ALBUM REVIEW: ‘The Standard School Broadcast Recordings’ Unearths an Overlooked John Lee Hooker Session from 1973
Mississippi-born bluesman John Lee Hooker, who emerged in the late 1940s, played strikingly-original songs that helped fuel the 1960s’ blues-rock boom in England and the U.S., including “Boom Boom” and “Boogie Chillen’ ”; among the artists who recorded his tunes were Van Morrison, The Doors, and Tom
ALBUM REVIEW: The Devil Makes Three Perseveres Through Hard Times on 'Spirits'
Whether it’s the state of the world or personal travails, a lot of people are going through it right now. Finding your way through these challenges isn’t easy; it takes resilience, clarity and a sense of purpose.
These are the themes at the core of Spirits, the new
FOUNDERS KEEPERS: After the Fire is Gone; The Last Sessions of Bluesman Elmore James
It began here, in the safety of the suburbs, black vinyl spinning in someone's back room, George Harrison bragging on John Lennon during the bridge in the Beatles' “For You Blue,” a minor track from 1970's Let It Be“: “Elmore James got nothin' on
ALBUM REVIEW: On Cornelia Murr 'Run to the Center' Returns with More Tactile Work
There was a wispy, ethereal quality to Cornelia Murr’s 2018 debut LP Lake Tear of the Clouds, and an angelic echo of that on her excellent 2022 EP Corridor. But with time comes growth and change, and her long-anticipated follow-up, Run to the Center shows off a
THROUGH THE LENS: John Hiatt Tribute & The Vero Beach Blues Festival
This week’s column features two events at opposite ends of the country: AMERICANAFEST’s Pre-Grammy Salute to John Hiatt (February 1, 2025) at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, California; and the Vero Beach Blues Festival (February 15 & 16, 2025) in Vero Beach, Florida.
Column regulars were there
FRESH TRACK: TT - "My Confession"
Refuge. Resilience. Redemption. For TT, that's what music has always represented: an opportunity to turn life's challenges into something beautiful and empowering.