Jazz guitarist John Stein’s Lifeline a dazzling reminder of his long impressive career
John Stein’s exciting new release is a sprawling two disc set titled Lifeline, a compilation of his many own compositions and arrangements recorded and released over his 30 year career. This double scoop offering of Stein’s electric jazz guitar work turns a reviewer’s rainy day into a brisk adventure. Adventurous, exploring, and innovative, Stein’s Lifeline […]
Name Droppers II uses the same beautiful DNA from The Name Droppers first album
Name Droppers II is an appropriate title for this Connecticut band’s sophomore album. It isn’t just their second album. It’s a junior to the senior, a continuation of the DNA in their first album. The Name Droppers combine old school rock and roll, blues, and R&B idioms to create fresh new songs within their range […]
Arthur James & Northbound release A Guitar Player, A Bassist & A Drummer Walk Into A Studio a must have for New England blues fans
Arthur James has the old soul of a blues man. Arthur James plays numerous kinds of blues licks while slathering the lyrics of his blues originals with his hearty New England rasp. His recent release of his Arthur James & Northbound album A Guitar Player, A Bassist & A Drummer Walk Into A Studio is […]
Kirsten Manville does indeed Blossom In The Sun on stunning new album
Kirsten Manville’s latest album Blossom In The Sun showcases this North Shore singer-songwriter’s flare for Americana roots music. Manville rocks thing up a bit with full band songs that sizzle with greasy slide, rhythm guitar, edgy lead guitar, and a fistful of groove. Other times she fills her song with tender sensibilities and some songs […]
Matt York’s Gently Used is a ruggedly beautiful album
Matt York’s new Americana roots album Gently Used is loaded with perky instrumentation and chirpy, twangy vocals. York adorns his songs with such elements while structuring them into large than life portraits expressing high emotions and flinty determination. Opening cut “If You Want Love” finds York singing in a chirpy, country flavored manner. His charming, […]
Linda Marks sums up her progress with Kindness, a sort of greatest hits CD
Linda Marks’ latest CD Kindness is a greatest hits collection of sorts. She’s recorded some of these songs in the past for previous album while one song happen to be new. Some songs here have new arrangements and others have new mixes. As always, Marks’ voice is a smooth, silky sheet that glides across her […]
Stephen Peter Rodgers graces us once again with Speck On A Clover
Stepehen Peter Rodgers latest CD Speck On A Clown provides listeners with two albums in one. The first half of this CD offers gloriously mid tempo rock songs that remind of the 1970s with their sweeping, mellow sounds. The second half reminds of the folk-rock bands and singer-songwriters of the decade of Nixon Ford, and […]
The Still Point achieve a great deal on Full Circle album
The Still Point instrumental trio, augmented by a horn section, deliver plenty of exciting, involving numbers on their third album Full Circle. Hayes Cumming’s electric guitar phrasing finds him moving melodies around with rockin’ edge and jazzy freedom. While Cummings and the rhythm section of bass player Max Liebman and drummer Alexander Dillon play a […]
Kristian Montgomery And The Winterkill Band offer greater Americana vision with A Heaven For Heretics
Kristian Montgomery & The Winterkill Band are on a roll. Their third album in as many years, A Heaven For Heretics, tackles the daunting challenge of understanding people who have been banished to the outside of mainstream America by narrow social mores created by narrow minded people. As usual, Montgomery delivers his message like a […]
Ilana Katz Katz welds her influences, fiddle, and vocal into a thick, impressive sound on In My Mind
With a few strong albums already under her belt, Boston’s blues-roots fiddle player and vocalist Ilana Katz Katz has penned 10 strong originals and one strong interpretation of a traditional number for her most powerful work yet, In My Mind. Katz fuses all of her blues, roots, and Appalachian influences into a consistent sound that […]
