Being an insomniac has some advantages. As is normal for me, I stayed wide awake until 4 a.m. listening to music. While doing so, I came across an album by kamancheh maestro Saba Alizadeh which was so eerily beautiful that I had to suggest it for your perusal. The avant-garde Continue Reading
Instrumental
Jeff Gburek – Nowruz 26
After the stresses (and occasional joys) of 2026 so far, I have a feeling that I may have found my favorite album of the year. Jeff Gburek has made a sublime album that nods at the direction of De Lucía and the Romero family, all while putting his own mark Continue Reading
Cousin Silas & James Hoehl – Searching For The Third Star
Cousin Silas is always good for a long, warm listen, but this album, done in collaboration with James Hoehl, feels more cinematic in scope. This is a haunting album, but it makes for truly fine listening. The neighbors will appreciate it, surely.
HJ Ayala – Wesserling En Direct
It’s wonderful to welcome back an old friend of the blog, Hector Javier Ayala, a guitarist hailing from Mexico and living in France. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this is a very song-focused album, featuring a couple of genuinely Mexican guitar tunes and the beautiful jazz classic, Days Continue Reading
Something to Do on a Sunday – This is Not the Plan
A fine name for a band, given that today is Sunday and I have little to do after liturgy. Something to Do on a Sunday is a post-rock band from Sydney, Australia, and offers a far more mellow and bright sound than others in the genre do. Pleasant listening.
Marco Lucchi – All Day Long
A musician we admire here at the blog, Marco Lucchi, comes to us today with a new work where he uses a Buchla synthesizer, mellotron, and flute to create a very peaceful, almost proggish ambient album.
Dou Wei; Chao Jian (竇唯;朝簡) – 安神符
Instrumentalists Dou Wei and Chao Jian are names I came across last year thanks to my former student Ben, who did me the honor of pointing me to their new album. The record features two long instrumental pieces that sound like ethno-ambient music and like what you would have found Continue Reading
Zao – Kawana
Magma alumni Yochk’o Seffer and François “Faton” Cahen recorded under the name Zao, producing an album that is at once progressive, zeuhl, and heavily influenced by Miles-era jazz fusion. Deep and dark, it also features Didier Lockwood on violin, Gérard Prévost and Bill Gagnon on bass, Jean My Truong and Christian Saint Continue Reading
Ezra Collective – Joy To The World
As Christmas happily approaches, the Ezra Collective has released a rather cool EP of instrumental Christmas tunes in their own inimitable style. Happy Advent to you all.
Various Artists – Easy Tempo Experience Vol.1 – Cinematic Jazz
If this available track by Piero Umiliani is any indication, then Easy Tempo will soon release a scorching new compilation!