

Eliza Gilkyson

Songs from the River Wind

In contrast to her last few, politically-focused albums, Eliza Gilkyson considers this a “love letter to the Old West.” Revisiting her folk roots through originals, covers, and traditional favorites fits her lineage well…

Bruce Forman

Reunion! With John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton

Hot Club of Hulaville

Hulaville Recordings

The Routes

Mesmerised

Cecil Alexander

Various artists

John Mellencamp

Universal Music

Josh Smith

Josh Smith takes the soul stylings that marked his earlier work and puts it on the back burner here. In its place is a return to his first love – high-octane, supercharged blues-rock.…

Various artists – Crossroads Guitar Festival

Talk about piquing one’s curiosity. The promos for the truncated pledge-drive version of the Crossroads Festival that aired on PBS in December began, “Sixty-five guitarists… 87 guitars … came to play with one…

James Blood Ulmer – Bad Blood in the City: The Piety Street Sessions

A collection of songs inspired by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, this is one of the best albums of the year. Vernon Reid returns to produce (and supply guitar in spots), and the…

Jim Hall

CTI/Masterworks Jazz

There’s never been a time when Jim Hall wasn’t at the top of his game. From his days as a member of the Jimmy Giuffre 3 and Chico Hamilton Quintet, collaborations with Bill…

Dr. Dog – Shame, Shame

Anti

Hailing from Philadelphia, Dr. Dog plays progressive rock in the best sense of the word. Time was, a lot of pop music felt like the song “Stranger,” where punchy rhythm guitars and layered…

Heavy Trash

Heavy Trash is an on-again-off-again band headed by Jon Spencer and Matt Verta-Ray. They’ve released three superlative albums of their own trademark brand of rockabilly, all led by Verta-Ray’s incisive guitarwork – usually…

  • Yes

    Yes

    Close to the Edge: Super Deluxe Edition

Guy Davis – You Don’t Know My Mind

Guy Davis is the real thing. This young black bluesman plays his version of the downhome blues like he, too, has a hellhound on his trail. Davis has released two earlier collections of…

Al Di Meola – Consequence of Chaos

Al Di Meola – Consequence of Chaos Though sometimes lumped in with Carlos Santana, Latin guitarist Al Di Meola is almost his complete musical opposite. Where Carlos plays easy-going, accessible Latin rock, Di…

Dick Boak – Martin Guitar Masterpieces

Martin Guitar Masterpieces

Martin guitars are revered, collected, and played by performers, singers, songwriters and by legions of avid collectors and enthusiasts. If there has been a hallmark for Martin guitars over the years, it is…