mccutcheon ghost light 1

The Inner Light

The thirty-ninth album of his career may be JOHN MCCUTCHEON's finest yet. The storytelling is vivid and moving, the music is appropriately nuanced, the singing heartfelt and engaging. Let GHOST LIGHT take hold.
by David McGee
 

 
 
in chains of gold 1

Intimate and Finely Judged

The mystery of ORLANDO BLOOM's 17th Century consort anthems persists, but his work lives anew and in beauty in CHAINS OF GOLD by the MAGDALENA CONSORT, FRETWORK and HIS MAJESTYS SAGBUTTS and CORNETTS
by David McGee
 

 

 
isambardjones spotlight

Let Us Now Praise Infamous Men

The pen and musicianship of the legendary JOHN MENDLESSOHN have brought us ISAMBARD JONES & HIS ORCHESTRA, wherein the absurdist meets the British Music Hall.
by David McGee
 

 
 
scarlettroses graysoncarter spotlight 1

Orpheus, Don’t Look Back

GRAYSON CAPPS's Scarlett Roses is an epic vision of life, love and struggle in the here and now. It is some kind of masterpiece.
by David McGee
 

 

 
michelle david gospel sessions2

Timeless Gospel Messages Delivered in New Ways

MICHELLE DAVID is a gospel dynamo, and she's outdone herself, again, with THE GOSPEL SESSIONS VOL. 2. Bob Marovich weighs in one on of 2017's finest new CD releases.
by David McGee
 

 
 
larry newcomb living

Make That ‘Loving Tribute’

Honoring important people in his life and career, ace jazz guitarist LARRY NEWCOMB adds BUCKY PIZZARELLI to his Quartet and delivers on LIVING TRIBUTE
by David McGee
 

 

 
stravaganza damore

Love in The Medici Court

From fragments of the earliest known operas as performed at the Medici court in Florence, Italy, RAPHAEL PICHON has assembled a fresh, passionate whole--a celebration of love--in the two-CD set, STRAVAGANZA D'AMORE.
by David McGee
 

 
 
little steven soulfire

To Do More, To Be More

After a near-20-year absence, LITTLE STEVEN has returned with a new solo album, SOULFIRE. Rock 'n' soul don't get any better than this. All others are pretenders to the throne.
by David McGee
 

 

 
bianca rossini vento

Fique Quieto Meu Coração (or, Be Still My Heart)

On her second full album, VENTO DO NORTE, Rio native (now L.A. resident) BIANCA ROSSINI offers Bossa Nova and fresh takes on the mystery and glory of love.
by David McGee
 

 
 
junior mountains

We Need to Talk

A fine new long player by one of the best bluegrass bands extant, THE MOUNTAINS ARE CALLING ME HOME finds JUNIOR SISK & RAMBLERS CHOICE chronicling betrayals, regrets and loss. We need to talk.
by David McGee
 

 

 
bobby osborne original

Bobby Osborne: Sui Generis

Now 85, bluegrass legend BOBBY OSBORNE, with ALISON BROWN producing and superb backing musicians, has a solo triumph in the accurately titled ORIGINAL.
by David McGee
 

 
 
dick dale featured

Swingin’ and A-Surfin’, All Summer Long: Revisited

A fresh look at one of our 2014 summer picks, SUMMER BEACH PARTY, a collection of tunes from the beach movies of the '60s, with some curious omissions to account for.
by David McGee