For his newest project Don Was assembled a crack team from Detroit, titling the outfit the Pan-Detroit Ensemble as he states "we are on a mission to promulgate the music of our hometown". Groove In The Face of Adversity allows the laid back musicianship of all involved to shine through.
The debut release, titled Sing On, from the newly formed Colossus Brass Band is a hefty slice of traditional hymns and original music steeped in the vibrant history of New Orleans Brass Band's and the city's unique Second Line culture. The album mixes older classics and new originals that fit right into the brass band tradition. Released on the Old Saw Music label, the album is chockful of musical veterans and is a must own for any fans of New Orleans traditional sound.
With all the hectic happenings at the end of the year, things can be missed. This is a catch-up post to point out a few of our favorite things from 2025 that shouldn't go unnoticed.
What a year! Lots of reviews and live shows attended. Thanks for reading and following along on Instagram and Bluesky or wherever
Also thanks to Shane and the whole Glide team for allowing me to continue to write for them, working on a wide variety of reviews.
Now...in case you missed it here are our Best of 2025 series of posts:
As part of Craft Recordings Original Jazz Classics series, Art Pepper's 1959 album Surf Ride gets a remastered release. These twelve tracks, originally recorded for the Savoy label, display Pepper in some of his earliest sessions as a band leader and the results are electric.
Third Man Records is set to release a very special expanded edition of How Sad, How Lovely, the landmark first compilation of previously lost recordings from groundbreaking cult singer-songwriter Connie Converse.
The unreleased "House" is available to hear today.
In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a cover by The Gene Norman Groupplaying "Subterranean Homesick Blues"
Jazzy January has invade Mondays! All this month we will check out various artists covering Dylan with a jazz vibe.
Thoughts on Original: From the first time we posted a cover version of this tune: One of the most iconic songs from Dylan's most famous period and a very early showing of how powerful a music video could be. Dylan nods to beat poetry, current events, Chuck Berry's "No More Monkey Business", paranoia, and the Vietnam War all in around two minutes of linked lyrics over one of his earliest electric recordings. There is also the sly sense of humor which Dylan never gets enough credit for, while raging against the proverbial machine. A classic '60's tune in all respects and one non-Dylan fans usually love as well.
Cover:
Thoughts on Cover Artist: This is the first time RtBE has come across The Gene Norman Group and honestly there isn't much out there on them. The players on this album were: Jim Horn - saxophone, flute, Glen Campbell - guitar, Al De Lory - piano, Lyle Ritz - bass, Hal Blaine - drums.
Thoughts on Cover:
This is such a strange cover, it has almost zero connection to the original. It isn't bad, but as a huge Dylan fan, I am not sure I would even know what the song was if I heard it blind.
I am kind of fascinated by it and a little upset we found this album so late in the month. Maybe next year we will cover this weird album in full for Jazzy Januarys. Until then, thanks for listening and next month will return to regularly scheduled programming.
We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing). This week...Olivia Trummer Trio!
It's Jazzy January again here at RtBE, so get ready to kick off 2026 with some different styled shows every Friday. For this series we skew into new (or more recent) jazz lands. Keeping it current proves there is amazing live jazz still being performed no matter what Ken Burns says.
Today it is the Olivia Trummer Trio live in CUBO, 20222.
For his most recent album Nicholas Payton recruited a rhythm section he originally worked with back in 2010, delivering a smooth slice of modern jazz on TRIUNE. The cosmopolitan, tranquil outings contained on the record are easy on the ears, as the players deliver refined tunes.
The debut offering from the new organ based trio DTF is a throwback to jazzy/funky instrumental outings from the 60's as Another Side of Sound is retro in all the right ways. Even the album cover screams wood paneling in basements and ashtrays in McDonalds before the tunes kick off.
The state of Alaska may be one of the last in the union that you would equate with zydeco music, but Corey Ledet Zydeco and Black Magic decided to capture their new album, Live in Alaska, during their set at the Anchorage Folk Festival in February 2025. The spritely recording showcases a tight band and energetic crowd, both getting down with joyous freedom.
This is a tradition here at RtBE. While we are including this in our Monday Dylan series, this is a necessary break from the routine.
We here at RtBE have lots of heroes and most stem from America's hard fought bloody and disturbing past. We have talked about the godfather of this site, we will probably touch on Lincoln at some point, but the man who we celebrate today is right up there with both of them. Martin Luther King Jr. is an American who deserves to be honored right alongside the greatest our country has ever produced.
We are happy to dedicate this Monday to him. To help celebrate the day we will post Bob Dylan singing "Only A Pawn In Their Game" from the1963 March on Washington DC.
Have a great day and make sure to watch this, MLK's last prophetic public words:
It is still so incredibly moving.
The full speech is located here and worth listening to as well and you can read this amazing writing which unfortunately is still relevant today from King:
.jpg)
.png)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
