Jazz Articles about Marcel Smith

About Marcel Smith

Album Review

Have Mercy!--Sean McDonald's 2025 debut album on the Little Village Foundation label--introduces a young artist whose greatest strength may be his ability to absorb blues, soul and early rock 'n' roll traditions without sounding bound by them. The 24-year-old singer, guitarist and songwriter understands these forms deeply enough to make them his own. The album's influences are often easy to spot. “My Soul" carries the buoyant feel of Elvis Presley's “All Shook Up," complete with “uh-ah-huh" harmony ...

Album Review

Kyle Rowland: Not Holding Back!

Read "Not Holding Back!" reviewed by Ron Kalb

by Ron Kalb
May 28, 2026

Blues fans concerned about the next generation of harmonica virtuosos can take heart with Not Holding Back!, the 2026 release from Kyle Rowland on the The Little Village Foundation label. At 32, Rowland suggests he may be ready to step into a lineage shaped by masters such as Charlie Musselwhite, Billy Branch and Rick Estrin. A prodigy at age 10, Rowland took harp lessons from Estrin and counts legends James Cotton and Lazy Lester among his mentors.