Yearly Archives: 2013

Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette – Somewhere

The problem with the Keith Jarrett Trio is that the legendary pianist and his wingmen – bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Jack DeJohnette – are expected to be magnificent. They have been for 30 years now, having set the bar high with 1983’s Standards, Volume 1 and never faltering since. And therein lies the problem: […]

Brother JT – The Svelteness Of Boogietude

The first thing that nails you between the ears about The Svelteness of Boogietude (the new album from Brother JT – the alter ego of crazy-assed multi-instrumentalist John Terlesky) is the very-much-intended T. Rex groove that infuses many of the tracks. Heck, there’s even a tune named “T. Rex Blues” here, boys and girls. But […]

Bow Thayer & Perfect Trainwreck – Eden

Now, I’m going to say the word “banjo” pretty soon and I don’t want you to immediately go, “Oh – bluegrass!” and think you have the sound of Bow Thayer & Perfect Trainwreck’s Eden album figured out, boys and girls. ‘Cause you won’t even be close. Thayer wields a banjo, true enough (along with turns […]

The Katmen – The Katmen Cometh

It would be easy to label The Katmen as this time around’s version of The Stray Cats (especially with Stray Cat Slim Jim Phantom standing –literally – behind The Katmen’s stripped-down drum kit) but doing so would be the lazy man’s way out. Where The Stray Cats roared onto the scene in 1980, taking listeners […]

Six Strings (Of Words) From ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons

The call I’d been waiting for came in the middle of the night. Yes, I was told: Billy Gibbons, ZZ Top’s legendary guitarist/vocalist/Right Reverend of the Gritty-Assed Blues was available for an interview, but it would be brief. The band was somewhere between Tennessee and Europe in a time-warping supercharged ’33 Ford coupe (don’t be […]

Steve Earle – The Warner Bros. Years

In December of 1994, the state of Tennessee proclaimed Steve Earle a free man: he’d done prison time for possession of cocaine and heroin and had cleaned up in a treatment center. But “free”? Not really – as any addict will tell you, the term is “recovering,” not “former.” All the demons that sideswiped Earle […]

Iggy & The Stooges – Tribute To Ron Asheton

“Love” might not be a word that comes to mind when discussing the music of Iggy Pop and The Stooges (unless it’s a devotee saying they love the band). Yes, Iggy has declared for decades that “I Wanna Be Your Dog”; he has moaned about “Shake Appeal”; he has announced the presence of the “Cock […]

Robert Walter’s 20th Congress – Get Thy Bearings

All hail Robert Walter’s 20th Congress – back in session with their first studio album in 10 years. While keyboard master Walter has had plenty going on in the meantime (including his spot as a founding member of the Greyboy Allstars and collaborations with the likes of Stanton Moore, George Porter Jr., and Steve Kimock), […]

Donna The Buffalo – Tonight, Tomorrow, and Yesterday

Tonight, Tomorrow and Yesterday – Donna The Buffalo’s tenth studio album – is a fine example of a band continuing to evolve while maintaining a sound and vibe that they basically nailed from the very beginning. If you’re already familiar with Donna The Buffalo’s music, the only thing you need to know is Tonight, Tomorrow […]

Bill Frisell Hits Big Sur

As big, bold, quirky, and lovely as its namesake (and birthplace) Bill Frisell’s new Big Sur album is destined to be a classic in the guitarist’s catalog. Frisell has made a career out of defying musical boundaries and shrugging off genre labels; you’ll most likely find his albums under “jazz,” but know that this man […]