A review of Ben Harper & Relentless7, White Lies for Dark Times (2009) “Relentless7,” the name of Ben Harper’s new band, sounds like the title of a book by Enid Blyton or Carolyn Keene. And they are an adventure to … [read more]
A review of Bruce Cockburn’s Slice O Life (Live Solo) (2009) A lovely and complex CD this, Bruce Cockburn‘s first live album of just him and his guitar. Recorded in 2008 at a variety of shows, this is a strong … [read more]
A review of Karim Rashid’s Design Your Self (2006) Ladies and gentlemen of the class of ’97: Wear sunscreen. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have … [read more]
A review of Brad Mehldau Trio’s Day is Done (2005) This is a surprisingly remarkable record. I’m not sure why it’s surprising, exactly: Brad Mehldau is one of the foremost young jazz pianists working today, and I enjoy most of … [read more]
A review of Manu Katché’s Neighbourhood (2005) and Playground (2007) Manu Katché is a French drummer (born 1958), originally famous for being an in-demand session and live drummer on the 80s/90s ‘world fusion’ circuit (Peter Gabriel, Sting, etc.). Now, his … [read more]
A review of the Tomasz Stanko Quartet’s Lontano (2006) Tomasz Stanko is a Polish jazz trumpeter who sounds a little like Miles Davis without anger. Lontano contains a series of thoughtful, quiet and slightly angular (maybe geometric is a better … [read more]
A review of Susheela Raman’s 33 1/3 There’s nothing Susheela Raman can’t sing. I remember thinking this the first time I heard her first record, Salt Rain, in 2001. Raman is a British singer of Indian origin (who grew up … [read more]
A review of Jill Barber’s Chances (2008) Jill Barber is a Halifax-based… traditional jazz singer? Swing singer? Country singer? Torch singer? Maybe “western swing,” antiquated as it sounds, is a good genre for her. I had previously heard, and loved, … [read more]