As she did on her 2021 debut album, Reckless (ND review), and on last year’s Psychopath (ND review), Morgan Wade showcases a vocal power that combines the clarity and aching vulnerability of Patty Loveless and the vibrant, soaring phrasing of […]
There’s an emotional yearning in Amanda Anne Platt’s crystalline voice, whether it’s for a person, a place, or a time. Her vocals come across with drenching clarity and vibrance, leaving the listener with their own desire to look back, to […]
Inspiring soul and gospel singer, civil rights activist, Bob Dylan’s crush: Mavis Staples can now add children’s book author to her resume. Partnering with award-winning children’s book author Carolyn Boston Weatherford (Unspeakable; Moses) and illustrator Steffi Walthall (Ain’t Gonna Let […]
Like Marvin Gaye, Jerry Butler, Curtis Mayfield, and gospel singer James Cleveland, Zeshan B combines soaring vocals with swaying rhythms that inspire the soul and move the feet to action. On his third album O Say, Can You See? he […]
So far in 2024, mediocrity reigns supreme in music book publishing. Only a few memorable books (many of them on jazz) have risen far above the remainder of the stacks. The standouts display eloquent prose, thorough research, and lucid insights […]
Tray Wellington keeps moving, exploring music from a variety of angles. His 2022 debut full-length album, Black Banjo, showcased his innovative songwriting and instrumental virtuosity. On his newest album, Detour to the Moon, Wellington builds on his earlier efforts, illustrating […]
John Cowan admits that on Feb. 9, 1964, the cosmic balance of the universe shifted: “A comet slipped through the ether from the bonds of the galaxy (or was it Liverpool?) and into the side door of the Ed Sullivan […]
In maybe the best news of the year, the Man in Black returns, more than 20 years after his death, with new music on Songwriter. These 11 songs, which he wrote mostly in the late 1980s and early 1990s, capture […]
The title of Jim Lauderdale’s new album is just right. On My Favorite Place, his 37th album, the ambassador of Americana has settled into his musical comfort zones: western swing, rockabilly, country weepers, bluegrass rambles, and folk ballads. He’s enjoying […]
When he was 6 years old, country singer Darius Rucker discovered his destiny. Rucker was lying on his living room floor listening to Al Green’s then-new album, I’m Still in Love with You, he recalls in his new memoir, […]
