Articles by Doug Collette
Wolfgang Muthspiel: Tokyo
by Doug Collette
Even a mere cursory perusal of Wolfgang Muthspiel's discography reveals how his playing has evolved over the years, populating a body of work that is roundly eclectic, but nonetheless focused. That very summary might well also apply to this third outing with the aforementioned high-profile rhythm section of bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade (ECM, 2023) because on Tokyo, the Austrian guitarist sounds as liberated as in this combo context as on Angular Blues (ECM Records, 2020) and Dance ...
Continue ReadingMatt Schofield: Many Moons Vol. 1
by Doug Collette
The blues boom that exploded in England during the mid-to-late 1960s bequeathed more than a few guitar heroes to the world, including, but not limited to, Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor. But none of those fretboarders or their contemporaries and descendants has been any more loyal to the genre than Matt Schofield. And while the British expatriate has not ever reinvented the blues in post-millennial terms, he and his band(s) have consistently reaffirmed its virtues, reinvigorating ...
Continue ReadingMarshall Crenshaw: From "The Hellhole"
by Doug Collette
In something of a reflection of its sardonic title, Marshall Crenshaw's From “The Hellhole" is not an album of all-new, never-before-recorded original material. It consists instead of revamped versions of recordings the Detroit native 'completed' for release in various forms in recent years (not the least of which is the now out-of-print #392: The EP Collection (Red River, 2015). Like the remix of Rare Earth's Motown hit “I Just Want to Celebrate," the details of the reworkings of ...
Continue ReadingDino Saluzzi: El Viejo Caminante
by Doug Collette
El Viejo Caminante is a natural and logical extension of Dino Saluzzi's Albores (ECM, 2020). On that solo album, the bandleader used his instrument (the bandoneon--an accordion-like instrument with origins in Germany) to mesmerize and during this companion piece/sequel, Saluzzi's interplay with his two bandmates is comparably hypnotizing. As such, the album belies the translation of its title “The Old Wanderer." Understated as is the flow of energy on cuts such as “La Ciudad De Los Aires Buenos," ...
Continue ReadingRodney Crowell: Airline Highway
by Doug Collette
The best entries in Rodney Crowell's twenty-plus entry discography emphasize simplicity in material, musicianship and production. As such, Airline Highway has much in common with But What Will the Neighbors Think (Warner Bros., 1980) and The Chicago Sessions (New West, 2023). Unlike (too) many contemporary country artists, Crowell does not affect a pose. Instead, he proffers himself as an intelligent and discerning soul who has learned much from living life to the fullest (without belaboring the specifics).Layered arrangements ...
Continue ReadingThe Who: Live At The Oval 1971
by Doug Collette
The Who were at the peak of their performing powers by the time they embarked upon an extensive touring schedule in 1971. Having honed their chemistry as a performing unit during the nearly two years of performing Tommy (Decca, 1969), the quartet had relegated equipment smashing to an occasional sidelight. And, having distilled guitarist/composer Pete Townshend's magnum opus Life House into Who's Next (MCA, 1971), the foursome had a panoply of sterling new material to choose from in ...
Continue ReadingMiguel Zenon: Vanguardia Subterránea: Live at The Village Vanguard
by Doug Collette
Suffused with shadows as is the cover photo of Vanguardia Subterranea, it is a perfectly appropriate match for the title of the Miguel Zenon Quartet's first live album. Released in celebration of the ensemble's 20th anniversary, both the image and the music favorably hearken to the displays of healthy improvisational jazz behind graphic designs for vintage albums on the Blue Note and Prestige labels in the 1950s and 1960s. Recorded over two nights in September of 2024 at ...
Continue ReadingJohn & Paul: A Love Story in Songs
by Doug Collette
John & Paul: A Love Story In Songs Ian Leslie 448 Pages ISBN: # 9781250869548 Celadon Books 2025 Considering the reams of research and writing devoted to the Beatles since their monumental success in the early '60s, it seems almost implausible any writer could find a fresh perspective on the British group and their work. But Ian Leslie has done just that with John & Paul: A Love Story In Songs.
Continue ReadingRyan Lee Crosby, Kent Burnside and Garry Burnside: Blues As A Way Of Life
by Doug Collette
The eternal appeal of the blues lies in the attraction it holds to successive generations of musicians and music lovers. And such connections are not necessarily grounded in blood relations, as is the case with Kent and Garry Burnside, but also in the bonds of mentorship as with Ryan Lee Crosby: while there are more than a few breeding grounds for genre seeds, Mississippi's Hill Country and beyond may be the most fertile. Promising durability in these efforts and in ...
Continue ReadingSly and the Family Stone: The First Family: Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967
by Doug Collette
The glossy silver foil finish inside and outside the covers of The First Family: Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967 to some degree belies the sound quality of the music inside. But the assiduous effort applied to the sonics of the original recordings--by Sly and The Family Stone's first manager Rich Romanello--is right in line with the meticulously annotated contents of the enclosed fifty-two page booklet. With the many period photos as thought-provoking as the carefully annotated prose, the ...
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