Formed in the mid-1970s in England, iconic jazz/fusion group Brand X became one of the sub-genre’s prominent acts of the decade after its members initially met to record solo albums for multi-instrumentalist/producer Brian Eno. Dormant afterward through the 1980s and again between 1999 and 2016, its current four-year-old lineup hasn’t yet recorded in a studio, but has … [Read more...]
Area guitarist Telesca tells of struggle with cancer in new book
With a new recording, a new book, and a new lease on life, Boynton Beach-based blues vocalist, bassist and guitarist Mark Telesca (marktelesca.com) has hit a figurative trifecta. Higher Vibrations is his first recording of solo acoustic blues as a singer and guitarist, and that new lease on life is chronicled in Telesca’s debut as an author. Available in online and … [Read more...]
Power and poetry from Lucinda Williams at Parker Playhouse
From the moment she stepped onto the stage at the Parker Playhouse in Fort Lauderdale on Feb. 6, Lucinda Williams exemplified what sets her apart from most other singer/songwriters. Having recently turned 67, Williams neither seems to be as self-obsessed, nor take herself as seriously, as fellow guitar-playing lead vocalists. Her combination of blues, Americana, country … [Read more...]
Grace Potter tears up Revolution Live, for old fans and new
Singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist Grace Potter gracefully prowled the stage during her sold-out show at Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, displaying the soaring vocal range and instrumental prowess necessary to bear comparisons to female-fueled pop/rock forebearers like Heart, the Pretenders, and Fleetwood Mac. Potter’s band included two female … [Read more...]
Hart’s art draws boomers, Dead fans to Boca gallery
Wentworth Gallery in the Boca Raton Town Center Mall bears little resemblance to the venues where San Francisco-launched act the Grateful Dead cultivated its following of Deadheads, a throng that grew between formation of the band in 1965 and the death of founding guitarist/vocalist Jerry Garcia in 1995. But former Dead drummer Mickey Hart’s forays into visual art … [Read more...]
Oz Noy in Boca: Too little of a superb thing
Israel-born, Manhattan-based jazz/fusion guitarist Oz Noy returned from an overseas tour in late October, having played across Europe, the Czech Republic and Russia in a trio with renowned band mates in bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Dennis Chambers. Noy’s first dates upon his return to the United States were 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. trio shows Nov. 5 at the Funky Biscuit in … [Read more...]
Grateful Dead drummer Hart brings his artwork, consciousness to South Florida
Drummer Mickey Hart’s name will always conjure up imagery of the Grateful Dead, the ground-breaking, San Francisco-launched act he joined in 1967. With elements of rock, blues, jazz, bluegrass and country music, and a massive legion of loyal Deadheads as a traveling following, the group launched an ongoing musical movement as the ultimate 20th-century jam band. The Grateful … [Read more...]
Guitarist Noy, a fresh face of jazz/fusion, to show off his chops in Boca gigs
A day in the life of Manhattan-based jazz/fusion guitarist Oz Noy, specifically Sept. 30, 2019, involved a trek south for what would be a dream for most other instrumental musicians. For him, though, it was part of an everyday routine. “I hope you can hear me,” Noy says by phone, “because I’m on a train to Baltimore. I’m rehearsing there with Dennis Chambers and Jimmy Haslip … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2019-20: Pop scene moving away from familiar faces
Unlike most previous years, the expected familiar faces aren’t dotting the 2019-2020 South Florida pop concert season landscape. One’s impressions of the results depend on whether they see that situation as glass half-full or half-empty. Elvis Costello and Sting make rare appearances only days apart; soul icons the Isley Brothers stop in 65 years after the group’s formation, … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2019-20: Jazz scene feeling the influence of youth
Jazz may be at a generational crossroads within the 2019-2020 season in South Florida. More and more presentations are becoming tributes to icons, echoing centuries of classical music and, more recently, pop and classic rock. A couple such nods to deceased legends are included here. Yet original jazz material is increasingly requiring deeper research. Shows that could at … [Read more...]