Battle of Santiago – La Migra (Made With Pencil Crayons, 2017) Canadian band Battle of Santiago’s style has evolved towards a vibrant mix of Afro-Cuban…
Toronto’s Afro-Cuban Post Rock Groove Machine
Category: Album reviews
Shamanic Electronica from Bulgaria
Vataff Project – Solьmen (Fusion Embassy, 2017) Vataff Project is a Bulgarian act that brilliantly mixes trance and ambient electronics with traditional musical instruments. Electronic…
The Passion and Virtuosity of Khamoro Budapest Band
Khamoro Budapest Band – Hungarian Gypsy Music (ARC Music EUCD2708, 2017) Preparing to direct the 1970 film, “Little Big Man,” director Arthur Penn decided to…
Mamadou Kelly Meets Cindy Cashdollar
Mamadou Kelly – Politiki (Clermont Music CLE 016CD, 2017) Superb Malian guitarist Mamadou Kelly skillfully combines Saharan desert blues with American blues on Politiki. In…
David Carmona’s Guitar Dream
David Carmona – Un Sueño de locura (Nuevos Medios NM 15 929, 2017) David Carmona is one of the rising stars of flamenco guitar. This…
Hedningarna, Nordic Cult Band
Hedningarna – Kult (Silence Records SRSCD-4771, 2016) Throughout the years, Swedish band Hedningarna taped a lot of great material during recording sessions that never made…
Superb Latin Jazz Guitar Discoveries
Steve Khan – Backlog – Asuntos Pendientes (Tone Center, 2017) Guitar maestro Steve Khan continues his remarkable series of Latin jazz explorations with Backlog. Khan…
Exceptionally Vivid Flamenco Alchemy
Jerez Texas – Clar de lluna (Jerez Texas, 2017) Jerez Texas is a fascinating trio from Valencia (Spain) that has developed a unique combination of…
The Band Beyond Borders, A Remarkable Gathering of World Musicians
Amine & Hamza – The Band Beyond Borders – Fertile Paradoxes (ARC Music EUCD2704, 2017) A popular comedian recently remarked that President Trump’s planned wall…
Eastern European Ecstasies
A term like “Eastern European music” gets bandied about by many, including me. It’s one of those convenient generalizations used to cover a category that’s…