VIA PRESS RELEASE | “As an eternal fan of the great Carlos Wesley ‘Don’ Byas since the age of 12 years old, I find this biography Sax Expat: Don Byas beyond essential reading! Con Chapman does his due diligence and clears up the mysteries from the elusive legend of this vital and transitional saxophonist. Sax Expat triumphantly succeeds in persuading the reader to re-evaluate the historical and artistic position of the original ‘DON’ in the grand picture of Black Classical Music!” —James Carter, multi-instrumentalist, recording and touring artist

Don Byas (1913–1972) was a groundbreaking tenor saxophonist who left the US at the height of his career, becoming one of the first American jazz expatriates. A musician who bridged the swing and bebop eras, he played alongside jazz greats like Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie, yet remains an underappreciated figure in jazz history.

Unlike many later jazz expatriates, Byas insisted he did not leave America because of racial discrimination. Instead, he was frustrated by the limitations of the U.S. jazz scene, where he was caught between two generations—too modern for the swing era, yet never fully embraced by bebop musicians. In 1946, he left for Europe, dazzling audiences in Paris, the Netherlands, and beyond.

Byas’s decision to settle in Europe came at a cost. While he enjoyed international acclaim and artistic freedom, he missed out on the recording opportunities and exposure in the US that could have made him a household name and a wealthier artist. His achievements, however, were undeniable. His brilliant solo on Count Basie’s “Harvard Blues” remains a model of restrained invention, while his interpretation of the movie theme “Laura” and his duets with bassist Slam Stewart secured his place in jazz history. The latter were later recognized in the Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz, a testament to his enduring influence.

Read More »

Record Store Day 2025, which happens on April 12th, promises to be one of the better Record Store Days in years. One label that always has a strong presence on Record Store Day is the mighty reissue label Rhino Records.

Below is a preview roundup of just a few of the label’s excellent reissues and archival editions to be released on Record Store Day.

Grateful Dead, Beacon Theatre, New York, NY 6/14/76 This RSD Exclusive is a five-LP set available in an edition of 7,600. Rhino has reissued many Grateful Dead box sets in the past and this year’s entry is one of the best.

These shows were recorded during the Keith and Donna Godchaux era of the group. The recordings came out after Blues for Allah and before Terrapin Station. There has only been one previous official live Grateful Dead archival release on vinyl from 1976, making this a true rarity.

There are the expected long jams like the nearly 20-minute “Playing In The Band,” as well as “Dancing in the Street,” “Crazy Fingers,” “Slipknot,” and, from Blues for Allah, “Franklin’s Tower.” Some other highlights include “Tennessee Jed,” the particularly relevant “U.S. Blues” and the Jerry Garcia solo track “The Wheel.”

The sound quality on these discs is outstanding and hearing the group play in the intimate confines of the Beacon Theatre is truly special. The clam-shell box houses the 180-gram vinyl albums, which are in poly-lined sleeves and there is a four-page insert with liner notes, a photo, and an essay from Jesse Jarnow, co-host of the Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast, author and WFMU radio host.

Read More »

A groundbreaking force of nature in the original rock ‘n’ roll explosion, Little Richard kept on doing it, often to surprising artistic success, long after his heyday as a hitmaker had waned. For a tidy example of his undying musical potency, one need look no further than “Try Some of Mine: The Brunswick Recordings,” an EP available April 12 for Record Store Day from ORG Music.

It’s not a bit unusual for music to get better with age, but in this regard Little Richard is nearly in a class by himself. With each passing year, as the planet gets more fucked up, the sides the man cut for the Specialty label don’t just continue to cut major mustard, they have grown into a regenerative salve for the soul in how they combine the celebratory and the defiant.

There is also the matter of creating a new musical style from extant models to consider (the birth of rock ‘n’ roll, ya dig?), and when this reality gets added into the equation, Little Richard sits in good company with the Ramones, and on a plateau where the prestige as punk rock royalty gets shared. Although Little Richard was wildly popular upon his public breakthrough at a level that proved elusive to the Ramones, he was also scorned by a considerable percentage of the public and perceived as dangerous by an even higher number, two reactions now built into the lore of the New York City punk pioneers.

But it’s important to emphasize how the Brunswick recordings collected here fall outside of Little Richard’s commercial and artistic peak period. He cut three singles for the label in 1968, none of them hitting the charts, and then moved on; his comparatively fertile stretch with Reprise was just around the corner as the 1970s dawned.

Read More »

VIA PRESS RELEASE | Fifty-five years after its debut, Chicago II still sounds like nothing else. Released in 1970, Chicago’s second album brims with confidence and inspiration as it draws on everything from orchestral music to heavy rock. Although it never affected the record’s popularity, it peaked at #4 on the album chart and spawned a trio of Top Ten hits.

Chicago II (Steven Wilson Remix) brand new Dolby ATMOS mix, along with stereo, quadrophonic, and 5.1 mixes in high-resolution, will be available on April 25 as a Blu-ray disc exclusively at Rhino.com. Pre-order HERE. The remixed album will also be released as a 2-LP 140-gram Black vinyl on May 23. Pre-order HERE.

Chicago II has been remixed before, but now, for the first time, a Dolby ATMOS of the 16-track album will be revealed. The album previously received stereo, quadrophonic, and 5.1 hi-res mixes from the multi-track tapes, making it possible for Steven Wilson to bring out elements that were muffled or submerged in the mix. This resulted in a version of Chicago II that boasts clearness, punch, and definition that it didn’t have before.

Wilson explains: “Working with high-resolution 96K/24 bit digitally transferred files, I had every element from the recording sessions isolated, which meant I was able to rebuild the mix from the drums upwards, recreating as closely as I could the equalization, stereo placement, reverbs, other effects, and volume changes of each individual instrument or vocal—but at the same time looking to gain definition and clarity in the overall sound.”

Read More »

Regularly praised as the Queen of Memphis Soul, Carla Thomas is a Memphis Music Hall of Famer who scored numerous hits throughout the 1960s both solo and in duets with her father Rufus Thomas and her Stax Records labelmate Otis Redding. As the 1970s began, Thomas visited American Sound Studio in her home city and cut a batch of songs for a record that, with the exception of one single, remained unreleased until 2013. On April 12 that album, Sweet Sweetheart, makes its vinyl debut for Record Store Day 2025 through Craft Recordings. Cut with producer Chips Moman, the 11-song set has a warm, unified sound as Thomas interprets a wide range of material from the period.

She might take a back seat to such soul heavyweights as Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight, but Carla Thomas still makes the short list of the great women soul singers. The reasons are many, but much of her stature comes down to the centrality of her work in the story of Stax Records, where she makes her entrance way back before the beginning.

Thomas scored her first hit in 1960 with the self-penned and Chops Moman-produced “Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes)” for Satellite Records, the label of Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton that would change its name to Stax the following year. It was Thomas’ second single in a long string that spanned the decade alongside a half-dozen full-length records beginning with Gee Whiz in 1961 and concluding with Love Means… in 1971.

Thomas’ discography expands with King & Queen, her collab set with Otis Redding released in 1967, plus three Best of comps and a pair of records capturing her in performance. Live in Memphis, issued in 2002 by the Memphis International label, documented a show from the previous year with a gang of city all-stars, and Live at the Bohemian Caverns, a 2007 released by Stax of a set from the storied Washington, DC venue (Ramsey Lewis’ The In Crowd was recorded there) dated from 40 years prior (with her father also on the bill).

Read More »

INDIANAPOLIS, IN | I recently attended Brooks & Dunn at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, and despite a few unexpected moments, it was a great night of country music.

The evening began with Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway, who delivered a fabulous set, blending bluegrass, folk, and traditional country. Having had the chance to photograph them a few years ago in Chicago, I can confidently say they’re a band worth seeing on their solo tour. Molly’s virtuoso guitar playing and the band’s tight harmonies really set the tone for the night.

Next up was David Lee Murphy, who gave an enjoyable set that had the crowd vibing. Murphy, a seasoned country artist and hitmaker, treated fans to a mix of his own hits, including the well-loved “Dust on the Bottle,” and some great songs he’s written for others, like “The More I Drink” for Blake Shelton. His easygoing stage presence and knack for connecting with the audience made his performance a nice transition to the headliners.

When Brooks & Dunn took the stage, the energy in the arena skyrocketed. They powered through their catalog of hits, with the crowd singing along to every word. However, during their final song before the encore, Ronnie Dunn had to leave the stage due to feeling ill. It was a bit concerning, but Kix Brooks truly stepped up in the moment, seamlessly taking over Ronnie’s vocals on the last couple of songs. His ability to carry the show without missing a beat was impressive, and he kept the energy high throughout.

Read More »

VIA PRESS RELEASE | Vol. 11: 1989 of On Record, a comprehensive series of awardwinning books celebrating popular music from 1978 to 1998, has just been published. “I’m thrilled and grateful to see this 21-book series arrive at the halfway point,” says author and Colorado Music Experience director G. Brown.

Vol. 11: 1989 rounds up the year’s major releases, from Tom Petty’s first solo album to Roy Orbison’s final effort, even the first recording of a Russian rock musician with a Western label, as well as ascending pop-metal bands (from Mötley Crüe to Warrant) and alternative-rock acts (The Cure, Pixies), plus the best in jazz, blues, adult contemporary, and other genres.

Marking more than 50 years as one of America’s foremost popular music writers, G. Brown has interviewed more than 3,000 musicians, ranging from superstars to one-hit wonders in every genre—pop, rock, country, and hip-hop to punk, folk, alternative, and beyond.

Each edition overflows with rare, powerful and informative editorial photographs from Brown’s personal archive of close to 15,000 images amassed over decades. These beautifully crafted, reader-friendly volumes, presented in a lively, engaging style, invite perusing at any point within the book.

“When G. Brown writes about you, his readers give you a chance. They listen. G.’s trusted voice is a big reason I have an audience. I’m forever grateful to him for including me in his writing over the years and to be a part of his On Record series,” says Lyle Lovett, Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and actor.

Read More »

Remembering Spencer Dryden, born on this day in 1938. —Ed.

For your illumination, a shameful tale of gross and inexplicable prejudice. To wit, I spent most of my life refusing to give the Jefferson Airplane a break, because of what they would in time become—namely first the fishy Jefferson Starship, and then plain old loathsome “We Built This City on Rock’n’Roll” Starship. I was so busy judging the Airplane by their checkered future I never bothered turning back the page to take in these lyrics from Volunteers: “We are all outlaws in the eyes of America/In order to survive we steal cheat lie forge fuck hide and deal/We are obscene lawless hideous dangerous dirty violent and young.”

Those may be some of the most defiantly punk lyrics ever written, but I never heard them. How could I have? I was so anti-Jefferson Airplane I jokingly declared the anniversary of Altamont “Punch Marty Balin in the Mouth Day.” But just recently, goaded by some inexplicable impulse, I gave 1969’s Volunteers a listen. And I was dumbfounded by how goddamn day-glo good it was. From its plethora of cool vocals to Jorma Kaukonen’s brilliant guitar playing to its extraordinary lyrics, Volunteers is a triumph.

More overtly political than their karmically resigned compatriots in the Grateful Dead, and smarter-assed (and just plain smarter) than their brethren in CSN&Y, on Volunteers the Jefferson Airplane launch razor-sharp barbs against straight society, from sarcasm-laden opening track to inspirational closer. Whether you call them idealistic, naïve, or just plain deluded, the Volunteers-era Jefferson Airplane—Grace Slick on vocals, piano, organ, and recorder; Paul Kantner on vocals and rhythm guitar; Marty Balin on vocals and percussion; Jorma Kaukonen on lead guitar and vocals; Jack Casady on bass; and Spencer Dryden on drums and percussion—expressed a commitment to revolution and the radical transformation of American society.

Read More »

VIA PRESS RELEASE | When Grammy-winning artist Petula Clark met poet-songwriter-singer Rod McKuen in France during the 1960s, they became fast friends. Petula, of course, was one of the biggest music stars in the world and in the midst of a long string of hits in both English and French. For his part, McKuen was a huge fan of Petula, naming her his favorite female vocalist; and by the mid-1970s, they had performed together on several television programs.

Inspired by Petula’s recorded versions of his dramatic environmental anthem “The Wind of Change” and the tender ballad “I Think of You,” McKuen resolved to put together an entire album of his compositions for Petula just like he had done with Frank Sinatra on his 1969 release A Man Alone. The project was announced, but it took a few decades to come to fruition; finally, after her acclaimed runs with the musicals Blood Brothers and Sunset Boulevard on Broadway and in London, and national tours across the United States, Petula and Rod were able to synchronize their schedules in 2005.

Multiple sessions at Hollywood’s Private Island Trax studio and an overdub session in Geneva would yield 20 favorites from the McKuen songbook, passionately and poignantly sung by England’s most successful female singer of the 20th century.

A limited-edition, 14-track CD available from Rod’s website and Petula’s fan club quickly sold out, and now Solitude & Sunshine–The Songs of Rod McKuen is coming to retail for the first time in a newly expanded edition including 6 bonus tracks, 5 unreleased! The CD includes extensive liner notes written by both Rod and Petula along with rare photos. A huge find for fans of either artist!

I successfully de-programmed myself from the Cult of Frank Zappa at the tail end of the seventies, when I finally realized he was a smug, smarter-than-thou anal-retentive with bad classical and jazz tendencies and a proclivity for 13-year-old potty humor who held everyone, including his own fans, in contempt. I finally realized the only reason I was listening to him was for the guitar solos. And in the end they just weren’t enough. I left the fold, ashamed of myself for having been suckered in by the arrogant sour-puss in the first place, and never looked back. In the end, I just wasn’t prepared to drink the strychnine-laced Kool Aid.

That’s how these things always end, right?

The Village Voice’s Robert Christgau, never a fan, finally lost patience not too long after I did; his parting words to Zappa, written in 1982, were “Oh shut up.” Possibly he wanted him to just shut his mouth—Zappa’s snide and increasingly low-brow satire was what did me in. This explains why the only Zappa album I’ve been able to listen to over the years—and it’s something I only do every decade or so—is the 1969 jazz-rock exercise Hot Rats. Zappa doesn’t open his mouth once. Some of it is fusion with a stick up its ass—his fussy orchestral arrangements guarantee the lesser songs don’t swing—but a few of its songs do rock.

Zappa himself made clear that the lyrics were a sop, and a bit of condescension on his part, to his no-nothing audiences. He once told an interviewer, “Americans, in general, know very little about music. They like to hear words, so I give them words—sometimes they overlook the music involved.” Look down upon much? And had the guy ever heard of jazz? By music he meant the classical works of Europeans like Edgar Varese. For Zappa rock music was a lower life form and a kind of afterthought.

Read More »