Retro Music Review | Oldies, Reissues and New Releases with a Retro Sound

JazzPrezzo proudly announces the release of The Blue Note Years: The Photography Of Francis Wolff and Jimmy Katz in celebration of the 70th Anniversary of Blue Note Records, the most important record label in the history of jazz.

This elegant coffee table book, including two CDs of music, spans an incredible seventy years of the label, from its beginnings to the present, through the eyes of two master photographers. The images, many of them never seen before, capture the major artists in modern jazz at historic recording sessions and other contexts. In recognition of this unique collection, the Jewish Museum of Berlin plans a special exhibition of photographs from the book for the fall of 2009… READ MORE

As someone whose life has been personally touched by Bipolar Disorder, I urge you to support this event, and the fund established in Sean Costello’s memory:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FROM DELTA GROOVE MUSIC

ATLANTA, GA - The Sean Costello Memorial Fund for Bipolar Research will hold its first benefit concert Sunday, March 1, 2009 at the North Atlanta High Center for the Arts. Sean was a beloved blues musician from Atlanta, who was internationally acclaimed, and in his honor, fellow musicians Lurrie Bell [2008 Living Blues Awards for Blues Artist of the Year and Most Outstanding Guitarist], The Wood Brothers [debut disc named one of National Public Radio’s top ten discoveries of 2006], King Johnson, Felix and the Cats with Jon Liebman and the Soul Shakers will lend their time and talent to this cause. Doors will open at 4p.m. and music begins at 5p.m. Tickets are $30 and will be available online [ http://www.seancostellofund.org ] and at the door. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Donations are tax deductible. READ MORE

Patsy Cline - A Tribute To Patsy Cline / A Portrait Of Patsy Cline (BGO; BGOCD809)

Patsy Cline was renowned for her mastery of the heart tugging ballad. She never overdid it. She always struck just the right note of sincere longing. Like Edith Piaf, she could bring a tear to the listener without going over the top. All she had to do was tell the truth, in that sweet, warm, soul stirring way she had… READ MORE

Resurrectionists - Here Hope Flows Like Blood From The Nose (Self-Released)

The footprints of the Resurrectionists can be found along the same dusty path traveled by the Alternative Tentacles act Slim Cessna’s Auto Club. Backwoods hellfire and brimstone serves as powerful inspiration for both bands. Their songs also share a steely guitar twang, a Southern note-bending style that adds a creepy twist to every lyric. Still, the Resurrectionists are not merely Slim Cessna Part Two. There’s a bit of Tom Waits here as well, not to mention a heaping helping of originality… READ MORE

Smithereens - B-Sides The Beatles (Koch; KOC-CD-4504)

Fame may come and go, but good music is forever. While The Smithereens aren’t in the national spotlight anymore, they are still cranking out some of the finest retro pop records ever. The band’s sound was always a mixture of the best of old and new, blending vintage mod, rock, folk, and beatnik sounds with a contemporary touch that can only be described as Smithereens… READ MORE

Slammers Maximum Jive Band [Live] - Hey There You (Self-Released; CD002)

Some bands are great in the studio. Some shine onstage. The Slammers Maximum Jive Band rocks both. After releasing a truly brilliant studio album earlier this year (the appropriately titled Jive Time), The Slammers return with Hey There You, an absolutely killer live recording… READ MORE

Michael Nesmith - Pacific Arts (CD/DVD; Edsel; EDSX 3004)

During his stint in the Monkees, Michael Nesmith spent a lot of time fighting the good fight for creative control. After leaving the manufactured pop group, he proceeded to demonstrate just how creative he could be, once he had control. Forming his own media company, Pacific Arts, in the 1970s, he released albums, produced films and television, pioneered the concept of music video as an art form, and even sold a pilot to Time Warner that was the basis for the development of MTV. The Edsel label’s new Nesmith CD/DVD compilation, Pacific Arts, features some of the company’s finest output… READ MORE

Jay and the Americans - Live From The Cafe Wha? / Blockbusters (BGO; BGOCD791)

During the turbulent 1960s, Jay and the Americans existed in a kind of bubble world, immune to political, social and musical trends. For over a decade, the squeaky clean pop vocal group released singles and albums that sounded like a throwback to a more innocent time. Despite being a walking, talking, crooning anachronism, the Americans were also a nearly unstoppable hitmaking machine. How did they do it? The evidence can be found on BGO’s new 2-on-1 CD reissue of a couple of long out of print Americans LPs, 1962’s Live From The Café Wha? and 1965’s Blockbusters… READ MORE

Los Fabulocos Featuring Kid Ramos (Delta Groove Music; DGPCD125)

America’s rich multi-cultural and multi-ethnic musical heritage is beautifully represented on the self-titled Delta Groove label debut from California’s Los Fabulocos. Featuring legendary guitarist Kid Ramos, of Mannish Boys and Fabulous Thunderbirds fame, this Cali-Mex quartet blends rockabilly, rhythm and blues, country, and traditional Spanish and Mexican influences, to paint an ever shifting portrait of vintage rock and roll… READ MORE

Mott The Hoople - Roll Away The Stone (The Best of) (2 Discs; Music Club; MCDLX062)

Often cited as the granddaddy of glam, Mott The Hoople frontman Ian Hunter brought a unique sensibility to the early ’70s music scene. With all the grace of a ballerina swinging a sledge hammer, Hunter pounded out rock and roll songs of crude elegance and glorious excess. Nobody wrote about the trials and tribulations of being a rock star quite like Hunter. “All The Way To Memphis” and “Saturday Gigs” were classic tales of life in a band, presented in an appropriately grandiose manner. These two tunes and 33 others comprise this brilliant new collection, celebrating a time when hair was long and platform boots were all the rage… READ MORE