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.