June - 2020

Jun 24, 2020

FIONA JOY HAWKINS, Moving Through Worlds

Sometimes reaching for the perfect adjective to capture the impact of a personally soul transporting album can be tricky, so often the term “epic” is a convenient go to that can later, when compared to other even more meaningful works, be reconsidered as in the moment, overstated enthusiasm. Yet, as in the case of Fiona Joy Hawkins’ latest collection Moving Through Worlds, there are glorious exceptions where it’s not hyperbole in any sense and fits today, tomorrow and for all

Jonathan Widran

Jun 22, 2020

NOA LEVY/SHIMPEI OGAWA, You, Me & Cole

Cole Porter was born in Indiana, but decades after his passing, the stunning blend of romance and wit he brought to his songs for Broadway and film continues to conquer the world and bridge seemingly divergent cultures. The latest case in point, You, Me & Cole, the joyful, vim, vigor and gloriously wit filled homage by the duo of versatile and emotionally intuitive Israeli born jazz vocalist Noa Levy and culturally adventurous Japanese born bassist Shimpei Ogawa. The two met

Jonathan Widran

Jun 22, 2020

SHUNIA, "Akal"

Sometimes – and often when we need it most – the most soothing and beautiful new age music can be not only meditational, but deeply educational. To best understand the spiritual intention behind “Akal,” the graceful, lilting and free-flowing, flute, voice and harp focused new track by quickly emerging female duo Shunia, one should know what that term means. There is a beautiful tradition in the 3HO and Sikh Dharma communities that is done when someone dies. Whether it is a be

Jonathan Widran

Jun 17, 2020

WENDY MOTEN, I've Got You Covered

Wendy Moten may have launched her career as a pop/R&B artist and taken cool detours into jazz throughout her fascinating career, but her heart clearly belongs to Nashville. Living and immersing in Music City for the past 23 years, the multi-talented vocalist has toured with Faith Hill & Tim McGraw (2005-2018) and Martina McBride (2014-2016) – and since 2016, has been on the road with the legendary Vince Gill (the man she calls “Emperor of Nashville”) when he hasn’t been touri

Jonathan Widran

Jun 17, 2020

DARRELL KELLEY, The Audacity

The year 2020 is not yet half over, but between COVID-19 and the global protests for systemic change in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, it will go down as a watershed in world history, a wake-up call for humanity when complacency was shattered and sitting on the sidelines was not an option for socially conscious people. An ever-evolving artist and musical voice of extraordinary depth and insight, Darrell Kelley has forcefully met many of these moments by speaking trut

NOSHIR MODY, An Idealist's Handbook: Identity, Love and Hope in America 2020

Jonathan Widran

Jun 15, 2020

NOSHIR MODY, An Idealist's Handbook: Identity, Love and Hope in America 2020

History’s greatest jazz recordings have always been those that meet the moment, using music and improvisation to reflect history, explore the issues and forge hope for a way forward. No jazz album in the first half of 2020 hits all these targets with greater precision than Indian born, NYC based veteran guitarist Noshir Mody, who is well known for leading his EthniFusion rock and jazz ensembles and performing with his trio. The title of his multi-faceted new ensemble album An

Jonathan Widran

Jun 15, 2020

JASON KAO HWANG, Human Rites Trio

In my 2018 review of Blood, violin maestro Jason Kao Hwang’s adventurous avant-garde collection spotlighting his octet of Chinese and Western instruments, I referred the curious listener to the illuminating liner notes of Scott Currie for deeper insights into how Hwang used odd metered music and chaotic energies to convey the inner and outer chaos of war. Currie is thankfully on hand once again to illuminate in precise musical and thematic detail the journey of Human Rites Tr

Jonathan Widran

Jun 15, 2020

SWINGADELIC, Bluesville

If you’re a blues buff and feel like you need a refresher/primer on the genre’s rich 150 year history in America, you could thumb through some vast encyclopedias or attend 100 lectures. Yet you’ll never get a better sense of the form’s magical, rootsy diversity than you will immersing for an hour in Bluesville, the sublime, swinging, sultry and soulful new album by Swingadelic, known as NYC Metro’s Greatest Little Big Band – which has been holding court in the Big Apple for 2

Jonathan Widran

Jun 15, 2020

JULIO BOTTI, Pure Tango

Argentine born saxophone maestro Julio Botti has been delighting in the fruitful rhythmic and romantic exultations of his country’s native vibe for years, but never quite as personally and poignantly as he does on his latest album Pure Tango – a multi-faceted, traditional tango set highlighting the emotional connection and dynamic chemistry between Botti and pianist Matias Lanfranco. The compelling story behind the New York and Cordoba, Argentina recorded collection helps ill

Jonathan Widran

Jun 15, 2020

ROUND EYE, Culture Shock Treatment

Were a sane review with reasonably working ears to write a spot-on review of the wild, percussive guitar, sax and vocal blasts and politically incisive bombast of Round Eye’s latest opus, the 15-tracker Culture Shock Treatment, it might read something like: @!!!!@%*Q%*%**&^+.$$#@!!!!!!!!!!!f****!! While stopping to mention the brilliant sonic edges/touches and burst the seams of sanity but keep it short and sweet guidance of producer and legendary punk bassist Mike Watt, it m

Jonathan Widran

Jun 13, 2020

RICHES OF THE POOR, The Long Way Down

If it’s true what the proverbial “they” say, that misery indeed loves company, then a helluva lot of folks stuck in the hurting and trying to psychoanalyze what went wrong cycle of failed romance will connect perfectly and painfully (but in a cathartic way) with German alt-rockers Riches of the Poor and their emotionally impactful debut album The Long Way Down. Over a free flowing musical foundation of fits and starts, its lush dreamy atmospheres keenly interrupted by raw, in

THE GROOVE PROJECT, Volume 1: Flights of Fantasy

Jonathan Widran

Jun 12, 2020

THE GROOVE PROJECT, Volume 1: Flights of Fantasy

“Aviation is proof that given the will, we have the capacity to achieve the impossible – Eddie Rickenbacker, WWI Fighter Ace and Medal of Honor recipient As Arun Shenoy gears up to release Vol. 1: Flights of Fantasy, the infectious, ultra-melodic, sonically inventive and wildly grooving contemporary urban jazz flavored debut collection by his newly revamped internationally collective The Groove Project, it seems an apropos moment for the Grammy nominated composer, producer an

THE JW VIBE

Music That Sticks To My Soul

FIONA JOY HAWKINS, Moving Through Worlds

NOA LEVY/SHIMPEI OGAWA, You, Me & Cole

SHUNIA, "Akal"

WENDY MOTEN, I've Got You Covered

DARRELL KELLEY, The Audacity

NOSHIR MODY, An Idealist's Handbook: Identity, Love and Hope in America 2020

JASON KAO HWANG, Human Rites Trio

SWINGADELIC, Bluesville

JULIO BOTTI, Pure Tango

ROUND EYE, Culture Shock Treatment

RICHES OF THE POOR, The Long Way Down

THE GROOVE PROJECT, Volume 1: Flights of Fantasy