Articles by Jim Trageser
Peter Sprague: Guinnevere
by Jim Trageser
Peter Sprague, the San Diego-based guitarist who has gigged with everyone from Chick Corea to Hubert Laws, Charles McPherson to Dianne Reeves, seems to be accelerating his recording output of late. He is averaging more than two albums a year as leader the past half-decade, plus guest appearances on numerous others. And all of this is on top of his work running his own studio and small record label, SBE ("Striving to Break Even") plus a busy performance schedule.
Continue ReadingMitch Woods: A Night in New Orleans
by Jim Trageser
One of the most charmingly energetic pianists working on the blues side of the aisle, Mitch Woods' playing seamlessly takes in everything from boogie woogie to jump blues to New Orleans R&B, with broad streaks of jazz stride thrown in. On his latest release, Woods eschews his usual backing band, The Rocket 88s, for a solo show at Snug Harbor in New Orleans. His spirited performance harkens back to the great pianists who could hold a room all ...
Continue ReadingBluesman Kenny Wayne Shepherd balances past, present
by Jim Trageser
Blues guitarist, singer, composer and bandleader Kenny Wayne Shepherd is marking the 30th anniversary of the release of his debut recording with a national tour in which he and his band perform that album, Ledbetter Heights (Giant Records, 1995), in its entirety. They also re-recorded the album track-by-track with longtime vocalist, Noah Hunt, who only joined the band for the second release. It was only a few months after his 18th birthday that his debut came out, and ...
Continue ReadingTommy Emmanuel: Finding Common Ground On Guitar
by Jim Trageser
Tommy Emmanuel began his musical career at age 6, playing guitar in his family's band as they busked around the Australian bush more than six decades ago. An invitation from guitar legend Chet Atkins to visit Nashville led to Emmanuel's relocating to the United States in 1997, where his genre-defying career has only further exploded. Emmanuel is on tour in support of Living in the Light (CGP Sounds, 2025). As at home in pop and country as he ...
Continue ReadingTeresa James: Bad at Being Good
by Jim Trageser
She may have been based out of Los Angeles for the past four-plus decades, but Teresa James' Texas roots still shine through on her 14th full- length release as co-leader. Given that her husband and co-leader, Terry Wilson, was also raised in Texas, as was drummer Tony Braunagel (who plays all but two songs), well, that sound comes to them naturally. Wilson wrote or co-wrote 11 of the 12 tracks here, with James contributing on five of them. ...
Continue ReadingEither/Orchestra: Nalbandian The Ethiopian
by Jim Trageser
After a decade and a half break, the always interesting Either/Orchestra is back with another compelling recording--albeit one recorded in 2011 and 2012, and only now, in 2026, seeing the light of day. Russ Gershon remains at the helm of the Either/Orchestra, and not only is this recording finally being issued, but the group is also in the midst of 40th anniversary touring schedule with shows later this spring of 2026 scheduled for Knoxville and Cleveland.
Continue ReadingRalph Towner: Unconcerned With What Genre His Music Is Labeled
by Jim Trageser
This interview was originally published in San Diego Troubadour magazine in the March, 2017 edition. You'll excuse Ralph Towner if he's not particularly interested in debates over genres and how to define them. The guitarist grew up playing swing jazz on trumpet, then studied classical piano in college, discovered guitar at age 22 and studied in Vienna before moving to New York City in the late 1960s and co-founding pioneering world music combo Oregon--and then was ...
Continue ReadingVarious Artists: Swinging In The Holidays
by Jim Trageser
With a warm, wood-paneled vintage glow, a new Christmas collection inhabits the space formerly reserved for top-flight crooners like Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett: blending pop and jazz into comfort food for your ears. While few of the “next-gen" (as the album's publicity tag puts it) performers here will be known to those unfamiliar with the contemporary New York City scene, their chops are undeniable and the arrangements flattering to the performers' strengths.
Continue ReadingDavid Virelles: Igbó Alákọrin (The Singer’s Grove) Vol. III (Director’s Cut)
by Jim Trageser
In 2018, New York-based pianist David Virelles turned more than a few heads when he set aside his avant-garde playing style to dive headfirst into the traditional music of his native Santiago de Cuba. Igbó Alákorin Vol. 1 and II found Virelles fully immersed in the Santiago music community, recording alongside both local legends and young up-and-comers. He has now issued Vol. III in two different editions, a “theatrical cut" (with 18 tracks) and a longer ...
Continue ReadingEnoch Smith Jr.: The Book of Enoch Vol. 1
by Jim Trageser
With a longstanding residence as a music worship leader at Allentown Presbyterian Church in New Jersey, pianist / composer Enoch Smith Jr. comes to jazz with a gospel perspective. Once common in soul music and even blues, this gospel background is rarer in jazz, especially in recent years. On The Book of Enoch, Vol 1, as in his previous outing, The Quest: Live at APC (2016), Smith's performance is in a jazz vein--albeit one with significant ...
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