Patrick Moore /Andrew Staupe

Four Generations

Navona, 2025

8/10

Listen to Four Generations

The cellist Patrick Moore and pianist Andrew Staupe come together for 4 diverse works from 4 esteemed composers that cover a lot of territory.

“Élégie for Violoncello and Piano” opens, and pairs the tense strings with dense keys in the Darius Milhaud piece, and “Sonata No. 1 for Violoncello and Piano” follows with the moody cello alongside the firm keys that make for a cinematic appeal thanks to William Bolcom’s vision.

Arthur Gottschalk’s “Sonata for Cello and Piano: In Memoriam” lands on the back half and showcases a distinct intimacy between Moore and Staupe, while“Dreams and Hallucinations for Cello and Piano”, by Karl Blench, offers a turbulent and animated album highlight, where the jarring keys and haunting strings make an impression.

A record with much emotion that celebrates how mentorship aids in creativity and continuity in classical music, there is much color and dimension to appreciate via these timeless chamber selections.

Travels well with: Angélica Negrón- Pedacito De Tierra; Nicholas Goluses- Across The Horizon

Hiroko Mina

Beyond The Silk Road

Mandacara, 2025

8/10

Listen to Beyond The Silk Road

The Japanese pianist and composer Hiroko Mina brings us 9 worldly tunes that embrace New Age ideas and plenty of Eastern and Western sensibilities.

“Wings Of Celestial Maiden” opens with much ambience, before Mamiko Uchiwa’s stunning voice suits Mina’s mesmerizing keys and Ron Carter’s moody bass, and “Sky Voice” follows with Liu Wei’s expressive throat singing and whistling amid Mina’s lovely key progressions that radiate dreaminess.

“Floating Temple” and “Moonlit Oasis” land in the middle. The former blends Hideki Tsutsumi’s synth with lush keys via much color and cinematic qualities, while the latter recruits Susumu Otsuka’s meticulous pan flute to add much grace to the heartfelt piano.

Near the end, “Nomad” welcomes Calin Farcasel’s flute and Nicusor Mardarescu’s oboe for the poetic album highlight, and “The Path Beyond Infinity” exits with Uchiwa’s voice and hazy synth complementing the hypnotic keys.

A very eclectic and unpredictable version of jazz that’s nothing short of captivating, Mina surrounds herself with incredible talent for a memorable listening experience.

Travels well with: Wink Winkelmann- Be It Known; Elijah Rock- Memories Unleashed- Impulse 1

Poul Ruders

Six Symphonies

Bridge, 2025

9/10

Listen to Six Symphonies

The Danish composer Poul Ruders assembles 6 symphonies here for the first time, where plenty of color and detailed instrumentation is present.

“Symphony No. 1” opens with a booming presence, where the Danish National Symphony Orchestra’s intricate playing unfolds with dramatic and exciting bouts, and it isn’t long until “Symphony No. 3” brings plenty of turbulence to the animated landscape that really allows for the many woodwinds to shine.

In the middle, the grand appeal of “Symphony No. 4” uses soothing versus swift ideas that are often cinematic thanks to the Odense Symphony Orchestra, while “Symphony No. 5” utilizes percussion strategically and pays close attention to mood.

“Symphony No. 6” exits, and it’s initially soft before dramatic swells enter the diverse and meticulous instrumentation.

An extremely bold and technical body of work, the orchestras flesh out Ruders’ vision with stunning performances.

Travels well with: Harry Partch- The Wayward First Complete Recording; William Bland- Sonata No. 6 & No. 15

Sarah Morris

Say Yes

Self-Released, 2025

9/10

Listen to Say Yes

The Minneapolis artist Sarah Morris returns with another thoughtful record, where she examines the complexities of love and unpredictable nature of life via her sincere and timeless Americana.

“Glow” starts the listen with Morris’ soft voice and pretty guitar alongside Lars Erik Larson’s well timed drums, and “Hard On A Heart” follows with a rich delivery that benefits from Nick Salisbury’s fluid bass.

“Love” lands in the middle and spotlights Dave Mehling’s strategic synth amid the intimate singing of the album’s best, while “The One I Choose” is a bit more firm, rock friendly even, thanks to the frisky rhythm section and expressive vocals.

“Houston” and “Yeah, Yeah” land in the middle. The former allows for Morris’ powerful voice to shine and complement Thomas Nordlund’s radiant guitar, and the latter is a gentle, poetic moment of heartfelt songwriting.

A really authentic and passionate artist, Morris puts much emotion into every song she pens, and it makes for another gem in the area of Americana.

Travels well with: Sarah Morris- Here’s To You; Kaitlin Cassady- North Star

Rosemary Schonfeld

Sandy And Jean

Absolute Label Services, 2025

9/10

Listen to Love Is Love: A Rock Opera

The inimitable artist Rosemary Schonfeld relays the imperative tale of the kind of discrimination and pressures experienced by lesbians due to Section 28 during the 1980s and 90s, and it brings a whole lot of diverse sounds and ideas to the table.

The booming drums and dreamy presence of “Night Before The Wedding” starts with much wonder and warmth before the smooth vocals enter, and “Young Mothers’ Toddlers’ Group” follows with bright brass and group vocals via a theater appeal.

The title track lands in the middle and uses piano strategically alongside intimate singing that’s heartfelt, while “Everyone Hates Lesbians” blends accordion with spoken word about the historical hatred of lesbians.

Closer to the end, “Chorus Of Friends And Jean” finds a dreamy place to reside thanks to the playful percussion and alternating talking and singing, and “Love Is Love” exits with detailed storytelling alongside some playful rock gestures.

Musically, this is all over the place, from rock, rap, balladry and Sprechgesang (sung language), and the instruments vary from ‘80s Casio keyboards to slide guitar. The wordplay surrounds the pair of mothers who fall in love, but are unable to leave their husbands, and it all makes for a very important and unique rock opera.

Travels well with: Øyunn- I Know U Can Do It; Stumbleine- Deleted Scenes

Emanuel Gruber/Arnon Erez

Beethoven: Music For Cello & Piano

Bridge, 2025

9/10

Listen to Beethoven: Music For Cello & Piano

Emanuel Gruber’s cello and Arnon Erez's piano come together for this double CD interpretation of Beethoven’s music for cello and piano that sounds better than ever in this remastered setting.

“Cello Sonata No. 1 in F Major, Op. 5 No. 1” opens with the swift keys and gorgeous cello emitting much warmth and grace, and “12 Variations on a theme from Handel’s ‘Judas Maccabaeus’’ follows with the animated fingers and heartfelt strings that are touching and playful.

Deeper into disc A, “7 Variations on a theme from Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute’” radiates much beauty and color thanks to the meticulous interaction between the pair, while disc B leads with the moody and poetic “Cello Sonata No. 2 in G Minor”, where some tension resides amid the cautious instrumentation.

“Cello Sonata No. 5” exits, and it’s a vibrant display of agile keys and stirring cello, where both gentle and frisky bouts leave an indelible impression.

Gruber and Erez bring a wealth of talent and experience to this effort, where justice is served to Beethoven’s vision and unfolds with technical and timeless song craft

Travels well with: David S. Lefkowitz- Preludes And Fugues For Piano; Arlene Sierra- Birds & Insects

Claire Porter & The Stouts

Time Alone

Self-Released, 2024

8/10

Listen to Time Alone

The Newfoundland singer-songwriter Claire Porter brings her powerful pipes to these 7 songs that discuss love and bugs and might bring to mind Angel Olsen, Fiona Apple or Sarah Slean.

The warm spirit of “Apartment #4” opens with Porter’s expressive voice and cozy guitar that welcomes Brandon Goodwin’s light drums, and “Jupiter Jones” follows with a soulful dreaminess that showcases bright storytelling.

“Rains In December” and “Time Alone” lands in the middle. The former benefits from Porter’s intimate keys amid the poetic wordplay, while the latter uses frisky percussion and twinkling keys alongside a mix of talking and singing.

“Thirsty” exits, and spotlights Neil Robinson’s skilled bass via the rich and seductive finish that’s stylish and carries a lounge appeal.

This is Porter’s debut and it’s an excellent starting point where nods to Judy Garland and Tom Waits are much appreciated across the folk, blues and R&B influences.

Travels well with: Mark Thackway- Twisted; Lennie Gallant- Shelter From The Storms

Angélica Negrón

Pedacito De Tierra

Navona, 2025

9/10

Listen to Pedacito De Tierra

The Grammy-Nominated saxophonist José Antonio Zayas Cabán is joined by Casey Rafn and Ryan Smith, i.e. the chamber trio {trés}, for these personal selections that surround the stories of the Puerto Rican diaspora in the Twin Cities.

The 11+ minute track opens with much ambience and mystery, where the chilling electronics are met with rich sax from both Cabán and Rafn. The vocals float in with a sense of dreaminess amid Rafn’s well timed keys and plenty of adventurous background noises that swirl with intrigue.

Angélica Negrón’s track speaks to the displacement and belonging, memory and identity, longing and resilience of immigrant communities around the globe, and it’s a worldly, mesmerizing and cultured take on chamber ideas.

Travels well with: Nicholas Goluses- Across The Horizon; Laurie Christman- Running With Horses

Leilehua Lanzilotti & David Kaplan

Scott Wollschleger: Lost Anthems

New Focus, 2025

9/10

Listen to Scott Wollschleger: Lost Anthems

The violist Leilehua Lanzilotti and pianist David Kaplan come together for this 25 minute piece by the composer Scott Wollschleger, which was commissioned by Lanzilotti as a part of The 20/19 Project.

The lone track highlights lower registers of the keys, as the often quivering strings enter and exit with a distinct presence that’s mysterious and animated. The composition is comprised of 15 anthems that cover antipodal timbral abilities, where the keys almost seem to be delivered in code alongside the piano’s distinct rhythmic language via the sonically engaging environment.

Lanzilotti and Kaplan illustrate tremendous control of their instruments, as they illuminate Wollschleger’s vision with care, creativity and an experimental angle that’s atypically enlightening.

Travels well with: Daniel Strong Godfrey- Towards Light; David Salvage- Dreams Of Love And Travel

Samuel Wilbur

Ivory Tower

Self-Released, 2025

9/10

Listen to Ivory Tower

The Minneapolis artist Samuel Wilbur brings along some serious female talent from all over the world for these 13 pop and rock tunes.

“Everything Is Falling Apart” opens with Clare Dove’s well timed vocals in the thumping and swirling pop song that invites singing along, and “Social Security Number” follows with Dani Michaele’s distinct voice amid a bit of a jangle via the infectious delivery.

The title track lands closer to the middle and invites Meghan Kreidler’s soulful pipes that suit the melodic yet firm delivery, while “Hornet’s Nest” welcomes Laura Kiernan’s and Ben Botfield’s distinct voices alongside the bouncy bass of the busy yet meticulous album highlight.

“It Belongs To Me” and “Everything Repeats” exit the listen. The former enlists sturdy guitar riffs and layers of dynamic rock, and the latter benefits from James Graham’s mesmerizing keys, Nisa Addina’s violin and a dreaminess in the cautious finish.

An album full of charming duets and diverse instrumentation, Wilbur’s harmonies, hooks and multi-instrumental ways are again much appreciated and further solidify him as a Minnesota artist worthy of attention.

Travels well with: Samuel Wilbur- The Age; Bryan Schumann & The Sunshapes- Heart & Horizon

Shout Section Big Band

Tatum’s Swingin’ Session

Self-Released, 2025

9/10

Listen to Tatum’s Swingin’ Sesssion

Chicago’s Shout Section Big Band turn in a lively one here, where the animated 14 songs are led by Tatum Langley’s playful voice.

“Deedle’s Blues” starts the listen with Langley’s soaring pipes alongside the bright brass and Ben Crino’s warm guitar, and “Ridin’ High” follows with a frisky energy thanks to Stuart Seale’s strategic keys.

“Swingin’ On Nothing” lands in the middle and trims the pace back with T. J. Thompson’s soft drums amid the soulful trombone, while “I Hadn’t Anyone Till You” tugs on the heartstrings and allows for Jack Sundstrom’s cozy bass to shine.

“You’re The Top” lands at the end and is a scrappy and infectious album highlight that’s charming and memorable, and “The Masquerade Is Over” exits with Langley’s gripping voice guiding us through the careful and rich finish.

The band consists of 18 players, where the saxophone, trombone and trumpet sections interact with plenty of precision for this 5th album of timeless Big Band fun.

Travels well with: The Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra- Mixed Bag; Christopher Zuar Orchestra- Exuberance

Reggie Garrett & Christine Gunn

The Road Taken

WonderDog, 2025

9/10

Listen to The Road Taken

The Olympia, Washington duo of Reggie Garrett and Christine Gunn bring their inimitable talents to 12 sincere folk songs that surround the journey of life and the paths it takes.

The warm spirit of “Thru & Thru” opens with Garrett’s expressive pipes and fluid guitar alongside Gunn’s moody cello and soulful voice, and “A Place In This World” follows with eloquent storytelling that allows for Gunn’s intimate cello shine.

“Streams Of Consciousness” lands in the middle and is a quick instrumental that’s thoughtful and soothing, while “Cross The Mountain” offers a fuller moment that welcomes crisp drums to the atmospheric cello and Garrett’s distinct storytelling.

Moving close to the end, “In Time” meshes the duo’s intimate voices in a dreamy bout, and “The Road Ahead” exits with a bit of tension amid the careful cello and a bit of a darker ambience.

A rich and harmonic listening experience that approaches folk music from a unique angle, Garrett and Gunn bring a tremendous amount of talent to these intriguing and sophisticated tracks.

Travels well with: Leslie Jordan- The Agonist; The Accidentals- Time Out 3

Le Vent du Nord

Voisinages

La Compagnie du Nord, 2025

9/10

Listen to Voisinages

The Quebec outfit, Le Vent du Nord, bring their infectious energy to these highly diverse tracks that includes dance numbers, ballads, a cappella and instrumental tracks.

“Par-Dessus le Pont” opens with animated call and response vocals and playful foot stomps, as Réjean Brunet’s lively accordion adds much appeal, and “Bienvenue” follows with a colorful instrumental that welcomes whistles and Olivier Demers’ agile violin.

In the middle, “Fleuve” allows for André (Dédé) Gagné’s elegant guitar to mesmerize us, while “Du Nord au Sud” is a dance friendly moment thanks to the meticulous strings and quick percussion.

Further still, “Carillon” is a bit more firm, as Nicolas Boulerice’s expressive pipes suit the thumping, cultured folk-rock, and “Fleur radieuse” exits with the graceful strings, cozy accordion and much melody.

A record that possesses a tremendous amount of joy, Voisinages translates to Neighborhood, and that seems pretty apt since Le Vent du Nord brings us on a journey through Irish and Scottish Celts, American folk, songs from Acadia, and French-speaking Americans via this very sophisticated outing.

Travels well with: Le Vent du Nord- 20 Printemps; Leslie Jordan- The Agonist

Leslie Jordan

The Agonist

Self-Released, 2025

10/10

Listen to The Agonist

The Nashville artist Leslie Jordan assembles songs inspired by and adapted from the lost writings and poetry of her grandfather, Robert S. (Bobby) Gott, which unfolds with eloquence and timeless folk ideas.

The title track starts with Jordan’s captivating voice amid Harrison Whitford’s warm resonator guitar that’s just so striking, and “The Fight” follows with a calm presence that welcomes Joachim Cooder’s crisp drumming in a poetic mood.

In the middle, “Truth Or Consequence” exhibits lovely intimacy that’s touching in a gentle climate that showcases Joey Ryan’s backing vocals, while “Madonna Of Sierra Madre” makes great use of sophisticated keys and Daniel Rhine’s intricate bass playing which complements the gorgeous singing.

Moving towards the end, “Elegy” enlists strings from Eleonore Denig, Laura Epling and Patrick Monnius alongside the emotive vocals and sweeping atmosphere, and “Suzy Rain” tugs on the heartstrings with its cozy acoustic guitar and rich instrumentation.

A truly captivating body of work, Jordan discusses addiction, loss and loneliness to acceptance across a truly powerful and profoundly inspiring record that is nothing short of a masterpiece.

Travels well with: Connie Kaldor- Wide Open Spaces; Suzie Brown- Songs Worth Saving

William Prince

Further From The Country

Six Shooter, 2025

9/10

Listen to Further From The Country

This 5th release from the Manitoba artist William Prince brings his baritone pipes to country and folk songs that touch on his time living on the reservation in his home country.

The driving beat of the stylish title track opens with Prince’s smooth pipes that pairs rural and club sounds, and “For The First Time” follows with warm piano and poetic storytelling that builds into an emotive landscape that’s touching.

“Damn” lands in the middle and pays close attention to mood via a dreamy climate that’s mesmerizing, while “Flowers On The Dash” is a bit more rugged and welcomes cozy pedal steel and some classic country nods that are infectious.

“The Charmer” and “More Of The Same” exit the listen. The former is eloquent and soft, as Prince’s touching voice is met with intimate song writing, and the latter finishes with a melodic and uplifting album highlight that’s heartfelt.

It’s no surprise that Prince has picked up 2 Juno awards, including the John Prine Songwriter Fellowship, an Americana Awards Nomination and was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. He song craft is soulful, relatable and timeless from beginning to end.

Travels well with: Lennie Gallant- Further From The Storms; Rags Rosenberg- Song Of The Bricoleur

Thomas Kotcheff/Bryan Curt Kostors

Between Systems

Post Tonal, 2025

9/10

Listen to Between Systems

Thomas Kotcheff’s keys and Bryan Curt Kostors electronic prowess come together for these highly creative classical interpretations of John Cage and Morton Feldman’s work that defies classification.

Kotcheff’s unpredictable keys are met with Kostors’ animated electronic gestures for the atypical start off tune, “Nature Piece 1”, and “Nature Piece 2” follows with playful percussive ideas amid the well timed keys in a glitchy climate.

“Nature Piece 4” and “Nature Piece 5” arrive in the middle. The former showcases pretty keys that float with intrigue in a dreamy landscape, while the latter is a tense moment that’s cinematic, atypically rhythmic and quite exciting.

Near the end, the firm keys of “Intermission 5” is uniquely intimate, even a bit haunting in its ambience, and “Dream” exits with 11+ minutes of rich piano, a mysterious atmosphere and much warmth.

A really inventive meshing of classical and electronica, there’s subtle moments, dance fueled bouts and thoughtful minimalism to be admired here.

Travels well with: Professor Girlfriend- My Mother In Love: The Summer Sessions; Brian Baumbusch- Polytempo Music

The Moanin' Frogs

One Giant Leap

Big Round, 2025

9/10

Listen to One Giant Leap

An assembly of 6 saxophones, The Moanin’ Frogs bring their distinct chamber presence to 16 really unique tunes here.

“Slava!” opens with Lucas Hopkins’ bass saxophone making an impression in the animated and rich opener, and “Maple Leaf Rag” follows with a bouncy spirit thanks to Jeff Siegfried’s well timed tenor sax prowess.

“Danny Boy” lands in the middle and makes great use of Jeffrey Leung’s cautious baritone sax via the intimate landscape, while “Queen of The Night’s Aria from The Magic Flute” offers a cinematic moment thanks to the meticulous interaction between the winds.

Arriving closer to the end, “My Heart Will Go On” enlists Edward Goodman’s soprano saxophone and Gabriel Piqué’s alto saxophone for a song we’ll all immediately remember, which is executed with just as much emotion here, and the finisher, “Johnny B. Goode”, will get your body moving to the rock’n’roll classic that puts Jonathan Hulting-Cohen’s tenor and sopranino saxophones to good use.

A really fun listen that puts a fresh coat of paint on some old tunes, The Moanin’ Frogs includes 5 selections from the Voyager Golden Records (The 1977 Voyager I and II spacecraft contained 2 records for deep space) alongside other works they believe deserve a place in the cosmos. If they enter your orbit, consider yourself lucky.

Travels well with: Mika Stoltzman- Memories Of Tomorrow; David Harris- You Loved Me Then

Black Rose Burning

The Fear Machine

Self-Released, 2025

9/10

Listen to The Fear Machine

This 4th album from the New York City outfit Black Rose Burning brings plenty of influences to their dark and layered approach via George Grant and Luis Infantas multi-instrumentalist talents.

“The Herald Of The Change” starts with buzzing synth and thumping drums that comes with some goth influence but is also easy to sing along to, and “Winter Fields” follows with a warm melody thanks to Grant’s dreamy guitar and Infantas’ crisp drumming.

The title track arrives in the middle, and it’s a cinematic moment that flirts with post-punk and ‘80s ideas, while “When The Master Calls” carries some shoegaze nods that pay close attention to mood.

Landing close to the end, “Beautiful Disaster” gets a bit spacey with some psychedelic stabs and a bit more firmness amid New Wave influences, and “Before The Wall” exits with a mesmerizing climate that uses repetition strategically and might bring to mind Bob Mould.

Another exciting outing for Black Rose Burning, if genres like newgaze, indie-rock, alt-rock and post-punk occupy your collection, well, then this should, too.

Travels well with: Black Rose Burning- Ad Astra; Black Rose Burning- The Year Of The Scorpion

Jackdawg

Jackdawg

Liberation Hall, 2025

9/10

Listen to Jackdawg

This lone album from the brief, early ‘90s supergroup Jackdawg brings John McFee (The Doobie Brothers), Stu Cook (Creedence Clearwater Revival), and the late Keith Knudsen (The Doobie Brothers) to 15 timeless tracks.

“Bayou Rebel” starts the listen with Knudsen’s thumping drums and McFee’s soaring voice in the retro-rock climate, and “When The Sun Don’t Shine” follows with McFee’s intricate guitar and Cook’s playful bass that recruits rhythm to the equation.

Moving close to the middle, “Take It Off” allows for McFee’s synth prowess to shine via the animated delivery that invites singing along, while “Quicksand” showcases the precise rhythm section amid the glossy, ‘80s rock moments.

Getting close to the end, “Young Ones” is a bit dreamy, highly melodic and comes with an infectious chorus, and “Wild Night” exits with a more dense approach thanks to the thick guitar, pounding drums and animated bass.

It’s really too bad that Jackdawg were so short lived, cause this is some great pop-rock and rootsy fun. Although some rare pressings might be out there, this album was largely shelved but gets a new lease on life thanks to Liberation Hall on vinyl, CD and digital formats.

Travels well with: The Blasters- The Complete Concert; Sea Hags- Dead & Gone

Voctave

Somewhere There’s Music

Jamey Ray, 2019

8/10

Listen to Somewhere There’s Music

An 11 piece a cappella outfit from The Sunshine State, Voctave may not utilize any instruments but their voices, but that doesn’t stop them from delivering new life into classic tunes with their gospel, pop and Christian barbershop influences on these 13 harmonic and soothing covers.

“Orange Colored Sky” starts the listen with the female voices dominating the calming track, and “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” brings new breath to the standard as both genders mix their talents with much sophistication.

Near the middle, “Moon River” is especially dreamy, and the playful “Andrews Sisters Medley” illustrates just how frisky the ensemble can get sans traditional instruments with plenty of blues-influenced rhythm.

Deeper cuts offer the romantic and sultry “My Funny Valentine”, and collaborative album highlight “Smile”, where much power and grace are exemplified. “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” ends the listen on a comforting and nostalgic exit to an ideal track to finish the intimate and amicable affair.

A collection of primarily jazz standards, Voctave certainly retain that jazz spirit of the originals while putting a nice coat of their inimitable formula on this accomplished and fun endeavor.

Travels well with: The Swingle Sisters- Weather To Fly; The Manhattan Transfer-Extensions