Articles by Gina Vodegel
Malcolm Hunter: Nostalgia in My Square Head
by Gina Vodegel
Every once in a while an album emerges that, in its final form, only seems to touch briefly on the full story behind its inception. Nostalgia in My Square Head is one of those albums. Songwriter/keyboardist Malcolm Hunter may not be known to the public at large as a musician and blues poet, but he has trodden the streets of New York--Brooklyn and Manhattan in particular--as an entertainer since his childhood days in Queens.The sound of the city ...
Continue ReadingThe Readers: Reviver
by Gina Vodegel
Multi-instrumentalist/composer Bryan Baker and his longtime compadre, saxophone specialist Aaron Henry, collaborated on Baker's second album This Morning Day (Enilkrad, 2010). Since then, both Baker and Henry have continued working together as part of a touring ensemble, Bryan Baker 4, and in the recording studio. They're an industrious duo, to say the least. As The Readers, they released the Reviver EP in late 2010, with the promise of a full-length album in spring, 2011. These four tracks can be considered ...
Continue ReadingRon van Stratum: Swingin' In The Swamp
by Gina Vodegel
It's a generally accepted misconception that those who earn a living as a teacher in the arts must either not be good enough a performer, or are compelled to satisfy a wretched sense of envy, while clipping the wings of very talented students. Some of the stories out there may be true, but drummer/percussionist Ron van Stratum's Swingin' In The Swamp defies all such horror tales. Van Stratum has been a drum teacher since 1993 at The Netherlands' Maastricht Conservatory--recruited ...
Continue ReadingSkinnie: One Add One
by Gina Vodegel
He's a man of few words who prefers a simple approach. His debut EP, My Heart Beats On The Moon (REMusic Records, 2008), a collection of five songs, is now followed by yet another mini-album of only seven compositions. Once again, Dutch singer-songwriter Skinnie makes sure he is in the best of company, this time relying on two outstanding and seasoned musicians--guitarist Martijn van Agt (Anouk, Ilse DeLange, Sarah Bettens), and multi-instrumentalist/producer Michel van Schie (Candy Dulfer, Anouk, Soulvation)--who definitely ...
Continue ReadingBrandon Wright: Boiling Point
by Gina Vodegel
Determining the order of tracks on an album can be as significant as gathering the right ensemble of musicians for a project. On both accounts, saxophonist Brandon Wright has succeeded very well on his debut, Boiling Point, for which he penned five of the eight compositions. The opening “Free Man" grabs hold at once, with the piano/bass/drums rhythm section paving the way, in just a few beats, for a strong melodic entrance by Wright and trumpeter Alex Sipiagin (Mingus Big ...
Continue ReadingBilly Lavender: Memphis Livin'
by Gina Vodegel
Memphis, Tennessee is a city where significant parts of American history were written. It's where Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1963, and Elvis Presley's Graceland attracts thousands of visitors each year. In a cultural sense, Memphis has inspired and launched the careers of many artists from different colors and creeds in the wide spectrum of the arts, ranging from literature to movie making and, of course, music. As such, to walk the streets of Memphis and the famous historically ...
Continue ReadingBryan Baker: This Morning Day
by Gina Vodegel
Listening to guitarist/composer Bryan Baker's This Morning Day --the follow-up to his 2006 debut, Aphotic (Enilkrad Music)--is like going on a blind date. When focusing on the music--instead of Baker's impressive résumé--it's imperative to keep in mind that the excitement and anticipation of the unknown is half the fun. In this case, it's a promise that's not forsaken when exploring This Morning Day's nine self-penned compositions.Viewing Baker as nothing more than a young and talented guitarist, who hit ...
Continue ReadingRickie Lee Jones: Balm in Gilead
by Gina Vodegel
If a musical career spans a period of thirty years, there's bound to be ups and downs along the way. Rickie Lee Jones has always insisted on making her own choices, sometimes baffling her critics with yet another puzzle to work out. Here the Duchess of Coolsville combines her multiple talents as an artist, songwriter and producer with a little help from musical friends like Jon Brion, Bill Frisell, Brian Swartz, Pete Thomas and Reggie McBride.
The album ...
Continue ReadingEvan Christopher: Django a la Creole
by Gina Vodegel
For clarinetist Evan Christopher, Django a la Creole is the result of a forced journey from his home in New Orleans. In what might be seen as a positive aftermath of the Katrina disaster in 2005, Christopher temporarily relocated to Paris, focusing his actions on raising awareness for the musical culture that had put New Orleans on the map rather than that of Katrina. His “Django a la Creole" project debuted in August 2007 with concerts in Great Britain and ...
Continue ReadingBart Oostindie: Welcome To The Costume Ball
by Gina Vodegel
He's one of the most promising Dutch singer/songwriters, at least that's how multi-instrumentalist Bart Oostindie is presented in the Dutch media. Like his friend and colleague Skinnie Jones, with whom he collaborated on the captivating My Heart Beats On The Moon (REMusic, 2008), Oostindie's strength got built up from performing live. As a street musician he roamed outside the boundaries of his native country the Netherlands. As a southerner, he returned to his roots and sought the benefits of studying ...
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