George Marinelli

Except Always

Loud Folk, 2024

8/10

Listen to Except Always

The Grammy Winner George Marinelli brings his multi-instrumental ways to 2 discs of his varied song craft, where the 9 tracks of Disc 1 are new, and the remaining 17 are from his albums spanning the last 20 years.

The rhythmic and playful “I Don’t Have The Blues” starts the listen with an indeed bluesy spirit and fun energy, and “Except Always” continues the rich song craft with a guitar driven rocker that carries a retro feel.

Further on, “Only A Fool” touches on reggae nods amid Marinelli’s expressive pipes and a relaxed mood, while “Tell Me What It’s All About” exits this portion with a cozy acoustic strummer that comes with a nostalgic, folk appeal.

Of the previously released songs, the lively keys and power-pop demeanor of “Burn It All Down” is quite memorable, though it’s the intimacy of “Self Made Fool” that will draw in anyone with an ear for introspective songwriting. “Goodnight New York” exits, and it’s a soft and careful finish of gentle beauty.

Marinelli’s resume includes being a founding member of Bruce Hornsby & The Range, Bonnie Raitt’s lead guitarist and stints with Garth Brooks, Vince Gill and many others. He brings a wealth of experience and talent to the diverse songs that offer something for everyone and will certainly be appreciated as a whole, too.

Travels well with: Morningbird- Echoes In The Meadow; Nolen Sellwood- Cadence To The Flame

Layale Chaker & Sarafand

Radio Afloat

In A Circle, 2025

8/10

Listen to Radio Afloat

The violinist and vocalist Layale Chaker is joined by her ensemble Sarafand for these cultured and rich jazz selection that are both worldly and enlightening.

“Intro -and and from the dove i raised myself” opens the listen with Chaker’s elegant voice amid Jake Charkey’s lovely cello for a lovely and mysterious setting, and “Anatomie of Titus” follows with 2 segments that involve Phillip Golub’s swirling piano and a mesmerizing quality that also benefits from John Hadfield’s agile drumming.

Landing in the middle, “Khab Nisan” recruits Golub’s key acrobatics with a rock focused approach of rhythmic ideas, while “Ocean To Ocean” unfolds with profound beauty via Chaker’s sublime singing and the bare but impactful instrumentation.

“Southern Sky” and “Nocturnal: Backburn” exit the listen. The former makes great use of Sam Minaie’s skilled bass alongside the graceful strings in a dreamy fashion, and the latter finishes with mature keys and poetic violin that tugs on the heartstrings in a hazy demeanor.

A truly global representation of jazz, chamber, orchestral and improvised sounds, Chaker and company flesh out a unique and timeless body of work.

Travels well with: Ethel & Layale Chaker- Vigil; Jessica Mayer- I Long And Seek After

Denman Maroney Quintet

The Air-Conditioned Nightmare

Neuma, 2024

8/10

Listen to The Air-Conditioned Nightmare

The pianist and composer Denman Maroney is joined by Emilie Lesbros, Robin Fincker, Scott Walton and Samuel Silvant for these 2 discs of songs that were fleshed out 2 years apart, and it makes for an experimental and contemporary version of classical sounds.

The swift keys of the title track starts the listen with Lesbros’ expressive voice complementing the rich climate, and “A Game Of Chess” follows with Silvant’s agile drums and Fincker’s soulful sax making for a distinct version of jazz.

Further into the first half, “Roads” uses wordless vocals and frisky keys in atypical ways, while “On A Boat” exits Disc 1 with Walton’s strategic bass that suits the animated drumming and charming vocals

Disc 2, Covid Variations, leads with “Din”, where Maroney’s mesmerizing keys are met with hazy brass, and it isn’t long until “Durfortosis” layers the crisp drums, flowing sax and meticulous keys for the rich and unpredictable album highlight. Arriving at the end, “For Every Tatter” is an upbeat and exploratory version of improvised jazz acrobatics that puts a firm exclamation point on the affair.

Maroney has over 5 decades of experience of making music under his belt, and his artistic approach is certainly appreciated across these involved tracks that embrace his hyperpiano technique.

Travels well with: Bandwidth- Where Songs Go At Night; Glass Farm Ensemble- Nieuw Amsterdam New York

Morningbird

Echoes In The Meadow

Self-Released, 2024

8/10

Listen to Echoes In The Meadow

The debut album from an outfit spearheaded by Rob Wheeler and Jill Burkes, somewhat recently Morningbird added Josh Palmi to their harmonic and melodic string focused song craft.

“Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning” starts the listen with Wheeler and Burkes’ expressive pipes that emit a timeless and thoughtful folk appeal, and “Birds And Bees” follows with Jesse Dermody’s playful percussion that complements Burke’s expressive pipes amid the rhythmic climate.

Halfway through, “Thunder” brings harmonic voices and dense drums to an intimate and Americana fueled album highlight, while “Cold Hart” recruits Ryan Dermody on backing vocals that suit the vivid storytelling of the melodic album highlight.

Residing close to the end, “The Wind” showcases meticulous guitar amid a dreamy mood of organic beauty, and “Time For A Change” thumps with a frisky energy that touches on plenty of political topics and uses a stomp box and harmonica.

Morningbird reside in Northern Minnesota, and their haunting moments and strong attention to detail populate the traditionals and originals that have all 3 sharing vocal duties for a diverse and engaging folk affair that’s even enlightening.

Travels well with: Nolen Sellwood- Cadence To The Flame; Samuel Wilbur- The Age

Iris Trio

Project Earth: The Blue Chapter

Centrediscs, 2024

9/10

Listen to Project Earth: The Blue Chapter

The sophomore album from Christine Carter, Zoë Martin-Doike, and Anna Petrova, as Iris Trio they take inspiration from nesting bird islands around the Newfoundland coast for these 3 very well thought out pieces.

“Bird Island Suite” open the listen with a poem, before Petrova’s swirling keys and bare moments are met with busier bouts, where Carter’s elegant clarinet emits much beauty.

“Chorus Of Wishes” follows, and radiates a dreamy demeanor, as Martin-Doike’s meticulous viola cultivates a rich and graceful climate of beauty and wonder.

The final track, “Kinds Of Blue”, mixes spoken word into the playful string manipulation and sweeping intimacy via the sublime piano and mature wind that mesmerizes us throughout the 8 movements.

There is a tremendous amount of talent present here, and the trio’s unparalleled interaction makes for a first rate display of contemporary classical ideas.

Travels well with: Yosef Gutman Levitt- The World And Its People; David Korevaar- Piano Quintets

Kim Richey

Every New Beginning

Yep Roc, 2024

9/10

Listen to Every New Beginning

The veteran artist Kim Richey has enjoyed a lengthy and esteemed career that includes a Grammy nomination, and here we’re treated to 10 new songs that were written or co-written by the Nashville resident.

The warm spirit of “Chapel Avenue” starts the listen with Richey’s soft voice alongside a dreamy mood of beauty, and “Goodbye Ohio” follows with a poetic presence, where intimate guitars and well timed drums add much elegance.

Halfway through, “Floating On The Surface” indeed floats amid the agile melodies and soulful, wordless, backing vocals, while “The World Is Flat” uses meticulous keys and expressive singing that’s cautious yet meticulous.

Close to the end, “Come Back To Me” comes with a more bluegrass influenced personality, as Richey’s vocals soar amid the heartfelt delivery, and “Moment In The Sun” exits with cozy winds and a breeziness that emits a timeless nature of sophistication.

Richey is joined by an excellent cast, including Aaron Lee Tasjan, Doug Lancio, Dan Mitchell, Neilson Hubbard, Lex Price, Sav Buist, Katie Larson and Roger Nichols, where these first new songs in 6 years showcase a precise and gripping meshing of country, folk, Americana that will always be relevant.

Travels well with: Adeem The Artist- Anniversary; Peter Mulvey- Love Is The Only Thing

Stephen Jacques

Prayers For An Orange Cat

Self-Released, 2024

9/10

Listen to Prayers For An Orange Cat

The Virginia native Stephen Jacques pens a unique album of sincere, alt-rock love songs, where folk, post-punk and alt-country ideas are present and appreciated.

The soft and dreamy “Sometimes Love Is Not Enough” starts the listen with Jacques’ heartfelt singing alongside graceful keys and crisp drums, and “Prayers For An Orange Cat” follows with a bit of jangle, where prog-friendly guitars are met with a scrappy demeanor.

Arriving at the halfway point, “Fisherman Of Ireland” welcomes well timed backing female vocals to the more rugged, rock fueled landscape, while the acoustic strummer “Unsaid Poetry” builds into a powerful and slow burning moment of grit and intimacy.

Landing near the end, the best track, “Do You Have A Jet”, is plenty melodic and frisky via the flowing keys, hard hitting drums and firm vocals, and “Law Man River’s Edge” exits with a hint of dreaminess via the poetic storytelling and meticulous electric guitar acrobatics.

The legendary Steve Albini turned the knobs on this one, and contributions from Jason Narducy (bass, acoustic, electric guitars), Chris Siebold (lap steel, acoustic, electric guitars), Vijay Tellis-Nayak (piano, keyboards) and Gerald Dowd (drums, percussion) won’t go unnoticed, either, as Jacques makes for an accomplished body of work.

Travels well with: Martin Zellar- Head West; Chris Murphy- The Road And The Stars

Synia Carroll

Water Is My Song

Clarion, 2024

8/10

Listen to Water Is My Song

The inimitable vocalist Synia Carroll assembles songs tied to water, where a large cast of musicians accompany her for the 10 vocal jazz selections.

“Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea” starts the listen with Carroll’s bright pipes alongside Kenny Davis’ fluid bass lines and Houston Person’s soulful tenor sax, and “Child Of The Times” follows with Jerome Jennings’ agile drumming and Westey Lima De Amorim’s warm guitar that complements the cozy vocals.

At the halfway point, “Learning How To Fly” recruits Cafe’s cultured percussion for the rhythmic and rich landscape, while “Afro Blue” spotlights Aaron Heick’s reed prowess amid Beatriz Hernandez’s background vocals and no lack of Afro-Cuban nods.

Close to the end, “Norwegian Wood” allows for John Di Martino’s elegant keys to accent the dreaminess, and “The Water Is Wide” exits with Will Galison’s well timed harmonica adding much to the sublimeness of the album’s best.

A native to Philadelphia, Carroll is now a regular on the south Florida jazz scene, and she brings swing, folk, and plenty of worldly flavor to these timeless tunes.

Travels well with: Adam Hersh- Tornado Watch; Curtis Taylor- Taylor Made

Nolen Sellwood

Cadence To The Flame

New Folk, 2024

8/10

Listen to Cadence To The Flame

The Minnesota folk musician Nolen Sellwood laid down these tracks live and without any manipulation, where John Wright, Steve Lehto, Owen Reinert Nash and John Reinert Nash are along for the 11 songs.

The cozy and soft “State Of Being” opens with Owen’s light percussion alongside Sellwood’s gentle singing, and “Forthcome” follows with an intimate beauty via the meticulous guitar and light vocals.

Further along, “Banjo Song” has Sellwood’s falsetto guiding the fluid banjo and rich songwriting, while “Masque” benefits much from John Wright’s meticulous bass amid the poetic demeanor.

Close to the end, the minimal and strong attention to mood of “Lavender” allows Lehto’s impressive guitar to cultivate mystery, and the title track exits with a sparseness that’s distinct and memorable.

This is Sellwood’s 2nd album, and it sees the artist coming into his own as a musician and songwriter. Subtle help from Hovda’s trumpet and John’s sax won’t go unnoticed or unappreciated, either.

Travels well with: The Twins Of Franklin- This Life; Samuel Wilbur- The Age

Max McNown

Wandering

It’s a Fugitive, 2024

8/10

Listen to Wandering

The country-pop artist Max McNown may not be a household name yet, but it’s probably just a matter of time if these 12 timeless songs are any indication.

The emotive spirit of “Turned Into Missing You” starts the listen with McNown’s powerful voice alongside warm strumming, and “Strong As Iron” follows with intimate keys that complement the rich singing of the poetic mood.

Further along, “Worry ‘Bout My Wandering” comes with some well placed twang in a dreamy climate that emits much grace, while “Dear Evelyn” is a rich and melodic album highlight that comes with classic country ideas, too.

Landing close to the end, “Rather Have A Nightmare” benefits much from crisp drums and layered guitar amid McNown’s flawless pipes and “Can’t Hide Light” continues the sincerity via a bare, heartfelt demeanor that soars at the end.

Even though he’s just 23, McNown delivers like a seasoned vet, and his easily relatable song craft and strong attention to detail will make anyone a fan.

Travels well with: Dustin Kensrue- Desert Dreaming; Jackson + Sellers- Breaking Point

The Raging Project

Future Days

Self-Released, 2024

8/10

Listen to Future Days

An outfit that has existed in some form since 2007, these days The Raging Project consists of Amanda Lehmann, Leo Margarit, Derek Sherinian and Jean-Pierre Louveton, and here they pen 12 songs that revolve around metal and embrace a wide variety of influences.

“Warning” starts the listen with much attention to mood, where descriptive talking is surrounded by mystery, and “Rage” follows with hard hitting drums and searing guitars alongside firm vocals for a dynamic climate.

Moving into the middle, “Even If I Bleed” places chugging guitars against soaring ones, as a dense but melodic climate unfolds with tension, while “Ambient” relies on keys for an indeed atmospheric moment where waves of beauty enter, too.

Close to the end, “Procession” carries cinematic qualities via the soft piano and orchestral nods, and “Wrath”, an English version of an earlier tune, showcases buzzing synth and a hard hitting rhythm section that benefits from calm singing in the quiet versus loud dynamics.

A highly creative album that shifts from electro-rock to prog-rock and is never far from graceful or abrasive moments, The Raging Project make quite an impression here.

Travels well with: Glorious Wolf- Mysterious Traveler; Nick Fletcher- Quadrivium

The Speed Of Sound

A Cornucopia: Minerva

Big Stir, 2024

9/10

Listen to A Cornucopia: Minerva

The Manchester, England garage-psych outfit The Speed Of Sound bring us plenty of diversity among these 14 energetic and ambitious tracks.

The scrappy and harmonic “West Wind” starts the listen with John Armstrong and Ann-Marie Crowley trading off vocals amid plenty of bright melodies, and “SS-100-X” follows with some retro-folk ideas via John Broadhurst’s agile drums and the loose climate.

Moving towards the middle, the rugged yet harmonic “Half Life” makes great use of Kevin Roache’s well timed bass, while “The Great Acceleration” swirls with a hazy quality that’s a little darker in scope, but no less interesting.

Closer to the end, the bouncy and infectious “Clickbait” comes with both grit and tunefulness alongside the punk spirit, and “Question Time” exits with a swift and textured version of nostalgic rock ideas that benefits from a punchy rhythm section, fast guitars and a sing-along quality that’s instantly memorable.

A sonically varied outing, each track present comes with its own unique identity, where horns, balladry and grooves aren’t off limits. The CD and vinyl versions even come with 2 full length bonus albums of ‘60s nods, punk/New Wave tendencies and fantastic songwriting- not that you’d need anymore reasons to pick this up.

Travels well with: The Armoires- Octoberland; The Cyrkle- Revival

The Twins Of Franklin

This Life

Self-Released, 2024

9/10

Listen to This Life

The Minneapolis outfit The Twins Of Franklin are spearheaded by Becky Shaheen and Laura Lou, and this sophomore album brings a dose of American girl rock to songs inspired by motherhood.

“To The Moon” starts the listen with plenty of energy, where Joe Shaheen’s spirited harmonica suits Tommy Barbarella’s animated B3 and soaring vocal harmonies from the ladies, and “Look At All This Life” follows with a softer mood, where soulful singing is met with warm mandolin and Brian Riedinger’s agile drumming.

At the halfway point, the fluid and breezy “Life By Design” welcomes Eric Sexe’s melodic strumming to complement Shaheen and Lou’s expressive pipes, while “Stay” emits string arrangements thanks to Chris Koza for the album’s most intimate moment.

“Stuck Inside” and “All Your Love” exit the listen, where the former is romantic and benefits from Daniel Koza’s euphonium, and the latter finishes with a big presence of rootsy flavor that you won’t soon forget.

Though they aren’t actual twins, the pair’s chemistry goes back to college dorm rooms that turned into them both being professional musicians and now mothers. Extending from the indie-pop of their debut, this follow up embraces folk, Americana and plenty of gritty rock that’s never short on power and sweetness.

Travels well with: Samuel Wilbur- The Age; Martin Zellar- Head West

Chad Edwards

Wyoming Roads

Self-Released, 2024

8/10

Listen to Wyoming Roads

The piano and organ extraordinaire Chad Edwards is joined by Robery Kyle, Hussain Jiffy and Kevin Winard for these 5 originals and 4 standards that touch on the timeless qualities of jazz that we will always enjoy.

The title track starts with Edwards’ warm keys and Winard’s agile drumming for the rich opener that welcomes Kyle’s bright sax, and “Footprints” follows with a frisky mood, where Jiffy’s lively bass is quite exiting.

In the middle, the cultured rhythm of “Alone Together” is plenty soulful and doesn’t lack any grooves, while “Azure Sky, Sapphire Sea” has Kyle handling flute for the dreamy, textured album highlight that makes great use of the meticulous rhythm section.

Further still, “Trey” pairs the reflective sax with playful bass lines and mature keys, and “Tierney” exits with an intimate demeanor that allows the airy flute to float above cozy drums, bass and piano.

Edwards is also a physicist/aerospace engineer, and that strong attention to detail is reflected in these 9 tunes that embrace Latin nods, salsa fun and even funky bursts, too.

Travels well with: Ricky Alexander- Just Found Joy; Dave Bass- Trio Nuevo

Crow And Gazelle

as above now so below

Self-Released, 2024

9/10

Listen to as above now so below

The Texas duo of Mike McClure and Chrislyn Lawrence, as Crow and Gazelle they make harmonic and acoustic sounds across this debut album.

The acoustic guitar fueled title track starts the listen with cozy vocal harmonies amid much folk influenced warmth, and “Closer To Heaven” follows with Lawrence’s expressive pipes front and center alongside subtle, aching strings.

Further along, “These Are The Days” is full of organic melodies and a bit of fuller approach, while “Still Free To Fly” takes that lead into a lush album highlight that uses keys for the poetic delivery.

Closer to the end, “The Only Thing” allows Lawrence’s pretty voice to resonate amid the intimacy that benefits from McClure’s pipes and fluid strumming, and “Under The Same Sun” exits with the duo’s sincerity and beauty making for a timeless finish.

A highly reflective affair that’s sometimes tinted with melancholy, the pair make for a soulful and ultimately romantic first album that’s immediately gripping.

Travels well with: Robby Hecht- Not A Number; The Resonant Rogues- The Resonant Rogues

Annika Chambers

Kiss My Sass

VizzTone, 2019

8/10

Listen to Kiss My Sass

It’s been a good year for Annika Chambers, who already won the 2019 Blues Award for Soul Blues Female Artist Of The Year, and this 3rd studio album further solidifies the Texan as one of the best in the business.

The title track starts the album with spirited guitar work and strong, confident vocals from Chambers in the melodic and timeless tune, and “That’s What You Made Me” follows with a percussive and organ fueled offering with plenty of grooves in the funk filled environment.

Elsewhere, “What’s Your Thing” is a subdued moment that allows the vocals to soar, while the soulful and stripped back “Brand New Day” uses keys strategically in the cautious album highlight.

Near the end, “Stay” recruiits horns in the busy display of power and melody, and “I Feel The Same” exits the record on a duet with Paul DesLauriers that hints at country with plenty of heartfeltness

It’s not so surprising that Chambers is winning awards; the songstress has a set of pipes you won’t forget anytime soon, and shows much versatility on this stunning album.

Travels well with: Heather Newman- Rise From The Flames ; Carolyn Wonderland- Peace Meal