Music
Curren$y, Pilot Talk II (Roc-A-Fella/DD172 Records)
“Good weed and broads / spaceships and stars / roll out the red carpet but hold the applause.” Eschewing the lazy stoner stereotype, Curren$y is back with his second full-length […]
Neslort, Mystical Scam (Lort/Threadhead Records)
Neslort is, of course, Trolsen backwards, and the return of this odd 1990s project led by the eccentric New Orleans trombonist Rick Trolsen is the latest gift from the ever-generous […]
Sam Rey, Sam Rey EP (Independent)
Sam Rey is Mark Meaux of the Bluerunners’ latest deep-dig into Cajun blues essence via sample beats and exceptional songcraft. Inspired by Junior Kimbrough, Clifton Chenier and modern technology, Meaux […]
Kidd Jordan and Joel Futterman, Interaction (Independent)
One of the factors that determines whether improvised music works or not is how well the players know and listen to each other. If players can anticipate what and the […]
Caligula, Divine Madness (Krycek Entertainment)
Maybe it’s the Japanese characters drawn on the album cover. Or the slew of guest appearances. Or the brooding, grotesque but conscious lyrics. Whatever the reason, it is hard to […]
Johnny Wiggs, “Congo Square” and Other Vintage Material (GHB Records)
This is a joint review along with Thomas Jefferson’s With the New Orleans Creole Jazz Band and Monk Hazel’s Band. If these musicians had wanted to gather for a drink […]
Thomas Jefferson, With the New Orleans Creole Jazz Band and Monk Hazel’s Band (GHB Records)
This is a joint review along with Johnny Wiggs’ “Congo Square” and Other Vintage Material. If these musicians had wanted to gather for a drink or some conversation back in […]
Plunge, Tin Fish Tango (Immersion Records)
Composer and trombonist Mark McGrain sits at the creative helm of Plunge, a prog-jazz ensemble with an ever-shifting lineup that put out its first record back in ’96. This time […]
Jerry Lee Lewis, Mean Old Man [Deluxe Edition] (Verve Forecast Records)
Nick Tosches wrote a whole book on Lewis and proclaimed him elsewhere, “the last man to have been touched by the Holy Ghost of Gnosis.” Does that leave everybody else […]
LakeSide Gamblers, La Valse d’Hommage (Salty Bayou Records)
Small ensembles, specifically duos and trios, were prevalent in the days of early Cajun music until they were shoved aside by larger, more popular dancehall aggregations. But whatever goes around […]
