Tag Archives: Geoff Wilbur

Album Review: Jennifer Lyn & the Groove Revival – Retrograde

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photo by Wyatt Ell; photo courtesy of Blind Raccoon

Album Review of Jennifer Lyn & the Groove Revival: Retrograde

I’ve been following Jennifer Lyn & the Groove Revival for several years – heck, I have Jennifer Lyn’s 2016 single “I’m All Wrong for You Baby” and a couple songs from the band’s 2018 Badlands album on my #PhoneOnShuffle playlist – and am glad to finally have an opportunity to share this top-shelf blues-rock (or rockin’ blues) band’s music with you here at the blog. Indeed, the band’s style is so densely packed in the style of psychedelic ’70s blues-rock bands, it’ll appeal to classic rock fans, yet there are some pure blues elements that’ll also appeal to blues fans. Double whammy, if you will. Two fan-bases for the price of one. And dayum, this is some tasty tuneage.

image courtesy of Blind Raccoon

The album opens with the sidewinding, psychedelic classic rock vibe of “Light the Fire.” The song features plenty of classic guitar crunch but with lots of white space between the riffs, making room for Lyn’s powerful voice to soar as the song builds to power, relents, then builds again. Next, “Searching for Solid Ground” is organ-heavy and, while a natural progression from the disc-opener, is lighter and a bit more musically playful.

There’s almost a “Got No Shame” vibe in the opening of “Sucker for the Pain,” one of my favorite tracks on Retrograde. It’s followed by “Refuge,” a powerful, soulful, meaty, slow-tempoed song that’ll stick with you; it features kind of a church-organ vibe to the keys and has a nifty, noodly, bluesy classic guitar rock solo just past the halfway mark that’ll make your hair stand on end in spots.

“Do Bad Things to You” follows. It’s a raucously fun song with a Thorogood-esque, thumpin’ tempo supporting vocals that reach hard-rock-wail every time the song climaxes.

photo courtesy of Blind Raccoon

Then the album returns to smooth soulfulness with “Soul Saver,” a song with a bit of a pop-rock vibe, though more likely an album track on a ’70s/’80s guitar-driven, mid-tempo pop-rock disc, as it’s more of a nifty album-listening, organ-driven, jangly tune with kind of a travelin’ feel to it. It’s not exactly hooky pop-rock radio fare, which is OK because it’s not trying to be, but it’d be a favorite of many fans who bought the album.

“’59 Cadillac” is another fun romp, a mid-tempo funky blues rock number that proclaims “I don’t care if he’s coming back. I got his ’59 Cadillac.” Gotta respect that energy!

The bluesy guitar riff opening “Breaking Chains” has kind of a wide-open-spaces, old west vibe to it. The song’s energy is powerful yet light and uplifting, and there’s a neat little repeating guitar riff threaded throughout the song that helps hold it all together.

photo courtesy of Blind Raccoon

The album’s penultimate number, “Baggage,” is a lot rougher around the edges. It howls, wails, and squeals its message – blues-rockingly, of course – with an insistence that can’t be denied. I think we can all relate to this number, unfortunately, with lyrics like, “As much as I’ll miss your lovely face, your baggage won’t fit in my suitcase.” In the end, this is an energetic, commiserating number, one that rejoices in kicking the baggage to the curb.

The album closes with “Do It All Again,” a psychedelic, moderately-paced guitar rock number that’d fit in perfectly on a psychedelic ’70s rock LP. I half-expect the song to rattle and pop a bit like overplayed vinyl. But no, this is classic-influenced guitar rock in all its modern digital awesomeness.

If you like classic rock, blues rock, psychedelic rock, or guitar rock, this is likely to fall into your musical wheelhouse. Jennifer Lyn & the Groove Revival are a band you should be following, if you don’t already. Retrograde is a great beginning-to-end listen. My personal favorites on this album are “Sucker for the Pain,” “Do Bad Things to You,” “’59 Cadillac,” and “Baggage,” but there’s not a bad song in this collection, so your favorites are likely to differ.

Single Reviews: Copper Flats – “Should’ve Been Doin’,” “Household Name,” and “Airplanes and Telephones”

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photo by Misty C Photos; photo courtesy of Skye Media

Single Reviews of Copper Flats: “Should’ve Been Doin’,” “Household Name,” and “Airplanes and Telephones”

Copper Flats is the trio of Brandon Kelly (lead vocals), Jeremy Castaldo (keys/acoustic guitar/electric guitar/background vocals), and Drew Smith (acoustic guitar/background vocals). And “Should’ve Been Doin’,” “Household Name,” and “Airplanes and Telephones” are the band’s first trio of song releases. Three singles, three different nuances on a bigtime, bowl-you-over, massive country music sound. Copper Flats explodes out of the blocks with these catchy, radio-ready arena-pleasers. Simply put, if you like modern guitar-driven country music, you’ll dig Copper Flats.

photo by Misty C Photos; photo courtesy of Skye Media

One of my personal complaints about this type of music is that the songs can be formulaic and unimaginative. Copper Flats does tug at many of the stereotypical heartstrings, as their songs delve heavily into the topics of home, family, and nostalgia, but they don’t get lazy with their lyrics or their instrumentation. That’s the difference between pretender and contender in the world of big, booming, rockin’ country music. It’s also a necessity to get a review with my byline here at the blog. (“Just like everyone else” doesn’t cut it with me.)

image courtesy of Skye Media

The big, swirling guitar that kicks off “Should’ve Been Doin'” reminds me of something Lonestar might do. (You may have noticed over the years that if I reference Lonestar, that’s a big compliment.) It’s a simple, homespun life message packaged in a catchy veneer, a pop-friendly ode to the simple life with a message that appeals broadly. And they namedrop George Strait in the lyrics – you can’t go wrong with that! Plus, it sports a hook that’ll have you remembering it for a while.

image courtesy of Skye Media

Until, of course, you hear “Household Name.” Putting a fun spin on the term, celebrating small-town family life, the energetic verses lead to a memorably hooky payoff in the title lyric. I’m also a bit partial to the late-song musical breakdown that’ll give you chills if you’re in just the right mood. In the promo material, Castaldo captures the song’s essence: “We don’t need fortune and fame, but thank God every day for the lives he’s blessed us with and the opportunities to lead our families and households well.” That’s about as cool a message as there is. You oughta give this song a listen.

image courtesy of Skye Media

The third Copper Flats single, though, topped these first two in catchiness, and believe me when I say that’s not easy. In fact, I’d rather listen to these three songs in order than just one on repeat. Yet “Airplanes and Telephones” is probably the best of the three. It’s a wistful heartbreak song penned by country hit-writers Andrew Dorff, Jonathan Singleton, and Zach Crowell, that sports a big country sound, surging with power, peaking into the title lyric, then releasing into another thoughtful lyric, all wrapped up in a tuneful package with some kickass electric axework dancing through it to help it rock.

Based on these three songs, I have no doubt Copper Flats would be a fun live show and is capable of reliably releasing singles and albums that’ll appeal to any country music fan, as well as plenty of us with broader musical tastes who simply enjoy catchy, energetic performances of well-written songs.

photo by Misty C Photos; photo courtesy of Skye Media

More Recently

The band has a couple more recently-released songs on Spotify – “Golden” and “Blue Collar Man” – though I haven’t heard them yet. (I’ve just been churning through my review playlist.) I’ll have to check them out when I get the chance.

Looking Ahead

This is a sound that’s almost certain to play well live, and they have several shows coming up. In November, you can catch the band in Conway, El Dorado, and Paris, Arkansas. The first week of December, they’ll be performing with Sister Hazel in Pontiac, Michigan on December 4th and in Wabash, Indiana on December 5th. And Copper Flats has a New Year’s Eve show in Benton, Arkansas. Be sure to check out the “Tour” page of the band’s website for times and locations of those shows, as well as additional performances, as they’re added.

You can also see all of the Copper Flats’ social and other key links at its linktree.

Album Review: Tony Moore – Awake

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photo courtesy of Tony Moore

Album Review of Tony Moore: Awake

Tony Moore‘s Awake is an old-school, timeless, progressive-influenced classic rock album. Remember how great those records are beginning to end? If you’re a fan of that kind of guitar rock music, this is a new collection to add to your best-of list. Something about the vibe of album-opener “Awake” instantly reminded me of Pink Floyd upon first listen, and the whole Awake record has a concept-album vibe very much reminiscent of that era, though Tony’s underlying style is crisper, cleaner, and a bit more modern.

image courtesy of Tony Moore

The album was inspired by the events of the first year of the pandemic – the lockdowns, the uncertainty, the surreal reality. I won’t go into detail because Tony explains it well on his website, including the idea’s germination out of the song “Awake,” at this link. Metal Talk digs even deeper in its interview with Tony at this link. In my review, I’ll just focus on the music itself – an epic guitar-rock masterpiece – and you can return to these links to read more afterwards, perhaps while you listen to the album on Spotify, Bandcamp, or elsewhere.

Album opener and title track “Awake” is stylistically cool and fun to listen to as it unleashes a rhythmic guitar riff-filled, instrumental-only opening only gives way to lyrics at the 4:51 mark. This song sets the tone for the entire album, which is fantastic as a beginning-to-end listen but also features several songs that are standalone treats. And I wouldn’t often say such things about a nine-and-a-half minute song (to be fair, 9:26), but this is one of those treats. The axework throughout is inspired, recalling for me a recent quote I read in this Louder interview/article from Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris about Tony’s guitar playing on Awake: “The music is kind of proggy, which I love, and if Tony could play guitar back then the way he does now he’d probably still be in the band.” High praise, indeed.

photo courtesy of Tony Moore

Another of those kickass standalone tracks is the record’s third song, “Love We Need You Here,” which is partially reprised in the penultimate song slot, as “Love We Need You Here Pt. II,” helping to thematically and sonically tie the album together. This is a softer song, mellow and swaying, with a strumming guitar style that features some western music style flourishes while primarily being a straightforward slow, strumming rocker supported by a curtain of background synth that almost sounds orchestral. The vocals, meanwhile, are just slightly gravelly, emphasizing their heartfelt nature, ideally suited to the song’s payoff lyric, occurring both early and at the end of the song, “Love, we need you here. We need your guiding hand to help us understand. Love, remove the fear and bring us all back home. Don’t leave us lost and alone.” If you’re listening closely, it’ll give you chills.

And it’s followed by a kickass, straight-ahead rocker, “Just One Night.” There’s a little Pink Floyd feeling to this track, but it also sports a lot of the pure pop-rock styled pop music sensibility Tony has featured in some of the catchy, less guitar-driven Tony Moore singles I’ve enjoyed over the last decade or so, since I first became aware of his music. If there’s a potential fast-paced breakout hit on this record, this is my best-bet. Roll the windows down, and crank this one up when you’re zooming down the highway; it’s well-suited for that. I bet it really amps up the audience when played live, too.

photo courtesy of Tony Moore

The next track, “Hopium,” is another especially long number. There’s probably not a lot of hope for this one as a single, but it’s one of the album’s more memorable songs and a personal favorite. It’s followed by stylistically-similar “Dear Life,” almost flowing together in such a way that a full-album listener barely notices the transition a new song. However, it’s a more radio-friendly length, and it’s topically more broadly-applicable, making it a likelier option for external commercial use. I’m thinking movie soundtracks, though perhaps sans the really nifty guitar solo two-thirds of the way through. Soundtracks, during the movie itself, are likely to exclude the slight stylistic and tempo variance that make it a more interesting standalone song; hopefully the soundtrack album will still include the full track as recorded, though.

“Not Normal” is a very proggy song that thematically moves the album forward both lyrically and with its heavy rhythmic beat. Morseo even than the rest of the disc, which leans by varying degrees this way, you could almost drop “Not Normal” right into The Wall and it wouldn’t seem at all out of place.

The keyboardwork of “Remember Me” is another element that helps tie the record together, providing a mid-album vibe similar to the early and late appearances of “Love We Need You Here.” The moods you’ll get from this track are introspectiveness and melancholy. It’s followed by a song that thrives on subtly frenetic energy, “Crazy in the Shed.”

photo courtesy of Tony Moore

I’m not personally a big fan of speaking-over-music tracks, but “Dark Winter,” next, does move the mood and concept forward ominously, as does the next track, a more traditional prog rocker, though a heavy-beat-driven, booming, plodding, soft-power-driven one, “What’s the Point.”

“The One Percent Solution” is a cool song that can effectively drive somewhat different messages, whether a rather specific thrust when viewed through the lens of this concept album versus a potentially broader theme as a standalone number. The song itself progresses very coolly, softly building up to power, though maintaining a very modest tempo throughout.

photo courtesy of Tony Moore

“We Are One” follows, with its rhythmic bounce and marching tempo, combined with tempo changes and stop-starts, guitar flourishes, and emotive vocals, whether soaring or rhythmically emphasizing the beat. This is a track that’ll have you bouncing in your seat.

“Asleep” pleads for action, soaringly, proggily, as one would expect near the end of a concept collection like this one. And just about every guitar-rock fan will enjoy the very cool, rising and falling, soaring guitar solo that drives the last two-plus minutes of this song.

After the short reprise of “Love We Need You Here” – specifically, “Part II” – the crunchy, guitar-driven “It’s Not Over” serves as a rather hopeful album closer. One reason it’s important to listen to the very end of Awake is because, regardless of how you feel after the rollercoaster musical journey that brought you to this point, “It’s Not Over” will restore your hope and determination. And there’s some pretty kickass guitar in the song, too, particularly in the back half.

Awake is a masterwork of the concept album format. It’s a beginning-to-end listen that ebbs and flows. It’s clear why the related concert performances have proven so popular, and I’m hopeful that Tony will continue to tour Awake as an event concert, at least from time to time, throughout the rest of his career, in and around any other work he produces. It’s an experience, a music journey, a conceptually tight collection worthy of prog-rock, straight-up rock, and arts-in-general music fans.

Watch for upcoming tour dates on the “Tour” page of Tony Moore’s website. And be sure to keep up with his goings-on via social media, like his Instagram page or his Facebook page.

Live Review: Ayla Brown at Solomon Pond Mall

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photo by Geoff Wilbur

Ayla Brown

Solomon Pond Mall, Marlborough, MA

August 16, 2025

You may know Ayla Brown any number of ways. Here at the blog a few years ago, I reviewed Ayla’s performance at the 2019 Local CountryFest as half of a duo with talented singer-songwriter (and, for a few years now, her husband) Rob Bellamy. Prior to that, you may know Ayla as an American Idol competitor during Taylor Hicks’ season. (Though I recalled Ayla’s Idol stint, I didn’t remember the specific season until Ayla mentioned it during her between-song banter.)

In recent years, Ayla has been a prominent local country music radio personality. She currently appears on The Flyover Podcast, serves as spokesperson for Solomon Pond Mall and the Wachusett Brewing Company, and has other entrepreneurial ventures. Of course, within my world as a music journalist, as far as I’m concerned, she’s a singer-songwriter, and in that role, she’s one of New England’s best. Ayla frequently performs with Rob Bellamy, though this Solomon Pond Mall show, for the mall’s Pond Fest ’25 event, was a solo performance. Rob was there on Saturday, and he got involved a little, but this was an Ayla Brown solo gig.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Ayla’s set was the centerpiece of Saturday’s Pond Fest, a family-friendly event with food trucks, sponsor tents, and a “touch a truck” event featuring Marlborough’s fire and police departments. Ayla’s 12:00-2:30 set was flanked, before and after, by music from the day’s emcee, DJ Craig Sutton. I knew going in that I was only going to be able to catch the first half of Ayla’s performance, but it was such an engaging performance, I wish I had been able to stay ’til the end.

Ayla kicked her set off energetically with Lady A’s “Downtown.” Her voice has the rich power to capably drive songs like this one. It also has the sweet tunefulness to make you take notice when she croons, as she did on Shania Twain’s “Still the One,” her second song of the day, while also hitting of that song’s big notes.

After those two openers, Ayla went even bigger with the third song of the day, a special request for the kids in attendance, a Disney detour that’ll test lesser vocalists, “Let It Go.” And though it’s not part of Ayla’s regular repertoire, she still, of course, nailed the big notes.

After belting out “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and unleashing a booming, dynamic performance of Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten,” Ayla turned to a few originals. First, “Country Found Me,” a largely autobiographical tune that catchily kinda swoops and sways. Then the cool, attitude-filled, anthemic “Beat By a Girl.” Next up was a booming, heartfelt performance of “Pride of America,” from Ayla’s patriotic Heroes & Hometowns album. She followed it with “Let Love In,” a soaring uptempo number.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Rob Bellamy joined Ayla and her guitarist for the day, Sean Compton, on stage for the next several songs. First, “Jolene,” which is the kind of power-country tune well suited to Ayla’s voice. Then the softer touch – but still soaring – “Hooked on a Feeling.” Next, Rob performed a song without Ayla, a cover of John Mellencamp’s “Pink Houses” he delivered vocally smooth and gruff with a slight twang.

Next up was a neat moment, as Ayla yielded the microphone to a talented young singer, 11-year-old Zoey, giving her an opportunity to sing before the crowd.

Then Rob and Ayla followed with a duet, a love song, “I Keep Running Back to You,” before breaking for a raffle drawing. It reminded me of what’s special about an Ayla and Rob combo performance, as Rob’s low end blends well with Ayla’s during duets.

Ayla came out of the very brief raffle break soaring and booming, with a crowd-pleasing rendition of “Don’t Stop Believin’,” followed by her outstanding original, “I Just Wanna Be Your Baby,” then a fun performance of “Heads Carolina, Tails California.” And with that, I had stayed 15 minutes longer than I had originally planned, so I slipped out to get to my next errand, but it’s clear those able to stay for the entire show were gonna be treated to an excellent 2-and-a-half hour concert performance.

Looking Ahead

A good way to keep current with Ayla Brown’s goings-on is via her Facebook and Instagram pages. Also, for a schedule of Ayla’s upcoming performances, you can check the “Tour” page of her website.

Live Review: Jennifer Tefft & the Strange at Framingham Centre Common

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photo by Geoff Wilbur

Jennifer Tefft and the Strange

Framingham Centre Common, Framingham, MA

August 8, 2025

Last weekend, on Friday night, award-winning local band Jennifer Tefft & the Strange rocked the latest installment of Framingham’s Friday Night Concert Series. The band, whose most recent album Strange Beginnings was named Album of the Year at the 2024 New England Music Awards, lived up to its pedigree on this particular evening, rocking into the night (well, OK, rocking for a couple hours around dinnertime) to kick off the weekend before a large, appreciative crowd.

The band opened with “Going Out,” Doing that edgy JT&tS rock thing, followed by one of the few covers of the night, a rockin’ rendition of KT Tunstall’s “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree.” The only other covers of the first set were an energetic performance of the Cranberries’ “Zombie” and a hauntingly-delivered set-closing production of the Lumineers’ “Salt and the Sea.”

First-set originals spanned decades, including “Enemy,” noisy alt-rock “My Own,” and haunting “Undone,” showcasing the depth of Tefft’s catalog. Particular pre-intermission standouts included “Paper Cut,” whose opening chords grab the listener before the song pounds along powerfully to the more finesse-y chorus, and jangly, hooky, guitar driven alt-rock “Cooler than You,” a song that might make a good personal theme song. Right?

photo by Geoff Wilbur

After a short break, the second set kicked off by rockin’ hard with “Rollercoaster” from 2017’s Cutting for Stone release. I found myself digging the nifty axework on this number, something the was sort of a theme in the second set. I’m not sure if John Parillo’s axemanship was featured more in the second set or if I just took notice, but for me, it was a recurring theme.It was followed by another power rocker, “Too Late,” and then one of the kickass newer songs, “Down on My Knees,” that showcased that trademark Tefft howl.

“Lullaby,” next, was another song that featured some top-notch axework and anguished vocals, delivering a sound that filled the outdoor concert venue, like so many of this band’s songs. A version of the Doors’ “People are Strange,” which featured a low-key opening before slowly amping up the song’s psychedelic coolness, helped build the raw energy that led into edgy, emphatic heavy alt-rocker “Shoulda Known Better,” whose performance culminated in some guitar hero-caliber shredding in the late song bridge.

“Control Freak,” next, sported some heavy distortion. It was followed by a Cover of Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance,” which added some funkiness to the rock guitar, and then hard rocker “Love and War,” a song with a unique aural vibe.

As the show neared its closing time, Jennifer Tefft & the Strange rolled out a new song “Silver,” noting it was the first time they’ve ever played the song live and that it’s scheduled to be recorded in September, a nice treat for those who had stayed to the end (basically, almost the entire crowd, which steadily grew throughout the performance). The song has a modern mainstream rock vocal style and rhythm. “Silver” shows that, creatively, this is still the same, cool raucous rockin’ band, but the song has a new twist in the vibe that’ll keep things interesting. It’s a great live song, but also I can’t wait to hear the studio release!

The evening closed with “Caffeine,” a hit single from Strange Beginnings, featuring the mix that drives many of Jennifer Tefft and the Strange’s best songs: great power vocals from Jenn and a kickass guitar hook. A great sendoff for a fun two-hour outdoor concert.

 

Live Review: Andrew Geano at Chopps

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photo by Geoff Wilbur

Andrew Geano

Chopps Italian Steakhouse & Bar, Burlington, MA

July 25, 2025

First of all, it’s probably becoming obvious that I like this restaurant. Tonight I went with a pizza. Delish! But, of course, it’s not just the food I appreciate about Chopps. It’s the fact that they reliably book excellent singers to entertain their restaurant patrons (and guests passing through the Boston Marriott Burlington hotel lobby). Of course, if I’m unfamiliar with the singer, I still check them out. This is a bit of a drive for me, so I don’t take any chances.

Now, it’d be cool to catch Andrew at a venue where he’d play more of his originals, as songs like “Head Voice” and “Wanna Be Right” are pretty cool. A dinner show with lots of folks just passin’ through, though? Well, that’s gonna pretty much be covers. With a top-notch vocalist singing ’em, that’s still plenty good.

I only really caught the tail end of Andrew’s performance tonight – less than one of his three hours behind the mic. But he covered a lot of ground, nearly all of it while leaning into the insistent edge of his vocals, which is particularly good at slashing through background noise and restaurant chatter. The first song I sat down for was his version of R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion.”

Andrew began his final mini-set with a heavy strumming-driven rendition of Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me,” then transitioned into a rendition of “Teenage Dirtbag,” on which his vocals sported a ’90s alt-pop-rock flavor, chameleonically speaking.

He added some whoopy squeals, fittingly, to the Beatles’ “Come Together,” then followed it with a nod to new hitmaker Chappell Roan with “Hot to Go!” And the Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle.” That was actually a pretty good transition. Who knew?!

Speaking of “who knew?”… I wouldn’ta believed it, but Andrew does a good Taylor Swift. On his rendition of “You Belong With Me,” sure, maybe his vocals are a little deeper than Taylor’s, but he nailed the tone.

Andrew went back to the ’80s to officially close his final set with his lively rendition of Hall & Oates’ “You Make My Dreams Come True.” It was a song with a “woo!” or two, and Andrew’s good with the “woo!”s.

It had become clear that Andrew had won over a table or two of devoted fans, at least for tonight, even before the end of his performance, so it was no surprise they called for an encore, and he obliged. I mean, he wrapped up five minutes early, so this was one of those planned encores, but still, the audience called for it. The song of choice? Blink-182’s “All the Small Things.” And talk about giving an audience exactly what they wanted – several tables were singing along!

It was definitely a good choice to catch some Andrew Geano tuneage tonight. As I noted in my last review of a Chopps performance a few weeks ago, you will occasionally upcoming performances occasionally mentioned on the restaurant’s Facebook and Instagram pages. As for Andrew’s upcoming performances, the “Shows” page of his website shows that the next month packed with gigs in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and even a gig in Maine, so look there for upcoming performances near you.

EP Review: Billy Dodge Moody – Ephemera

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photo courtesy of Billy Dodge Moody via Knyvet

EP Review of Billy Dodge Moody: Ephemera

The first musical comparison that comes to mind when listening to Billy Dodge Moody‘s Ephemera is the Moody Blues. The full, rich sound and pleasant, pop-friendly rock melodies on Ephemera recall that classic radio-(soft)-rocking sound.

The first single from this EP, “Meaning to Disaster,” is a soft-touch tune with a full sound that builds in both power and lushness over the course of its three-and-a-half minutes, supporting thoughtful lyrics with a sneaky-catchy chorus that turns this ballad into an unexpected earworm.

image courtesy of Billy Dodge Moody via Knyvet

“Nobody,” which was the second single released in advance of the EP, is a more uptempo strummer, a song that hides its melancholy lyrics behind a relaxed yet uptempo, on-vacation-ish, hooky soft-pop energy.

Track three, “Made to Decide,” takes a more introspective tone musically, adding harmonious backing vocals from Hannah Foxman to the mix, supporting more obviously sad lyrics and a thoughtful pick-and-strum, all combining to bring a lump to the listener’s throat. Yes, even when you’re not paying particularly close attention to the lyrics, which were inspired by the agonizing decisions brought about by Billy’s ailing cat. (Knowing the inspiration, I can relate even more.)

Album-ender “Suddenly” ties things together nicely, helping provide a consistent style for the EP but also adding a few new elements to the mix, as the introspective number adds a harmonica and a moderately folky guitar picking style while maintaining the record’s rich, full production style.

Unless your heart is stone-cold, you’ll be touched by this record. Subtle differences between the songs ensure that, while you’re likely to enjoy the entire collection, you’ll probably also have a favorite track. Maybe two. Or possibly a different one each day, depending on your mood. Regardless, with this EP’s timeless broad appeal, anyone who enjoys song-driven music needs to at least give it a test-drive.

Album Review: Jason Miles – Cosmopolitan

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photo courtesy of That Jazz Girl

Album Review of Jason Miles: Cosmopolitan

Jason Miles (keyboards, synth) recorded Cosmopolitan back in 1979 with Michael Brecker (tenor sax), Gerry Niewood (saxophone), Marcus Miller (bass), Ricardo Silveira (guitar), and Jeff Williams (drums), with Badal Roy on tabla, percussionists Armen Halburian and Henry Castelanos, and vocalist Clarice Taylor. However, that record was shelved for… 46 years before its 2025 release.

image courtesy of That Jazz Girl

The jazz fusion album that resulted from those 1979 sessions, Cosmopolitan, is simply remarkable. The title track is so engaging that its 7:15 runtime simply flies by. The entire album is that way, in fact. Album-opener “Cosmopolitan,” though, in addition to incorporating some actual city sounds in the opening, delivers a lively very city-like tempo, with energetic, sometimes abrupt horns, an occasional funky beat… it’s a jazz fusion representation of the sound of a lively city, of the City. Very cosmopolitan.

And yeah, that’s my favorite track among the six on this 37-38 minute-long album. But not by much. The next song, “Powder,” meanders a lot more, slowing the pace down a bit, before “Gale Warnings” splits the difference a bit more. While the first two tracks leaned heavily into wind instruments (Spotify lists featured performers for each song, and saxophonist Gerry Niewood was featured on the first two cuts), “Gale Warnings” gets things rolling with some noticeable synth-work before the song notably begins to delve into other instrumentation, as Michael Brecker (tenor sax) is mentioned as the featured collaborator on this track.

“The Man Who Pushes the Buttons,” also featuring Brecker, is a bit more angular and frenetic than the record’s preceding songs. “Kashmirian Twist,” meanwhile, lists as featured artists both Niewood and Badal Roy, who plays tabla, which I was completely unfamiliar with. (Google found me this “What is Tabla?” article.) And indeed, the tabla (pair of drums) did add a unique sound as a co-featured instrument, probably bringing forth the suggestion – for me, at least – of a subway car rattling a bit as part of yet another cityscape-evoking number.

“Poetry” closes the record with a smoky barroom-scented piano opening that belies the forthcoming liveliness, as this number, with Niewood again listed as the featured artist, recovers some of the liveliness of the album-opening title track, providing nice bookends to this broad-appeal jazz fusion collection.

As I hope you know by now, I love sharing music that’s brilliantly-assembled and fun to listen to, and that is most definitely true of Cosmopolitan. With its lively rhythms and cool cityscape-recalling sounds, this record is likely appeal well beyond its particular subgenre’s core audience. So give it a listen. And yes, start with the opening number because it’s the most likely to get you hooked. But then play the record in order to appreciate Miles and his collaborators’ collective vision.

Single Review: Alison Brown & Steve Martin – “5 Days Out, 2 Days Back” feat. Tim O’Brien

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photo by Joseph Spence; photo courtesy of Compass Records

Single Review of Alison Brown & Steve Martin: “5 Days Out, 2 Days Back” feat. Tim O’Brien (Compass Records)

I’ve been getting a few bluegrass songs sent my way lately, and “5 Days Out, 2 Days Back” is a bluegrass number that simply jumps right off the vinyl, metaphorically speaking. A cool tune you’ve really gotta hear! Alison Brown and Steve Martin teamed up with several top players, notably including featured vocalist/mandolinist Tim O’Brien.

image courtesy of Compass Records

The song’s topic is something touring musicians – particularly those with families – will relate to with ease. But it’s really not that hard for anyone to relate, negotiating time away versus time with family, cleverly phrased making it a fun listen. Of course, lyrics alone don’t make a song, and it’s really the tune, its delivery, and cheerfully plucked, energetic style that are the catchiest, most enduring part of “5 Days Out, 2 Days Back.”

Martin’s lyrics, Brown’s melody, and O’Brien’s vocals are an ideal blend for a song that’ll appeal beyond its genre’s core fans. Indeed, while familiar, the song’s structure doesn’t always turn in the most typical direction, helping the music remain fresh across multiple listens, while the rich, warm, and sincere vocals provide a trustworthy narration with a cheerful, pleasant tone.

In any case, bluegrass fan or not, if you enjoy well-written songs – perhaps singer-songwriter types of songs, though this would be more of a singer-songwriter trio – give “5 Days Out, 2 Days Back” a listen.

EP Review: Micki Free – Dreamcatcher

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image courtesy of Frank Roszak Promotions

EP Review of Micki Free: Dreamcatcher

Micki Free is a Grammy winner and recipient of a Native American Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award. His 2024 EP release, Dreamcatcher, is an excellent mostly-blues album, with a bit of musical variety and variations among the songs, making for a fun listen that’ll soon become a welcome addition to your music collection or playlist. Micki’s band is comprised of Cindy Blackman Santana (drums), Benny Rietveld (bass), and Ray Green (vocals). Dreamcatcher also features guest appearances from Rhonda Smith (Prince, Jeff Beck) on bass and Mark “Muggie Doo” Leach (Buddy Miles) on Hammond organ and piano.

The album kicks off strong with my personal favorite in the collection, the rollicking blues number “When The Devil’s At Your Door.” It’s followed by the funky blues – or perhaps it’s bluesy funk – “My Sweet Honey.”

The instrumental “Dreamcatcher,” next up, has kind of an adult contemporary vibe, a bit reminiscent of ’70s mellow blues-based rock ‘n roll, and features the notable inclusion of some Native American flute musical runs (played by Micki, per the liner notes). It’s followed by “Night Crawler,” a heavy, moderately psychedelic, throwback blues rocker with a rattling, omnipresent background buzzing wall of sound.

“We Are One,” the last studio recording on the EP, has kind of an acoustic vibe, with the guitar strumming giving it an almost folky blues flavor, though the electric guitar line that dances through the song add a classic rock ‘n roll energy to the song, too. It’s a very cool arrangement!

Finally, the sixth song is labeled a “bonus track.” It’s “Dreamcatcher Live,” a live version of the instrumental number “Dreamcatcher.” Surprisingly, it’s much shorter than the studio version of the song, and I think it levels up the song by imbuing it with an energy that’s hard to duplicate outside a live setting.

In all, Dreamcatcher is a very cool EP, one I simply couldn’t resist sharing with you via review. Definitely worth checking out!