Every week our staff of CD Reviewers bring you the best in Independent CD releases. Making a Scene is considered the number 1 resource for the independent musician and the fans that love them.
Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead Poetic Vision Ahead Music Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead are releasing their third album, Poetic, as this group of five musicians that have played together for over a decade, many of whom are band leaders themselves, forge a dynamic, fresh sound. Maintaining the original lineup, the cast features acclaimed drummer Jonathan Barber at […]
Steve Forbert Moving Through America Blue Rose Admittedly this writer was smitten with singer-songwriter Steve Forbert’s 1978 debut, Alive on Arrival and its 1979 follow-up Jackrabbit Slim. He’s made close to twenty records since with a few worthy gems such as 1997’s Here’s Your Pizza and 2012’s Over With You, continually maintaining his signature folk-rock […]
Dionna Greenleaf I Ain’t Playing’ Little Village Readers of these page likely realize that blues vocalist/shouter Diunna Greenleaf is one of the best belting it out today, but she sadly remains criminally under the radar. We’d be remiss not to mention that Greenleaf has already won three Blues Music Awards and countless nominations, but yet […]
Oded Tzur Isabela ECM Israeli-born and raised New York City based saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator Oded Tzur issues his fourth album and second for the ECM label with Isabela, his follow-up to Here Be Dragons. Tzur’s sound on the saxophone is unlike anyone else. That’s because he marries Indian Classical music with jazz and developed a […]
Zero Naught Again Omnivore Not being familiar with the band Zero, a quick scan of the personnel revealed all one needs to know. Surely Deadheads and Jerry Garcia fans know Robert Hunter, Vince Welnick, and John Kahn. The names of the co-founders, guitarist Steve Kimock and drummer Greg Anton should be familiar too as well […]
Big Jack Johnson Stripped Down in Memphis M.C. Big Jack Johnson, guitarist/songwriter/vocalist was one of the few bluesmen from Clarksdale, MS who stayed home. He never migrated north like Muddy Waters, Ike Turner, and John Lee Hooker. Stripped Down in Memphis is a posthumous release of acoustic blues, pairing the legendary bluesman with harmonica master […]
Hendrik Meurkens and the WDR Big Band Samba Jazz Odyssey Zoho Pairing the smallest instrument, a harmonica as the featured lead with a 17-piece big band is paradoxical to begin with. Throw in the notion that the harmonicist, the practically iconic Henrik Meurkens delivers his Latin jazz compositions, a genre that rarely features the instrument, […]
Diunna Greenleaf I Ain’t Playin’ Little Village I Ain’t Playin’, the latest release from Texas blues artist Diunna Greenleaf is a must-hear. This three-time Blues Music Award winner, dishes out thirteen wonderful tracks, incorporating blues, soul, funk, and southern gospel. Her amazing vocals are backed by a stellar lineup of musicians which include producer Kid Andersen on guitar, Jerry Jemmott on bass, Jim Pugh on keys, and Derrick […]
Nick Daniels and The Groove Krewe Run to Daylight Sound Business Services On Ivan Neville’s “Dumpstaphunk: Where Do We Go from Here” Nick Daniels III plays bass and is one of three featured vocalists. In the Groove Krewe Daniels steps upfront. The songs are written by Dale Murray and guitarists Rex Pierce and Nelson Blanchard. […]
Joey Alexander Origin Mack Avenue Rising jazz pianist, the Indonesian, Joey Alexander has already achieved three GRAMMY® nominations, performed from the Obama White House to the Grand Ole Opry to most recently, the floor of the United Nations and the child prodigy is still three years shy of legal drinking age. Origin, his debut for […]
Christina Vane Make Myself Me Again Red Parlor Make Myself Me Again is the follow-up for resonator-playing, foot-stomping Cristina Vane who made her auspicious debut in 2021 with Nowhere Sounds Lovely. While blues was an essential focus of the debut, Vane revealed her affection for mountain music, folk music, and even western waltzes. Having moved […]
Specky Cult Jumping on our own bandwagon Long awaited and finally here! The debut album from “Specky Cult”. Specky Cult is Andy McGrevy Rob Glover and Carol Stephen. Coming from the north east of England, they bring a breath of fresh air to the music scene with ultra-cool sound and lyrics that are as endearing as they are original. Funny, […]
Dave Weld Nightwalk Delmark Records Dave Weld was born in Chicago in 1952 and his interest in the Stones, Clapton and Mayall started changing in high school when he heard Howlin’ Wolf, Lightnin Hopkins, and B.B. King. After high school Weld moved to New Mexico and studied jazz and met and jammed with Gatemouth Brown. […]
Vaneese Thomas Fight the Good Fight Blue Heart Records There was a definite magic in the air when Vaneese Thomas recorded Fight the Good Fight at the famed Royal Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, a place once home to Hi Records and the Hi Rhythm Section. The album represents all which I love about Memphis music: the soulful melodies, the funky intoxicating rhythms, the horns, […]
Jarkka Rissanen Tonal Box feat. Kalle Fält Bones Humu Records Having reviewed Finnish guitarist Jarkka Rissanen’s 2021 album Cargo last year, I was quite anxious to hear his latest release Bones with his band Tonal Box featuring Kalle Fält. Like his previous album, this one is comprised entirely of instrumentals divinely steeped in jazz fusion leaning into funk and blues. Tonal Box is comprised of Rissanen on guitars, lap […]
Charlie Musselwhite Mississippi Son Alligator Records Charlie Musselwhite’s last Alligator recording “100 Years of Blues” was recorded with Elvin Bishop and the album resulted in Blues Music Awards for both Album of The Year and Traditional Blues Album. Musselwhite has also been the winner of the Traditional Blues Male Artist and he continues to display […]
Brad Absher and the Superials Tulsa Tea Horton Records Brad Absher was one of several guitarists who played on Annika Chambers debut album released in 2014. Later that same year Absher released his own debut album combining original songs with selected covers including William Bell’s “You Don’t Miss Your Water Until Your Well Runs Dry” […]
Erik Friedlander A Queen’s Firefly Skiptone If the instrumental configuration of cello, piano, bass, and drums doesn’t wow you from the outset, you will feel quite differently after hearing this inventive, often exhilarating music led by cellist Erik Friedlander and his quartet named The Throw comprised of elite Downtown players who are all bandleaders– Uri […]
Peter Manning Robinson Celestial Candy Owl Walk So, you haven’t heard anything new in music lately? Welcome to a totally unique sound from multiple award-winning composer and pianist Peter Manning Robinson. In fact, we’ll have to expand his job title once we mention that he is the inventor of The Refractor Piano™ a new way […]
Delbert McClinton Outdated Emotion Hot Shot Records “Outdated Emotion” is Delbert McClinton’s 30th album. It’s difficult to know where to begin when reviewing such a prolific artist. McClinton combines elements of jazz, rock and blues into his own homemade stew. In 2013 Delbert reunited with Glen Clark. The pair had recorded “Delbert and Glen” in […]
The Hogtown Allstars Hog Wild “The Hog Town Allstars” debut album is appropriately named “Hog Wild”. It consists of some truly dynamic and experienced players. Collectively they have earned more than 20 Maple Blues Awards, five JUNO awards, two Lifetime Achievement Awards and countless other blues and jazz awards. The band features former DownChild Blues […]
Gina Sicilia Unchange VizzTone Superb vocalists have little trouble crossing genres. Gina Sicilia established her career as blues singer, flirted with Americana having moved to Nashville, and is now trying her hand at gospel as she returns to where she started, on the VizzTone label. This is anything but a casual experiment however, as Sicilia […]
CeCe Gable Next Year’s Song Self-released When a jazz vocalist gets an endorsement from Sheila Jordan and when that same singer gathers a first-rate group of accompanists, all bandleaders themselves, you know that the recording is bound to be special. Such is the case for CeCe Gable, a late bloomer with a youthful sounding voice, […]
Anthony Geraci Blues Called My Name Blue Heart Records The first time I ever heard Anthony Geraci was on his previous recording “Take It from Me” where he was paired playing piano with Sugar Ray Norcia who was on harmonica and vocals. At the time Geraci also fronted his own band and the previous year […]
San Gabriel 7 w/ Sinne Eeg Under the Stars JRL-SGS We covered the progressive California-based funk band San Gabriel 7 for their 2020 release, Red Dress, with vocalist Femi Knight. Now, the band returns with the preeminent vocalist of Scandinavia, Sinne Eeg, in an album of her songs with, as before, mostly the instrumental arrangements […]
Mike Holober & Balancing Act Don’t Let Go Sunnyside Initially you may think that this chamber music project, Don’t Let Go, is a quiet, pensive, mostly classical music listening experience by judging the first few notes that you hear. If you’re familiar with GRAMMY nominated pianist and composer Mike Holober and his several big band […]
Trudy Lynn Golden Girl This is Trudy Lynn’s eighteen recording. Lynn often writes about domineering men and prostitution. Women like the “TV Mama” “the one with the big wide screen”. This all-original new recording features Kevin Mckendree keyboards, Yates McKendree guitar, Terry Wilson bass and background vocals, Teresa James background vocals, and Brennen Temple drums. […]
Justin Golden Hard Times and a Woman Self-released with help from Virginia Folklife Program Welcome a new artist to the blues and Americana fold with this debut, Hard Times and a Woman, by Richmond-based singer/guitarist Justin Golden. Golden takes a “big umbrella” approach to the blues. Yes, you’ll hear some of the Piedmont style, but […]
Kind Folk Head Towards the Center Fresh Sound New Talent Yes, Kind Folk is a different kind of a name for a jazz quartet, but ardent listeners may recognize it as the name of Kenny Wheeler’s piece from his 1997 ECM release Angel Song. Of course, that’s not by accident as the group debuted in […]
The Love Light Orchestra Leave the Light on Both the older and the newer recordings are produced by Matt Ross-Spang. The first album includes John Nemeth singing as he covers Bobby “Blue” Bland on the 1961 hits “Turn On Your Love Light”, and again on the 1966 hit “Poverty”. Nemeth also covers songs from Little […]
Jo Harrop The Heart Wants Lateralize British jazz vocalist and songwriter Jo Harrop brings her second album, The Heart Wants, stateside. One immediately senses her intimate, smoky, bluesy voice as the album opens with “The Heart Wants What the Heart Wants,” to the accompaniment of a first-rate lineup that boasts bassist Christian McBride, trumpeter Andy […]
Tommy Castro A Bluesman Comes to Town Alligator Records This new album is produced by Tom Hambridge who also co-writes and plays drums. He is widely known as the drummer/producer Buddy Guy where he plays the same roles. Hambridge is also co-writer along with Castro and his regular writing partner. A Bluesman Comes to Town […]
GeminiiDragon Fighting Fire with Fire The bluesy hard-edged grooves and hearty power-filled vocals stand front-and-center on Fighting Fire With Fire, the latest release from Louisiana recording artist Jessica Harper aka GeminiiDragon. Undoubtedly, that’s the winning combination which immediately drew my attention to this record. This all-original album hosts eight splendid tracks co-written with producer/guitarist Christian Simeon. With Harper behind the mic, and Simeon on guitar, the rest […]
Jessey Jackson Gypsy Willow When an artist creates new songs and puts them together to form an album it’s a really special occasion. So when listening to Gypsy Willow I’m reminded how art and life experience are really one and the same. It takes a unique and special talent to combine lyrics that are meaningful and connect […]
Michelle Malone 1977 SBS Previous efforts from singer-songwriter/guitarist Michelle Malone have been searing, no-holds barred blasters, as gutsy blues as any contemporary blues artist has delivered. 1977 is a whole different side of Malone though. This is acoustic driven Americana that mixes nuance with nostalgia, autobiographical tales and introspection. Her character studies are particularly interesting. […]
Old Crow Medicine Show Paint This Town ATO While they started as a bluegrass band, Old Crow Medicine Show (OCMS) in recent years have won two Grammys and are considered one of our best roots bands, meshing Americana, old-timey music, folk, and rock & roll into an appealing sound that consistently sells out venues wherever […]
Josean Jacobo Trio Herencia Criolla E7 Studios The last time we heard from Dominican pianist Josean Jacobo, he was with his sextet Tumbao for Cimarron, not only one of the best Latin jazz albums of 2019 but one of the best overall in the umbrella category of jazz. He now returns with his trio and […]
Harry Skoler Living In Sound: The Music of Charles Mingus Sunnyside As you all likely know by now, this is the centennial year for Charles Mingus. Clarinetist Harry Skoler has been influenced since adolescence by the iconic bassist and one of the elite composers of jazz. Now, over 40 years later, Skoler, the current professor […]
Eliza Neals Badder to the Bone E-H Records Eliza Neals is an artist who consistently delivers album after album of solidly-written, exquisitely performed blues-rock. Badder to the Bone marks my fourth album from Neals which I have made a point to review, and the title is very much on the mark. She is a total badass in the music world, and […]
Ben Markley Big Band with Ari Hoenig Ari’s Fun-House OA2 Let’s introduce you to the two collaborators. Renowned Philadelphia-born drummer Ari Hoenig, who plays drums on all seven tracks, has over a dozen recordings as a leader plus many more as an accompanist on many other sessions. He is a formidable composer and award-winning educator […]
Andy James Rhythm in New York Le Coq Jazz vocalist Andy James, born and raised in Australia, renowned for her flamenco dancing, and now a partner with her husband, Piero Pata, in the recently formed Le Coq label, is back with her third album for the label, Rhythm in New York. The album features both […]
The Nighthawks Established 1972 VizzTone There are not many bands that can mark a 50th anniversary but Washington D.C.’s legendary Nighthawks, have been carrying the flame for blues and roots music since 1972. The only two blues festivals where this writer had a major production role were the Brass Monkey Blues Festivals of 1983 and […]
Bouvier Blachant Renewell Bouvier is the nickname for Dr. Jackie “Bouvier” Copeland, who is releasing her spiritual, socially conscious inspired debut Blachant. The latter is a trademarked term for blachanting – her practice of deep reflection, social action, prayer, and her chanting vocal style, which is indeed unique. It’s a blend of the singer-songwriter’s jazz […]
Vaneese Thomas Fight the Good Fight Blue Heart One of our best and criminally underrecognized powerhouse voices and songwriters, Vaneese Thomas, daughter of Soul Music icon Rufus Thomas, returns for her ninth album and her first for the growing Blue Heart Records, in partnership with her husband, multi-instrumentalist Wayne Warnecke’s Segue, where she recorded her […]
Hurricane Ruth Live at 3rd and Lindsley Live at 3rd and Lindsley, the sixth and most recent album from Ruth LaMaster aka Hurricane Ruth lands a ferocious punch with a fistful of raw, hearty blues. This fourteen-track gem was recorded at 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville, Tennessee and produced by two-time Grammy winner Tom Hambridge. It features Scott Holt and Nick Nguyen on guitar, Calvin Johnson on bass, Lewis Stephens on keys, with Hambridge also […]
Doug MacLeod A Soul to Claim Reference Perennial BMA Award-winner for Acoustic Blues, Doug MacLeod, returns with his 22nd album and his fifth album for Reference Recordings, A Soul to Claim. Up until now, the former North Carolinian MacLeod has lived in Los Angeles with his wife Patti Joy for the past 30 years, but […]
Myra Melford For the Love of Fire and Water Rogueart Pianist and composer Myra Melford assembles a super group of improvising players for what she has dubbed the Fire and Water Quintet and an album of a similar name, For the Love of Fire and Water. She says this is the first installment of a […]
George Freeman Everybody Say Yeah! Southport The jazz history of Chicago great, guitarist George Freeman, continues as he reaches his 95th birthday. This writer can only think of two other active musicians in his sphere, drummer Roy Haynes and Sun Ra Arkestra leader, Marshall Allen, both of whom are 97. There are likely just a […]
Mark Winkler Late Bloomin’ Jazzman Café Pacific Late Bloomin’ Jazzman is the 20th album for singer-songwriter/jazz vocalist Mark Winker and the fourth we have covered on these pages since 2018. Two of them were in collaboration with other artists – 2018’s Eastern Standard Time with Cheryl Bentyne, and 2021’s Old Friends with David Benoit. 2019’s […]
The Boxmasters Help…I’m Alive Help…I’m Alive, the twelfth and latest release from The Boxmasters, ushers in a dozen new original songs from J.D. Andrew and Bud Thornton. With each of their recordings, I’ve always been delighted to listen to the guys navigate through their spectrum of influences. This album most definitely carries on that tradition. An infectious hook, powered by a […]