Thursday, June 4, 2026

Music Week

June archive (in progress).

Music: Current count 46048 [46001] rated (+47), 20 [32] unrated (-12).

I think I'm going to give up on the regular Monday schedule for Music Week. It may still happen sometimes, but I haven't hit the mark very often of late, and I'm changing up my publication policy. Last week, I didn't publish Music Week until Friday, but I posted a Music Week in Advance on Wednesday in my Notes on Everyday Life (Substack) newsletter, with eight of the week's 40 reviews. I was slowed down by scheduling conflicts, and by extra end-of-month overhead, but I've also been feeling bad about not delivering much content through the newsletter.

Over the last week or two, I've written over 16k words toward the next Loose Tabs, but they've been locked up in a draft file, which while technically public (as often as I update the website, which isn't very often) aren't very accessible, let alone effective. I've thought about writing some sort of "executive summary" and sending it out to the newsletter after publishing Loose Tabs, but have trouble finding the time to do that. A better idea might be to pull out some of the more important or urgent comments, and send them out right away, then use the occasional Loose Tabs blog posts just as reference. A big part of the reason I write them in the first place is that they give me a record when looking back.

I haven't done anything like that with Loose Tabs yet, but I have decided to start (or continue) releasing Music Week in two steps: a first draft with a short list of reviews, selected for importance or just because I think they're relatively readable, will go out to Notes on Everyday Life subscribers. Then a day or two later I'll follow that up with a full Music Week post. For the former, I'm aiming at 6-8 reviews — this week's, dubbed Music Week (6:1) has 9 reviews, so that isn't set in stone. I've been doing 4 album cover pics, but could have less, or maybe more? That's all I've tried so far. While I tend to select my top picks, that too is no guarantee. This week I skipped two A- albums, in favor of five lesser grades. (I was less happy with the Kenny Barron review, and I didn't finish Charles Downs until after I posted.)

The latter, of course, will have everything. Thus far, it's had a slightly later cutoff date, allowing a couple extra albums to get logged. I at least take an extra pass at editing the NOEL reviews, while the regular Music Week reviews rarely get a second look, much less an extra listen. A big part of the reason I do Music Week the way I do it is that I'm offering full disclosure. I may not write meaningfully about everything I listen to, but I do keep a record, which provides the context from which my reviews develop.

So my plan going forward is to continue collecting my reviews in the monthly archive, with an index in my scratch file. Then once a week (no particular day), I'll pick out 6-8 reviews (or more or less, depending on the week's haul), and send that out to Notes on Everyday Life. The advantages are that subscribers will get the week's highlights delivered directly to their inbox, with some extra attention paid to the editing, and little or no extra fuss. I hope you'll subscribe. (There is no "paid tier," but the subscriptions make me feel like I'm writing for people, and not just for the search/AI bots.) You can, of course, like and/or comment, as well as forward the mail to anyone you think might be interested. I don't particularly like the world Substack is making, but it is nice to get some thoughtful commentary in my inbox, a distinct relief from the avalanches of PR/spam I receive every day.

Then, a day or two later, I'll post Music Week on the blog, which will include the full week's haul of reviews (usually 30-40), with my slugline of how many albums I've rated over 50+ years (currently 46,048), a longer introduction, possibly including some personal notes, maybe some news. I always announce blog and Substack posts on X and Bluesky. I'm more likely to use Bluesky for other posts. I don't do many, but sometimes feature a piece of music that has stuck in my ear. lot of that. I also have a Substack Notes account, again little used at present (but if it doesn't try to strangle me at 280 characters, it might be a better way than Bluesky to forward links as I collect Loose Tabs).

I also have Facebook set up so you can follow me without going through the protocol of becoming friends. My original intent there was to follow a few relatives who were difficult to track otherwise, then added old personal friends when I could (way too many of whom have since died). I've kept this circle pretty narrow since then, but I've allowed a few correspondents along the way. However, I now have twice as many followers as friends, so I may start making more use of Facebook for my writing. Otherwise, I mostly use it to post dinner pics and notes, like this little one I made tonight. I also have an RSS: it's compiled by hand, but at least covers the blog posts.

One piece of news is that I do expect to run a mid-year jazz critics poll this year. More details next week, starting with letters to my admin list, then to voters and publicists. I'll update news here until it's done (I'm thinking July 4 as voting deadline, so perhaps a week after.) The first big job is always to update the invite list, and it's one I never find enough time to do properly. It starts with asking everyone I can think of to nominate new (or at least non-voting) writers, so let's start with whoever's reading this: send me any suggestions using the Q&A form or email.

Aside from the weekly music posts, I'll try to send out 1-3 additional pieces during the week, mostly addressing specific topics (some gleaned from Loose Tabs comments, some reflecting reading, some from ongoing memoir work). I'll try to make them varied and interesting.

One thing I'm unlikely to do this year is another EOY Aggregate, but I'm still adding a few things to the 2025 edition. I'm planning on doing a "Not the Dean's List" Substack post, where I talk about the aggregate and tracking, and offer a few overlooked albums from 2025. I doubt if I'm ever going to follow another year that closely, so it's nice to see the year wrapped up with some authority.

New records reviewed this week:

Sheldon Agwu: Kintsugi (2025, Sanctum): London-based producer/guitarist, slotted as ambient, first album. B+(*) [bc]

Wayne Alpern: Varieties & Extravaganzas (2026, Henri Elkan Music): Composer, based in New York City, thirteenth album (only five on Discogs), mostly draws on classical composers and techniques (also cites Morton Feldman and Steve Reich), hype sheet includes extensive technical notes, both over my head and beyond my interest. The music is played by Times Square Brass Quintet (two trumpets, picarello horn, trombone, and tuba). B [cd]

David Ambrosio/Donny McCaslin/Ingrid Jensen/Bruce Barth/Victor Lewis: Civil Disobedience: Blue Note in the Progressive Sixties (2026, Blue Frog): I moved the bassist to the front of the credits list (his name is bottom-center on the cover), as he seems to be the driving force here, amid more famous musicians on tenor sax, trumpet, piano, and drums. While Blue Note was the preeminent label of the early 1960s, after 1965 it quickly went to pot, shedding key artists while simply shelving others, dodging the more stridently political atmosphere as commerce drifted toward fusion and funk. The idea here is to authentically remake compositions from the shelved period, which means restoring them to the golden age of hard bop. No doubt the musicians have the chops for that task. As for the politics, it's a sign of the times that mainstream music of sixty years ago is once again challenging and undermining the fascist culture cops. B+(**) [sp]

Richard Baratta: Another Kind of Bird (2026, Savant): Drummer, has several albums of film music, dives into Charlie Parker tunes here, with Bill O'Connell (piano) arranging, Vincent Herring (alto sax), Paul Bollenback (guitar), Michael Goetz (bass), Paul Rossman (percussion), and guest spots for saxophonists Eric Alexander, Eric Burton, and Craig Handy. B+(*) [sp]

Big K.R.I.T.: Dedicated to Cadalee Biarritz Vol. 1 (2025, Multi Alumni/ONErpm): Rapper Justin Scott, from Mississippi, acronym for King Remembered in Time, broke out in 2005, peaked with Cadillactica in 2014, first album since 2022, reviving his glitzy Caddy dreams. The album appeared to little notice in December (17 tracks, 31:41), followed up by a more recent "Deluxe Edition" (25 songs, 48:07). The former pops on every track, but I rechecked it by listening to the latter, and remain convinced. A- [sp]

Bomba Estéreo/Rawayana: Astropical (2025, Sony Music Latin): Two groups, from Colombia and Venezuela respectively, each with more than a decade's worth of albums, meet up. B+(***) [sp]

Sofia Borges/Rieko Okuda/Peter Van Huffel: Lagrangian Points (2024 [2026], 4DaRecord): Drums, keyboards, alto/baritone sax, all with minors in electronics, recorded live in Berlin. Title refers to "positions in space where the gravitational forces of two large masses and the centrifugal force balance out." In this context, that suggests precise balance in improv interactions, and they've done that. B+(***) [dl]

Bobby Bradford/Mark Dresser/Hafez Modirzadeh: Sonic House Reunion (2026, NoBusiness): Cornet player, started in 1970 in a group with John Carter (1929-91), has worked steady and lasted a long time, appearing here at 92, in a trio with bass and tenor saxophone. B+(**) [cd]

Anthony Caceres: Let's Take a Trip (2026, Jig in G): Bassist, also sings, various family members were musicians, including a grandfather who played violin in big bands in the 1930s. Studied in San Antonio and at UNT, based in Houston, brother Dave Caceres (alto sax/vocals) has an album I've heard, he has at least one previous album. Joined here by Tamir Hendelman (piano), Jostein Gulbrandsen (guitar), and Joe Farnsworth (drums), playing three originals and six standards. B+(*) [cd]

Daniel Carter/Steve Hirsh: Convocation (2023 [2026], Mahakala Music): Improv duo, Carter plays saxophones, flute, trumpet, and piano, while Hirsh drums. He's impressed with sax and trumpet for a long time, but his piano will turn a few heads. B+(***) [bc]

Confucius MC/Bastien Keb: Songs for Lost Travellers (2025, Native Rebel): South London rapper William Carabine-Glean, third album; Seb Jones seems to be the producer, has a half-dozen albums, leans more toward folk and jazz here, so this is effectively a soft song set, atmosphere sans beats. B+(**) [sp]

Conway the Machine: You Can't Kill God With Bullets (2025, Drumwork/Roc Nation): Buffalo rapper Demond Price, working hard since 2015, Discogs credits him with 32 albums. "Real shit," runs long, sounds serious. B+(***) [sp]

Charles Downs Quartet: Inner (2024 [2026], ESP-Disk'): Drummer, this is billed as his "first album as sole leader, recorded shortly after he turned 81," which means if we keep the "Debut" slot in the Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll, I'm going to wind up rejecting a bunch of votes for him (as I did last year with Marshall Allen; why is it that in a category expressly designed to recognize young players the temptation to vote for someone old but marginalized is so great?). Granted, Downs isn't anywhere near as famous as Allen, and not just because he's spent most of his career recording as Rashid Bakr, only recently returning to his given name. Quartet with Hery Paz (sax), Jamie Saft (piano), and Joe Morris (bass). Took several plays to win me over, with precision and grace pursuing what can never be taken for granted. A- [cd]

Feeble Little Horse: Bitknot (2026, Saddle Creek): Indie rock band from Pittsburgh, third album, singer-bassist Lydia Slocum, two guitarists with some shoegaze fuzz. B+(**) [sp]

Chad Fowler & Matt Lavelle Quartet: Whirlpool (2022 [2026], Mahakala Music): Fowler plays strich and alto flute; Lavelle pocket trumpet, alto clarinet, and e-flat piccolo clarinet. Both are switches from their usual instruments, tending to soften the tone, not that it always works that way. They are backed by Ken Filiano (bass) and Bobby Kapp (drums), listed as "featuring" on the cover. B+(***) [bc]

Greg Freeman: Burnover (2025, Transgressive): Singer-songwriter based in Vermont, second album, sometimes deemed alt-country, sometimes slacker rock — the latter seems the better fit. B [sp]

George: Looking for Consonance (2024 [2026], Out of Your Head): Drummer John Hollenbeck formed this group as a pandemic project, recorded an initial album in 2022, took it out touring in 2024, and came up with this second album. With Sarah Rossy and Chiquita Magic on voice and synthesizer (or vice versa), and Anna Webber on tenor sax/flute. Quirky as expected. Vocals not really my cup of tea, but something that has long fascinated Hollenbeck. B+(***) [cd]

Rafael Greco: Versos Bajo Mi Sombra/Verses Under My Shadow (2025 [2026], Blue Canoe): Venezuelan, website identifies him as a saxophonist, but he plays nearly everything else here, notably keyboards, and sings. This strikes me as having a Brazilian feel, but it often strays from stereotype. B+(**) [cd]

Gyrofield: Suspension of Belief (2025, Kapsela, EP): Chinese DJ/producer Kiana Li, from Hong Kong, more recently based in Bristol and Utrecht, three albums since 2020, several dozen EPs and singles since 2017. Four pieces, each satisfying, 23:32. B+(***) [sp]

Gyrofield: Your Fight (2026, Field Research, EP): Three songs, 16:24, the compression focuses the beats and airs even tighter. B+(***) [sp]

Anna von Hausswolff: Iconoclasts (2025, Year0001): Swedish singer-songwriter, sixth album since 2010, gothic art pop or darkwave; likes organ, strings and heavy percussion; tends toward high melodrama; employs Otis Sandsjö on sax/clarinet; has guest vocal spots for Iggy Pop and Ethel Cain. Too much for me, and not just because it runs long (72:49). B [sp]

Homeboy Sandman: Turns Out I Can Sell a Few More of These (2025, Dirty Looks, EP): Brooklyn rapper Angel Del Villar II, six tracks, 16 minutes, counting a 1:17 intro that is mere advertisement. Several title variations on his 2022 album, I Can't Sell These, with this one no longer on his Bandcamp page, but still resident (but poorly indexed) on Spotify. B+(**) [sp]

Larkin Poe: Bloom (2025, Tricki-Woo): Blues-rock band from Georgia, based in Nashville, led by sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell (formerly of the Lovell Sisters, 2005-09), eighth studio album since 2014. B+(*) [sp]

Janel Leppin: Slowly Melting (2026, Cuneiform): Cellist, several albums since 2011, including her Volcanic Ash Ensemble. This one is solo, where she also dubs in guitar, bass, synth, and piano. B+(*) [dl]

Janel Leppin's Ensemble Volcanic Ash: Pluto in Aquarius (2026, Cuneiform): Third group album led by cellist (also plays synthesizer), with Brian Settles (tenor sax), Anthony Pirog (guitar), Luke Stewart (bass), and Larry Ferguson (drums). Develops some rock velocity toward the end. B+(**) [dl]

Lip Critic: Theft World (2026, Partisan): Band from Brooklyn, two drummers, samplers for metallic clang and industrial noise (or "Dada-esque nonsense"), spoken vocals. Reminded me of Sleaford Mods, but, you know, American, and less political (or class-conscious), or less pointed about it. B+(***) [sp]

Nas & DJ Premier: Light-Years (2025, Mass Appeal): Rapper Nasir Jones founded this label in 2014, with Run the Jewels their first release. In 2025, they came up with a series of seven Legend Has It . . . albums, bringing back "iconic" hip-hop acts from 20+ years ago: Slick Rick, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Mobb Deep, Big L, De La Soul. It's been a noble endeavor, the kind of thing that's possible when artists seize the means of production. Now we see that it's also let Nas dust off some old tracks he worked on with producer Christopher Martin back in 2006. It's not clear how much of this is old or new, but it sounds vintage, for sure. B+(***) [sp]

John Pachnos: John Pachnos (2026, Avgonyma Music): Bassist, composer, seems to be his first album, also plays bouzouki on one track, with Carter Vames (sax/flute), Frankie Midnight (piano/keyboards), Caleb Heinze (guitar), and Justin Vedovelli (drums). Various looks, including groove to start, and organ funk to close. B+(**) [cd]

Ivo Perelman: Trifecta (2022-24 [2026], Mahakala Music, 3CD): Avant-saxophonist from Brazil, moved to the US in the early 1980s, after a normal start in 1989, he went on a tear around 1996, and has kept it up, typically releasing 8-12 albums per year, sometimes in clusters, like this series of tenor sax and guitar duets, one disc each with Marc Ribot, Elliott Sharp, and Joe Morris. The Ribot session ends especially strong, but all the guitarists pick out interesting terrain, which the saxophonist navigates masterfully. A- [bc]

Ivo Perelman/Damon Smith: Duologue: Core of Existence (2026, Squid Note): Tenor sax and bass duo, Bandcamp page lists title as Duologue 6, a series that only barely hints at the number of duos he's recorded — more than a dozen with Matthew Shipp (including seven volumes of The Art of Perelman-Shipp, his 12-CD Reed Rapture in Brooklyn box, his Trifecta of guitarists, plus numerous one-shot encounters. I've heard many (109 albums rated). He's always good, often great (I've A-listed 41 of those albums). I fear I've fallen behind of late, having lost track of many download links, and possibly just being overwhelmed. This strikes me as typical, but the bass is worth focusing on, as his own excellence is beyond doubt. B+(***) [bc]

Rival Consoles: Landscape From Memory (2025, Erased Tapes): London-based electronica producer Ryan Lee West, ten or so albums since 2009. Some heavy bass. B+(**) [sp]

Yvonne Rogers: The Button Jar (2025 [2026], Pyroclastic): Pianist, grew up "in rural Maine without the distraction of even a television," now based in Brooklyn, solo, second album. B+(**) [cd]

Thom Rotella: Right Time Left (2025, HighNote): Guitarist, b. 1951 in Niagara Falls, more than a dozen albums since 1987, extensive pop and soul side credits, has featured spots here for Ernie Watts (tenor sax), Jeremy Pelt (trumpet), and Antonio Adolfo (piano), backed by "select L.A. session players" (including organ). B+(*) [sp]

Scott Sadlon: Songs From Thin Air (2022 [2026], Buddha Boy): Drummer, although google is more likely to introduce you to a dentist in Scottsdale, AZ. One and the same. First album, with Rachel Eckroth (keyboards) and Tim Lefebvre (bass). Describes his approach as "a punk rock mentality," which isn't imediately obvious, but his fusion has a few sharp edges, and some funk. B+(***) [cd]

Salin: Rammana (2025, Salin): Drummer/producer from Thailand, Salin Cheewapansri, based in Montreal, second album, titled after a Thai drum with references from Madagascar to New Guinea. Local instruments mix with funk bass, strings, and quite some blast of brass. B+(*) [sp]

Schapiro 17: Best Laid Plans (2025 [2026], Summit): Big band, leader listed as conductor, composer, arranger. Discogs shows some producer credits for Schapiro in the 1990s (mostly Verve compilations), with three big band albums since 2020. He knows what he's doing, but my interest is fading. B+(*) [cd]

KP Skywalka: I Tried to Tell You (2025, Beat the Odds): DC rapper, first album, topped Pitchfork's obscurantist 2025 hip-hop list (21/32 albums new to my EOY aggregate), note: "embellishing DMV drill with retro R&B, Southern-style storytelling, and striking moments of vulnerability." B+(*) [sp]

Watchhouse: Rituals (2025, Tiptoe Tiger Music): Country/folk duo from North Carolina, Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz, originally dba Mandolin Orange (2010), changed their name in 2019. B [sp]

Weakened Friends: Feels Like Hell (2025, Don Giovanni): Indie trio from Portland, Maine, third album, Sonia Sturino (vocals/guitar) and Annie Hoffman (bass/vocals) write the songs, Adam Hand drums. Up and down, in and out of punk, could be major but hard for me to be sure. B+(***) [sp]

Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

Kenny Barron/Ray Drummond/Ben Riley: So Many Lovely Things: Live in Brecon (1995 [2026], Elemental Music, 2CD): Piano-bass-drums trio, already well established then but legends now. I'm not much of a piano trio fan, especially when there's not a lot of rhythm/swing, so often this sort of thing slips past me as pleasant background. But when I do focus, I find it remarkable. Nice package, too. A- [06-12]

Marion Brown: Live in Europe 1968 & 1972 (1968-72 [2026], NoBusiness): Alto saxophonist (1931-2010), produced several major avant-garde albums in the late 1960s. These sets — the first a quartet with Gunter Hampel (vibes), Barre Phillips (bass), and Steve McCall (drums); the second a duo with McCall — are interesting but relatively minor. B+(**) [cd]

Daniel Carter/Sabir Mateen/William Parker/Lou Grassi: Keeping It in Context (1996 [2026], NoBusiness): Two saxophonists (alto/tenor/flute, one also on trumpet, the other on clarinet), backed by superb bass, and drums: a jam session spun off from Parker's 1990s Improviser's Collective. When the going gets rough, I used to complain that chaotic free jazz must have been more fun to play than to listen to. Now I hear more method in what formerly felt ramshackle. Or perhaps I'm just touched by nostalgia? A fine document of lost times. A- [cd]

Sunny Murray/Sabu Toyozumi: Sun's Blessings (1999 [2026], NoBusiness): Two free jazz drummers, Murray (1936-2017) most famous as the guy who drove John Coltrane off the deep end, Toyozumi a bit younger (b. 1943) and still active, some notable encounters with western avants over the years (Peter Brötzmann, Derek Bailey, Han Bennink, Paul Rutherford, Wadada Leo Smith). Whether you need to listen to just drums for 61:27 is up to you, but these guys are masters, and the inspired rumble retained my interest throughout. A- [cd]

Toshiyuki Sekine Trio: Strode Road (1978 [2025], Craftman): Japanese piano trio, with Takashi Narita (bass) and Takashi Kurosaki (drums), doesn't have a lot of releases, original release here described as "very rare. Lively performances, especially a delightful "Love for Sale." B+(***) [yt]

Old music:

George: Shorts (2022 [2023], Out of Your Head, EP): Four track (16:01) postscript to their first album, with Aurora Nealand in the vocalist slot — but as she also plays alto/soprano sax and keyboards, there is much less focus here on vocals than in the 2026 album (with Sarah Rossy). That's ok by me, but the short tracks tend to slip on by. B+(*) [bc]

Lip Critic: Hex Dealer (2024, Partisan): First album from a Brooklyn group attempting some kind of electropunk hybrid with rap vocals and speed drums. Seems like a good idea, but sometimes gets out of hand. B+(**) [sp]

Yvonne Rogers: Seeds (2022 [2023], Relative Pitch): American pianist, originally from Maine, recorded this debut album in Switzerland, with Emmanuelle Bonnet (vocals), Nadav Erlich (bass), and Iago Fernández (drums). I'm usually leery about vocals here, but they're not bad, and the piano is quite nice. B+(**) [bc]

Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

  • New England Jazz Collaborative: Tributaries (ACP) [07-16]
  • The Phoenix Trio: Tomorrow Is Today (Giant Step Arts) [06-19]

Ask a question, or send a comment.