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An occasional blog about populist politics and popular music, not necessarily at the same time. LinksLocal Links Social Media My Other Websites Music Politics Others Networking Music DatabaseArtist Search: Website SearchGoogle: Recent Reading
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Friday, October 23, 2026 Music Week
October archive (in progress). Music: Current count 46761 [46742] rated (+19), 36 [24] unrated +12). Advance Music Week appeared October 22 on Substack as Music Week (10:4). It is also archived here. My cutoff was done before the Substack post, but the introduction is revised/rewritten. Another short week: rated count was 21, up from 19 the week before. I took a couple days off to cook, and wound up spending most of yesterday reconnoitering for a second major culinary project: my annual birthday dinner. That project will no doubt sandbag my review time next week as well. After that, I should take a few days to wrap up an October edition of Loose Tabs. If you'd like a sneak peek, the working draft file is here (currently 6438 words). Not only is the reviewed count down, but I was hard-pressed to find six reviews that topped two sentences. The Lewis record is not out until Friday, but I figured that's close enough. It's possible that more will be on Bandcamp then. I've been holding back until Friday to pick up the week's releases, but this week I figured I'd rather clear the deck early, than imagine that another day would make a difference. I have too much to do on Friday, as it is. I don't expect to listen to anything new until Monday or Tuesday, so next week will also be thin. Further out, I'm debating whether to make an absolutely minimal effort at the Jazz Critics Poll, or to try to lay the groundwork for a transition beyond my stewardship. What is clear is that I'm running out of gas, which may mean energy or perhaps just desire, or maybe even self-esteem. I look at other Substacks, and cannot imagine any way to compete (to drop some names: Brad Luen and Dan Weiss, with Chuck Eddy and Brian Morton mostly beyond the paywall — as is Tom Carson, but his productivity seems to be built on two manuscripts I will probably prefer buying as books). I do expect to go through the motions for the next couple months, but that's about all. We got a chance to see Matty Winshow's documentary about Robert Christgau, The Last Critic, at the Tallgrass Film Festival last week, and thought it was very good. It helped to be able to draw on Paul Lovelace's earlier footage, where most docs just whipsaw between old stills and new commentary. The latter was of particular interest to me, as I personally know most of the people interviewed — except the musicians, who added an unnecessary and uncharacteristic element of celebrity-mongering to the mix — but haven't seen many of them in decades. If I had the time and access, I could go through it frame-by-frame and make notes. But overall I thought they did a good job of explaining being a rock critic matters, and why Christgau's career is unique among the many of us who have tried it out. (For my own tangent, see my contribution to the Christgau festschrift: A Rock & Roll Critic Is Something to Be.) I'm most of the way through Eyal Weizman's Ungrounding, which is harrowing, even though I noted most of what he reveals in real time. It occurs to me that "genocide" is as much of an euphemism for something more sinister than "ethnic cleansing." But also that the word was never meant to be descriptive, but as some sort of talisman to war off evil. That it failed only shows it to have been weak medicine. What's missing from the book is an exposure of the psychology that makes such evil possible. I hardly know where to begin there, but I suspect it doesn't stop with those who would vote for Netanyahu or his allies. It takes much the same mindset to trust your fate to Trump's Republicans, or (in an even sooner election) to Bolsonaro. But I'll have to save that for a later date. New records reviewed this week: Stephen Braude With Yamara Band: Big Dipper: Music of Stephen Braude: Alternative Jazz Fusion (2025 [2026], self-released): Has a background in philosophy, and was chair of the department at the University of Maryland, but better known for his interests in parapsychology. Died last year, at 80, leaving some music, which he plays piano on. Not clear when this was recorded, or how much was posthumously arranged by the group, which includes Ljobomir "Buba" Stojanovic (who has also passed) on keyboards, along with two other arrangers. Pleasant enough. Album cover is hard to parse, as is the hype sheet. "Big Dipper" is the opening salvo. B+(*) [cd] Jeff Colella/Putter Smith: Between Friends (2026, AJI/Capri): Piano and bass duets, former has a few albums going back to 1997, Discogs credits the latter with 71 performances since 1971, including a previous album together from 2014. B+(*) [sp] Stephan Crump: Passerine (2025 [2026], Out of Your Head): Bassist, as a composer has led 20 albums since 1997. Group here with Kenny Warren (trumpet), David Leon (alto flute/sax), and Ches Smith (percussion). B+(**) [cd] Rhiannon Giddens: Hope Is the Thing With Feathers (2026, Nonesuch): Folkie singer-songwriter, plays banjo and other instruments, started in Carolina Chocolate Drops, wrote four songs here (one with a lyric adapted from Emily Dickinson), covers more traditional songs. B+(***) [sp] Eric Hofbauer/EHX: Tongues/Hope Language (2026, Creative Nation Music, 2CD): Guitarist, albums since 1998, group is variable, but at full force includes tenor sax (Temidayo Balogun or Noah Preminger), cello (Ana Ospina), bass (Tony Leva), and drums (Kyle Anderson or Miki Matsuki), with vocals (Hayley Thompson-King) on four tracks, mostly playing pop/rock songs from Lennon-McCartney through Regina Spektor (outliers are jazz pieces from Charlie Parker, Eddie Harris, and Carla Bley). B+(**) [sp] James Brandon Lewis/Red Lily: Calling Antonin (2025 [2026], TAO Forms): Tenor saxophonist, has been exceptional since his 2011 debut, already this year has a superb quartet album on Intakt (Omni) and an album with the Messthetics that many others like more than I do, and last year a trio on what is normally a rock label (Anti-) that I really like. But for heavy conceptual weight, he convenes his Red Lily group, with Kirk Knuffke (cornet), Tomeka Reid (cello), Joshua Abrams (bass), Chad Taylor (drums), and added this time Melanie Dyer (viola) — which has thus far won him the Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll twice. The concept here is based on Czech composer Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904), who spent some time in the US absorbing Afro-American music. My prejudice against classical music has more to do with sound triggers than with form, so not a problem here — as I recall, Steve Swell also did a Dvorak tribute I really liked. Lots going on here. A− [cd] Pan Amsterdam: Panarama (2026, Def Pressé): Rapper Leron Thomas, from Houston but based in New York, also plays trumpet, which is a nice touch. Fifth album since 2018. Rambling, shuffling, inscrutable. A− [sp] Enrico Rava Fearless Five With Joe Lovano: Corners (2025 [2026], ECM): Italian trumpet player, many albums since 1972, group here with trombone, guitar, bass, and drums (Evita Polidoro, who also gets a vocal credit), joined by the tenor saxophonist. B+(*) [sp] Eli Paperboy Reed: Getting There (2026, Yep Roc): R&B traditionalist Eli Husock, from Boston, debut from 2005 was optimistically subtitled "And Other Smash Hits!" Gets an extra boost here from producer Jerry Williams, aka Swamp Dogg, who knows better than most that "one man's trash (is another man's treasure)." B+(***) [sp] Adam Rudolph: Invisible Threads (2025 [2026], Omni Sound): Percussionist, plays drums from everywhere, has many albums since 1987, pieces here commissioned for a festival in Türkiye, recorded in Istanbul with a mostly local band. B+(*) [bc] Two Shell: Infinite Now (2026, Young): British electronic music duo, Jack Benson and Patrick Lewis, third album since 2024. I like the beats, but doubt the words add much. B+(**) [sp] Jess Williamson: A Mile South of Heaven (2026, New West): Country singer-songwriter, sixth solo album since 2014 plus a group album with Katie Crutchfield as Plains. B+(*) [sp] Jay Worthy, George Clinton & LNDN DRGS: Generation P (2026, Empire): Canadian rapper Jeffrey Sidhoo, based in Compton, many releases since 2018, especially mixtapes with Sean House as LNDN DRGS. The P-Funk guru brings the samples B+(*) [sp] Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries: Peggy Lee: Too Marvelous for Words (1955 [2026], Peggy Lee Associates): Originally Nora Egstrom (1920-2002), from North Dakota, I remember her as a big star/celebrity in the 1950s, but she started with Benny Goodman's big band in 1940 ("Why Don't You Do Right" was a 1942 hit), later with Gordon Jenkins ("Lover" in 1951), sang some duets with Bing Crosby, wrote many of her own songs, but most successfully covered "Fever" in 1958, acted, did a voice in Lady and the Tramp (later suing Disney for millions for breach of contract). She recorded these 49 songs for radio syndication, with a small jazz combo anchored by Gene DiNovi (piano) and Bill Pittman (guitar), with Pete Candoli (trumpet). Mostly songbook standards, some she never recorded elsewhere. B+(***) [sp] Peggy Lee: Since You Have Gone (1963 [2026], Capitol, EP): Four previously unreleased songs, the title song an original arranged by Short Rogers, packaged with three "signature recordings": "Big Spender," "Fever," and "Why Don't You Do Right (Get Me Some Money Too)." All done in 10:04. B+(**) [sp] Alexander von Schlippenbach: Main Lines/1967 (1967 [2026], Corbett vs. Dempsey): German free jazz pianist, just getting started — Globe Unity was recorded in 1966, with his Penguin crown album Pakistani Pomade still five years out — in a set of four radio tracks (46:21), drawing on various musicians in the Manfred Schoof Quintet, Peter Brötzmann Quarter, and Irène Schweizer Trio (so some of the piano is by Schweizer or Fred van Hove; bass and drums also appear in threes). Final piece really brings the noise. A− [bc] Old music: Peggy Lee: Sings With Benny Goodman (1941-44 [1957], Columbia): A selection of 10 early tracks with Goodman and His Orchestra, some hits but misses more, more non-hits, so it's hard to figure. B+(*) [yt] Peggy Lee: Capitol Collector's Series, Volume I: The Early Years (1945-50 [1990], Capitol): This series of reissues came out 1989-93, each with 25 songs. I have 14 of them, ranging from pop icons in the 1940s to country singers in the 1970s (my A/A−-rated ones are by Louis Prima, Gene Vincent, Merle Haggard, and Hank Thompson). I don't think they ever released a Volume II, but Lee recorded for Capito through 1972, so there is lots more they could have included. B+(**) [sp] Peggy Lee: The Best of Peggy Lee: The Capitol Years (1947-70 [1997], Capitol Jazz): Looking for a single volume best-of from her primary period, this looked promising: 18 songs, 49:33, starting with two from her later Benny Goodman years. Only one song where she added lyrics to a Duke Ellington tune, so effectively this is a standards showcase. And tracking these dates down, I see many more songs she could likely to just as well. [PS: There is a 1988 comp with effectively the same title, but only a few songs in common. There are at least a half-dozen The Best of Peggy Lee titles without subtitles, going back to 1960. The one in the "20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection" series draws from her early 1950s Decca period. There are also several The Very Best of Peggy Lee compilations. It might be interesting to chart out which songs are in which comps, as it's possible that there's less consensus on which are her best songs than there is for any comparable artist.] B+(***) [sp] Peggy Lee: The Best of Peggy Lee [20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection] (1952-56 [2002], MCA): Another sprawling series of CD reissues, this one limited to 12 songs no matter how short (36:23 here). This is limited to her brief Decca period, starting with four songs fronting the Gordon Jenkins Orchestra ("Lover" was her biggest hit). B+(*) [sp] Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:
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