Reviews
Hinamarama
In 1997 at age 13 Aotearoa, New Zealand Māori songstress Maisey Rika was featured performing traditional songs (waiata) with her...
Reviewed by Seth Jordan in issue: April/2024
Song of the Motherland
Back in the days before Spotify and social media, reputations were variously made through word-of-mouth, cassette tapes passed about like...
Reviewed by Jane Cornwell in issue: September/2024
BEATrio
Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda & Antonio Sánchez
In 2024, after a 12-show run at the Blue Note in Greenwich Village, gazillion-time Grammy-winning, globe-trotting, banjo maestro Béla Fleck,...
Reviewed by Doug Deloach in issue: July/2025
Rhythm & Jews Revisited
New York klezmer band The Klezmatics are celebrating their 40th anniversary and that includes a (first-time) vinyl release of absolutely...
Reviewed by Simon Broughton in issue: January/2026
Crown And Country
This is a very unusual Australian album, featuring the spoken and singing voices of Warlpiri elders Wantarri ‘Wanta’ Jampijinpa Pawu-Kurlpurlurnu...
Reviewed by Seth Jordan in issue: January/2026
Music is Choice
A trio that existed from 1998 to 2005, New Zealand's Trinity Roots were local heroes who opened the door for...
Reviewed by Seth Jordan in issue: Aug/Sep/2011
Dombra from Kazakhstan
From Turkey, through Central Asia, to Xinjiang in China, the various Turkicspeaking peoples play a whole range of longnecked lutes...
Reviewed by Simon Broughton in issue: Nov/Dec/2010
Blue Eyed Black Boy
The debut album of this New York–based trio was one of the most innovative releases of 2005 (even if it...
Reviewed by Howard Male in issue: Apr/May/2010
Magnificent Creatures
On solo album number three the singer-songwriter Gren Bartley has truly found his voice. It's quite a transformation. He has...
Reviewed by Matt Milton in issue: November/2015
