Israel Nash Reframes “Sweetheart Of The Rodeo”

August 11, 2026

Some listeners assume that a relatively recent trend of tribute records to entire albums leads to fragmentation of their original concept due to different musicians’ involvement in such homages, and it indeed ruins the flow – which can’t be said of a single-artist or single-collective approach to covering classics. That’s why platters like Booker T. & the M.G.’s “McLemore Avenue” worked so well – and that’s why the forthcoming offering from Israel Nash, unsophisticatedly titled “Sweetheart Of The Rodeo” and set to reframe THE BYRDS’ groundbreaking country-rock opus, should deliver on its promise too.

Continue reading →

Posted in News Tagged ,

Interview with Steve “Boltz” Bolton

August 9, 2026

It’s not necessary for a serious musician to be a character, but it surely helps, especially when the musician in question steadily refuses to take himself, albeit not his performances, seriously. Still, Steve Bolton, affectionately known as Boltz, couldn’t be anyone else, what with the arc of his career – if “arc” is an adequate geometrical term for zigzagging from the irreverent ATOMIC ROOSTER to the highly respectable Paul Young and then his own projects like DEAD’S MAN CORNER, from frolicking with John Otway and Richard Strange to touring the world with THE WHO because Pete Townshend happened to be a fan.

Leading the resurrected ROOSTER for the last ten years and having issued “Circle The Sun” in 2025, their first fresh album in decades, Bolton’s been busy lately working on this record’s sequel, yet Steve has so many stories to tell that he felt obliged to be generous with his time and delve into the most salient moments of a life well lived.

Read the interview.

Posted in News

Taj Mahal And Toumani Diabate’s Classic Unfolds Anew

August 8, 2026

Of all the original American bluesmen, Taj Mahal has always seemed to be the closest to his chosen genre’s African roots, and yet, when the veteran teamed up with Toumani Diabate, venerated Malian master of the kora, back in 1999 to record a joint album, many were taken by surprise. “Kulanjan” – that was the title of their work – turned out to be arresting and still underrated, despite the accolades courtesy of Barack Obama ten years down the line, which is it’s about time to reassess this latter-day classic.

Continue reading →

Posted in News Tagged ,

Bill Nelson Launches “Guitars Of Tomorrow”

August 7, 2026

It’s easy to lose track of Bill Nelson‘s creative curve: the British guitarist always seems to be competing with himself and with time – delving into his past to dust off an abandoned project while looking ahead and composing new music. Earlier this year, when a concert document from the veteran’s supergroup was prepared for release, the he mentioned four albums recorded between 2016 and 2020 and left on the shelf, with “Magical Thinking: Guitars Of Tomorrow, Volume One” assigned the first place in line of Nelson’s product schedule. Indeed, that’s what will appear for fans to savor on September 4th – only now it’s said to have taken shape in the last three years.

Continue reading →

Posted in News Tagged

Martha Reeves Searches For New Charts Action

August 6, 2026

More than six decades after “Come And Get These Memories” became her first chart success, Martha Reeves has a chance to score another one. It’s hard to believe, but the rhythm-and-blues legend has only five solo albums to her name, from the eponymous 1974 platter to “Home To You” which was out in 2004, and now, a mere twenty-two years later, the lady’s about to release her sixth longplay.

Continue reading →

Posted in News Tagged