What happens when you mix a bit of gris-gris with a touch of classic jazz? You get a party of an album such as Dr. John's Ske-Dat-Ske-Dat: The Spirit of Satch! The late Mac Rebennack, a.k.a. Dr. John, frequently drew on the classic sounds of New Orleans as he conjured his own musical voodoo. Most appropriately, his final studio album was a tribute to one of the most significant figures to ever emerge from the Crescent City. Louis Armstrong transformed the sounds of both jazz and popular music,
By the middle of the '80s, Roy Orbison was primed for a comeback. In 1986, his epic ballad "In Dreams" was placed prominently in David Lynch's film Blue Velvet, which sparked renewed interest in the velvet-voiced crooner and rocker. The following year, The "Big O" staged the ultimate comeback concert with a remarkable lineup of guests including Tom Waits, Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Elvis Costello, J.D. Souther, k.d. lang, and Jennifer Warnes. The star-studded group had
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Cilla Black, Cilla/In My Life (SFE/Cherry Red) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Cherry Red's Strike Force Entertainment imprint has two more reissues in the ongoing series of definitively remastered and expanded Cilla Black albums. First up is the late vocalist's debut album Cilla (1965) with In My Life (1974), the latter of which is making its premiere on CD in full. This 2-CD set adds 26 bonus tracks, three of which are new to
To celebrate the fiftieth year of The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings has announced the May 10 release of the new box set, Jazz Fest: The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The 5-disc set is presented as a large-format, 12"x12" book. Inside its 136 pages are numerous photos spanning the festival's history, plus many essays and discographical annotations. There's a forward from festival founder George Wein, as well as notes from Jeff Place and Huib
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, or simply "Jazz Fest," as it's become known, is more than a gathering of musicians performing for a crowd. Since its founding, it's become a cultural event; an annual celebration of the unique music, art, food, and people of New Orleans and beyond, with acts ranging from jazz, rock, pop, country, blues, and more. To celebrate the festival's fiftieth year, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings has announced the May 10 release of Jazz Fest: The New Orleans
Capitol Records, the venerable label founded by Johnny Mercer with B.G. DeSylva and Glenn Wallichs and now a unit of Universal Music Group, turns 75 next year. In celebration of this landmark anniversary, the label has announced three new initiatives. The first of these endeavors is The Capitol Records 75th Anniversary Collection, a series of 75 vinyl reissues from various genres curated by "noted music journalists, authors and other renowned creative figures." The Beatles are represented
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up filled with deluxe reissues on vinyl and CD, box sets, new releases from veteran artists, and more! Michael Jackson, Off the Wall (Epic/Legacy) CD/DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada CD/BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada The King of Pop's 1979 Epic solo debut Off the Wall is revived for 2016 with an additional DVD or BD of Spike Lee's acclaimed new documentary about the making of the album, Michael Jackson's Journey from