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ALBUM REVIEW January 25, 2020

Ben Flocks: Mask of the Muse

Read "Mask of the Muse" reviewed by Geno Thackara

It was probably inevitable that the start of the 2020's would see something of a comeback for the Roaring Twenties of the last century. You could say that puts Ben Flocks ahead of the curve for releasing this homage to mark the change of decade... well, except that it's not just rooted in the previous gilded age, and it's not of the roaring variety either. Mask of the Muse is more than a time capsule anyway. It could make a ...

RADIO September 30, 2019

Deep Jazz Trip Vol. 1

By Nick Davies

In this show Nick plays lots of new music and some tracks from the archives; a new format for the podcast version of the show. Playlist Ben Flocks “Muses's Mask" from Mask of the Muse (West Cliff Records) 1:41 James Martin “Rectify" from Keep Movin' (James Martin Music) 03:59 Miguel Zenon “El Negro Bembón" from Sonero (Miel Records) 10:15 Paul Austerlitz Pilgrim “Zaka's Wedding" from Cross Winds (Round Whirled Records) 18:21 Partisans “Nit De Nit" from Nit ...

ALBUM REVIEW April 21, 2014

Ben Flocks: Battle Mountain

By Glenn Astarita

California native, saxophonist Ben Flocks' compositions parallel an imaginary cross-country trek via the diverse climates he conjures with these alluring compositions. Spanning intermittent similarities to guitarist Bill Frisell's sojourns into Americana along with frothy New Orleans second line fare, spacey jazz rock, and a few quirky little ditties intermingled along the way, his debut is an impressive one, meriting considerable attention. Few artists launch their solo careers with a big bang. The album is gushing with memorable melodic content and ...