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 […]
Kim Moberg offers tuneful variety on Up Around The Bend
Kim Moberg’s sophomore album Up Around The Bend cruises through many different approaches to the songwriting craft. Offering folk drenched ditties, edgier, electric guitar driven numbers, and even a swaggering country shuffle song, Up Around The Bend gives proof to Moberg’s strongest point. She can deliver the goods in a variety of musical settings. Opening […]
Singer-songwriter Linda Marks gets even better on Songs At The Heart Of Life
Linda Marks’ latest album release, Songs At The Heart of Life, her second this year, beautifully captures where this Waltham, Massachusetts-based pianist-singer-songwriter is at in her life journey. Her singing and playing a light, sophisticated jazz; her lyrics shiny bright and gloriously hopeful. Opening track “The River” has a folk flavored ebullience. It’s all in […]
Matt Zajac’s Garden Of Hedon an exceptionally strong album
Matt Zajac’s latest album Garden Of Hedon features nude figures beside waterfall in a private jungle. The striking album cover imagery reflects the strong musical personality that central-Massachusetts-based Zajac brings to his music. Singer-songwriter-guitarist-drummer for this album, he delivers all of his songs with a strong musical personality. His music isn’t so much hard rocking […]
Sugar Cones travel the fast lane well on Road Soda
Sugar Cones latest album Road Soda offers plenty of new wave, goth rock, and a few other genres and influences that they inject into their tension filled rock and roll. Each listen to this gem of a CD from this popular Rhode Island band will reveal something that went unnoticed the last time. There are […]
Mike Renzi with Jim Porcella offer fine jazz holiday album, Christmas Is: December Duets
Mike Renzi with Jim Porcella have recorded a solid jazz Christmas album, December Is: Christmas Duets. Sure to become a holiday favorite with all who purchase it, this album offers lively, warm, and time tested standards and one likable original co-written by Renzi. These tunes have been arranged here as accessible jazz, classy as well […]
Michael Cleary accomplishes much on Last Man Standing with pared down, singer-songwriter approach
It is difficult to pigeonhole New Haven’s Michael Cleary’s new album Last Man Standing. Stripped of his Michael Cleary Band, Cleary shoots for a singer-songwriter approach with some rock and roll edge. Yet, that attempt at definition falls short. His appeal might also cross over into adult contemporary listening. Backed by a danceable beat, opening […]
Molly Pinto Madigan impresses with stunning folk art masterpiece, The Ballad Of Tam Lin
Molly Pinto Madigan’s new folk opera The Ballad Of Tam Lin feels as epic in each track as it does as a whole. Each number has its own story arc, playing out lyrically, musically, and vocally like a story within itself. Yet, each manages to piece together one epic tale, a legend love encounter. Listeners […]
