With an old musical storytelling soul wise beyond her early 20-something years and infused with the same colorful plainspoken emotion and witty, colorful turns of phrase as her chief influences Joni Mitchell and Gillian Welch, Bailey Bigger is only now releasing her full length debut album Coyote Red, but she’s well on her way to becoming an ultra-poetic, traditional minded country/Americana treasure. Many of her accolades run through Memphis, from twice performing at The Lev

In contemplating the unique title of Ari Pappalardo’s brilliantly eclectic, atmospheric yet grounded, rootsy and organic yet often transcendent and ethereal debut album Minstrel Class – which is not the name of any cut on the collection - the older definition of “minstrel” applies pretty well. It’s “a medieval singer or musician, especially one who sang or recited lyric or heroic poetry to a musical accompaniment for the nobility.” So consider us, the listeners, the kings and

Once a session singer for the likes of Neil Diamond, Rod Stewart and Gloria Gaynor, Jo Harrop’s dusky, gorgeously sensual voice found its way to a jazzier destiny a few years ago when the versatile British singer/songwriter caught the attention of Mayank Patel, owner of London’s Hampstead Jazz Club and Lateralize Records. The Heart Wants, Harrop’s second album on the label, is a masterwork in soulful blues inflected jazz, featuring the subtle and intimate but also intensely e

When veteran jazz vocalist Gary Brumburgh released his delightfully graceful and swinging album Moonlight in 2018, the overriding story was his long awaited and triumphant return to recording after two bouts of head and neck cancer. With those dark challenges blissfully now far behind him, the multi-talented performer is in the mood to celebrate on his glorious, alternately hard and subtly swinging, scat filled new collection Full Circle to - quite literally, as he includes l

Many new age and ambient projects are based on impressions of a certain location, but not until musical veterans Scooby Laposky and Charles Copley created their dual project Palm Reading has any artist been so immersed in the flora of single specially chosen locations - and created a synthesis of sounds that combine synthesized electronic music generated by biodata recorded from plants using a biodata sonification device, in addition to ambient field recordings and original a

Ignited by the powerful post WWI memories of veteran musician, composer and songwriter Rolland Jacks, the new independent feature length film “Knights of Swing” takes us back to the late 40s Los Angeles, tracing the highs, lows, challenges and disappointments and ultimate triumphs of a high school swing band determined to realize their dreams. Taking place between WWII and the Civil Rights era, the group of young talented musicians must navigate a world still very much entren

If somehow you have never heard of the National Sleep Foundation or Sleep Awareness Week®, consider yourself enlightened about an important organization whose stated mission is to advance excellence in sleep health theory, research and practice. Each year, the organization sets this time aside to re-emphasize the important connection between your sleep and your health. This year, they say in uniquely quirky fashion,, they’re dedicated to helping us become our Best Slept Self

One of contemporary instrumental music’s greatest gifts has been the constant flow of artists offering their music in service of themes tying into and celebrating the majestic beauty of different landscapes and specific geographic spots. While musical interpretations of the art of nature are always lovely and inspiring, they sometimes feel like the creative fulfillment of a marketing assignment rather than a humble expression of an artist’s soul. There’s something far more co

Legendary Grammy winning guitarist and new age icon Will Ackerman makes a humble and fascinating confession in his insightful liner notes accompanying Positano Songs, an emotionally compelling exquisitely composed, intricately arranged and played love letter to a town on the Amalfi Coast in Italy that’s also a very special place in his heart. “If I never wrote another piece of music, I would still have the years of writing and recording behind me,” he writes. “I honestly didn