Eels, Hombre Lobo (12 Songs of Desire), 2009 on E Works Records

Seventh full length from Mark Oliver Everett (aka “E”) and Eels. Hombre Lobo as you might guess is Spanish for Werewolf. The MySpace Transmissions EP of live tracks…

Willie Dixon, Mighty Earthquake And Hurricane, 1984 on PA USA

Though one doesn’t normally think of Dixon as an eighties artist (he started putting out recordings in the late 50s) he was still making great music into the…

David Porter, . . . Into A Real Thing, 1971 on Enterprise

Porter was the staff songwriter for Stax – this was his second full length LP issued under his name, following up Gritty, Groovy, & Gettin’ It. Enterprise was…

Chet Baker, Albert’s House, 1969 on Beverly Hills

One of Baker’s releases following getting his teeth (allegedly) knocked out (see Born to Be Blue) – eleven songs composed by Steve Allen. Gets some pretty negative reviews…

Teo Macero with the Prestige Jazz Quartet, Teo, 1957 on Prestige

Macero is likely best known as the producer of both Bitches Brew and Time Out but he was also a great saxophone player and composer. He made multiple…

Lucinda Williams, Bob’s Back Pages: A Night of Bob Dylan Songs, 2021 on Highway 20 Records

Hard to imagine how you could go wrong with Lucinda Williams covering Dylan, and this collection delivers exactly as expected. Volume three of the Lu’s Jukebox In Studio…

The Time, The Time (Self-Titled), 1981 on Warner Bros.

This was the debut LP from Morris Day and co, though they started playing together in the early seventies under different names. The band here still includes Jimmy…

Rufus & Chaka, Masterjam, 1979 on MCA

This was the eighth album by Rufus and their fifth with Chaka Khan. (They were Rufus, Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan, and Rufus & Chaka Khan in various releases)….

Traffic, Traffic (Self-Titled), 1968 on United Artists / Island Records

Released in 1968 on Island in the UK and United Artists in the US, this was actually their sophomore album, following after Mr. Fantasy. Dave Mason had left…

Lou Donaldson, Blues Walk, 1958 on Blue Note

Great late 50s Blue Note album, with Donaldson joined by Peck Morrison on bass, Ray Barretto on congas, Dave Bailey on drums, and Herman Foster on piano. Sleeve…

Wilco, Cousin, 2023 on dBpm

Wilco’s 13th full length studio album, produced by Cate Le Bon, and recorded at the Loft in Chicago. The cover artwork is by Azuma Makoto – see Frozen…

Rush, Exit . . . Stage Left, 1981 on Mercury

Like many, I found Rush as teen (or maybe pre-teen?) and was immediately hooked by the aggressive musicality and complexity and the allusive nature of Peart’s lyrics. Even…

McCoy Tyner, Trident, 1975 on Milestone

Tyner (who plays harpsichord and celeste as well as piano) is joined here by Ron Carter (bass) and Elvin Jones (drums), and the album was produced by Orrin…

Aaron Neville, Like It Is (reissued as Humdinger), 1967 on Minit

Although this was released in 1967 on Minit (and Liberty in the UK) as Like It Is, my copy is a 1986 reissue titled as Humdinger, on Stateside…

Chet Baker, Chet Baker in New York, 1958 on Riverside

In something of the same vein as the West Coast / East Coast rap rivalry of 90s hip hop, the jazz scene in the 50s had a bit…

Eli Paperboy Reed, Down Every Road, 2022 on Yep Roc

Reed here covers Merle Haggard. Not exactly what you might expect from the blue-eyed soul singer, who I understand to be from Boston (graduated Brookline High in 2002)…

John Grant, Pale Green Ghosts, 2013 on Bella Union / Partisan Records

In the US on Partisan Records, elsewhere on Bella Union, this was John Grant’s second solo album, recorded in Reykjavik, with backing vocals from SinĂ©ad O’Connor (credited as…

Ry Cooder, Borderline, 1980 on Warner Bros.

Cooder’s 9th studio solo LP, with John Hiatt, Jim Keltner, Jesse Harms, George Pierre, Bobby King, Willie Green Jr., Reggie McBride, and Tim Drummond. Produced by Cooder with…

Hound Dog Taylor and the House Rockers, Natural Boogie, 1974 on Alligator Records

Second record from Hound Dog Taylor and his band, originally issued as AL 4704. The band her includes Ted Harvey on drums and Brewer Phillips on 2nd guitar,…

Ike Quebec, Easy Living, 1987 on Blue Note

Though this was first released / issued by Blue Note in 1987, it was actually recorded in 1962 at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio in New Jersey, and represents…