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John Heidt
John Pizzarelli
From Stage to Seven-String
The John Pizzarelli Trio is back on the road supporting its latest album, Stage and Screen. Joined by Isaiah J. Thompson on piano and Michael Karn on double bass, Pizzarelli is flying through tunes mostly associated with Broadway and the movies. We had the chance to dig in a bit with the jazz master. What…
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John Heidt
Guy King
Finding Joy
Israeli-born guitarist/singer Guy King has become a triple-threat musician since moving to Chicago. The playing, singing, and songwriting on his latest, Joy Is Coming, showcase his skills and versatility. How did the new album develop amidst such strange days for musicians? It was written before the pandemic – and mostly recorded before – but we…
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John Heidt
Greg Koch
Making It Work
The latest release from guitar master Greg Koch is From the Up’Nuh with his son, Dylan, on drums and B3-whiz Toby Marshall on organ. Collectively, they’re the Koch Marshall Trio, and they cover a lot of ground. Koch recently let us in on what he has been doing during the pandemic, and discussed the new…
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John Heidt
Mark Knoll
It's about Time
Despite spending three-quarters of his life as a professional musician, singing and playing blistering lead guitar in various groups, until very recently Mark Knoll hadn’t done a record full of original recordings. The reason, he says, is pretty simple. “I’m a procrastinator! I’ve wanted to do an all-original record for years. I’ve had the opportunity…
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John Heidt
Roy Treviño
Joining the Conversation
With his new self-titled album, South-Texas-based guitarist Roy Treviño accomplished his goals by simply being himself and letting the music flow. “I’d made a couple records before, but I’d put limitations on myself,” he said. “For instance, it had to be electric blues or whatever. As a result, I didn’t feel like those albums were…
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John Heidt
Dave Jenkins
Cruisin’ Again
Anyone who listened to Top 40 radio in the late ’70s and early ’80s is familiar with Pablo Cruise. The band recorded two Top 10 hits and five that broke the Top 40, mixing breezy rock, pop, soul, and even a bit of jazz. Three original members, including guitarist David Jenkins, recently re-formed and released…
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John Heidt
Joe Ely
Digging Through The Vaults
Joe Ely’s new record, Happy Songs From Rattlesnake Gulch, is full of just what you’ve come to expect from the Texas singer-songwriter. • His classic mix of country, rock, and folk, along with some of the cleverest lyrics you’ll hear this year are all in full bloom. It’s how this all came about that’s a…
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John Heidt
Carl Filipiak
Knack for Jimi
After 20 years of play-ing and recording his blistering fusion of jazz and rock, Carl Filipiak’s latest record, I Got Your Mantra, mixes his mastery of the instrument with his love for the music of one of rock’s masters, Jimi Hendrix, and his love of ’60s music in general. “Pretty much from the beginning, I’ve…
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John Heidt
Jim Heath
A Reverend By Any Other Name
Jim Heath is better known to most folks as psychobilly guitar fiend The Reverend Horton Heat. But on his latest release, he morphs into Reverend Organdrum and, as you’d expect, with the change of identity comes a change in music. The record is chock full of great organ-trio music, movie theme songs – and everywhere, fine…
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John Heidt
Jimmy Leslie
From the Bay to the Swamp and Back
“My intention was to do more of a singer/songwriter thing,” Jimmy Leslie says of his new CD, Surfin’ the Swamp. “The rhythm section I’d lined up in San Francisco bailed at the last minute. So I called Stanton Moore and Robert Mercurio, from Galactic. We did a couple of songs and I realized it was…
