Being under the annoying grip of having to use a VPN has been an irritant living in the city of my employment. Being in Japan led to a horrible surprise in that I have been missing some stunning releases. Thankfully, I have a chance to amend this, so I start Continue Reading
United States
Kurt Elling – Passion World
I am a latecomer to the voice of Kurt Elling, and I now regret not exploring his catalog more deeply before. He has a phenomenal voice, rich and full of expression, and he truly excels at these jazz standards. This would be a great starting point if you have never Continue Reading
Susan Alcorn – And I Await the Resurrection of the Pedal Steel Guitar
Susan Alcorn passed away in January of this year, leaving a gaping hole in the improv community. I believe it was Ian Nagoski of Canary Records who enlightened me to this recording being available, and it is gorgeously recorded. The pedal steel guitar is played sublimely by Alcorn, who uses Continue Reading
Ivo Perelman & Tyshawn Sorey – Parallell Aesthethics
This release pairs Ivo Perelman and Tyshawn Sorey, two of the leading lights of the improv jazz scene. From the Fundacja Słuchaj Bandcamp site: “This year we are celebrating the 10th birthday of our label. On this occasion, we have prepared a lot of surprises and very unique musical offerings Continue Reading
Jeff Gburek – Madhuwanti
Madhuwanti is a collection of guitar instrumentals played sublimely by Jeff Gburek. The title name itself comes from Hindustani music and can read about further here. The playing is as honey-like as the title implies. How, you ask? Let the good man explain further at his Bandcamp site: “Madhu means Continue Reading
Tom Waits – Tom Traubert’s Blues (Live 2025)
No reviews today, but I did want to share Tom Waits performing Tom Traubert’s Blues on Italian television recently.
Mexican Slum Rats – Slum Rat
I get to do my avuncular duty with a bit of pride today, as my niece, Abi, insisted I listen to her current favorite band. The Mexican Slum Rats are Los Angelinos who are deeply loyal to the L.A. punk scene, but what struck me most by this early album Continue Reading
TRUTH – Truth: Eponymous Anonymous
TRUTH is a new project that starts in the realm of microsound and develops into an organic piece of musique-concrète. The pulses and bleeps remind me of the very early experiments of Cabaret Voltaire and Throbbing Gristle, as does the rather dark tone carried within the music. It is both are Continue Reading
Matthew Pinto – Flatlands
There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot out there on composer Matthew Pinto, but this album is quite a solid release and will appeal to fans of minimal techno and headphone music. Music to trip to.
Various Artists – Los Angeles Rising
Though California has an utterly repellent governor whose incompetence seems boundless, the citizens, rich or poor, are resilient. In honor of the California spirit which has been bruised thanks to the horrible wildfires that destroyed parts of my former home, some fine artists have contributed tracks for this compilation of Continue Reading