Scott

“a heady mixture, and it really works…the work of a talented artist who is paying homage to his inspirations, and laying down a solid foundation from which to build his own thing. Hunter is going to be an artist to keep an eye on as he develops his talent, and this is a great place to start.” – Darius Rips

Malcolm Hunter & The Makeshift Dream Orchestra’s “Nostalgia in My Square Head” is a jazz and funk-lover’s delight with an avant-garde twist. Hunter’s lyrical genius is showcased against a background of fluid, sensual, reflective jazz-inspired tracks which evoke an enormous variety of memories, emotions, and recollections. Musically, all of the songs on Nostalgia in My Square Head are unified, yet stand alone equally well, each with its own spin. Hunter demonstrates his range of vocal abilities easily: he vacillates between singing and speaking, and often uses the latter to give spotlight to his splendid songwriting abilities.

Nostalgia in My Square Head begins with “No Kissin’,” (click to listen and download free!) a twanging blend of vocals and music transitioning into a funky smorgasbord of scatting, choirs, funk, and jazz. Hunter steers the song with a smooth voice, sounding like a Jason Mraz-meets-Harry Connick, Jr protégé. “Invisible Man” features a raspier lead vocal sing-speaking over a subtle background of smooth, Motown-inspired instrumental arrangements. Hunter is an exceptional lyricist, and “Invisible Man” allows him to showcase his eloquence: “The consequence of my circumstance puts me in the neighborhood of people with no chances left…jonesing on a philosophy that scrapes away the remains of my ambiguous identity…” His lyrics are articulate and the songs are well-crafted to allow full appreciation; the music itself, however, is also a force to be reckoned with. Consistent through the album, there is no doubt who Hunter is as a musician and who his influences are. “Hide n’ Sleep” features a two-minute musical interlude that is subtle, but also funky enough to keep the listener’s interest, despite the lack of intriguing lyrics. In the same vein as “Invisible Man,” “Cross: The Street” features Hunter’s raspy spoken-word storytelling; it takes a slightly divergent path from the rest of the album with its quiet, reflective, melancholy feel. “5:30 Bounce/Nostalgia In Times Square” continues the moody observations with a dramatic description of New York’s bustling intersection at the close of night, just before the beginning of a new day. The listener can’t help but feel as if he or she is looking out at Times Square early in the morning from an apartment’s fire escape balcony. The eclectic “Snow in Hades” features a piano-driven intro that grabs the listener’s ear and holds on as the song calls on mythology, lurking vampires, and cherubic angels and places them in a modern urban setting. It’s lyrically curious, and perhaps the most enigmatic song in which vampires, Hades, Angel Gabriel, and the old East Side neighborhood come together.

Nostalgia…, mixed, mastered, and produced by George Dugan, is a funky, jazz-gospel record about Hell’s Kitchen; a journey through the corners of alleys, crash pads and lost time, which features the Makeshift Dream Orchestra. The Makeshift Dream Orchestra is drummer John Digiulio (Little Anthony & the Imperials), Victor Wooten prodigy Michael “Tiny” Lindsey on bass, guitarist Jamie Fox (Jen Chapin), trumpeter Michael Leonhart (Steely Dan, Yoko Ono), and guitarist Jon Herington (Steely Dan). Rounding out the stellar band is all-reed working man Tom Smith, vocalist Melissa Hamilton (The Ritz), blues singer Adira Amram, reggae sensation Meshach, bassist Ivan “Funkboy” Bodley, and trumpeter Rob Henke.

You can catch Malcolm live on March 20th at Le Pescadeux in NYC. Learn more about Malcolm and see his latest show dates on his website at http://www.malcolmhunter.com

Nick Moss has followed his most critically and commercially successful album to date with the release of Here I Am, a record already drawing raves from peers and mentors, like renowned bluesman Jimmy Thackery, who has praised this new set for “pushing the evolution of his music” with tunes that are “genuine and intense.”

Here I Am is bursting with personal growth and the kind of honesty fans have come to expect from Moss, whose unique approach to traditional Chicago blues on five studio records and two live albums resulted in multiple Blues Music Award nominations from the Blues Foundation. The 10 new original songs on Here I Am combine to create the most diverse album of his career as he pushes his sound, songwriting, and lead guitar work further than ever before.

Catch Nick Moss and The Fliptops, this Friday night, March 9th at the Towne Crier Cafe in Pawling, NY.

More information, including tour dates, can be found at http://www.nickmoss.com.

Rock n’ Roll Hall of Famer, Grammy winning featured musician, and co-founder of the original Parliament-Funkadelic (P-Funk) puts a unique funked up spin on his new album featuring The Bernie Worrell Orchestra! Including songs from Bernie Worrell: Standards as well as classics from Bernie’s past collaborations.

5 upcoming performances featuring special guests including: Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club and Steve Scales of the Talking Heads (Sunday April 1st performance):

Friday, March 17, 2012 – 8:30 PM
Le Poisson Rouge
158 Bleeker Street
New York, NY 10012
18+/Tickets: $15
http://lepoissonrouge.com/events/view/3033

Friday, March 23, 2012 – 8:00 PM
The Brooklyn Bowl
61 Wythe Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211
21+/Tickets: $8
http://www.brooklynbowl.com

Friday, March 30, 2012 – 8 PM
The Spot Underground
15 Elbow St
Providence, RI 02903
18+/Tickets: $10
http://thespotprovidence.com

Sunday, April 1, 2012 – 7:30 PM
Stage One
70 Stanford Street
Fairfield, CT 06824
Tickets: $26
http://fairfieldtheatre.org/

Friday, April 13, 2012 – 8PM – (originally scheduled for 3/10)
The Historic Blairstown Theatre
30 Main St.
Blairstown, NJ 07825
Tickets: $20
http://thehbt.com/

How many artists can say they were in on the ground floor of an honest-to-Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame supergroup, while inventing a completely original and uncanny sound and, in the ensuing years, building a legendary reputation as one of the most versatile hired guns in the music business? True funkateers know the history. From the fat Minimoog bass lines of “Flash Light” and “One Nation Under A Groove” to the percussive piano runs of “Chocolate City” and “Give Up the Funk,” Bernie Worrell is synonymous with the legacy of Parliament-Funkadelic; in fact, he’s one of the originators of the psychedelic funk sound, having written and co-produced the lion’s share of the music going back to Funkadelic’s formative years, with an eclectic ear for everything from Chopin to the Chi-Lites.

These days the terms “living legend” or “funk icon” really don’t come close to doing him justice. “Funk iconoclast” is probably more apt, considering the breadth of Worrell’s contributions to seminal albums outside the P-Funk canon—including Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense and Public Image Ltd’s Album, to name two of the more monolithic examples. Keith Richards, Yoko Ono, Bootsy Collins, Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker, Mos Def, Sly & Robbie, Deee-Lite, Bill Laswell and many more have recruited Bernie in the studio and on tour—all for his versatility, vision and feverish creativity whenever he gets his hands on a keyboard.

June, 2011 saw the release of Bernie Worrell: Standards — Bernie’s take on jazz standards — precipitating the decision by Worrell and co-producer, Evan Taylor to “take the show on the road”. The Bernie Worrell Orchestra performs with a nine piece band consisting of two guitarists, two drummers, bass, percussion and a three piece horn section that performs songs from this album along with songs from Bernie’s vast repertoire. The enthusiastic response from fellow musicians means that you just don’t know who will show up to join the BWO on stage.

More information, including tour dates, can be found at http://www.bernieworrell.com

Allan Harris‘s new CD, Open Up Your Mind, is his most compelling release to date. It marks the beginning of a new era for the man known as the singer’s singer and gives him a chance to show off his deep songwriting talent and enormous guitar skills.

Open Up Your Mind features nine original songs like “Hold You” (recently reaching #3 on Billboard smooth jazz chart) which pays tribute to the  great R&B songs of Luther Vandross and Teddy Pendergrass, “Can’t Live My Life Without You” which is an upbeat jazzy tune in the vein of George Benson, “The Color of a Woman is Blue and “Inner Fear” which shows off his unique slide guitar styling. The title track “Open Up Your Mind” and “There She Goes” have a crossover edge that melds roots rhythms with contemporary jazz improvisation. “Autumn” is an original ballad about love changing like the seasons and Allan’s upbeat and highly original rendition of the classic “Fly Me to the Moon” will surprise and delight all listeners. “Shores of Istanbul,” and “I Do Believe,” round out the highly anticipated release.  Open Up Your Mind combines unique vocals with a contemporary jazz twist and accomplishes the ability to tell a story all at the same time.

she’s back with 10 gems wrapped in her exquisite voice – Performing Songwriter

Read what else Performing Songwriter had to say about Powderfinger client, Barbara Kessler in a feature story about her latest release What You Keep.

Forgive us for tooting our own horn for a moment, but we promoted 11 artists onRoots Music Report’s Most Played Blues Albums of 2011! #9 was Booker T. Jones with The Roots, and we also have #s 12, 15, 16, 21, 28, 34, 47, 73, 79, and 89. Five of those were DIY releases, btw–no label whatsoever.

‎In short, TWINE is badass and needs to be heard. – The Biggest Letdown

“Susanna and the Grinders have released their debut album entitledTWINE, which brings back the idea of good 80’s and early 90’s pop indie rock. This album really speaks volumes to the talent involved with Susanna and the Grinders. In short, TWINE is badass and needs to be heard.

The title track, twine really sets the stage for how the album will be heard. It will be heard through a CD player in a car, home, boat, or modified couch that has speakers built inside. Speaking of modified couches, I’m terrible at home improvements. My lady thinks I can do anything, but deep down inside she knows that I’m not good at home improvement projects. Building something such as a modified speaker-couch would end up in myself yelling (a lot), throwing stuffed pillows across the room, shouting for no reason, and eventually giving up. Speaking of giving up, don’t give up on this review. I really liked TWINE.

When you listen to songs such as PERSISTANCE, FUTURE SONG, and PERFECT FACE you’ll get a feeling of accomplishment from Susanna and the Grinders. Speaking of accomplishment, did I ever tell you about the time I changed out two toilets in my home? It was the same toilet, just twice. Remember when I said I was shit at home improvements? Well, this is a classic example of that. I changed out a broken toilet for another toilet that didn’t work. Then, I returned THAT toilet back to the store where I bought it. Have you ever tried to return a used toilet? It’s embarrassing. People look at you like you’re an idiot. I’m not an idiot, though. I just didn’t have any luck with this project. So, I bought another toilet (a more expensive one) and I set it up. The whole project took me about two weeks. Now, I know what you’re thinking – you’re thinking that’s too long for a toilet-repair project. But, I was really busy with other things at that point. So, for two weeks I had a giant hole in the middle of my bathroom. I hate home-improvement projects.

This is a great album, and deserves a longer, more in-depth review. Someone will write a review to put this review to shame, but I just hope people will think back to this one and say HEY! GOOD JOB, BUDDY! THAT WAS A WELL-ARTICULATED REVIEW OF A CLASSIC ALBUM. The reason I say “classic” is because the person who says this statement will do so many, many years from now, while listening to TWINE on his speaker-couch. “

Blistering lead guitar burns in the forefront while a determined rhythm section bang out a bracing wind of high octane, hard driving, muscular rock. – Bill Copeland Music News review of The Self-Proclaimed Rockstars‘ latest album Postcards from Purgatory

“The Self-Proclaimed Rockstars recently released this high energy rocker CD Postcards From Purgatory. A Wakefield, Massachusetts-based power rock quintet have come up with nine hefty, uptempo, turbo charged tunes. The band members are Johnny Malone – vocals and Synth; Mick Greenwood – guitar and vocals; Ryan Savary – guitar and bass; James Hogg- bass and guitar; and Stephen DeBenedictis – drums and bare feet.

Self-Proclaimed Rockstars bring rock and roll back to its era of explosive energy and serious drive. Opening with “Suburban Kingpin,” these boys waste no time unleashing their edgy guitar rock sound. Blistering lead guitar burns in the forefront while a determined rhythm section bang out a bracing wind of high octane, hard driving, muscular rock. Lead singer Johnny Malone has a cool, drawling vocal and he belts it out with gusto.

“Haymaker” takes its time paying out a hard rock groove. The guitar skims the surface of the rhythm so lightly to give off a distorted undercurrent. This keeps the intensity boiling just below the surface and that makes it more dynamic. As vocalist, Malone shows his smoother side and he graces the lyrics with a hip, modern croon.

“My Crazy” gets its muscle from its skittish guitar rhythms and its definition from its penetrating lead. It is amazing the dissonance these guys get from briskly rubbing those guitars up against each other. The lead guitar often has the nervous tension of a high wire act. The sound keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering where they’re going as their song races forward.

“Whisky” is pure, driving power rock. Malone adeptly handles verses that wrap tightly around a bumpy groove. Playing in such a locked in rhythm, Self-Proclaim Rockstars knock this one out of the ballpark with a ride everybody will want to go along with. “No Faith” is another of these pure energy, driving rock tunes. The bass and drums bump things a bit more and that gives the tune more a distinguished lift.

Malone and the boys get down and funky on the irresistible, beat driven “Pretty Baby, Dirty Momma,” a tune crafted to make people want to follow the hip twists and turns in the lyrics and groove. It is amazing how much mileage these guys can get out of a head bobbing rhythm.

“No Purple Hearts For Self-inflicted Wounds” may be an unusual song title, but the song rocks right out. The dual guitar approach of this band is in full-throttle and on fire. There are guitar spikes inside the guitar rhythm that already has the song layered with pure dynamite.

“Fallout: Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Purgatory” may be another lengthy, eccentric title, but it’s also another kick ass song. Drummer Stephen DeBenedictis hammers out a persistent aggression here, and he moves the song forward with a variety of rolls, fills, and cymbal work. The lead guitar phrase is incisive as a laser beam and you can almost picture the guitarist disintegrating people science fiction with his high frequencies.

Malone mellows out enough on “A Cold Sleep” to show how much character he has in his vocal approach. He has something that goes way beyond just his tone and timbre. It’s in how he uses his self-restraint to march the band up several notches in intensity.

A hidden bonus track features Malone changing his expressions to a low down drawl while the players behind him put their sophisticated stamp on modern rock idioms. Eerie synthesizer melody fills the backdrop with goofy fun, showing the Self-Proclaimed Rockstars can play with excellence without taking the whole thing too seriously.”