Retrospectives of the Year (2016)

Something akin to Lifetime Achievement Awards: Paul McCartney's Pure McCartney and Rhonda Vincent & The Rage's All the Rage: Rhonda Vincent & The Rage Live in Concert, Volume One
by David McGee
 

 
 

In The Prime Time Mood

DAVE STRYKER's first studio album with his trio will get you in the mood.
by David McGee
 

 

 

Kicking It Up a Notch (or Two, or…)

KENNY 'BLUES BOSS' WAYNE comes out rockin' and rarely lets up on GO, JUST DO IT! In a tour de force performance, the Piano Hall of Fame inductee offers 10 original songs and terrific covers of two PERCY MAYFIELD tunes and a JJ ...
by David McGee
 

 
 

Sing to Me, Sing to Me…

Having made so many memorable statements in her career, 84-year-old ANNIE ROSS delivers one of her finest on TO LADY WITH LOVE, in memory of her mentor-friend BILLIE HOLIDAY, with Pizzarellis Bucky and John on guitars.
by David McGee
 

 

 

Summit Sessions: B.J. Thomas on Scepter

For those of a certain generation, the radio of their youth never seemed to be long without a new, great B.J. Thomas single. Indeed, between 1966 and 1972 he had 19 charting singles, some way bigger than others, some more regio...
by David McGee
 

 
 

Angels and Demons

Angels and Demons: TOO SLIM AND THE TAILDRAGGERS are back with vengeance on BLUE HEART. Nothing much is at stake her, other than Slim's soul.
by David McGee
 

 

 

Worthy of It All

Twelve Grammy Awards and 23 GMA Awards into her towering career, CECE WINANS returns with her first non-holiday release in four years, and she does so in grand style on BELIEVE IT ALL. Gospel editor BOB MAROVICH calls it the be...
by David McGee
 

 
 

Pushing the Boundaries

South Africa's FRESHLYGROUND enlisted Los Lobos's STEVE BERLIN as its producer and came up with a border crossing Afropop gem in TAKE ME TO THE DANCE
by David McGee
 

 

 

Suave, Like Nobody’s Business

We redress a great wrong in finally reviewing RAUL MALO's 2007 Christmas masterpiece, Marshmallow World + Other Holiday Favorites. This Yuletide essential is so suave it even offers 'Silver Bells' as a tango. Believe it.
by David McGee
 

 
 

Out of Nowhere, Making a Joyful, and Most Memorable, Noise

Out of St. Louis and in the spirit of The Goat Rodeo Sessions, The Punch Brothers and Mark O'Connor, The 442s have made a joyful, and most memorable, noise on their debut album.
by David McGee
 

 

 

The (Eastern) Beat Goes On

Across the Middle East and North Africa, the beat goes on. This scene shines on Putumayo’s Arabic Beat, a collection that chronicles the musical creativity of Arabic musicians today. The album revels in artists rarely heard i...
by David McGee
 

 
 

Dailey & Vincent & The L Word

Bluegrass superstars DAILEY & VINCENT return to the rock-solid traditional bluegrass that brung 'em to the dance, and they've got a concept going too. Read on...
by David McGee