Posted in Covers New Releases News

Gateway Prog: Brad Mehldau explores rock roots of his jazz and spiritual paths

Whether via a range of collaborators, his choice of cover material, or even his piano work within a traditional jazz/standards setting, Brad Mehldau has spent a career pursuing his adventurous side. Mehldau takes a look back and another step forward…

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Posted in Albums That Surprised Me Covers Reviews

Albums That Surprised Me: It’s Like This / Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee Jones tried a variety of approaches between 1995-2001 — originals, acoustic versions, live album at Red Rocks. But in the middle, she accomplished the unusual: a quality all-covers disc, coherent in sound and reflecting the artist’s diverse tastes in…

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Posted in Bruce Springsteen Covers Half Notes New Releases

Aiofe O’Donovan and Jethro Tull: new albums, Springsteen covers, and … Indian food?

Jethro Tull breaks a a nearly 20-year drought in one week with The Zealot Gene. It’s the first Tull studio album since a Christmas album in 2003. The title track sports a rather involved animated video that may feel stylistically…

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Posted in #np Covers

Johnny Cash’s New Year’s Eve PSA

It *could* be just a coincidence that Elvis Costello‘s social media happened to post this video of Johnny Cash covering Costello’s own “The Big Light” the day before New Year’s Eve. But I doubt it.

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Posted in Covers Reviews

Real-Time Review: Peter Gabriel / Scratch My Back (Archives, 2010)

First heard and written in the same 53 minutes. Overall, a good purchase, a concept with some potential pitfalls that Gabriel largely avoids. He’s smart to put the emphasis on his voice while also giving it less to compete with (nothing…

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