Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
New releases from producer/keyboardist Israel Tanenbaum and guitarist Ben Sher show different perspectives on Latin jazz.
Read More »Music Reviews: Two Facets of Latin Jazz – Israel Tanenbaum, ‘Impressions’ and Ben Sher, ‘Samba for Tarsila’
Latin
Music Reviews: Duduka Da Fonseca & Quarteto Universal – ‘Yes!!!’ and Russ Hewitt – ‘Chasing Horizons’
Excellent new albums from veteran jazz drummer Duduka Da Fonseca and guitar wizard Russ Hewitt take radically divergent approaches to Latin music traditions.
Read More »Music Reviews: ABBA’s ‘CD Album Box Set,’ plus Brad Absher, David Newbould, Michael Martin Murphey, and Rod Picott
A 10-CD box delivers all the Swedish pop group's hit-packed albums, including 2021's 'Voyage,' plus a disc of non-LP tracks.
Read More »Music Reviews: Willy DeVille’s ‘Venus of the Docks: Live in Bremen 2008,’ plus Erika Lewis, Michelle Malone, and Stew Cutler
A live set from Willy DeVille embraces punk, doo-wop, Cajun, and Latin music.
Read More »Concert Review (NYC): Philippe Quint and His Tango Band – ‘Astor Piazzolla: Between Angels & Demons’
The violinist and the Aspect Chamber Series celebrated Astor Piazzolla's centenary with tango nuevo, poetry and dance.
Read More »Music Reviews: A Must-see Concert Blu-ray from Little Steven, Plus Joan Armatrading
Stevie Van Zandt and his Disciples of Soul shine in a new video release, plus a new release from Joan Armatrading.
Read More »Jazz Reviews: Albare, ‘Albare Plays Jobim’ and John Di Martino, ‘Passion Flower: The Music of Billy Strayhorn’
Jazz guitarist Albare's tribute to Jobim and pianist John Di Martino's to Strayhorn show how homages to classic composers can bring out today's artists' creative best.
Read More »Music Reviews: Marty Stuart – ‘The Pilgrim,’ Plus Sweet Lizzy Project, Phast Phreddie, Grant Peeples
Marty Stuart’s ‘The Pilgrim,’ a turning point in his career, reappears with bonus tracks and a book. Plus, Sweet Lizzy Project, Phast Phreddie, and Grant Peeples.
Read More »Music Review: Dave Soldier – ‘Zajal’
On his brilliant new album the keyboardist and guitarist has set thousand-year-old poems in Hebrew, Arabic and the other languages of Andalusia to bubbling stews of traditional instrumentation with strains of jazz and swatches of the Western avant-garde.
Read More »Music Review: Rozina Pátkai – ‘Taladim’
The Hungarian bossa nova specialist's new album includes jazz, electronic, folk, and world music settings of poems by Verlaine, Garcia Lorca, T.S. Eliot and more.
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