By:
On:

LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, the latest album from trumpeter Malcolm Strachan, is a delightfully pleasant listen from start to finish. Malcolm is a founding member of the fantastic UK funk band The Haggis Horns, whom I first got hip to when they played on The New Mastersounds inaugural album back in 2001. Look on the Bright Side is Malcolm’s third ‘solo’ album, although he brings in a well-accomplished crew to drive this album like a well-oiled machine. Malcolm is brilliant playing trumpet, flugelhorn, and valve trombone on this album, which is reminiscent of some of the great Donald Byrd soundsContinue Reading

By:
On:

Champagne Bubblebath is the brainchild of Grant Schroff, the drummer of the great funk band, Polyrhythmics. The music is an elixir of trippy funk and acid jazz. The band is a blend of his Polyrhythmics bandmates, Jason Gray (bass) and Ben Bloom (guitar), along with famed Emerald City funk guitar OG Jimmy James (True Loves, Parlor Greens), with whom Schroff has old-school roots working with the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio many moons ago. The album is a throwback to a bygone era but at the same time brings a new potion to the party. The pairing of Bloom and JamesContinue Reading

By:
On:

NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL is the best ‘jazz’ festival in the United States, keeping true to its origins, history, and legends while simultaneously bringing forth new and emerging artists and styles. The 2026 event sustains the NJF run of excellence with its stacked stellar lineup. It’s an abundance of riches, as the festival packs more talent across four stages and three days than most fans will see in a whole year or more! Each day has a legendary headliner closing out on the main Fort Stage: Vulpeck on Friday, Kamasi Washington and Chief Adjuah celebrating Miles, Coltrane and Rollins on Saturday,Continue Reading

By:
On:

Kinga Głyk, the fabulous Polish bassist, is about to embark on her first U.S. tour with seven dates in nine days! She’s been touring the world for nearly ten years and wowing crowds with her electrifying performances. I reviewed her fifth album, Real Life (click for link), when it came out and it was one of my top albums of 2024! I was lucky enough to catch her live set at GroundUP Music Festival Alberobello and it was an overall highlight. Kinga first set foot in the U.S. in January 2026 as part of Michael League’s residency at The BlueContinue Reading

By:
On:

What happens when one of your favorite guitarists, organ players, and drummers get together? Well, you get a supergroup called The Breaks and they’ve just released their debut album. On guitar, they have Eddie Roberts the cofounder of the now quasi retired quartet The New Mastersounds who wrapped up a twenty six year run at New Years Eve. On organ, there’s Robert Walter, with his own 20th Congress and reigning keys master in GreyBoy Allstars. And, rounding it out on the skins, the incredible Stanton Moore of Galactic and several additional side projects. This is a real dream team thatContinue Reading

By:
On:

Masterclass in Modern Guitar Virtuosity Get ready to witness Matteo Mancuso, one of the young lions of the modern electric guitar at GroundUp Music Festival Alberobello June 26-28, 2026. In the process of researching and writing my full GUMF Italy Preview, Matteo was one that I hadn’t previously known, but got me pumped up for the annual festival put on by Snarky Puppy. The Sicilian phenomenon has really sprung up on global music scene the last few years by playing with a very unique technique that combining mind-bending speed with stunning melodic sensitivity. In this spotlight, I go deeper intoContinue Reading

By:
On:

High Fade is an Edinburgh-based independent funk-rock trio founded by guitarist/vocalist Harry Valentino in 2018. The band has made inroads on the U.S. jam band scene, having recently played Suwannee Hulaween in October 2025. For comparative bands, you might think of other power trios like Lespecial, SunSquabi or Consider the Source but more on the vocal and rock side of the biz. On May 8, they released their second full album, “Twice as Nice,” and it’s a scorcher. It’s not straight-up funk—more like a hard-edged crossover in a high-octane cocktail. The powerful lyrics are sung and shouted with energy and darknessContinue Reading

By:
On:

GroundUP Music Festival Alberobello is back with a bang in 2026! It’s the special festival with most artists that you’ve never heard of (if you’re like me) but will become your favorites once you check them out! That is the very essence of all GroundUP Music Festivals put on by the organizers Michael League (of Snarky Puppy) and Paul Lehr (GroundUP Music). Naturally the festival features three sets of the 5-time Grammy winning ensemble Snarky Puppy. The band is coming in hot off the receent release of their latest masterpiece, Somni (read review here) and U.S. tour debuting the albumContinue Reading

By:
On:

Snarky Puppy’s Somni tour kicked off Wednesday, April 8th, at The Eastern in Atlanta! It was a full circle moment for me, starting with the Somni recording sessions in Utrecht, Netherlands, in January 2025; the release of the album in November 2025; and me naming it my Album of the Year for 2025 (link to review)! Now, they’re in the midst of the U.S. tour—I attended the first four in Atlanta, Charleston, Durham, and Charlotte and will be at 7 of the first 14, with Red Bank, Philly, and Nashville coming up later this month.  Here are my overall observationsContinue Reading

By:
On:

Organ Fairchild is a serious band with a fun name, producing outstanding, fun music. The album “Boom!”—the band’s fourth album—is probably my favorite, and each tune is strikingly sonically sound. Organ Fairchild out of Buffalo, NY, is a traditional organ trio—organ, guitar, and drums—that shows off each of their members from time to time and has a bigger sound than their actual numbers. The compositions here have some old-school feel and yet still sound fresh and contemporary. The tunes often have a theme or vibe, and that is conveyed in the titles and the music proper. The variation from trackContinue Reading