Freestyling in a completely off-the-cuff, improvised manner, Caleb Hart (a Trinidadian based in Canada) displays a knack for Jamaican deejay chanting as well as wrapping…
On the Spot and Spot On
Author: Tom Orr
Tom Orr is a California-based writer whose talent and mental stability are of an equally questionable nature. His hobbies include ignoring trends, striking dramatic poses in front of his ever-tolerant wife and watching helplessly as his kids surpass him in all desirable traits.
Stepping Forward
Mexican saxophonist Gerry López gives an Afro-Cuban jazz twist to John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps,” taking a classic to new heights by keeping the melodic essence…
88 Keys Plus Natural Beats
Greece’s Yiorgos Bereris seasons his own expert touch on the piano with jazz drumming, Cuban and Brazilian-inspired percussion and melodic interplay to spare on “Cruza,”…
Warming Warning
Addressing a worldwide problem in a true roots reggae style is exactly how it ought to be done, and Minna LaFortune does so on “Global…
A Word to the Unwise
I’ve spotlighted the work of America’s Naya Rockers previously, and their “Long Way Down” gives me another reason to do so. It’s a melodic but…
Can’t Stop This
Jstop Latin Soul is a Virginia-based band that delivers on their name with a just the right amount of sizzling Afro-Cuban rhythms, full-blooded solos, layered…
Kora to the Core
American kora players aren’t exactly commonplace, so the work of Kane Mathis is not only noteworthy for his individuality, but for his expertise. He leads…
Atypical Brazil
Brazil’s Dude São Thiago harnesses layered percussion, jangly piano, nimble vocals and quirky production touches to make “Mitiê” an attention grabber that succeeds from both…
Marvelous “Mazel Mazel”
Combining the traditional Amazigh music of her native Algeria with global influences gleaned in her adopted homeland of France, Syna Awel’s “Mazel Mazel” is a…
You go, Togo
A mix of jazz, traditional rhythm and chant from the West African nation of Togo and some particularly expressive trombone playing,”Noussin” by a band called…