Lauren Watkins : If I’m Being Honest Review
Charles Lloyd & The Marvels are back with their third-album, Tone Poem. The quintet is the master saxophonist and flutist Lloyd with Bill Frisell on guitar, Greg Leisz on pedal steel guitar, Reuben Rogers on bass, and Eric Harland on drums. Released as part of Blue Note’s acclaimed Tone Poet Vinyl Series, the album boasts nine vibrant tracks consisting of Lloyd originals along with well-known compositions by Ornette Coleman, Thelonious Monk, Leonard Cohen, Gabor Szabo, and Bola de Nieve.
Ornette Coleman’s “Ramblin'” is a fun selection, with the recording capturing the joy and playfulness the five [...]
London-based composer Mike Lazarev is back with a beautiful mini-album called Out of Time. The ten songs flow and are constructed as a soundtrack to an imaginary film. Out of Time is the debut for his label and a standout work in his own high-ranking projects. “The protagonists of this imaginary film are constantly fighting against the fleeting moments on this plane. But it is less about death than it is about living. And most of all, it is all about time,” Lazarev writes. He is right: Out of Time is melancholic – movingly sad, but behind the sorrowful melodies lies a powerful affirmation of life, warmth, and the human [...]
Texas guitar slinger Ally Venable is back with her fourth album titled Heart Of Fire on Ruf Records. The album contains eleven tracks that feature originals by the singer, songwriter, and guitarist, as well as covers. The album was recorded at Blue Studio in Stantonville, Tennessee, with producer Jim Gaines. Venable speaks about the album, “On this album, I really wanted to create a tone of overcoming your struggles and persevering through them.” She further says, “My vision was to really spread a positive message of love.” She continues, “The world needs that right now.” Special guests include Rick Steff, [...]
Ace session guitarist Lyle Workman is releasing a new project titled Uncommon Measures. Workman’s studio, sideman, and film composing success were augmented by three well-received solo albums in the ’90s and early 2000s. However, with all that success, he had to put his own artistic visions on the backburner. “I absolutely love all the work I get to do with other artists and filmmakers,” he explains, “but sometimes you need to articulate your own thoughts and feelings as a writer, too. There’s a singular satisfaction that comes from creating something that’s a pure expression of yourself.” Workman [...]
Alex Hall is releasing his debut EP titled Six Strings. The Country singer and guitar slinger are joined by featured guitarists and vocalists on each track and include John Osborne, Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, Brad Tursi of Old Dominion, Tenille Townes Kassi Ashton. Co-produced by Alex, Pete Good, and AJ Babcock, the EP presents six tracks. Hall says, “It’s such an honor to play and sing alongside my friends and heroes on the Six Strings EP. I’m so proud of this body of music, and I can’t wait for the world to hear it!”
“Other End of the Phone” has a pop-country feel with a catchy figure in the guitar. [...]
Weezer is now releasing their fourteenth studio album called OK Human. Weezer is known for its big rock with pop-rock elements, Alternative rock, emo, and pop-punk. However, with OK Human, Weezer brings a new sound to the turntable with its inspiration in the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. Weezer’s frontman Rivers Cuomo wrote the music at the piano, and the band spent the summer of Covid-19 in the studio along with a 38-piece orchestra. The masked recording sessions were all done using analog technology until the record was complete. The result is twelve songs packed with some of the best, most personal songs Cuomo has written in the last decade, all of [...]
