Breezy Rodio "If It Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix It (Delmark)"
From Billy Branch’s liner notes for Breezy Radio’s If It Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix It
The latest project by Breezy Rodio, If It Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix It, presents vibrant, new, quality original material. Rodio has pro- duced a veritable smorgasbord of tasty songs. With the use of A-list musicians, dynamic horn arrangements and inventive original lyrics, Breezy has managed to produce a recording full of musical delights.
Check out the blues-y gospel vibes of “Led To A Better Light.”
Dave Specter "Blues From The Inside Out (Delmark)"
From Delmark:
Blues From The Inside Out is the most expressive project of Dave Specter’s 35-year career. Featuring his debut as a vocalist, the album is an exciting and timely celebration of blues, soul, jazz, funk and gospel. These are fine times to hear Specter, an evolving artist who embraces growth and discovery. Blues From The Inside Out includes a guest appearance on guitar by Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane/Hot Tuna fame, who also co-wrote one of the album’s 12 original tunes. Specter wrote the uplifting soul anthem for change “March Through the Darkness,” he takes a deep dive into Meters-Neville Brothers inspired rhythms with the instrumental “Sanctifunkious” and sings on the blues shuffle title track. Besides Kaukonen, Specter recruited the Chicago-based Liquid Soul horns and Latin-percussion ace Ruben Alvarez, each playing on three tracks.
Check out the aforementioned “Sanctifunkious.”
Dominic Sen "Visitor (Roll Call)"
Dominic Sen is an actual alien. That’s right, a life from outer space. But something about our silly little planet stopped them in their interstellar tracks. They caught some radio transmissions and fell in love with our pop culture from the 80s and 90s. Visitor (Roll Call), their debut album, is like an art-pop Ziggy Stardust. A “hook-laden and dance-inspiring concept album (that) pulls from the sounds of our recent past to tell the story of another visitor to Earth.” Check out the laid back, sexy “Natural History.”
Vancouver Sleep Clinic "Onward To Zion"
If there is such a thing as a middle ground between ambient music and modern and soulful R&B its because of Vancouver Sleep Clinic that that middle ground exists. On Onward To Zion, his second album as VSC, mastermind Tim Bettison combines the aforementioned genres and mixes in some jazz samples, guitar and piano, meditative, contemplative sounds and… well… it’s just about everything you’d want from an artist that goes by a name as fantastic as Vancouver Sleep Clinic. So connect some like diodes to your head and spend the night at the sleep[ clinic! Check out the ethereal, guitar-heavy (and by guitar-heavy, I mean lots of gentle touch acoustic guitars. not like heavy guitars. although I didn’t have a chance to weigh them, sorry… I’m like 2 “joke” premises in here. Let’s reset.) Check out the guitar-heavy “Fever” and see what we mean!