Grammy-winning Infamous Stringdusters banjo man Chris Pandolfi has been hard at work while not on tour. He produces and hosts a podcast, “Inside the Musicians Brain.” His interviews include favorites like Oteil Burbridge, Sarah Jarosz, Sara Watkins, and most recently the guys from Goose. While we all long for the days of big live music shows… Continue reading Chris Pandolfi | 'Trance Banjo' | Review
Writing has always been a hobby. I created sonnets to unleash my teenage angst. I did my undergraduate thesis, basically a short story, about interning at an anti-gun violence nonprofit where I focused on the flavorful like shooting an AK-47, melting guns to transform them into art and working with ex-convicts in the Tenderloin. In… Continue reading Revolver: a novel by Evan I. Schwartz | Review
In times like we’ve been living, maybe we could all use a friendly voice to lead us to the other side. Perhaps one of music’s most wonderful capabilities is its undeniable ability to bring us comfort in times of tumult. Surely, the sonic pleasantries and lyrical content of some tunes lend themselves to being that… Continue reading Pat Ferguson | “The Confidence Man” | Review
The only time getting punched in the face feels good is when it’s done by a song. ‘Miss Mooney’, the latest effort by The Eckels Brothers does not build towards anything, instead starting off at the height of its energy, which it maintains throughout. It punches…and it feels fine. From the opening descending guitar flick,… Continue reading The Eckels Brothers | ‘Miss Mooney’ | Review
The country’s energy immediately shifted last week and not because Mercury is in retrograde. (That’s not occurring until January 30th.) If you’re perplexed and silently questioning my changed outlook, I’m profoundly aware we are unfortunately, still amid an extremely challenging reality. Nevertheless, confidence, optimism and even a sense of normality was restored with the new… Continue reading Adeola “Ade” Fabola | “Something Good” | Review
This past week was astonishing, and frankly I still may be in a state of paralysis. Disturbing images of January 6th will be etched into my memory similar to the IRA bombings in the 90’s; Londoners covered in blood and marked with silvers of glass. The unbelievable scenes of jumbo jets plowing into iconic, NYC… Continue reading Tommy Emmanuel | ‘Imagine’ | Review
Leslie Mendelson’s studio performance of “Happy New Year” celebrates this important benchmark while providing the optimism we desperately need after a whirlwind of a year. There is both simplicity and complicatedness in Mendelson’s tune. The piano which is the only supporting instrument is straightforward and gentle, creating an underlying, welcoming calmness whereas the intricately resides… Continue reading Leslie Mendelson | “Happy New Year” | Review
When I first heard John Hurlbut’s and Jorma Kaukonen’s acoustic album, The River Flows, my being instantly welled up to the sound, welcoming it like an ocean does a river. With tears filling my eyes, the quality of the music made me realize—There’s something about greatness that opens the soul to living. What was it… Continue reading John Hurlbut & Jorma Kaukonen | The River Flows | Review
About 40 years after joining the original Jerry Garcia Band, Melvin Seals & JGB delivered on December 20 two solid sets at a private, socially distanced performance. The gathering of a few dozen folks, mostly masked, took place on a bright, sunny afternoon in the small Sierra Nevada foothill community of Auburn, Calif. That the… Continue reading Melvin Seals & JGB | Auburn, CA | 12/20/2020
America is unrecognizable. 300,000+ citizens have died in a pandemic that could have been better managed. The government is sitting on a stimulus package that would ignite the economy and save livelihoods. People are refusing to take personal responsibility. Lies and misdirected efforts have derailed our focus. This is not the country I know. It’s… Continue reading Courtney Marie Andrews | "America" | Review
