This is the second album in the past few weeks I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing that features percussionist Devin Gray, and the two musicians he collaborates with on this disc are legendary: Andrea Parkins- electronics, accordion & wurlitzer Frank Gratkowski- saxophones, flutes, & clarinets Devin Gray – drums & Continue Reading
United States
Marco Benevento – Glera
I don’t know how Marco Beneveto managed not to get caught by my radar, as he produces such great Nu-Jazz that I almost feel bad I didn’t know about him sooner. This is an upcoming release, but the tracks available are funky and as contemporary as it gets.
Wim Mertens & Glenn Branca – Belly Of An Architect (Original Soundtrack)
For no other reason than having a good memory about the great Wim Mertens and the late Glenn Branca, I present you this minimalist classic soundtrack, one of Mertens’ best works.
Hadley Caliman – Iapetus
Wewantsounds, the most esteemed reissue label around, socks it to us yet again with a vinyl reissue of a long-forgotten work by Hadley Caliman, criminally unavailable since 1971. Instrumentation & PersonnelHadley Caliman: Tenor Saxophone & FluteWoody “Sonship” Theus: DrumsJames Leary: BassTodd Cochran: PianoVictor Pantoja: CongaLuis Gasca: TrumpetHungria Garcia: Timbales
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
Devin Grey feat. Kris Davis, Chris Speed & Chris Tordini – RelativE ResonancE
It seems reasonable to call Devin Gray the apex point between the worlds of avant-prog and Frank Zappa’s weirder, cooler moments. I’m surprised he’s not better known, as he and his band sound so incredibly tight. He’s become someone whose music is worth hunting down. Quite a find, this one!
Damon & Naomi – The Sub Pop Years (1995-2002)
Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang have about the best pedigree any indie rock band has ever had, being part of such legendary projects as Galaxie 500 and Luna. Their catalogue under Damon & Naomi is equally impressive, and this Sub Pop compilation gives a nice snapshot of their work during Continue Reading
Various Artists – Canary Records: Tarab Vocal Art in Khedival Cairo, vol. 2, ca. 1905 – 1914
Another gem from Canary Records, as they return to Egypt, as quoted on their Bandcamp site: “When disc recording technology arrived in Egypt in 1903, much of the Arab world around the Mediterranean had been experiencing a cultural, political, and social “awakening” (the “nadha”) that had been intrinsic to literary Continue Reading
Armen Donelian – Sayat-Nova: Songs Of My Ancestors
From Armen Donelian’s Bandcamp site: “Pianist, composer, bandleader, and educator Armen Donelian has carved out an enviable career spanning four decades, including seminal stints with Jazzmen Sonny Rollins, Billy Harper, Chet Baker, and Mongo Santamaria. But two other streams – Classical and Middle Eastern music – have influenced Donelian’s artistic Continue Reading
Robert Scott Thompson – Ice and Ember
Blog friend and fine American composer Robert Scott Thompson offers his latest release, one which would qualify as a Mimi-album or EP, but which sounds deeply calming and engaging. From his Bandcamp site: “Ice and Ember is a distilled meditation within my larger body of ambient and electroacoustic work—a 14-minute Continue Reading