ZACH LARMER ELECTRIC BAND "INNER CIRCLE"

"In listening to Inner Circle, one is struck immediately by the originality of guitarist Zach Larmer’s tone and style. Leading his Electric Band on this CD, Larmer performs music that ranges from fusion to post bop jazz without ever sounding like any of his predecessors. The Miami-based guitarist heads a group that includes keyboardist Tal Cohen, Juan Pablo Diaz and Jermaine Walden on bass, and Rodolfo Zuniga as well as David Chiverton on drums. Along the way trumpeter Brian Lynch, saxophonist Aldo Salvent and John Daversa (on EVI and trumpet) make important appearances, but the focus is primarily on the guitarist and his core quartet. The set begins with “On The Dock” which has a funky bass line, tricky rhythmic accents, some EVI, and plenty of fresh ideas from the guitarist. Larmer plays quite lyrically on “Garden Of Eden.” The piece evolves gradually while retaining its opening mood, becoming high-quality fusion with the sound of rock and the improvising of jazz blending together naturally. “Same As It Ever Was” is a wistful piece that is a bit mournful, featuring excellent playing by Larmer and Salvent on tenor. The bluish “Inner Circle” is both catchy and complex, highlighted by some rollicking moments. Zach Larmer is heard at his most passionate on “I Left It Bayou” which finds him pushed and inspired by the bass patterns. Larmer’s explorative solo, one of his best of the set, is particularly individual and creative. “Friedrichshain” has Larmer sharing the spotlight with Brian Lynch. The solos and tradeoffs between guitar and trumpet are quite colorful and heated. Inner Circle concludes with a lengthy version of the set’s lone standard, “Softly As In A Morning Sunrise.” At a tempo that is much slower for this song than usual, Larmer really gets to stretch out, sounding both relaxed and spontaneous. ZACH LARMER ELECTRIC BAND
 

HACKNEY COLLIERY BAND "SHARPENER"

A tour de force of trumpets, trombones, saxes, sousaphone, marching percussion and electronics, the band are as inspired by contemporary rock and electronica as they are New Orleans marching bands and the traditional British brass bands to which their name pays homage. Formed in 2008 out of a desire to play music that appealed to the feet as much as to the ears, the band has rapidly gained an army of loyal supporters, including radio support from Lauren Laverne, Gilles Peterson, Craig Charles, Huey Morgan, Jamie Cullum, Rob Da Bank and John Kennedy. Since the release of their eponymous debut in 2011, the 9-piece have blown their way into the public consciousness with their energetic and passionate live shows, amassing fans worldwide and reinventing the brass band sound for the modern age. New LP Sharpener shows the band on fine form and more confident than ever, with powerful new electronic elements and a dance floor sensibility adding to the jazz, rock and soul for which they are known. Building on the strength of their critically-acclaimed original writing, Sharpener has a powerful set of originals at its core, alongside a trio of leftfield covers in the shape of Nirvana’s Heart-Shaped Box, Kwabs’ Wrong or Right and Three Trapped Tigers’ Cramm. It’s a record that resounds with humour, charm and the hum of the glorious variety of musical genres that emanate from their hometown. Album opener Jump Then Run echoes the sound of the legendary Moondog, while Gather Your Wits is a roof-raising rumble of brass and rebellious behaviour. Wrong or Right, a soulful version of London soul star Kwabs’ great tune, comes to life with juicy menace before The Morning, an uplifting anthemic arrangement, builds into joyous hedonism. When You Know gives space to the band’s superb jazz chops, while album title track Sharpener is a big, bold, brassy and utterly mesmerising affair. It’s perhaps the band’s outstanding arrangements which sets them apart. From the intricacies of Timelapse to the introspection of Reawake, from the punky rock groove of It’s Normally Bigger (based on a true story) to the rave jazz of Bread and Circuses, the arrangements throughout showcase writers Olly Blackman, Luke Christie and Steve Pretty’s contrasting styles, able to switch from screaming energy to moody introspection, from cutting-edge jazz to dancefloor rave, and proving that Hackney Colliery Band is not just another party brass band blowing through the usual pop covers. Alongside their critically-acclaimed releases, Hackney Colliery Band have really stormed the live circuit, selling out two-night runs at Wilton’s Music Hall and the Jazz Café in London, playing main stages of festivals including Field Day, Love Supreme, Wilderness, Cheltenham Jazz Festival and many more, and even performing a 45-minute set in the Olympic stadium as part of the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics. On the international circuit they’ve performed in clubs and festivals from Sziget in Hungary to G! Festival in the Faroe Islands, and in countries including Slovenia, Montenegro, Italy, Kosovo, France, Austria, Holland, Germany and Ireland. But the band are never content to rest on their laurels or to keep things simple, and are keen collaborators. Over the years they’ve run a series of experimental music nights at Ronnie Scott’s, a weekly new material night in venues across London, and worked with collaborators including Amy Winehouse, Fyfe Dangerfield, Eliza Doolittle, Jamie Cullum, Andreya Triana, Williams Fairey Band, Rhodes and DJ Yoda. More leftfield collaborations have even included working with a sausage maker on the ‘Hackney Colliery Banger’ and with legendary London brewery Truman’s on their own hugely popular ale ‘Bold as Brass’! They have performed live sessions on Radio 2 and Jazz FM and their performances have been featured on BBC Two (The Culture Show), Sky Arts (Brass Band Wonderland) and live at the BRIT, Mercury and MOBO awards. With Sharpener their most exciting work to date, a tour taking in more venues than ever before and a collaborative EP out in the autumn, 2016 looks set to be a huge year for Hackney Colliery Band. HACKNEY COLLIERY BAND
 

60 GRIT BAND "SELF-TITLED"

A small town group with big city talent, the 60 Grit Band has been transcending generes and expectations throughout Southern California since 2011. Breaking the boundaries of traditional blues, the band draws a heavy infulence from classic and modern rock, rhythm and blues, old time soul, and reggae.Singer and rhythm guitarist David Ferguson has a dynamic range and entertaining presence on the stage. Frank Orecchio, on lead guitar, plays with spirit and a swagger matched by no other. On bass, Brian Haringa plays from his soul and is the backbone of the band. A true showman on harmonica, Jeremiah Kiser plays imaginative leads and subtle rhythms. And Nick Coffey plays the drums with relentless energy and unwavering timing. Together, they play with passion and an element of "grit" that truly sets them apart from other blues/rock acts, and because they leave their hearts on the stage every show, you will never regret attending one.The 60 Grit Band's debut, self-titled album is an eclectic and energetic blend of genres and styles. Though it's rooted in the blues, the album has a fresh and soulful sound that is appreciated by audiences of all ages, and one that you can just let play from front to back. The album is available on iTunes and all the major online music retailers, and also on our website. 60 GRIT BAND
 

CHRIS HOLM "OH THESE HARD TIMES"

Chris Holm is a solo acoustic folk blues artist from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Chris plays guitar, banjo and harmonica and writes many of his own songs in addition to performing old blues, country, folk, and gospel songs. Chris is also the bass player of The 4onthefloor and vocalist and multi-instrumentalist of The Fattenin' Frogs.This collection of songs goes out to all the stops along the way I've encountered in my travels over the past year; the people, the places, the experiences that only come with being out on the road. These songs were composed such places as state parks, rest areas, beaches, parking lots, and mountaintops all across the United States. For me, without the road, there are no songs.All songs written by Chris Holm. Engineered, mixed and mastered by Jeremy Johnson, Barking Jack Studio, North Saint Paul, Minnesota. Cover photo by Carrie Haugan Photography. CHRIS HOLM
 

EARL T AND THE TATTERED HEARTS "DEUCE"

Earl T and the Tattered Hearts started out as solo project to write, record and distribute original blues based material. It quickly ended up being a lot more...Before the first album was released, the band was put together and was playing the Houston club scene. Comprised of Earl T on guitar and vocals, Don Whitt (Artimus Pyle) guitar and vocals, Quentin Calva (Milton Hopkins) on bass and Mike Lawson (Billy Joe Shaver) on drums, these guys haven't looked back.Their first release "Daddy's Home" in 2015 began receiving airplay as soon as released and the title cut quickly became a crowd and radio favorite. Full of great songs, "Daddy's Home" established the Tattered Heart sound: killer grooves, great guitar hooks and intelligent (and often humorous) lyrics.Almost immediately, they began working on a second album while performing through the first part of 2016. The second album "Deuce" was completed in May of 2016 and builds on the concept of excellent original blues based songs but expands into Mussel Shoals styled R&B flavors, acoustic country blues and upbeat rockers.EARL T AND THE TATTERED HEARTS
 

SCOTT BRADLEE'S POSTMODERN JUKEBOX "PMJ AND CHILL"

Postmodern Jukebox, also widely known by the acronym PMJ, is a rotating music collective founded by arranger and pianist Scott Bradlee in 2011. PMJ is known for reworking popular modern music into different vintage genres, especially early 20th century forms such as swing and jazz. In its first few years of existence, Postmodern Jukebox has amassed over 500 million YouTube views and 2 million subscribers.Each week, Postmodern Jukebox puts out a new video on YouTube, most of which are filmed casually in Bradlee's living room. The band has covered songs by artists ranging from Lady Gaga and The Strokes to Katy Perry and the White Stripes. Since their beginnings as a small group of friends making music in a basement in Queens, New York, Postmodern Jukebox has gone on to feature 70 different performers and tour four continents.The origins of Postmodern Jukebox came when Bradlee began shooting videos with his close friends from college in his small basement apartment in Astoria, Queens.Bradlee struggled post-college as a jazz musician in the New York City area for years before hitting it big with his first viral video in 2009 – “a medley of ‘80s songs done ragtime style.” A tweet from famed author Neil Gaiman was the beginning of his eventual online viral popularity. SCOTT BRADLEE'S POSTMODERN JUKEBOX

In early February 2016, Postmodern Jukebox covered the late David Bowie’s classic song "Heroes" in honor of World Cancer Day – featuring vocals by Nicole Atkins. The track was sold on iTunes to earn money for the Cancer Research Institute.[39] At the same time, PMJ launched a program called "Reboxed," consisting of new versions of songs that had already been covered by PMJ. The first Reboxed song was Niemietz (and the Sole Sisters) singing "Bad Romance" which had previously been sung by Ariana Savalas (feat. Sarah Reich tap dancing). PostmodernJukebox

DENNIS JONES "BOTH SIDES OF THE TRACK"

High-energy stage performance. Sizzling hot guitar solos. Smooth and soulful vocals. Backed by a rhythm section that is second to none, this IS Dennis Jones. Check out a live show, and you’ll instantly agree, this band ROCKS the blues like NO other! Dennis's feet are firmly rooted in the past, yet his heart and soul are connected to the present. He writes songs that seamlessly blend the best of both worlds, presenting a unique and contemporary style of American rock and blues. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and now based in Los Angeles, California, Jones continues to pursue his musical ambition of becoming a top entertainer in his field. With four well-regarded CD releases to date, and a fifth to be released in January 2016, Jones' vision has never been clearer. Dennis also writes songs for other notable artists, e.g. he wrote the song Temporary Man for Guitar Shorty’s 2010 Alligator release, Bare Knuckle. Since 2003, Dennis has released four successful albums on his own label, Blue Rock Records. Each and every one of these CDs has met with rave reviews. Many of his songs and CDs have hit the top 10 on the Blues Charts, including when his 3rd CD, Pleasure & Pain, ranked #2 of best blues CD releases of the year, by the Canadian-based, Real Blues Magazine. He's latest release, My Kinda Blues, features legendary guest musicians, Kenny Neal, and Guitar Shorty. Dennis is no stranger to film either. Deep Blues from his first CD, Falling Up, was featured in a 2006 Lions Gate movie, Sea of Fear. The title track of Dennis’s 2nd CD, Passion for the Blues, is featured in the 2013 independent film, How We Got Away With It. Finally, Dennis is one of several artists featured in the documentary film Babe’s & Ricky’s Inn, a movie about one of the oldest blues clubs in Los Angeles, and its adored owner. The blues music industry is taking note. In May 2012, Dennis was honored to present the Awards for BB King Entertainer of the Year, to Tab Benoit, and Album of the Year, to the Tedeschi Trucks Band, for Revelator, at the Blues Music Awards in Memphis, Tennessee. Dennis and his band continue to work hard to achieve the next level of musical success. Increased touring opportunities and greater exposure to new fans will undoubtedly make this band a household name. So if the same old blues has got you down, then it’s time to check out the Dennis Jones Band! DENNIS JONES BAND

THE CLAUDETTES "NO HOTEL"

Chicago and New Orleans piano blues get a shot in the arm and Tin Pan Alley gets the hot-rod treatment, while ’60s pop-soul and French Yé-Yé make ravishing returns on the Claudettes’ second Yellow Dog Records album NO HOTEL. Chicago piano crusher Johnny Iguana (who has pounded keys for Junior Wells, Buddy Guy and rock cult heroes oh my god) and absolute wacko Michael Caskey (who has drummed with giddy glee for everyone from Chuck Mangione to Balkan fusion band Eastern Blok) make even bigger waves with the bravura instrumentals on NO HOTEL than they did with their 2013 debut Infernal Piano Plot…HATCHED! (“Like Keith Moon chasing a crazed, punked-up Little Richard”—Blues Music Magazine). Piano licks inspired by Otis Spann, Mose Allison, Ray Charles and Bobby Timmons meet Minutemen’s “jam econo” ethos and Meat Puppets’ trippy echo as the band packs 16 tracks into the sonic whirlwind that is NO HOTEL. And at the eye of the hurricane: a mid-album set of sultry vocal songs sung in English and French by the band’s mesmerizing new member, Yana. Though just 24, Nigerian-American vocalist Yana recalls Josephine Baker and Eartha Kitt. An alluring singer/dancer on stage, decked out in stunning dresses, jewelry and head wraps, Yana brings her seductive powers to the studio here. She casts a spell with the throwback ’60s pop-soul (punctuated by a grinding blues-rock bridge) of She’s So Imaginary, then puts her own authoritative stamp on hand-picked ’60s French Yé-Yé classics. THE CLAUDETTES
 

MICKE BJORKLOF & BLUE STRIP "AIN'T BAD YET"

Ain´t Bad Yet is the sixth album by the Finnish Blues Award-winning (for “Best Band”) blues-rock group Micke Bjorklof (pronounced Be-York-Loaf) & Blue Strip. The new album was produced by John Porter, legendary for his productions of Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’, Santana, and no less than 10 Grammy-winning albums. Last October the band traveled to Rockfield Studios in Wales, which has played host to many of the world’s biggest artists from Black Sabbath to Rush and Oasis, and which in 1975 was the primary studio Queen used for the recording of “Bohemian Rhapsody.” “We’re really excited about the new material and about this collaboration with John Porter,” Micke Bjorklof says. “We’d been talking about doing a project together for a couple of years, and I´m glad we finally could make this happen.” MICKE BJORKLOF & BLUE STRIP