For a masterful solo pianist and composer so deeply dedicated to acoustic new age music and the rich expressions he creates on his home instrument, one of the more unique aspects of Stephen Wallack’s eclectic background is the influence of Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready. While Wallack’s bio states that McCready was his first guitar teacher, the pianist clarifies that when he was 18, McCready – who became friends with Wallack early in the legendary band’s rise to fame – bou

Sometimes the old adage “you can’t judge a book by its cover” applies to a collection of emotionally impactful, intimately and passionately expressive music as well. As on Brian Hagen’s previous album You’re The One, the cover image of Portraits, his richly impressionistic, wonderfully melodic, at times tenderly reflective but just as often sweetly charming and whimsical new release, features a traditionally romantic cover image. No matter that the image on the earlier set wa

Originally composed in the 1840’s with the French language title “Cantique de Noel,” “O Holy Night” is has become one of the Western world’s most iconic Christmas carols, its words powerfully conveying the concept of the birth of Jesus serving as mankind’s redemption. Because its message is considered sacred, most pop singers who have recorded it over the years – including Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Martina McBride and Lauren Daigle, all of whom charted with their versions –

There were two beautiful key moments during the rousing, emotional and ultra-entertaining Christmas show by Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band at Vibrato Grill Jazz where the storied composer, arranger and leader of what is perhaps the hippest big band in existence set aside his stature as a 4-time Grammy winning industry vet and offered the kind of childlike reflection that pairs perfectly with his 18 piece ensemble’s ongoing blasts of holiday cheer. After the delightfully funke

Oh, those sweet pandemic era musical silver linings that should populate the realm of indie rock for the foreseeable future. The downtime in 2020 gave Florida based alt-rock power trio DigDog time to hunker down and retool so intensely that in the promo material for their impactful, wildly infectious, and lyrically hard hitting and insightful (and quirkily titled) new album Homeless Theatre, Brad Metz (guitar, vocals), Russian born Alexei Dotsenko (bass) and Jack Ringka (drum

Especially in these challenging times, there’s nothing like rockin’ and jazzing in a new year (as opposed to just ringin’ it in!) with hopeful optimism and the kind of wildly unbridled, free for all, rambunctious music that Eric Goletz brings us on his latest expansive ensemble project A New Light. Perhaps the most incredible aspect of this concept album that puts a zesty modern twist on the classic electric jazz fusion energies of the 70s and 80s is the fact that just two ye

Perhaps it’s just a simplistic tool of the trade of reviewing music, but this jazz fans swears the words of praise he used for Jazz Words, veteran pianist Steve Million’s dual album with vocalist (and fellow Thelonious Monk Piano Competition semi-finalist) Sarah Marie Young, apply equally to Million’s new sensitive and sensual yet swinging spirited instrumental quartet album What I Meant To Say. Because, yes and absolutely, both are collections of “uncommon heartfelt opennes

With over 30 albums to his credit, legendary Brazilian pianist/composer Marcos Ariel has been sharing the ample musical joys of his home country Brazil and his hometown of Rio for nearly four decades. In recent years, he’s found fresh inspiration sharing his love for the harmonic and rhythmic elements of North, Central and South America (Americas), his lifelong passion for the sea and all forms of oceanic activities (Wave Hunter) and on a mellower note, tenderness and calm on

The first thing to mention when thinking of ways to praise vocalist, songwriter and pianist extraordinaire Adrianne Duncan's deeply heartfelt, emotionally cathartic and often blissfully whimsical Gemini is the fact that for a debut project, she goes all out. Rather than play things safe as one might expect of an emerging artist trying to gain a toehold in the jazz world, she boldly stretches her three impactful original poignant and wistful narrative songs (“He’s Not Quite Yo