Luis Russell At the Swing Cats Ball – Newly Discovered Recordings from the Closet Vol 1.- 1938-1940 Dot Time It turns out that with all due respect Zev Feldman and Cory Weeds aren’t the only jazz archaeologists unearthing new discoveries. Firsthand this writer heard Catherine Russell describe how she found boxes of acetates when cleaning […]
Steve Swell’s Fire Into Music For Jemeel – Fire from the Road Rogue Art Steve Swell’s Fire Into Music is a band that grew out of New York’s creative improvisational scene in the late ‘80s, with this 3-CD live set, For Jemeel, Fire from the Road, dating to shows from 2004-2005 in two Texas locations […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Ally Venable Texas blues-rock singer/songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire, Ally Venable, entertains wherever she goes. With her signature glitter dresses and black knee-high boots, Venable comes off of the ropes swinging dazzling crowds on tour or throughout the festival circuit. “Venable pulls off a stunner of gritty and/or […]
Joe Krown Tribute Sledgehammer Blues Joe Krown played keyboards with many people who influenced him. When I first heard Krown he was the keyboardist for Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown. Krown played alongside his band mate alto-saxophonist Eric Demmer. Krown’s last project was in a duo performance with Jason Ricci. Krown opens with an instrumental tribute to […]
Behn Gillece Between the Bars Posi-Tone Between the Bars is the ninth album as a leader for vibraphonist Behn Gillece, not to mention his many sideman contributions to the label’s catalog. He brings both familiar Posi-Tone names such as pianist Art Hirahara and saxophonists Diego Rivera (tenor) and Patrick Cornelius (alto, soprano, bass clarinet) as […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents Gerry Casey’s Interview with Marcus Bonfanti At first glance, Marcus Bonfanti seems to embody the time-honored archetype of the British rock and roll wild man. Raggedly coifed, lazily dressed, blessed with an intense stare that could frighten away a rattlesnake. If he were a few decades older, you could […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Jake Ybarra It can be hard for an artist to pinpoint when the muse first struck and launched them into a creative life. For 25-year-old Jake Ybarra, the first step on his journey came in Harlingen, Texas, where Ybarra (pronounced “e-BAR-a”) was born into a musical […]
Towner Galaher Organ Trio LIVE Rhythm Royale Some of the most timeless music in jazz lies in its sub-genre, the classic organ trio. Rarely does a month go by without an organ trio or organ related band. We’ve already heard from Dave Stryker with Larry Goldings and the Vince Ector trios in this first quarter […]
Making a Scene Presents an interview with Danny Liston What do record mogul Ahmet Ertegun, blues legend Gregg Allman, and Grammy award-winning producer Jim Gaines have in common? They all played a significant role in the music that is truly Danny Liston. Growing up in the St. Louis Irish working class neighborhood known as Dogtown, […]
Dewayne Pate On the Upside Self-released The talented musicians in San Francisco’s Bay Area never cease to amaze in their versatility across so many genres whether it be blues, soul, R&B, jazz, or Latin. We’ve heard these cross-pollinations on albums from David K. Mathews, Roy Obeido, and Bill Ortiz, among others. Now the ridiculously busy […]
David Haerle El Camino Sierra Edendale Los Angeles singer/songwriter/guitarist and indie-label owner David Haerle releases his third album, El Camino Sierra, his follow-up to 2020’s Death Valley. Like that album, the themes are rooted in California geography and personal experience. While this writer described his previous effort as “an uneven set of songs, some of […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Skylar Rogers To be compared to icons of the music industry such as Tina Turner and Etta James is no mean feat when you have just dropped your debut album. Chicago native Skylar Rogers achieves that and so much more with her 2021 release ‘Firebreather’, and […]
Ingrid Laubrock The Last Quiet Place Pyroclastic The title, The Last Quiet Place, certainly has a foreboding ring to it. Where is such a place – is it physical or is it some corner of our inner selves that becomes increasingly more difficult to reach? Saxophonist and composer Ingrid Laubrock posed these questions to herself […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Brings you Gerry Casey’s Interview with Jackie Chambers of Girlschool Girlschool are a Rock Band originating from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal Scene in 1978 and frequently associated with contemporaries and friends Motörhead. They are the longest running all-female rock band from the UK, still active and looking […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Thomas Abban Uncompromising, mystical, mysterious, ethereal, with an artistic voice all of his own- multi-instrumentalist Thomas Abban is hard to categorize and even harder to ignore. His music balances the accessible with the bewildering. His ethereal voice glides above a tumultuous ocean of musical exploration. Rhythms […]
Peter Case Doctor Moan Sunset Blvd. Apart from the great, though purposely dichotomous album title, Peter Case marks his first piano driven album, the sixteenth in his storied five-decade career that’s ranged from punk, jangly rock, and introspective folk to what we can now add his latent hints of jazz and blues. While researching this […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Gayle Harrod Gayle Harrod is living proof that it’s never to late. She began her public singing career in 2011 at the age of 42 with the Soul and Blues band Triple Shot. Since then she has performed with Classic Rock and Blues band Blues Deluxe and the […]
Canadian Jazz Collective Septology – The Black Forest Session HGBS Blue The Canadian Jazz Collective (CJC) is fronted by three of Canada’s most acclaimed and accomplished jazz treasures and familiar names to readers of these pages, especially trumpeter Derrick Gardner alongside saxophonist Kirk MacDonald, guitarist Lorne Lofsky. We introduced clarinetist Virginia MacDonald (Kirk’s daughter) on Michael Dease’s recently issued The Other […]
Mark Lewis Sunlight Shines In Audio Daddio Leave it to legally blind musician, saxophonist/flutist Mark Lewis to entitle his album this way. It’s his way of marking a new chapter for the Washington state born and now residing Lewis who has nearly two dozen albums to his credit and has spent most of his career […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an interview with Alastair Greene As Alastair Greene’s prolific and acclaimed career rounds the corner into a third decade, Greene arrives at a new, yet familiar destination. Following a 2018 live album that celebrated the 20th anniversary of his noteworthy Alastair Greene Band, the singer-songwriter/guitarist returns with an inspired […]
Big Harp George Cut My Spirit Loose Blues Mountain San Francisco blues singer, songwriter and chromatic harmonica player Big Harp George/George Bisharat returns with his fifth album, Cut My Spirit Loose. He features a cast of elite players, including guitarist Kid Andersen, Joe Kyle Jr. on bass, drummers June Core and Derrick D’Mar Martin, with […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene presents Gerry Casey’s interview with Eddie Angel Eddie Angel – captivating British guitar player, vocalist and songwriter. Charismatic personality, great showman and artist. Living in London. Having started his art expression with painting he moved on to guitar soon to be seen astounding people with his skills. Has since played […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Sarah Rogo Sarah Rogo is an artist, composer, and guitar player residing in Los Angeles, CA. With her haunting and unique slide guitar work, she defies genres and reshapes how the guitar can be used in composition and songwriting. You can find her as one of […]
Ralph Alessi It’s Always Now ECM It’s Always Now is the eleventh release and fourth on ECM for American trumpeter and composer Ralph Alessi. Departing from previous ECM works, Alessi moves away from his NYC quartet in favor of new European- American lineup that features German pianist Florian Webber (co-writer on three compositions and fourth […]
Michael Dease The Other Shoe – The Music of Gregg Hill Origin You may well recognize that trombonist and composer Michael Dease is the second major artist to cover the music of Gregg Hill, who co-produces. Bassist Rodney Whitaker, who is a guest of Dease’s ensemble here for The Other Shoe – The Music of […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with The Rhythm Krewe Rhythm Krewe had its beginnings in 1990, when guitarist/vocalist/songwriter, Steve Zelman assembled a group of nine musicians to play some of the great blues, soul, and R&B music that had inspired them as young musicians, and to develop new original music that paid tribute […]
Steve Dawson Eyes Closed, Dreaming Black Hen Music Steve Dawson’s status in his home country Canada could decorate the face of a skyscraper. Dawson has played remarkable guitar on, and/or produced, over 200 albums since emerging in the late 1990s, winning a cabinet full of trophies including seven Juno Awards for his efforts. Now in […]
Esthesis Quartet Time Zones Ears And Eyes The aptly named Time Zones brings together four improvising female jazz musicians who hail from different parts of the U.S. This is their second effort as their eponymous Esthesis Quartet released in 2021. The four musicians, educators, and composers met through festivals, conferences and sessions throughout the country […]
Pierre L. Chambers Shining Moments Dash-Hoffman “Mr P. C.” will inevitably be associated with the legendary bassist Paul Chambers, but now for the first time on record we hear from his son, poet and vocalist Pierre L. Chambers, who pays homage to his father and mother with his debut recording, Shining Moments. Proving that it’s […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Nick Schnebelen Nick Schnebelen – Multiple Blues Music Award Winner From 2018 to 2022, Nick Schnebelen and his band have been touring North America as the opening act for George Thorogood and the Destroyers. Nick clearly has the blues-rock power to fill that slot with regular […]
Billy Childs The Winds of Change Mack Avenue Although it’s a bit hard to fathom that Billy Childs may need an introduction, it’s likely the first time we have covered him on these pages as a leader. Childs is one of the most critically acclaimed pianists in contemporary jazz and among America’s most awarded and commissioned modern […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents Gerry Casey’s interview with Pat Lloyd of The Equals Formed in North London in 1965, The Equals were a group of friends consisting of the original line-up, Eddy Grant (guitar), Pat Lloyd (guitar), John Hall; (drums), and brothers Derv Gordon (vocals) and Lincoln Gordon (guitar). In 1965 The Equals […]
David Ake Green Thumb Posi-Tone Even though this is regular David Ake’s seventh album for Posi-Tone, Green Thumb marks our first coverage for the pianist and leading educator at The University of Miami’s esteemed Frost School of Music. Now, we may have mentioned this before but because the Posi-Tone producer/engineer duo of Marc Free and […]
Dave Askren Jeff Benedict Denver Sessions Tapestry Denver Sessions is the fourth collaborative album for guitarist Dave Askren and saxophonist Jeff Benedict and follows their 2020 tribute to the recently passed Wayne Shorter, entitled Paraphernalia. The two have actually recorded together a dozen times in their 30-year history in L.A. The location and lineup are […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an interview with Martha Groves Perry Martha Groves Perry is a singer-songwriter, entertainer, and multi-instrumentalist based in San Francisco, California. Her original music has a straightforward, compelling and sometimes edgy clarity with strong blues, southern rock, and experimental influences and a badass Americana flavor. Her penetrating lyrics, described by her producer, Kenny […]
Bobo Stenson Trio Sphere ECM European piano trios, many of whom come from a classical background, often sound very different from their American jazz counterparts. Such is the case for Swedish pianist Bobo Stenson who made his debut with ECM a whopping 52 years ago with Underwear and has remained in the ECM stable with […]
Vince Ector Vince Ector Organatomy Trio+ – Live at the Side Door Self-released Veteran jazz drummer and composer Vince Ector leads his jazz organ trio plus one in a live set recorded in January 2020 at Connecticut’s popular jazz venue, the Side Door Jazz Club in Old Lyme, CT. Vince Ector Organatomy Trio+ – Live at […]
Big Shoes Fresh Tracks Qualified Fresh Tracks is the American Roots Supergroup Big Shoes’ follow-up to their acclaimed 2018 Step On It! Big Shoes originally formed as a “tribute project” to recreate the early music of the iconic band Little Feat, thus the name. As they developed it became evident that the group boasted good […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Jeff Pitchell An internationally acclaimed dynamic singer, songwriter and guitarist, Jeff achieved national recognition when his album Heavy Hitter (Pyramid Records/EMI) reached #7 on the Billboard Charts, outselling Delbert McClinton, Robert Cray, Etta James, Johnny Lee Hooker & Muddy Waters. Jeff has recorded with such greats as J Geils, […]
Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia Blood Brothers Gulf Coast Records Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia’s dozens of individual albums all point to their first collaboration working as well as it does. Not to mention that they’re apparently good buddies. The title Blood Brothers encapsulates their bond and shared spirits ideally. Zito and Castiglia have long […]
Margherita Fava TATATU Self-released TATATU is the debut recording for Italian-born, Knoxville, TN-based pianist and composer Margherita Fava who has assembled a top tier quartet for her highly lyrical, soulful original six compositions. She nods to Thelonious Monk and to Jerome Kern with her two covers. Joining Favre, who forges a group sound versus a […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Sister Lucille Hailing from Southwest Missouri and deeply inspired by the musical legacy of Memphis, Sister Lucille has turned the worlds of Blues, Roots and Soul on their collective head and created their own genre – Memphunk! The band’s musical genetics run wide and deep. From […]
Ally Fiola & The Next Quest Interblaze – featuring Jeff Coffin Self-released Nova Scotian alto saxophonist and film composer Ally Fiola delivers her second album, the contemporary jazz, New Orleans flavored Interblaze. Her guest accompanists are quite impressive beginning with multi-Grammy nominated tenor saxophonist Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones) and […]
Otis Taylor Banjo… PS Audio/Octave While Otis Taylor’s 15th album doesn’t bear the thematically driven title like his 2017 Fantasizing About Being Black, the more plainly titled Banjo… speaks to similar themes. Taylor says this about the album, where, in fact, only four of the eleven tunes feature him playing banjo – “This is not […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Brings you Gerry Casey’s Interview with The Cosmic Trip Advisors The Cosmic Trip Advisors hail from West Lothian in Scotland and are a rock ’n’ roll band with a heart of soul. Rock ’n’ Soul, if you will. In their world, Iggy can rub shoulders with Keef, Dolly can pinch […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Skarlett Woods Entwining Swing and Jazz into folk-themed stories of love, she has a stage presence that demands the attention of a room. Taking her listeners on up-beat rhythmic rides over heart- swelling arrangements of originals and covers, Skarlett has simply become more comfortable showing herself […]
JP Ruggieri Gradually Descend Into Chaos Self-released For those who follow The Wood Brothers or the excellent album from singer/songwriter Jarrod Dickenson, guitarist and fellow singer/songwriter JP Ruggieri may be a familiar name. To the rest of the you, this may serve as an introduction although Gradually Descend Into Chaos is his second full-length album. […]
Simon Moullier Isla Self-released Scanning the album photograph and instrumentation for this quartet, one might think that emerging and prolific vibraphonist and composer Simon Moullier presents an ethereal, almost New Wave-like sound. Well, that’s dead wrong. This quartet swings! Isla is Moullier’s third album in less than three years and while the others were rendered […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Paul Filipowicz If they’re still standing at what should have been the end of the set list, it’s a signal to Filipowicz to crank out another hard-driving tune on one of his worn Fender guitars. But there is a softer side to the 66-year-old Chicago native […]
The Cash Box Kings Oscar’s Motel Alligator Records Blues fanatics of course, but certainly the culturally minded and perhaps most crucially, regular Joe’s, all should spend at least one night in a classic Chicago blues club. Add it to the bucket list, because soaking up that vibe with a blistering band tearing it down can […]