Troy Roberts & Tim Jago : Best Buddies Review
Troy Roberts is back and causing a ruckus with his buddies from Australia. The album is titled Best Buddies and is a co-project with guitarist Tim Jago. Both are a part of Roberts’ Nu-Jive Five ensemble that has earned a reputation for their hard-hitting live shows and messing of styles that has bucked jazz trends to push their music to new territory beyond mainstream jazz. With Best Buddies, the two are releasing a series of biting, creative, and celebratory songs based on well-known jazz harmonic progressions and forms with new original melodies, otherwise known as a contrafact. Roberts and Jago are joined by Karl Florisson on [...]
Inhaler is a rock band from Dublin releasing their debut album, It Won’t Always Be Like This. Elijah Hewson (vocals, guitar), Josh Jenkinson (guitar), Robert Keating (bass), and Ryan McMahon (drums) reveal an album packed with indie-rock grooves and soaring anthems, including the single “Cheer Up Baby,” an epic singalong alongside newly recorded versions of early fan favorites “My Honest Face” and the title track, “It Won’t Always Be Like This.” “No-one was listening to the music we were listening to,” says singer and guitarist Hewson. “It drew us together even though [...]
Pianist and composer Eric Lilley and his trio have an aptly titled release, Follow Up. The new album offers nine original compositions. Lilley is joined by bassist Mark Diamond and drummer Dru Heller. With a special guest appearance by Jose Espino on two tracks, “Bud Bop” and “Leanin’.”
“The Weston Walk” is a grooving swing that slinks along with a deliciously timbered melody. The trio is tight and snappy with its hits and synchronicity. Lilley has a deep sense of jazz swing in his playing with a mature, laid-back sensibility that oozes maturity and finesse. Heller also has a deep sense of swing as he locks tightly with Heller. A thoroughly [...]
Meghan Patrick is releasing her new album titled Heart on My Glass, which follows up on her Juno Award-winning Wild as Me album. The new album features the previously released singles “Never Giving Up on You” and “My First Car.” In tandem with the album announcement Patrick has also released the new song “Mama Prayed For,” along with ten other pieces to complete the set. “I bet Mitchell’s mom didn’t get down on her knees and pray, ‘Dear Heavenly Father, please send down a 5’6″ blonde, whiskey-drinking, tattoo-lovin’, dip-spittin’, [...]
Matilde G (Girasole) is an Italian singer, songwriter, and performer based in Singapore that is building a reputation for pushing the boundaries of pop with her music and vocals. Matilde has always marched to her own beat and brings that quality to her passionate lyrics and scintillating melodies. She began writing her own songs at the age of 13, all while honing her musical skills of voice, the piano, and guitar, receiving her accreditations from the Trinity College of London. In 2020, Matilde independently released 4 singles, all of which have organically brought 1M streams and more than 90k monthly listeners. Recently she signed with The [...]
Julian Lage is making his debut for Blue Note Records with his latest release titled Squint. The new album has eleven tracks that Lage has honed over the past few years, with his trio featuring bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Dave King. “I felt like this was an opportunity to present new music born out of the Blue Note tradition as I’ve interpreted it,” explains Lage, who previously recorded for the label with The Nels Cline 4’s Currents, Constellations, and Charles Lloyd’s celebratory 8: Kindred Spirits. In the studio, Lage called upon two close musicians, both served as co-producers: guitarist and longtime collaborator [...]
Emily Weisband is back with a new EP called Not Afraid To Say Goodbye (Stripped). The Nashville singer-songwriter continues to affirm her pop prowess with four distinctive and genuine tracks highlighting her sincere lyrics, intimate instrumentation, and nuanced storytelling. Weisband has been writing for other artists like Halsey and Camilla Cabello, but now she is writing for herself and gets to tell her story. Not Afraid To Say Goodbye is the follow up to her debut EP, Identity Crisis and for her second EP, Weisband’s emotional, raw, and authentic songwriting is at its best. Not Afraid To Say Goodbye (Stripped) is [...]
The War And Treaty (Michael & Tanya Trotter) is a critically acclaimed duo with foundations of Southern soul with elements of gospel, country, rock ‘n roll, and blues. The duet is returning with a new album called Hearts Town, built on twelve tracks that reflect this Nashville-based husband/wife team’s most robust material to date. The majority of the material was recorded at Blackbird Studio and featured esteemed musicians Jason Isbell, Jerry Douglas, and Punch Brothers guitarist Chris Eldridge. Hearts Town was produced by Michael and co-produced by Tanya and the duo’s longtime music director Max [...]
Pat Metheny continues to build a catalog that is diverse and focused on making music from a space of creativity and love of sounds that elicit emotions. Metheny’s latest album, From This Place, is no exception and features ten compositions by Metheny that have the Hollywood Studio Symphony supporting a traditional jazz quartet. Metheny is joined by his long-time drummer, Antonio Sanchez, Malaysian / Australian bassist Linda May Han Oh, and British pianist Gwilym Simcock. The Hollywood Studio Symphony is conducted by Joel McNeely. Also, special guest Meshell Ndegeocello (vocals), Gregoire Maret (harmonica), and [...]
Tom Keifer, former front man of the rock band Cinderella, has an instantly recognizable voice. The singer and his #Keiferband are releasing their second album titled, Rise, on Cleopatra Records. The album presents eleven tracks that feature Keifer’s gritty vocals with blues-infused hard rock. The album has a theme of overcoming challenges with the music being written by Tom Keifer, Savannah Keifer and Kendra Chantelle. The band line up is, Keifer vocals, his wife — percussionist, pianist and singer Savannah Keifer — and backing singer/percussionist Kendra Chantelle and the #keiferband, which is lead and rhythm guitarist Tony Higbee, bassist Billy Mercer, [...]
