Category Archives: CD Reviews

CD Review: Church of Betty…overall idealistic “neo-hippie-love-is-the-answer” vibe

Church Of BettyArtist: Church of Betty
Title: Swirled World
Label: Shop Fang Records
Genre: psychedelic rock / progressive world chamber rock

Review by Dawoud Kringle

Brooklyn’s Church of Betty, the brainchild of sitarist / guitarist Chris Rael, was, from its beginning, an interesting anomaly. Being a sitar player myself, I was intrigued by his concept. COB first hit the scene in 1998. An impressive list of musicians who performed and recorded with COB includes tabla master and Rael’s longtime collaborator, Deep Singh. Their live performances brought theatrics and dance to their live sound. Rael’s sitar style, far from orthodox classical raga, nonetheless used raga as a framework he built on a pop / rock / folk / psychedelic foundation.

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CD Review: the Liberation Music Collective…propel the momentum of jazz toward a sense of spiritual awareness and social responsibility that the world needs

The Liberation Music CollectiveArtist: The Liberation Music Collective
Title: Siglo XXI
Label: Ad Astrum Records
Genre: jazz

CD Review by Dawoud Kringle

The idea of jazz as a catalyst for social change is not new. Throughout its history, jazz musicians have sought to use the art form to articulate societal ills, and present solutions (which almost always focus on spiritual realms, although a few use it as a platform for a political agenda, such as socialism). The most fascinating aspect of this is that, unlike other music genres, folk, rap, etc., many such “jazz activists” have sought to do this through instrumental music. This is unique to jazz. However, those who do this have become rare in recent years.

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CD Review: Swiss trio Kaos Protokoll play chaotic jazz? No…a fun but serious band to listen!

Kaos PrtokollArtist: Kaos Protokoll
Title: Questclamationmarks
Label: Prolong Rec
Genre: nu jazz

CD Review by Dawoud Kringle

Kaos Protokoll is a Switzerland based electronica Jazz ensemble whose work has raised a few eyebrows in the past. Comprised of Benedikt Wieland (e-bass, effects), Flo Reichle (drums/electronics), Marc Stucki (saxophone, melodica, and effects) Kaos Protokoll’s new CD, Questclamationmarks is a departure from their first release Quick & Dirty. Whereas Quick & Dirty was straight forward in its punk ethic, Questclamationmarks takes the listener into their more refined and multifaceted potential.

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EP Recommendation: Elikeh’s “Kondona”…a musical resurrection

Elikeh Kondona EPArtist: Elikeh
Title: Kondona
Label: Ropeadope Records
Genre: Afropop

New Life in an Old Ceremony: Elikeh Experiences Its Kondona

Music can change everything. As the poet wrote, it has charms to soothe the savage breast. And it can also bring a band back from the dead, giving it a new spark of energy and creativity. For Washington, DC-based Afropop band Elikeh, the results of that musical resurrection are proudly displayed on the EP Kondona (released November 20, 2015).

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CD Recommendation: Shujaat Husain Khan and Katayoun Goudarzi Display the Ruby’s Perfection

rubyArtist: Shujaat Husain Khan & Katayoun Goudarzi
Title: Ruby
Label:  Shujaat Husain Khan
Genre:  Indian Classical/Persian poetry

As natural as breathing or walking. That’s the musical marriage between Iranian-born vocalist Katayoun Goudarzi and Grammy-nominated sitar player Shujaat Husain Khan. And it’s also a perfect description of the affinity they both have for the work of the great Persian poet, Rumi. Just how natural is evident on Ruby (released November 6, 2015), the pair’s fifth exploration of the deep beauty of Rumi’s words.

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