Doncker should be considered in the same breath as Kanye West in the 2010s. Simply: he is the best. Resolutely color blind, Doncker is a musical chameleon, a superb electric blues guitarists at home in any genre you throw at him. He is always working, always writing, always playing around town and always always always creating
This residency has been winding its way every Thursday since the beginning of the year, and who knows when it ends, so this is an absolute must see. It will give the duo the time and space they need to expand songs that will live and breath through expansion and improvisation
Marla is a central presence beckoning you forward till you are in the middle of her world and yet you don’t know where you are. It could be 1974, it could be the day after tomorrow, but you are experience something, not half but a life entire
What are you doing today? Me, I am heading over to Metlife to check out Jay Z and Beyonce and then heading out early to get to the Bluenote by 1230am and catch the Tomas Doncker Band for a Howlin’ at Midnight gig, TDB release party for their best blues album of the year Moanin’ At Midnight
The last time I saw James Chance backed by the True Groove Allstars he stopped the show at the Cutting Room, now the No Wave maestro is back for what should be the gig of the year. Pushing the remastered and deluxe Buy (I wrote the liner notes) and with Marla Mase -who has an excellent new release herself, opening, this should be a huge huge huge gig. Don’t miss this Thursday June 12th at the Cutting Room.
Matt Rad is all over this slice of modern pop dross misstep from a woman who should have returned to her roots and instead went to the pop charts. The only area of interest is yet another chorus that seems to have been made from the sweat off Bono’s brow and a mood infused with the loss of Corey – C-
The last time the True Groove All Stars performed was a more than memorable gig at the Blue Note last year, but this one promises to be even better. Not only does Marla Mase have an excellent new album just released but latest True Groove signee James Chance will be there. Shout for “I Don’t Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing”. On Tuesday at the Cutting room
Pharrell came, saw and certainly conquered us just the way he will the charts over the next couple of months. This album should take hi to the next next level! Otherwise, both Rufus hits and DBT in mellow mode are disappointments.
Anything Could Happen – Ellie Goulding – Her breakthrough song was “Lights” but this one made her the real deal, a brilliant hooting track and a study in excitation that turned a dance track into a modern anthem and if the beat was less house and more disco, so much the better – A
Officially released last week, it is now available on Itunes and on Spotify and I can’t recommend this mix and match of spoken word and new wave highly enough: it is like this place where Chrissie Hynde and Patti Smith (not to mention Karen Finlay, so I won’t, though sexual frankness runs deep).
The “True Groove All Stars” concert at the Cutting Room on March 11 th will be a terrific chance to reacquaint yourself with the wonderfulness that is Sir Tomas, or the opportunity to catch up with his truly all stars, bassist Kevin Jenkins and spoken word maverick Marla Mase (whose new album is gonna blow you away) at the top of the list
Not a bad week and if we have many more albums as good as Adventures In Bluesland and Post Tropical, it might end up being a very very good year. If you include the yet to be released Half-Life and last years Bernie Worrell and Angel Haze it is absolutely a better year than last year.
However, worth noting that MTV posted seven reasons Newman is gonna blow up here on January 9th, 2014 and I called him my pick to click here on November 27th, 2013
Half-Life exists in a place similar to Yoko Ono’s Double Fantasy, it is where spoken word and experimentation meets the discipline of song writing and recording. Co-written with Doncker, these tracks play with genre’s to exercise Marla in pursuit of a vision one half self involved and one half global
Bridge Over Troubled Water – Aretha Franklin – I saw Franklin perform this the day after Whitney Houston died, February 17th, 2012 at Radio City Music Hall and it was superior to this take but not by much. Both are Gospel, but the pain that night is something only real grieving can match – A
I don’t know what is floating your boat in 2014, but I am eagerly awaiting the new Marla Mase and Kevin Jenkins. I’ve heard some of the new Marla Half Life dropping February and would be surprised if it doesn’t emerge as one of the best albums of 2014. Meanwhile, I’ve been busy cutting and pasting for you in 2014
The two revelations here are Cody Chestnutt’s superb r&b album from late 2012 and Bernie Worrell’s brilliant new album which opens with Miles Davis and closes with Bob Marley and in between is a subtle and beautiful jazz masterwork for piano.
