Miles Donahue makes jazz swing, bop, and rock on Just Passing Thru
Boston-based saxophone player Miles Donahue leads his jazz band on a journey on Just Passing Thru, a 9 track odyssey into a myriad of approaches to modern jazz. Donahue constructs his sonic landscapes from the timbres, tempos, and dynamics he’s been listening to these last four decades, and he has a way of making jazz […]
Terry Kitchen offers beautiful document of his life with Lost Songs
Terry Kitchen’s latest album Lost Songs is made up of new recordings of older, unreleased songs, songs that span Kitchen’s career. It’s a fresh, rewarding look back through the career of this Boston folkie. And, this basement tapes style album is simply a very good album. Kitchen can reach any listener with his timely messages […]
Kristian Montgomery & The Winterkill Band give a brilliant, rocking beat down to social injustice on Prince Of Poverty
Kristian Montgomery & The Winterkill Band are up to their old tricks again. Montgomery and his band of merry men just dropped another hard charging, rockin’ roots album. More aggressive, edgier, flintier than even their previous disc The Gravel Church, Prince Of Poverty pounds its way through each track with either a driving drum beat […]
Retro CD Review: Boston’s 80s band Forever 19 stand the test of time with Come As You Were Born
Some times an album from the past has such striking qualities that make it cry out for a retro CD Review in this blog. The most striking thing about Forever 19’s Come As You Were Born album, recorded in 1987, is how fresh it still sounds nearly 35 years after it was recorded. This quintet […]
Jenee Halstead indescribably, remarkably good on Disposable Love
Jenee Halstead’s latest CD release Disposable Love cannot be easily pigeonholed into any one musical category. Halstead’s lyrical vision might put her in the same class as the better singer-songwriters. Halstead, a longtime presence in the greater-Boston scene, knows how to layer instruments together to arrive at her preferred mode of expression. Thick bass and […]
Yoko Miwa Trio give new meaning to Songs Of Joy
Yoko Miwa Trio just released their ninth CD, Songs Of Joy. Boston by way of Tokyo jazz pianist Yoko Miwa, again, offers her own original compositions while making her own with special arrangements songs written by the geniuses of modern music. Miwa, still possessing a flair for arranging popular music, opens her jazz heavy album […]
Semaphora offers something new and brilliant with Sister Administrator
Sometimes musical genius just rears its amazing head, and it cannot be ignored. Connecticut based Semaphora recently dropped their exciting disc Sister Administrator into an unsuspecting music scene. It will go over big, especially when local music fans realize that the multi layered album is the product of one mind. Semaphora, actually the name for […]
David Jackson offers flavorful album with The Muse And The Raconteur
David Jackson’s latest disc The Muse And The Raconteur is a mix of cool acoustic guitar, restless blues, and a sensitive singer-songwriter sensibility. Presentation is more of Jackson’s strong suit here. This Cape Cod-based artist plays some standards, traditional songs, and he has his friends collaborate with him with lyrical contributions. Opening track “Earth Train,” […]
Blues man Alan Arena strikes pure gold with Fortune Wheel
Alan Arena ‘s latest blues album Fortune Wheel finds him applying his fine character voice to a variety of blues approaches in his 13 track album. With 15 exciting guest musicians helping Cape Cod-based Arena flesh out his musical vision, this disc cannot help but be a strong offering. Opening track “Back To The Crossroads” […]
Gitit Shoval breathes three dimensional life into Jewish prayers, poems, and scriptures with soaring vocal power
Israel born Boston resident Gitit Shoval with Ron Druyan and Tutti Druyan absolutely inspire listeners with the magic of their CD titled Connected. Based on Jewish prayers, poems, and Hebrew scripture, this disc makes several strong musical statements over the course of its 17 tracks. Towering melodies and bright, exciting vocals offer many colors and […]
