Foxy Digitalis
When it comes to showing what’s possible with the flute, it doesn’t get any better than James Newton. His playing is otherworldly. His compositions become these lush sonic valleys that rise from nothing organically, infused with a pointed whimsy As a composer, he creates beautiful, whimsical worlds that drift and change direction like a river […]
I’ve been wanting to make some kind of mix for the site for a while after having such a blast collaborating on the Halloween and Xmas mixes, so starting the year off with some Charlatan action on Foxy Digitalis feels right. After numerous stops and starts, I finally settled on a mix of one instrument/solo […]
There’s a moment about two minutes into JJJJerome Ellis’ somnambulant lullaby, “Fountain #3,” that my consciousness detaches from my body. Ethereal drones glide across soft, feathery clouds, moving slowly as if not to disturb the flow of the astral plane. When Ellis’ dancing flute tones flicker into existence, he’s channeling James Newton at his most […]
The Electric Rubicon is a project I've been thinking about for a while now, but it was only in the last few months that I got a clearer picture of how I wanted to pull it together. Basically this is going to be a regular (my goal is once-per-month!) show where each episode is focused on a single band, artist, or label and I spend some time digging into their history and importance and, more generally, what it is that makes them special. The main thing, though, is an excuse to pull out some killer tunes that most people have never heard, or at least haven't heard in a while.
What an utter delight this recording is – wow. Major kudos to David Menestres for turning me onto this live session featuring bassist Roberto Miranda, members of his family (his father, brother, and cousin), Horace Tapscott, John Carter, James Newton, and Bobby Bradford among others. It’s one hell of a line-up (and doubly so since […]