MacArthur genius grant winner Rhiannon Giddens' new album, there is no Other, invites us to do more than share our misery. It asks us to see ourselves as part of something bigger.
Not just for those who've been to Jazz Fest, this collection offers a distillation of the diverse, whimsical, resolute, occasionally profane, and always heartfelt spirit of New Orleans.
A new definitive set unveils rare sides from Chicago's Bea & Baby Records, ranging from blues to gospel and hip-hop. Hear songs from Andre Williams and Sleepy John Estes with Hammie Nixon.
The blend of diverse original material with a wide-ranging array of superb blues and classic rock covers is part of what makes the Tedeschi Trucks Band a leading torch carrier for the blues tradition, ever paying tribute to the past while continuing to move the medium forward.
Multi-instrumentalist Matt Lorenz uses a three-word name for his one-man band (the Suitcase Junket), working at a dizzying pace as a recording artist, tour performer and, now, an intrepid filmmaker.
Justin Townes Earle's songs on The Saint of Lost Causes all have a feel that is timeless and reverential of the past, while still moving forward along the twisted turns of America.
In her recent performance at the Southbank Centre, Barb Jungr shared perfect material for her own genre-defying artistry in the works of Bob Dylan and Jacques Brel.
Mindi Abair and the Boneshakers return with an inspired collection of covers and originals that play to the group's strengths and will leave even longtime fans stunned. Says Abair of the inspiration behind her latest single, "I love my life but I know it looks crazy from the outside."
Virginia-born R&B crooner Gio Washington discusses why he'd never wear Levi's, a racy job in a possible past life, and, of course, a new soul album on the horizon.
Mean Dog, Trampoline is a thoroughly enjoyable album that highlights Matthew Lorenz's skills as a songwriter. Having Steve Berlin along as a producer certainly helps bring out more color in the Suitcase Junket's music.
Built on elements of blues, soul, and gospel, Shawn James' new album, The Dark & The Light, explores the ways in which the listener can translate trauma.
