Of Heart, Soul & the Collaborative Dance
The collaborative art of heart and soul via solid new albums by the ERNIE WATTS QUARTET and the combo led by LAFAYETTE HARRIS JR. with guest legend HOUSTON PERSON on tenor sax.
David McGee
ECSTASY (1933)
ECSTASY, the film that made teen Hedy Kiesler notorious before she was HEDY LAMARR and inventing cell phone technology, plus an essential 1933 cartoon, MICKEY'S GALA PREMIER
Shakespeare, In Concept
CLARA SANABRAS has adapted SHAKESPEARE'S 'THE TEMPEST' into an operatic production and, now, a concept album with Britten Sinfonia and others. It's a beauty. ROBERT HUGILL reviews.
Patti Smith’s Lightning Amid New Voices (Newport Sampler, 2016)
PATTI SMITH, an unadvertised KRIS KRISTOFFERSON and JOE ELY were some of the stalwart names at the 2016 Newport Folk Festival, but IRA MAYER found some new voices coming on strong too.
Traveling Upwards to That Glorious Place
DOYLE LAWSON & QUICKSILVER rejoice all the way through BURDEN BEARER, bluegrass gospel delivered with conviction and authority, with and without instruments.
Heart, Homeland, Overtones
'When you talk about the accordion you talk about the identity of Galicia.' So says Galician accordion virtuoso VICTOR PRIETO, who explores unexpected dimensions of tone and texture on his new album, THE THREE VOICES.
‘Where Were You, Lord, When This Was Happening?’
A review of VICTOR LEE AUSTIN's moving 'Losing Susan: Brain Disease, The Priest's Wife and The God Who Gives and Takes Away; and an interview with the author.
Rooting Around In a Wonder-ful Pig’s World
ESTHER THE WONDER PIG is a NY Times best selling author with 770,000 Facebook followers. DUNCAN STRAUSS brings home the bacon in an exclusive interview (not with Esther).
Bringing It All Back Home
One of the best albums of 2016 was recorded in 1978 and is only now seeing the light of day. LIVE AT ROSY'S captures the great SARAH VAUGHAN in a peak moment. She was indeed the Divine One--and Sassy too.
Surf in Verse
Five choice poems by surfers about the spiritual experience of riding the waves, being at one with nature. Surf music interludes by DICK DALE, JAN AND DEAN, THE FOUR SEASONS, TAKESHI TERAUCHI & THE BUNNYS.