Sydney Irving : Unfashioned Creatures Review
Maya Beiser is a cellist, arranger, and producer who is bringing together a group of avant-garde cellists to create a multi-layered sound sculpture to discover innovative dimensions in some of Philip Glass’s most potent and achingly beautiful works. Her new album is Maya Beiser x Philip Glass, which was recorded at Hudson Hall in 2021. The album has multi-cello arrangements of Glass’ piano Etudes Nos. 2 and 5, Mad Rush, Music in Similar Motion, and selections from Naqoyqatsi, part of Glass’s Qatsi Trilogy with filmmaker Godfrey Reggio.
Beiser explains the album, “In making this album, I searched for layers [...]
Clint Morgan is an Olympia, Washington-based singer-pianist who delivers a blues sound with shades of country, gospel, R&B, and rock and roll. Morgan is now bringing that mixture to his third album called Troublemaker. Morgan brings in multiple special guests to round out the album—Kinky Friedman, the McCrary Sisters, Bob Margolin, Bob Corritore, Watermelon Slim, and Jonn Del Toro Richardson. Also, Morgan and co-producer and keyboardist Kevin McKendree built the core band out of Nashville’s finest, including guitarist Doug Lancio, bassist David Santos, drummer Kenneth Blevins, violinist Jimmy Stewart, multi-instrumentalist Jim Hoke, and [...]
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’, [...]
