Album Review: Nicholas Payton - TRIUNE

Nicholas Payton

TRIUNE

*** out of *****

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. 

New Single/Video from Fantastic Cat "Donnie Takes The Bus"

The excellent Fantastic Cat have released their newest video/single, "Donnie Takes The Bus". 

It is from their upcoming album, Cat Out of Hell, which is due out April 10th.

Album Review: DTF - Another Side of the Sound

DTF

Another Side of Sound

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

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. 

Album Review: Corey Ledet Zydeco and Black Magic - Live in Alaska

Corey Ledet Zydeco and Black Magic

Live in Alaska

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

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.

Album Review: Sleaford Mods -The Demise of Planet X

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

It is of the Sleaford Mods newest album The Demise of Planet X. 

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

New Single from Lawson Rollins "High Line Passage"

The San Francisco, CA based jazz guitarist Lawson Rollins has a new single out "High Line Passage"

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:

Happy 60th Anniversary to Simon and Garfunkel's Sounds of Silence

Today marks the 60th Anniversary of Simon and Garfunkel's album Sounds of Silence. 

The folk rock classic still sounds great today. 

Full Show Friday: James Brandon Lewis Quartet - 10/26/25 Amsterdam, Netherlands

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...James Brandon Lewis Quartet! 

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 we travel just back to October and over to Amsterdam for the James Brandon Lewis Quartet. The band are: James Brandon Lewis tenor saxophone, Aruán Ortiz piano, Brad Jones double bass, Chad Taylor drums. 

Pro shot, pro sound. Enjoy:

Album Review: John Zorn - Prolegomena

John Zorn 

Prolegomena

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

NYC based avant-garde jazz artist/composer John Zorn's Prolegomena was written at the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown but recorded and released in 2025. The two tracks, under a half hour of music, deliver sonic madness, contemplative passages and a sense of wonderous unknown with layers of string work.

New Single from Suplecs "I See You"

The New Orleans based Suplecs are releasing their first album in 15 years next month, Hymns Under A Blood Moon Sky. Now they released their newest single, "I See You". 

The metal/rock outfit are back raring to go, with the fuzzed up screeching stoner rock sounding "I See You"

Album Review: Dry Cleaning - Secret Love

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

It is of Dry Cleaning's newest offering, Secret Love. A nice post-punk offering that is produced by Cate Le Bon, who is simply one of the best in the business right now. 

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

Album Review: Theon Cross - Affirmations (Live At Blue Note New York)

Theon Cross

Affirmations (Live At Blue Note New York)

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

For his NYC debut, London based tuba player Theon Cross recorded this live album, Affirmations (Live At Blue Note New York). The collection of tunes from this night show an exciting musician leading a band who mixes and matches genres and flavors. 

Album Review: Širom - In the Wind of Night, Hard-Fallen Incantations Whisper

Širom

In the Wind of Night, Hard-Fallen Incantations Whisper

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

The fifth album from the Slovenian avant-folk outfit Širom is an engaging mix of jazzy space, rustic interludes and expansive outings. In the Wind of Night, Hard-Fallen Incantations Whisper breathes with a sense of nature as the unique sounds and flowing passages ease out. 

Live Review: Take Me To The River All-Stars - 1/8/25 at City Winery, NYC

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

It is of Take Me To The River All-Stars live show at City Winery NYC on Thursday January 8th.  

Read the review, support the foundation and peep some video below:

New Single/Video from MEMORIALS "Cut Glass Hammer"

The Brighton, UK based experimental pop duo MEMORIALS, consists of Verity Susman (Electrelane) and Matthew Simms (Wire / It Hugs Back) and they have a new single/video out, "Cut Glass Hammer".

The pulsing, electro track has dream like qualities coursing through the crackling sound. Check it out below:

 

RIP Bob Weir

The legendary Grateful Dead member Bob Weir passed away over the weekend, he was 78. 

Dylan Cover #715 Eric Bibb "Masters of War"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a cover by Eric Bibb playing "Masters of War"

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 tackled a cover of this tune:
Ranking as one of his most accusatory and cutting tracks Dylan condemns the whole "war machine" on this classic and vital song (the "hope that you die" line is so facking cold, it is brutal). Often misrepresented as an attack on war itself (Dylan always said he wasn't a pacifist) this track calls out the government for using war-as-business (the Cold War in particular) and business-as-war models when lives are put on the line for meaningless reasons. As alive and burning now as it was in 1962 when he wrote it.
Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist:

This is RtBE's first time hearing Eric Bibb who is an NYC based singer.

Thoughts on Cover:

A stripped down dramatic cover that uses stark guitar, light bass and a harmonica that is distorted to sound like a trumpet and more. A cool, eerie cover that unfortunately is just as relevant today with regime change and worldwide tensions in the headlines.

Happy 55th Anniversary to Janis Joplin's Pearl

Happy 55th Anniversary to Janis Joplin's crowning musical achievement, Pearl. 

A great record from an artist who left the world much too soon. 

New Single from Linx Linch "Love Bombing"

Milan based artist Linx Linch has a new single out, "Love Bombing" 

Check out the twitchy dance track below:

Full Show Friday: Terri Lyne Carrington - 8/29/22 Live at Paste Studio on the Road: Boston

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...Terri Lyne Carrington! 

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 we head up to Boston, back in 2022 for Terri Lyne Carrington. Full band is: Kris Davis - keys, Linda May Han Oh - bass, Milena Casado - flugelhorn, Veronica Leahy - alto, flute, Devon Gates - voice Terri Lyne Carrington - drums, voice.

Pro shot, pro sound. Enjoy!

Album Review: Ches Smith - Clone Row

Ches Smith

Clone Row

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

The newest offering from Brooklyn based percussionist Ches Smith, is the dynamic Clone Row. The album is vibrantly alive with avant-garde jazz phrasing, club ready beats and dynamics that can be mind altering; do not operate heavy machinery while listening. 

Live Review: Malevitus - 1/2/26 @ BJ's in the Bywater New Orleans, LA

Malevitus

1/2/26 @ BJ's in the Bywater 

New Orleans, LA

With the New Year comes renewal and for the post-punk outfit Malevitus that meant a return to performing. They took to the stage at BJ’s in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans for the first time in nine months, Friday night January 2nd.

Album Review: Hal-Mel - Alone Together

Hal-Mel

Alone Together

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

One of 2025's releases from Tipitina's Record Club was the reissue of Hal-Mel's Alone Together, a partnership between Harold Battiste and Melvin Lastie. The luxurious smokey gray vinyl contains jazzy/funky instrumental outings, finding the two men playing all the parts themselves. 

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

Hard to believe Angels & Vagabonds released our debut effort, The A&V EP twelve 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.

Album Review: Harold López-Nussa - Nueva Timba

Harold López-Nussa

Nueva Timba

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

The Cuban born and based jazz pianist Harold López-Nussa's newest full length offering from Blue Note Records, Nueva Timba continues his families musical tradition of keeping the Cuban sound alive while also exploring it's future.  

Live Review: Phish 12/28,29,30,31/25 MSG, NYC

Phish 

12/28,29,30,31/25 

MSG, NYC

For their annual four night NYE run at Madison Square Garden in NYC, Phish ended a sonically strong year with some solid playing. Each of the nights contained excellent jams and song selection, wrapping up with a blazing start to 2026.

New Single/Video from Malick Koly "HiM8"

The NYC based jazz drummer Malick Koly is moving in a new direction with his newest single/video "HiM8" from his upcoming EP Toxic Nothing. 

Koly is going with a more bedroom-pop type approach to his music, check out the video below:

Dylan Cover #714 Liz Kennedy "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a live cover by Liz Kennedy playing "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" 

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

Thought's on Original:

From the first time we reviewed a cover of this tune:

This song is so iconic and flat out awesome, even people who dislike Dylan have to enjoy this tune right? Biting and yet not bitter, a toss off of the grandest proportions, "Don' Think Twice, It's All Right" is epic and yet so straight forwardly simple. It easily ranks as one of the bard's best works, truly a classic and has been covered by so many people in so many ways.

Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist

This is the first time RtBE has heard Liz Kennedy who is a San Francisco, CA based singer/songwriter. 

Thoughts on Cover

A jazzy spin, with gospel feeling as well, as Kennedy and company work their way elegantly throughout the song. Kennedy's strong vocals lead the charge as piano, backing vocals, harmonica, sax and light drums enter the scene. A strong cover of a popular tune. 

Full Show Friday: Tyreek McDole Quintet - Mexico City, Mexico 5/25/24

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...Tyreek McDole Quintet! 

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.

We kick off this month of Jazz focused Full Show Fridays with the amazing vocalist Tyreek McDole. Tyreek makes his international debut in 2024 with his quintet as part of the NY Jazz All Stars series. A collaboration between De Quinta Producciones and Jazz at Lincoln Center.

The band is: Tyreek McDole - vocals, Dylan Band - Tenor Saxophone, Tyler Bullock II - Piano, Dan Finn - Bass, and Jerome Gillespie II - Drums.

Pro shot, pro sound, Enjoy!

New Single/Video from Jack Flint "Dirty Road"

The Lancashire, UK based artist Jack Flint has a new single/video out "Dirty Road"

About the song, it was

Album Review: Trombone Shorty & New Breed Brass Band - Second Line Sunday

Trombone Shorty & The New Breed Brass Band 

Second Line Sunday

**** out of *****

In 2024, Trombone Shorty joined New Breed Brass Band for their largest show of the year, opening for The Rolling Stones at Jazzfest. That performance was recorded and released, resulting in a dynamite live album. Now they join forces again for their stunning studio offering Second Line Sunday, which was released to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

New Video/Single from The Guilt "Naked on My Own"

The Swedish electro punk duo The Guilt have a new video out for their single "Naked on My Own". 

The group will be releasing their new album Naked Rat Dance on January 15

Check out the blistering single below: