Jonathan WidranJan 94 minNICHOLAS GUNN, Sound ConditionClosing in on three decades as one of contemporary instrumental and world music’s most prolific and stylistically expansive composers and...
Jonathan WidranDec 30, 20204 minGITIT SHOVAL, ConnectedReleased late in a year in which our individual and collective feeling of connection to other people and especially loved ones has been p...
Jonathan WidranDec 30, 20203 minCATHY SEGAL-GARCIA, "Get Together/Can't Find My Way Home"Continuing on her artful, imaginative and uber-adventurous roll of capturing the tightrope of intense anxiety and cautious hope that defi...
Jonathan WidranDec 28, 20206 minSHUNIA, ShuniaIn June 2020, the calming and soul-stirring music of the sonically fascinating vocal duo Shunia entered my consciousness by way of the au...
Jonathan WidranDec 20, 20202 minLARRY NEWCOMB QUARTET, Love, DadThere are two key takeaways from the empowering, hard swinging and deeply bluesy experience of listening to Love, Dad, the third album by...
Jonathan WidranDec 20, 20202 minTHE JUSTIN ROTHBERG GROUP, Hurricane MouseNot sure exactly what a Hurricane Mouse is – except for the kick-ass funk/rock/jazz slam jam opening The Justin Rothberg Group’s third fu...
Jonathan WidranDec 20, 20201 minTHE GRASSO-RAVITA JAZZ ENSEMBLE, Jagged SpacesWho says all the best, boldest and most badass new jazz groups come from NYC? Just when our tired spirits and hopeful ears are in critica...
Jonathan WidranDec 16, 20202 minDEVON, Sitting Up StraightThough her sound and songwriting acumen has evolved since ultra-indie, super hipster singer/songwriter Devon dropped her critically accla...
Jonathan WidranDec 14, 20203 minDAVE KOZ & FRIENDS, The Greatest Hits of Christmas 2020 Not that our sense of what qualifies as “normal” will ever quite be the same after this, but in a normal year, a review of the annual Dav...
Jonathan WidranDec 13, 20202 minROBERT PRESTER & ADRIANA SAMARGIA, First SnowLike the fresh, glistening grace of the long awaited initial flurries of the year, renowned classical and jazz pianist Robert Prester and...
Jonathan WidranDec 13, 20202 minCATHY SEGAL-GARCIA, "Sermonette" Considering how prolific and inventive Cathy Segal-Garcia has been these past few years, there are not a whole lot more superlatives I ca...
Jonathan WidranDec 12, 20202 minEVAN TROOP, The Next ChapterThe promotional materials for Evan Troop’s second EP The Next Chapter inform us of some cool background and character defining tidbits – ...
Jonathan WidranDec 7, 20201 minMARTY ELKINS/MIKE RICHMOND, 'Tis AutumnIn my review of veteran NYC vocalist Marty Elkins splendid collection Fat Daddy, I mentioned that the term “re-imagining” was too limitin...
Jonathan WidranDec 7, 20202 minJEFF ELLWOOD, The Sounds Around the HouseMusicians often wax hyperbolic when it comes to praising their compatriots, Alan Pasqua touts Jeff Ellwood as “one of my favorite tenor s...
Jonathan WidranDec 7, 20202 minNATHANIEL BELLOWS, ThreeAs with any musical project so boldly tackling the slow ebbing of life and the ultimate loss of a loved one, Nathaniel Bellows’ raw, grit...
Jonathan WidranDec 6, 20203 minDANA CUNNINGHAM, What I Hear: A Collection of CarolsIt happens every year when Christmas rolls around. As exquisite as so much holiday music is – especially in the new age solo piano realm ...
Jonathan WidranNov 30, 20201 minMIKE MONTREY BAND, In the Middle of HopeLike a lot of artists whose brilliant and insightful songs seem almost prophetic in the way they meet our collective anxious moments of 2...
Jonathan WidranNov 30, 20202 minMICHAEL CLEARY, Last Man StandingLongtime fans of Connecticut funk/pop/rock institution Michael Cleary may see the title of his dreamy and otherworldly, soulful pop/rock ...
Jonathan WidranNov 30, 20202 minLARRY SCHMID, Words2020’s been one of those anxiety ridden years that’s forced us to take stock of what’s important and to try to find the silver linings – ...
Jonathan WidranNov 30, 20202 minSCOTT WATERS, Peace Signs & DragonfliesStriking all sorts of delightfully engaging poses as a romantic, fun-loving and defiantly optimistic retro rocker on his whimsically titl...