Kicking off the New Year with Rashanim
Sean Murphy2011 is so last year. What, you might ask, can we look forward to in 2012? Three of my favorite things, all at once: Rashanim, Tzadik and Fela Kuti. Here…
The Top 10 Albums of 2011, According To Me (Part Four)
1. PJ Harvey, Let England Shake “You cannot get the news from poems”, William Carlos wrote. “But men die every day for lack of what is found there.” Percy Bysshe…
The Top 10 Albums of 2011, According To Me (Part Three)
2. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues Fleet Foxes were a welcome and justly celebrated mainstream breakout act in 2008, delivering that rare feat: a debut album that was totally assured and…
Sam Rivers, R.I.P.
Another irreplaceable giant has left the planet. Sam Rivers, always graceful, elegant and cool as a mofo, certainly carved out his own niche in the jazz idiom. While his work…
The Top 10 Albums of 2011, According To Me (Part Two)
5. New Zion Trio, Fight Against Babylon. The full review is here. Zelig-like, Jamie Saft has been an indefatigable fixture in the downtown NYC music scene. Equal parts MVP…
My Kind of Christmas Music (Revisited)
Tchaikovsky Corelli Bach John Fahey The Who Chuck Berry a three-fer from Jethro Tull! Sonny Boy The Godfather Donny Satchmo Ella! (An embarrassment of riches here, here, and here) Johnny…
The Top 10 Albums of 2011, According To Me (Part One)
A couple of quick things. In fairness, both Tom Waits and Paul Simon could easily be on this list. They show few signs of slowing down and it is appropriate…
Five Songs From 2011
Here are five songs from albums that did not make my personal Top 10 for 2011 (stay tuned for that list...): 5. Gary Clark, Jr: "Bright Lights Big City". This…
Jimi Hendrix Experience: Winterland
More Hendrix? For anyone who has—or who has not, for that matter—been paying attention the last couple of years, a major initiative has been underway to get the world to…
New Zion Trio: Fight Against Babylon
Zelig-like, Jamie Saft has been an indefatigable fixture in the downtown NYC music scene. Equal parts MVP and unsung hero, his presence—as player, producer and composer—is at once daunting and…