Popular Music

Jazz Album Reviews: Winners from Roy McGrath, Chembo Corniel, and Big Band Leaders Marcos Fernández and Arturo O’Farrill

October 2, 2023
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Big band leader Arturo O’Farrill points out that “Santiago Brooklyn Santiago” makes a forceful argument that the embargo between Cuba and the United States should be done away with.

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Electronic EP Review: DE DE MOUSE & Shin-Ski’s “Rainbowtime” – The Consolation of Creation

September 23, 2023
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By Jeremy Ray Jewell Call it lofi or chillwave. Whatever it is, it’s worth it. Daisuke Endo, a.k.a. DE DE MOUSE, has released his new EP, Rainbowtime, in collaboration with fellow Japanese artist Shin-Ski. It is, as Endo describes it, based on “the theme of a world connected to fantasy during the magic time of…

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Jazz Album Review: “Basie Swings the Blues” — Blues-Soaked Big Band Jazz

September 21, 2023
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It’s good to hear the Basie band stretch. But it’s even better to hear them exult the blues with their own time-honored style leading the way.

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Concert Review: Janelle Monáe — As a Performer, The Real Deal

September 20, 2023
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Janelle Monáe’s an impressive singer and capable rapper but she is indeed phenomenal as a performer, showing keen attention to the craft.

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Concert Review: Peter Gabriel — Still Trusting the Imagination

September 15, 2023
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The veteran English art-rocker gave a slow-to-develop but brilliant near-three-hour show that tapped stunning visuals while evolving from the cerebral to the celebratory, culminating in a joyous “In Your Eyes.”

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Concert Review: Béla Fleck and My Bluegrass Heart at the Groton Hill Music Center

August 6, 2023
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You can’t appreciate Béla Fleck’s virtuosity until you see him up close and live. I left the hall stunned by the two-and-half hour master class in bluegrass innovation.

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Concert Review: Newport Folk Festival 2023 — Honoring the Past But Looking Toward the Future

August 1, 2023
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The real magic of the 2023 Newport Folk Festival didn’t arrive via high-wattage cameos but by way of the quality and quantity of collaborations from its homegrown community of musicians — as well as the cultural diversity of its lineup.

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Music Interview: Chatting with Liz Stokes of The Beths

July 24, 2023
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Lead singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist Liz Stokes talked about the making of The Beths’s most recent album, why the band isn’t called The Lizzes, and if fans can expect to ever hear her play trumpet.

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Concert Review: Phil Lesh and Friends

July 23, 2023
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The venue pulled the plug on Phil Lesh and his band after about 45 minutes into their second set, which was especially unfortunate considering the steady upward trajectory of the show to that point

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Country Music Album Review: Molly Tuttle’s “City of Gold” — A Glittering Triumph

July 21, 2023
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These young musicians clearly embrace their roots, but there is no denying that this is a forward-looking troupe, one that flashes no pretensions as it blows your mind.

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