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Hulaween is a much-hyped festival for good reason – it’s almost impossible to chronicle the experience for anyone uninitiated to the event. This year’s 10th anniversary edition was no exception and I was thrilled to be there as a fan and music video journalist.  There are multiple reasons why the festival is so special – the music is spread across five stages and spans genres from massive EDM light shows and String Cheese Incident extravaganzas to medium and smaller rock, jam, funk, pop, and world musiuc stars.  I’ve come to learn and appreciate that every attendee is going to haveContinue Reading

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Corinne Bailey Rae (CBR) is one of my all-time favorite vocalists and I’ve been a fan for just about 20 years, ever since I first heard her sing ‘Your Love Is Mine” with The New Mastersounds (NMS) back in 2003 on their ‘Be Yourself’ album.  They’re all from Leeds, UK so it’s a close connection. At about that time I also became a fan of The Haggis Horns of whom, CBR’s deceased husband Jason Rae was a founding member. So, when Corinne’s eponymous debut album came out in 2006, I was already hooked. Then she hit the airwaves with ‘LikeContinue Reading

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Suwannee Hulaween is just a few weeks away from its 10th-year anniversary edition and it will be my eighth consecutive year. There’s a super buzz about the even particlarly since the organizers added a second night of Pretty Lights headlining to replace Rainbow Kitten Surprise. It will also undoubtedly serve as a tribute the the recently departed James Casey, an extraodinary sax player  and touring member of the Trey Anastasio Band. I expect TAB and Jennifer Hartswick Band to pay respects to James, and he’ll be missed. Also, the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak was hit byContinue Reading

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On Becoming from House of Waters is a stunning album all around — an exquisite listening journey that takes you to places you’ve not previously imagined.  Max ZT (hammered dulcimer) and Moto Fukushima (6-string bass) are joined by Antonio Sanchez on drums, and they weave a tapestry of feelings that will soothe your soul. It’s incredible to have a trio create such a richness in sound. Max can make his instrument sound like a harp or piano among other instruments and naturally as a dulcimer. Moto’s two-handed playing on the bass gives him astonishing range as well. And Antonio, newContinue Reading

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The Soul Sessions is an album I’ve been looking forward to most of the year after reviewing The Funk Sessions back in April. Like its predecessor, it was recorded live by Speedometer at the legendary Studio 3 in Abbey Roads Studios in London. Universal Music commissioned both albums for their Abbey Road Masters label and released them on all digital platforms. This iteration pays homage to Motown and you can hear it instantly and all the way through. It’s authentic, from the soulful riffs of horns, the tasty licks of guitar, the thumping rhythm section, and the handclaps and backingContinue Reading

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Leisure Suit, is an old school funk fusion album with new era notions of jam. That’s right, it’s a leisure suit from the 70s that’s back with a flair and so much panache. That’s a lot of fancy words for an album that’s got great catchy tunes, some dramatic moments and great production values. Did I mention the band, Organ Fairchild has only been around since 2020 and is a breakout band in Buffalo, NY? Well, get ready to be bowled over by this terrific trio. They mix their style from track to track but keep it interesting throughout. ThisContinue Reading

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Bokanté encapsulates world rhythms like no other band. The band is the brainchild of Snarky Puppy’s Michael League and a vehicle for the marvelous vocals of Malika Tirolien, along with a roster of some of the most uniquely accomplished musicians around. Bokanté’s albums are always a treat. The songs are always percussion rich due to the amazing crew of Weedie Braimah, Keita Ogawa, Jamey Haddad and André Ferrari with a huge battery of instruments and sounds. They are offset by the amazing string instrument team of Michael League, Chris McQueen, Bob Lanzetti and Roosevelt “The Dr.” Collier. Malika is anContinue Reading

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Jonathan Scales is the current world leader steel pannist and each of his albums are great listens end to end. He follows his predecessor pannists Dave Samuels (Spyro Gyra), Andy Narell (Caribbean Jazz Project), and Robert Greenidge (Jimmy Buffet) in bringing the island sound to the world jazz scene. In his own words, RE-POTTED arose and “began production shortly after relocating to NYC from North Carolina, just months before the pandemic, and this conceptual album explores what it means to ‘uproot & replant’ into a more expansive yet more challenging environment.” In addition to the young lions Maison Guidry onContinue Reading

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Suwannee Hulaween is a music fan’s fantasy festival. This year marks the 10th-year anniversary and will be my eighth consecutive year. The music is always super diverse, this year with more than 90 sets, and there’s something for everyone. It’s a String Cheese Incident festival where they typically play 6 or more sets and bring in some heavy hitter headliners as well including TAB, Goose, JRAD and Pretty Lights. But Hulaween has so much more to offer than the main stage called The Meadows. It’s full of magical displays, artwork, sculptures, performers and tons of very happy people scattered aroundContinue Reading

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Joe Marcinek consistently puts out great albums with a rotating roster of players. He’s a musician’s musician, well known amongst his peers for his sharp compositions and ability to play with anyone in multiple styles. It reminds me of a quote from legendary Crusaders’ pianist Joe Sample, who said “I get called a lot to play on different albums because I play whatever is needed for that particular session.” Marcinek definitely has a flair and imprints his sound on this album of all originals playing with Melvin Seals (Dead) and George Porter (Funk) in a slick grouping that shows theContinue Reading