Live Review: The Hold Steady 20th Anniversary Show - 1/28/23 Music Hall of Williamsburg

Hey all, got a review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here!

It is of The Hold Steady's 20th Anniversary Show on Saturday night from the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY. 

It was great seeing friends and family at this show and realizing RtBE covered their 10th anniversary show from the exact same vantage point...

Support the band, read the review and peep some video below:

Album Review: Jeong Lim Yang - Zodiac Suite: Reassured

Jeong Lim Yang

Zodiac Suite: Reassured 

*** out of *****

Back in 1942 the musician/composer/arranger/bandleader Mary Lou Williams started recording what would be known as the Zodiac Suite. It would take her over three years to complete the twelve songs and now Jeong Lim Yang has released this re-imaging of those pieces from one session. Recorded in Brooklyn, NY on May 16th, 2021, bassist Yang along with Santiago Leibson (piano) and Gerald Cleaver (drums) expand and stretch Williams original pieces in a more contemporary jazz fashion. 

The group elongates each of the originals (all are at least double in length), while giving their own spin on Williams theme's. An example off the bat is "Aries" whose original is jaunty minute of frolicking, before turning more contemplative and sullen, resulting in a ominous climatic finish. The trio here use that piece as inspiration but their "Aries" starts harsher with bass and drum and wanders without focus. The piano drops in the original lines at times, but the track never gets as deep or dramatic as the original, even with tripling the run time. 

That is not to say the modern trio have nothing to offer, the majority of the tracks are vibrant. Opener "Pieces" as well as the bombastic to weepy "Capricorn" and the expertly chaotic "Sagittarius" all mix straight ahead playing with excellent free form experimentation. The strong drumming of Cleaver stands out on the muscular "Taurus" and rumbling "Leo" while the slow burning "Cancer" is smoldering jazz blues with an avant-garde edge. 

The group gets upbeat and loose with the catchy version of "Gemini" foregoing the duality for a bright passage, while the contemplative "Virgo" sashays along (for the most part) in classic jazz style. "Libra" is a slow ballad, with a focus on the great bass playing of Yang before the dynamic "Aquarius" ends the suite in style with more straight ahead/free form pairing. The trio are not finished though as the Yang's original "Madam, Thank You, Madam" is a more sparse finale than the signs preceding it, but clearly influenced by, and dedicated to Williams.    

The trio have made clear this is no direct tribute but more of an 'inspired by' effort and while unique and expressive, the most fun seems to perk up when the original lines run through the groups more free form playing. Jeong Lim Yang's Zodiac Suite: Reassured brings Williams excellent compositions into the modern age with a unique spin on things, allowing for reinvention and rediscovery of the original. 

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Support the artist, buy the album and peep some video:

And this wraps up RtBE's Jazzy January.  Until next winter....

Dylan Cover #566 Ben Sidran featuring Joe Drexler "Knockin' On Heaven's Door"

 In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a cover by Ben Sidran  playing "Knockin' On Heaven's Door'"

Jazzy January has invade Mondays! All this month we will check out various artists covering Dylan with a jazz vibe.

This month we are also doing another special focus in RtBE's Dylan Covers series. In the past we have highlighted The Byrds, Coulson-Dean-McGuiness-Flint, The Hollies, Joan Osbourne, Mountain, Betty LeVette , Reggae Covers and many more.

This month we highlight Ben Sidran's Dylan Different for a full month of Dylan Covers.

Thoughts on Original:
From the first time we tackled a cover of this tune:
The song that seems to have been covered by every and any one, but when originally recorded it it was featured on one of Dylan's oddest releases yet. A straight ahead mournful number that just seems to work somehow and like a lot of Dylan tunes has grown beyond it's humble beginning. The song is really a testament to his amazing songwriting which can seem simple at times. The tune has invaded culture (possibly because of all the covers) and I would wager it is one of Dylan's most widely known tunes...

Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist:

RtBE had not heard of Ben Sidran before this month. He is a a smooth keyboardist and jazz vocalist from Chicago who started his musical career in the Steve Miller Band. Recording over 40 albums, he is a music lifer. 

Thoughts on Cover:

A slightly sped up version from the original that really hits the peak when the mid song trumpet solo cruises in.  

Full Show Friday: The Bad Plus and Joshua Redman at Detroit Jazz Festival 2015

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...The Bad Plus and Joshua Redman! 

It's Jazzy January again here at RtBE, so get ready to kick off 2023 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.

These two great jazz acts team up in Detroit.

Pro shot, Pro Sound, Full Setlist Below. Enjoy:

SETLIST 02:52 ‘Love Is The Answer’ 16:59 ‘2 P.M.’ 26:43 ‘Thriftstore Jewelry’ 34:53 ‘People Like You’ 45:42 ‘Big Eater’ 56:29 ‘Silence is the Question’

2022 Recap: Favorite Albums, Shows, etc

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 2022 that shouldn't go unnoticed.

What a year! Lots of reviews, promotions and live shows attended as the world tries to spin again, semi-resembling pre-Covid times. Thanks for reading and following along on Twitter and Instagram. 

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 2022 series of posts:

Our picks for favorite album art of 2022, where we check out some creative album art from the last year.

Our picks for our favorite archival releases of 2022. 

Our picks for favorite live show of 2022, it was a mix of live streams and live outings. 

Finally our favorite albums of the year. The honorable mentions and top ten list are all lined up. 

If you are looking for more suggestions, we also have our list of the top fifty albums of the past decade which you can check out and yell at us about. 

Feel free to let us know your choices for all of the above in the comments and thanks as always for reading and exploring...as the patron saint of this site stated:

What are those of the known, but to ascend and enter the Unknown? 

Album Review: Cecile McLorin Salvant - Ghost Song

Cecile McLorin Salvant

Ghost Song

***and1/2 ouf of *****

The dynamic vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant opens her newest album with the fusion of the traditional singing in the Irish unaccompanied vocal style of sean-nós ‘Cúirt Bhaile Nua' that flows midtrack into a take on Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights". While the combo may seem odd, those juxtapositions and the following of muses is central to Salvant's Ghost Song, 

The album shifts, substance and sounds, on the drop of a dime, anchored by Salvant's overarching theme of loss and powerful vocals. While Salvant has been known for her take on jazz standards, her move to more contemporary covers and original offerings here is a shift in dynamic, giving things a more personal feel.  

Who would think to pair the oddly quirky "Optimistic Voices" from The Wizard of Oz with Gregory Porter's soulful r&b of "No Love Dying"? That is exactly what happens on the second track and while the end result is a bit disorientating, that is the point. The world shifts from under us and while we can't always be ready for loss, we need to adapt anyway. 

Her first original is also Salvant's best as the title track uses layers of instrumentation and singing before fading into children's vocals intersecting and repeating the theme, passing it to the next generation. Salvant brings the questions of love/sex/desire into spoken word poetry with some singing on "Obligation" while "I Lost My Mind" is a piano weeper that Salvant wrote during the heart of the pandemic which increases the gothic madness with repetitive pipe organs ala Carnival of Souls which rise as repeated phrases circulate. These originals are effective but can also feel more like artistic sketches rather than songs to return to often. 

"Moon Song" is more standard torch song style as Salvant's vocals soar over piano and soft drums while "Trail Mix" is a solo piano number that acts like an odd place holder. The closing trio of originals are love songs that again experiment with style. "Dead Poplar" uses acoustic guitars and scales of vocals, "Thunderclouds" delivers pretty folk influenced pop and "Unquiet Grave" ties back into the opening isolated vocal style, each track sweet in their sounds.    

While Salvant's originals feel like works in progresses, when she returns to covers she can elevate the originals such as on Sting's "Until" using piano and rising dynamics before funky flute work from Alexa Tarantino leads to a soaring musical journey that morphs into a Latin-inspired shuffle. The standard "The World Is Mean" also gets an airing, with more of Tarantino's dynamic flute work and strong vocals from Salvant.    

A transitional and personal album Ghost Song finds Cecile McLorin Salvant moving above and beyond traditional jazz vocalist pegging. As she says, Salvant is embracing the weird and it will be interesting to see where she continues to travel. 

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Support the artist, buy the album and peeps some video below:

Album Review: Ray Palousek - Feelings EP

Ray Palousek

Feelings EP

**out of *****

The newest brief EP from piano/composer/singer Ray Palousek is titled Feelings and those are front and center lyrically. 

The Texas based piano man has strung together three songs on the EP with some friends helping out musically (Piano, keyboards, vocals: Ray Palousek, Electric Bass, Acoustic Bass: Jonathan Keith, Drums, Electric Drums: Joshua Breedlove, Acoustic Guitar, Steel Guitar: Steve Palousek) to round out the tracks sound. 

The three tunes seem to run the relationship gamut with Palousek finding and reveling in love to start, experiencing betrayal and deceit, then pledging reconciliation to close. The singer finds sex and love in opener "Kiss Me Again" which is the best of the bunch using a solo piano intro before kicking up with drums, bass and keys in jazzy fashion to finish. 

Skittering beats, weepy steel and acoustic guitars color "Not Your Baby" which finds a heartbroken Palousek singing raw lyrics about lost love that are just on the edge of his vocal range. The brief EP closes with "Embers In The Breeze" which has a churchy folk mass feel, directly using piano, marching drums and steel guitars in worshiping fashion. 

Ray Palousek's blunt, direct lyricism can be a bit blush inducing, but that is Feelings intention, to conjure up all that comes with love, loss and and the constant search for happiness.        

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Support the artist, buy the album, peep some video below:

Album Review: Ezra Furman - All Of Us Flames

Ezra Furman

All Of Us Flames

*** out of *****

On the slowly building opening track "Train Comes Through" Ezra Furman details/compares/contrasts her Judaism and her journey as a Trans woman in historic and dramatic fashion. This may seem like overwhelming lyrical topics to some, but for Furman who is in training to become a rabbi it all second nature resulting in a fantastic ride. All Of Us Flames is filled with lots of these big lyrics, big music and big ideas and a sense of rock and roll passion. 

 

Working with producer John Congleton, Furman pushes and pull in various directions expanding her rock and roll/folk punk sound in multiple ways. The marching "Throne" pulls from Bob Dylan's mid-sixties, thin wild mercury sound, while tense dramatic pulsing of "Forever In Sunset" has a Bruce Springsteen feel to the proceedings.  

The organ propelled and overly dramatic "Dressed In Black" recalls Furman's love of Doo-wop which she has explored in the past while the piano and pulsing return for "Book Of Our Names" which yearns for remembrance around rising exultation. Less successfully yearning is the pulsing combo of "Point Me Toward The Real" and "Lilac and Black" along with the distorted poetic experiment of "Ally Sheedy In the Breakfast Club" dragging the middle of the album down a bit.

At times Furman sounds like a modern Lou Reed with a conflicted tight poetic vocal such as on the excellent outsider anthem "Temple From Broken Dreams" while "Poor Girl A Long Way From Heaven" brings back some rising positive energy and spiritual awakenings. The dreamy "I Saw The Truth Undressing" floats along supported by layers of sounds, a big beat, and background vocals while album closer "Come Close" recounts anonymous sexual encounters with grace and honesty.  

Ezra Furman's journey through song, spiritualty, sexuality, gender, and life in general continues to evolve on the many layered All Of Us Flames.  

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Support the artist, buy the album and peep some video below:

Album Review: Orchestra Gold - Medicine

Hey all, got a review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here!

It is of Orchestra Gold's third album titled Medicine. 

It is a unique mix of psych-rock and afrobeat. 

Support the artists, buy the album, read the review and peep some video below:

Album Review: Sun Ra - Prophet

Sun Ra

Prophet

*1/2 out of *****

The newest release from Sun Ra and his Arkestra is titled Prophet and captures the first time that the legendary artist and band leader encountered a Prophet VS back in August 1986 in a Boston studio. That VS stands for Vector Synthesizer, and in 1986 was brand new, giving Sun Ra a world of sounds at his fingertips as he experienced the synth for the first (and perhaps only) time. Unfortunately, this release sounds like a practice session rather than an artist quickly adapting to new gear. 

Quentin Sauvé Releases New Single "Tunnel"

French artist Quentin Sauvé has released a new single titled"Tunnel" off of his upcoming solo release Enjoy The View.

Check out the track below:

Dylan Cover #565 Ben Sidran "Gotta Serve Somebody"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a cover by Ben Sidran  playing "Gotta Serve Somebody'"

Jazzy January has invade Mondays! All this month we will check out various artists covering Dylan with a jazz vibe.

This month we are also doing another special focus in RtBE's Dylan Covers series. In the past we have highlighted The Byrds, Coulson-Dean-McGuiness-Flint, The Hollies, Joan Osbourne, Mountain, Betty LeVette , Reggae Covers and many more.

This month we highlight Ben Sidran's Dylan Different for a full month of Dylan Covers.

Thoughts on Original:
From the first time we tackled a cover of this tune:
This powerful call of hell-fire and brimstone rained down from the mountaintop as Dylan proclaimed his faith proudly, and this was the first song that most of the public heard confirming the fact that Bob did indeed "Go Jesus". It is point and fact with its belief and message. You gotta serve somebody... can't be simpler then that when it comes to faith can it? The original has a driving beat and a propulsion to it that sounds urgent, but not as urgent as Bob sings, reinforcing the proclamation through his powerful lyrics and leaving no man or woman on the sidelines...he brings everyone into this spiritual battle, and whatever your beliefs it is impossible not to feel Bob is committed as he runs through the verses and chorus.

Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist:

RtBE had not heard of Ben Sidran before this month. He is a a smooth keyboardist and jazz vocalist from Chicago who started his musical career in the Steve Miller Band. Recording over 40 albums, he is a music lifer. 

Thoughts on Cover:

A grooving smooth cover with slow burning sax and upfront vocals from Sidran.  One of the better ones this month. 

Mighty Brother Release New Video for Single "Weighed Down"

The New Orleans based indie rock outfit Mighty Brother have released a AI-generated video for their new single "Weighed Down". The track is off of their recently released album, Azimuth.

"Weighed Down" has a lot of parts for the short run time. The tune moves from prog-rock to smooth jazz and beyond. 

Check out the video below:

Full Show Friday: Jasmine Myra - Art School Live Festival 2022

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...Jasmine Myra!

It's Jazzy January again here at RtBE, so get ready to kick off 2023 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.

Here is a shorter, yet still full set from Jasmine Myra for this Friday. 

Pro shot, Pro Sound, Set List below. Enjoy:

Information from Youtube:

Jasmine Myra's full set from Art School Live Festival 2022. SETLIST 00:00 - Awakening 06:14 - Prologue 10:10 - Horizons 16:43 - Morningtide ART SCHOOL LIVE - https://www.artschoollive.co.uk https://www.instagram.com/artschoollive JASMINE MYRA - Jasmine Myra is a saxophonist, composer and band leader, based in Leeds. Part of the bustling, creative, cross-genre music scene in the city she has surrounded herself with some of the best young talent in the north of England. Her original instrumental music has a euphoric and uplifting sound, influenced by artists as diverse as Bonobo, Olafur Arnalds and Kenny Wheeler, artists whose music shares an emotive quality that you can also hear in Myra’s own compositions. She has been working with Gondwana Records A&R and producer Matthew Halsall, whose keen ear for talent helped bring the music of GoGo Penguin, Mammal Hands and Hania Rani to the wider world. “I was immediately drawn to Jasmine’s music. I could hear jazz, electronica in her music but with a deep, honest, emotional quality. I was really impressed with her skills as a composer and bandleader, that she is open and intelligent enough to bring all those influences together, to make something fresh and original.” — Matthew Halsall Jasmine Myra’s debut album ‘Horizons’ is out now. https://www.jasminemyra.com

New Single from Screaming Females "Brass Bell" Full Album Out 2/17

One of RtBE all-time favorites Screaming Females are back!  The band's newest full length is due out on February 17th and is titled Desired Pathway.

The first single "Brass Bell" is out now and you can listen to it below.

RtBE loves the New Brunswick, NJ based trio and included them multiple times in our top 50 albums of the past decade; for our money they are one of the best bands going today. 

Very excited to check out the new record in February, pre order it here on Don Giovanni Records. 

Album Review: Heart of Ghost - Summons

Heart of Ghost 

Summons

*** out of *****

The improvisational Heart of Ghost's newest effort Summons is a kick in the teeth as the outfit rev up adventurous sounds and play them with passion and energy that at times borders on fury. 

Hailing from the Baltimore/D.C. area, the trio of Jarrett Gilgore - Alto/Soprano Saxophone, Ian McColm - Drums/Percussion, Luke Stewart - Bass, have all contributed to other projects, but synch up as Heart of Ghost to manically fuse sounds in what feels like chaotic bop on speed.  

The opening title track blows out of the gates chaotically with skronking horns while the bass and drum drive things propulsively forward. Midway through the horn drops out giving just bass and drums a spotlight so when the horn returns there is slightly more relaxed tooting building up the energy once again only to end on a cool vibe. 

"Aaron's Ride" is dedicated to Aaron Martin Jr., is the highlight of the album. The whole tune is more melodic than the frantic opener and first section is a complete master class from McColm on drums. Five minutes in the band settles into a smooth groove that could be a completely different track as the cool drips in each direction smoothly rolling for the final six minutes with effortless ease. 

The calamitous crashing resumes for "Specters" as the flurry of notes, cymbal crashes and bass bombs explode in overwhelming fashion before the album wraps up with the elongated "Communion". A Latin-Caribbean rhythm starts the twenty two minute offering as McColm and Stewart set the tone before Gilgore eases in, unlike the other three songs aggressive starts. Perhaps it is just comparison to the other tracks, but "Communion" takes a while to get really going. 

Things get freaky around nine minutes in as the off-kilter sounds percolate and slap about before a spatial emptiness resides around the fifteen minute mark. The cymbals and chimes wander and vibrate before kicking up and Gilgore's horn plays more sustained notes to close. While the weakest effort here, the full offering delivers some rich passages.    

The free jazz collective Heart of Ghost certainly let it all hang out on Summons, an exciting musical journey for adventure seekers in the sonic universe. 

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Support the artists, buy the album and peep some video below:

 

New Single from Galactic, "Ready For Me" Feat. Cimafunk and Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph

Galactic has released a new single from their upcoming EP titled TCHOMPITOULAS. 

The song "Ready For Me" features Cimafunk and Anjelika "Jelly" Joseph and you can check it out below.

 

The band plays NYC's Blue Note for 10 shows starting next week. Grab tickets if you can and check out the newest EP when it is released on Friday.  

Album Review: Ernie Vincent - Original Dap King

Hey all, got a review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here!

It is of Ernie Vincent's new solo record Original Dap King. 

Funky blues and soul straight from New Orleans. Check it out.

Support the artist, buy the album, read the review and peep some video below:

Album Review: Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Toast

Neil Young and Crazy Horse 

Toast

** out of *****

Back in 2000-2001, Neil Young and Crazy Horse were searching for a sound and tried out some different offerings after Young had spent some time in Argentina. One effort evolved into the album Toast which was ready to go and then shelved by Young. Now it receives its official release as Volume 09 of Neil Young Archives' Special Release Series.

Notoriously following his own muses to an almost insane degree, Young moved on from the album to release Are You Passionate?  instead, which contained some songs from Toast, but overall went a new way with Booker T & The MG's replacing Crazy Horse mixed results. Now Toast has been released as a 'lost album' and while it is interesting, it is far from a must hear as Young and the Horse wander about a bit aimlessly 

Album Review: Margo Price - Strays

Hey all, got a review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here!

It is of Margo Price's newest album, Strays. 

A clear transitional album from Price with hits and misses. Great album cover though. 

Support the artist, buy the album, read the review and peep some video:

Happy MLK Day: March on Washington 1963

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 as well:

2023 New Orleans Jazzfest Lineup Announced!

Today the 2023 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival announced their lineup.

The lineup is solid if not spectacular and a few of our guesses yesterday were spot on.  A lot of RtBE Favorites made the cut which doesn't even include the hundreds of local acts who are the foundation of the fest and the main reason we go back every year.

Acts we are most looking forward to seeing, Wu Tang Clan & The Soul Rebels, Buddy Guy, Los Lobos, 79er's Gang and the Tribute to Sidney Bechet.   

We will write a ton more about the fest closer to but for now, to get pumped, here is some video of acts that are playing:

Full Show Friday: Madeleine Peyroux Live in Switzerland 2012

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...Madeleine Peyroux! 

It's Jazzy January again here at RtBE, so get ready to kick off 2023 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.

Back to 2012 for this Madeleine Peyroux set in Switzerland. 

Pro shot, Pro sound, full set list below. Enjoy:

NOLA 2023 Jazzfest Artist Predictions

The lineup for the 2023 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival will be announced tomorrow but RtBE got the early scoop...

Album Review: Basher - Doubles

Basher

Doubles 

***and1/2 out of *****

The second album form the New Orleans jazz outfit Basher raises the stakes as the "free jazz party band" live up to that moniker, while increasing the instrumentation on Doubles, a solid slice of sound. 

Album Review: Mindforce - New Lords

Mindforce

New Lords

***and1/2 out of *****

The Poughkeepsie, NY based Mindforce's most recent album is a throwback, a straight ahead hardcore record in the best way possible, as New Lords slams and bangs with that head cranking, spin kicking, mosh pit fury. 

Album Review: Joshua Redman Brad Mehldau Christian McBride Brian Blade - LongGone

Joshua Redman Brad Mehldau Christian McBride Brian Blade

LongGone

***and1/2 out of *****

Back in 2020 the original members of the Joshua Redman Quartet surprisingly reunited for the strong RoundAgain. Now the quartet follows up that reunion album with LongGone, featuring more of the same high level jazz interplay from the esteemed collective. 

Great Read: Nate Rogers "Is Live Music Broken?"

Back on 12/21/2022 The Ringer published an article from Nate Rogers titled "Is Live Music Broken? It's Not Just Ticketmaster, It's Everything".

The longform article was inspired by the Taylor Swift Ticketmaster debacle but it goes deeper than just that, discussing some ills within the industry and beyond. Check it out. 

It is well worth your time and for music junkies like RtBE there are a lot of talking points to digest. The concept of 'poptimism' has come up a few times recently ion discussion with friends and the whole current musical landscape is something we constantly grapple with. 

RtBE are happy that Rogers ended up catching Weyes Blood, who was high up on our Favorite Albums of 2022 list, as live music is always worth it. 

Here is the tune he ends the article with:

Album Review: Iggy Pop - Every Loser

Hey all, got a review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here!

It is a review of Iggy Pop's new album Every Loser. Truth be told RtBE went in with low expectations for this album and were pleasantly surprised. When the all-star band backing him goes into overdrive Pop can still bring it in his Stooges style. The softer slower songs aren't nearly as good, but that has always been the case with Iggy.  

Support the artist, buy the album, read the review and peep some video below:

Dylan Cover #564 Ben Sidran "Subterranean Homesick Blues"

 In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a cover by Ben Sidran  playing "Subterranean Homesick Blues'"

Jazzy January has invade Mondays! All this month we will check out various artists covering Dylan with a jazz vibe.

This month we are also doing another special focus in RtBE's Dylan Covers series. In the past we have highlighted The Byrds, Coulson-Dean-McGuiness-Flint, The Hollies, Joan Osbourne, Mountain, Betty LeVette , Reggae Covers and many more.

This month we highlight Ben Sidran's Dylan Different for a full month of Dylan Covers.

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:

RtBE had not heard of Ben Sidran before this month. He is a a smooth keyboardist and jazz vocalist from Chicago who started his musical career in the Steve Miller Band. Recording over 40 albums, he is a music lifer. 

Thoughts on Cover:

A funky drum beat, B3 and guitar add a totally new dynamic to this tune. Tossing in a "Eleanor Rigby" piano line is also an interesting twist.  RtBE always like when artists try to make Dylan songs their own, not sure Sidran pulls it off on this one, but it is a valiant effort. 

Happy 9th Anniversary to Angels & Vagabonds Debut, The A&V EP

Hard to believe @angelsvagabonds released our debut effort, The A&V EP nine years ago today.

It has been fun writing about music on various websites and publications over the last fifteen plus years, but nothing beats the act of creating music, playing it live and recording it. Our first EP was an excellent experience, a huge learning process for me personally, and the whole band are still very proud of the final result.

From the serendipitous cover photo that stayed exactly as Bruno_Pek_ shot it, to the great production from our good friend Glen, to the contributions of everyone involved, The A&V EP is a joy to remember. More importantly, we still like listening to it and you can do that now.

You can download from our bandcamp site, you can buy it from iTunes, stream it on Spotify or below. As always, thanks for reading, and on this day I can say thanks for listening to my music.

 

Full Show Friday: Dirty Dozen Brass Band - Live 4/23/21

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...Dirty Dozen Brass Band! 

It's Jazzy January again here at RtBE, so get ready to kick off 2023 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.

Down to the birth place of the genre as The Dirty Dozen Brass Band put their funky spin on the jazzy sounds.  Recorded live at Galatoires and presented by the Funky Uncle back in during the height of the pandemic, this April 23rd show is a lot of fun. 

Pro shot, pro sound, setlist below. Enjoy:

New Album and Twentieth Anniversary Shows from The Hold Steady

One of RtBE's personal favorites The Hold Steady turn twenty this year and to celebrate they announced a host of shows today and a new album. 

While RtBE weren't huge fans of their last release, we are always down to check out what they are doing and will certainly catch them live a few times next year after seeing them play last month at Massive Nights. 

Go to their site for more info/tour dates and peep a new song "Sideways Skull" below:

Album Review: Takuya Kuroda - Midnight Crisp

Takuya Kuroda

Midnight Crisp

***and1/2 out of *****

The opening title track of Takuya Kuorda's newest release, Midnight Crisp, is a exhilarating splash of funky jazz as the dynamic multi-instrumentalist flashes grooving beats, huge horn breaks, cyclical repetition, unique breakdowns, solos, synchronicity and that special something; it is an emphatic way to kick off the artists seventh studio album. 

Live Stream: A Celebration of Justin Townes Earle

We are now heading into the new normal with live music during the Covid-19 era. Live shows will need to be flexible and live streaming is a great way to keep music going. Streams have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. Things are (hopefully) improving on the pandemic front but live streams will be an option for artists during the foreseeable future. We will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and as a way to help out the artists. You can check out our weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past and as always, please support the artists any which way you can.

Today we highlight: A Celebration of Justin Townes Earle

Live from the Ryman tonight Steve Earle and The Dukes headline a celebration to his son Justin Townes Earle who died in the summer of 2020. There is an all-star Americana lineup support Steve and the Dukes including Amanda Shire, Lily Hiatt, Shooter Jennings and more.

Watch it on Mandolin, and peep a song from the late Justin Townes Earle below:

Album Review: Makaya McCraven - In These Times

Makaya McCraven

In These Times

**** out of *****

Makaya McCraven has already established a strong foothold in the modern jazz scene and In These Times continues his ascent with a kaleidoscope of sounds around a thematic core.

The album was recorded back over seven years in 5 different studios and 4 live performance spaces, but that was not the finished product. McCraven then engaged in extensive post-production work from home to sonically weave the tapestries together. The end result is a strong collection of what McCraven calls his edit-heavy “organic beat music”, there are stops and starts, tons of sounds yet the project plays like a cohesive whole. 

Live Review: Top Ten Moments of Phish's 2022 New Years Run

For the first time RtBE decided to join the Vermont foursome for all four shows on their annual NYE run at Madison Square Garden.

Dating back to 1997 RtBE has been to at least one show of the NYE run at MSG each time Phish has played the venue, but have never done the full four shows. So 2022 was the year all were witnessed in person from Section 224, Row 4, Seats 7 and 8. 

Beautiful views from the middle of Madison Square Garden for four nights of adventurous rock and roll from Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, Page McConnell and Jon Fishman. The band was in much better form from the last time we caught them, 4/20/22 and below are the Top Ten moments of the run to these eyes and ears.