URL: https://projectgrandslam.com/ 

The melodic and musical sophistication of Project Grand Slam helps them standout even in a relatively small field of similarly geared bands. These are musicians with daring and the good sense to use their daring in imaginative ways. The band’s output has been distinguished from its formation by an obvious commitment to crafting entertaining, yet musically rich, material that honors the past and presents an uniquely personal face. While Robert Miller can certainly lay claim to ranking among the world’s best bass players, he clearly works hard and surrounds himself with like-minded musicians concerned, first and foremost, with structuring the material in a compelling fashion and never risking self-indulgence. His supporting cast is every bit as skilled and help him create a fantastic song with “The Rescue”. 

URL: https://welcometotheinvisibleworld.com/ 

Formed in 2012 from the ashes of an older band named A Dead Giveaway, The Invisible World’s debut EP and latest EP release Color / Echo reach the heights they do thanks in no small part to their clear-eyed artistic vision for the sort of music they want to create. There are no shortcuts here. These are fully formed songs set inside emotionally resonant landscapes and the band imbues their explorations with a remarkably confident sense of risk-taking that never attempts biting off any more than it can chew. The six songs compromising this release range from high octane rockers to bruising, yet memorably delicate, guitar showcases that focus on the players without ever succumbing to self indulgence.  

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/charlesandshaloawright

Author, composer of seminal R&B classics like “Express Yourself”, and leading voice in the African-American community, Charles Wright’s artistry and mind have helped shape the course of a significant American art form. His latest full length album release, Something To Make You Feel Good, is another remarkably solid entry in an extended discography seldom equaled in popular music history. Wright’s musical efforts are always well-constructed, musical entertaining affairs immaculately produced and tailored for a wide audience. Something to Make You Feel Good is no exception. The album’s songs touch on reliable themes filtered through Wright’s songwriting and distinctive presence as a performer while exploring the customary array of genres. Wright’s audacious side comes through strongly, as well, in his steadfast habit for synthesizing elements of those various genres into compelling hybrids.

URL: https://www.sawtoothbrothers.com/

The debut album from unique “double-brother” four piece The Sawtooth Brothers points the way to a credible, musically substantive synthesis of country and rock/pop sensibilities. There’s no pandering to the lowest common denominator here, no paint by numbers refraction of pop structures through a twangy prism, but instead an inestimable tastefulness that toys with formula rather than wallowing in it. It is an immaculately produced outing with perfect sonic balance between the relatively narrow range of musical elements and the songwriting never risks self-indulgence. Instead, this is a collection of concise and minimalist songs with understated, even slightly sophisticated, flashes of humor enlivening the writing.

Chris Murphy

Red Mountain Blues

The latest release from respected violinist and New York City native Chris Murphy, Red Mountain Blues, is yet another milestone in a career stretching back a number of years and featuring a number of largely unheralded gems that outstrip the work of much more visible contemporaries. These are fully realized slices of Americana goodness propelled by little more than a consistent triple punch of violin, guitar, and banjo augmented by occasional strains of mandolin. Some of the songs have light, brushed percussion work providing a propulsive rhythm while others rely, oftentimes to magnificent effect, on merely a storm of stringed instruments carrying forth endlessly inventive melodies. The album is evenly divided between instrumentals and lyrically driven songs, but there’s no meaningful difference between his two styles. Each approach yields the same rich melodic results and memorable harmony vocals.

URL: https://caviermusic.com/

With a foxy, easy groove worked into every song by Jonathan Cavier (former half of the duo EyeTalk who released five discs a few years back), his debut Premier is stunning through and through.  Too many albums are weighed down with filler and skippable tracks, but there are no duff cuts here and each tune has a level of polish that befits it while keeping the music real and honest.