Category: ESSENTIAL NEW MUSIC

Essential New Music: Sir Richard Bishop’s “Oneiric Formulary”
Have you tried to reach a doctor lately? Not so easy, is it? There are good reasons why this is

Essential New Music: Jon Hassell’s “Vernal Equinox”
Maybe you first heard Jon Hassell on Talking Heads’ Remain In Light, Peter Gabriel’s Passion or the two records that

Essential New Music: Robbie Basho’s “Songs Of The Great Mystery: The Lost Vanguard Sessions”
Mystery is inherent in Robbie Basho’s music. His vocal performances extolled the wonders of both the natural and supernatural worlds.

Essential New Music: FACS’s “Void Moments”
If the first quarter of 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that whatever seemed certain can change in a moment.

Essential New Music: Windy & Carl’s “Allegiance And Conviction”
Sooner or later, the lure cannot be resisted. Allegiance And Conviction is Windy & Carl’s concept record. The Dearborn, Mich.,

Essential New Music: Dean Roberts’ “Not Fire”
Photo by Denis Laner A dozen years separate Not Fire from Dean Roberts’ previous album, Uneasy Flowers, which he released

Essential New Music: Irreversible Entanglements’ “Who Sent You?”
When free jazz first manifested in the middle of the 20th century, it quickly became linked to the fight for

Essential New Music: Shane Parish’s “Death Bell Knellin'”
You could call Shane Parish a guitarist, or you could call him a cottage industry. Either way, you’d be right.

Essential New Music: Charlie Parker’s “The Savoy 10-Inch LP Collection”
Whatever fails to kill a creative endeavor makes it stronger. You can argue that the music of Charlie Parker and

Essential New Music: CP Unit’s “One Foot On The Ground Smoking Mirror Shakedown”
Any tool can be used for either good or ill, but in music, virtuosity is especially double-edged. The ability to

Essential New Music: Decoy With Joe McPhee’s “AC/DC”
Photo by Dawid Laskowski AC/DC has performed “Back In Black” many times, but Joe McPhee, who was born before any

Essential New Music: 3 Musketiere’s “Abflug”
There are plenty of reasons why the Ex has been characterized as a punk band. There’s the group's roots in

Essential New Music: Califone’s “Echo Mine”
Echo Mine constitutes a new partnership, a farewell and a reunion. It's the name for a dance choreographed and performed

Essential New Music: Large Unit Fendika’s “Ethiobraz”
One quality that Paal Nilssen-Love has sustained across decades of work in improvised music is transparency. No matter who he