JACK JOHNSON  The master of laid-back acoustic folk-pop rides the waves of success By Russell Hall Some of Jack Johnson’s best ideas for songs come when he’s alone—on a surfboard. “I learned to play guitar to sit on the front porch and have sing-alongs,” he says. “Ultimately songs are there to share—it’s a social thing. But surfing is an escape for me, a way to have solitude and reflect on things. I do more writing in the ocean than... 

ICONA POP A monster hit launches a club-friendly debut album for the Swedish duo   From radio to TV ads to movies, Icona Pop’s “I Love It” has infiltrated every corner of pop culture. “I didn’t expect over 40 million views on YouTube,” says Aino Jawo. She and Caroline Hjelt formed the duo in 2009 and recently released their debut album, This Is…Icona Pop. “We went out clubbing and heard our song in every one,” says Jawo. “We... 

Cage the Elephant Overcoming fear leads to inspiration for the indie rockers’ latest Cage the Elephant picked an odd title for their third album, Melophobia. The name refers to a fear of music, which seems like an unfortunate condition for a group of musicians. In the case of the Kentucky quintet, though, they’re only averse to certain types of music—specifically, the kind that doesn’t feel honest. “We were trying to fight that voice of... 

EARTH, WIND & FIRE                          R&B’s legendary performers revisit their iconic sound on a new set     “It was a totally different thing, and when you have the right thing at the right time, you can’t stop it,” says Ralph Johnson, who’s been Earth, Wind & Fire’s percussionist since 1971, just two years after the group formed. Earth, Wind & Fire was a force of nature through the 1970s and ’80s,... 

KENNY ROGERS The Gambler rolls the dice on his dream of making chart history at 75    “My current audience falls into two groups,” says Kenny Rogers. “Those born after 1980 whose parents made them listen to my music as child abuse, and those born before the ’60s who can no longer remember that decade.” That’s a typical self-deprecating comment from one of this year’s Country Music Hall of Fame inductees—an honor that Rogers says... 

SAMMY HAGAR The Red Rocker marks a milestone with an album full of famous friends   In 1973, Sammy Hagar recorded one of the great rock screams of all time on the intro of Montrose’s “Rock Candy.” It was only the first of many howls to come from a 26-year-old kid who would go on to a singular career that included hit records as a solo artist and as frontman for bands like Van Halen and Chickenfoot. Four decades later there’s no end in sight—and... 

WILL LEE Late night TV’s ace of bass releases a star-studded solo project   His nightly gig on the Late Show With David Letterman makes Will Lee one of America’s most visible bassists. Since 1982, Lee has excelled in the pressure cooker of live TV, backing countless guest stars. He also tours with Israeli guitarist Oz Noy and takes the stage weekly with the Fab Faux, a group that performs stunning recreations of the Beatles catalog. Now Lee... 

ALLEN TOUSSAINT At 75, the New Orleans music icon releases his first live album By Jeff Tamarkin For more than a half-century, Allen Toussaint has reigned as contemporary music’s Renaissance man. As a songwriter alone, his output is legendary—classics such as “Mother-in-Law,” “Get Out of My Life, Woman,” “Yes We Can Can,” “Working in the Coal Mine,” and “On Your Way Down” all came from his pen. Glen Campbell turned Toussaint’s... 

Gov’t Mule The blues-rock jammers take a novel approach to a double-disc set Gov’t Mule didn’t intend their latest release as a celebration of the band’s 20th anniversary next year. That’s not why Shout! is a double-disc set packed with guest singers—it just turned out that way. Gov’t Mule—frontman Warren Haynes, drummer Matt Abts, keyboardist and guitarist Danny Louis and bassist Jorgen Carlsson—began writing and recording for... 

Over the Rhine An exceptionally creative week in the studio leads to a new double album  “With every record, we’re hoping to make our best album. If I felt our best work was behind us, I’d lose interest,” says Over the Rhine’s keyboardist and guitarist Linford Detweiler. The band he fronts with wife Karen Bergquist just released their latest set—the group’s 13th album—Meet Me at the Edge of the World. “What makes this project different... 

Berlin EDM strikes a familiar chord for these innovative synth-pop veterans   For Berlin frontwoman Terri Nunn, there’s a fine line between the band’s ’80s new-wave hits and the current electronic dance music craze. “EDM acts use so many of the sounds and instruments we’ve used in our past music that I didn’t have to think, ‘Will my audience like this?’” Nunn says of the EDM influence on the band’s latest album, Animal. It has... 

Blind Boys of Alabama Seven decades in, the gospel giants still find a way to inspire  “I never even thought of leaving,” says vocalist Jimmy Carter, the sole founding member still touring and recording with the Blind Boys of Alabama, the Grammy-winning gospel supergroup that formed in 1939. “When we started we were determined to go all the way. And when I step down, I’ll pass the torch behind me.” It’s impossible not to connect the... 

Val Garay Sharing the studio secrets behind some of music’s best vocal performances By Michael Gallant Even among top-tier producer-engineers, Val Garay’s credentials are impressive: more than 125 million worldwide record sales and over 200 gold and platinum albums, spread across a vast array of artists that include Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, Dolly Parton, Neil Diamond, Santana, Ringo Starr, Linda Ronstadt and many more. Garay’s talents have... 

Bonnie Mckee HOMETOWN: Vacaville, Calif. INFLUENCES: Madonna, Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper ALBUM: As-yet-untitled LP, due out 2014 WEBSITE: bonniemckee.com Bonnie McKee started her musical education early, studying classical piano and touring Europe and North America with the Seattle Girls Choir. At the age of 12, she recorded a demo of Bette Midler and Fiona Apple songs that landed in the lap of family friend and Sub Pop label co-founder Jonathan... 

Brett Eldredge HOMETOWN: Paris, Ill. INFLUENCES: Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Ronnie Dunn ALBUM: Bring You Back, out now WEBSITE: bretteldredge.com Brett Eldredge grew up listening to Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and Ronnie Dunn. “I always gravitated toward big voices, because as a kid I had this big voice coming out of me,” he says. “I got hooked on the stories singers would tell through their voice.” Eldredge’s parents bought him a guitar... 

Julie Kathryn HOMETOWN: Lake Placid, N.Y. INFLUENCES: Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills & Nash ALBUM: Black Trees, out now WEBSITE: juliekathryn.com Julie Kathryn studied classical piano, guitar and songwriting. But by the time she graduated high school she’d chosen an entirely different career path: social work. Kathryn received a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a master’s from Columbia University. But the pull of... 

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SKB PRO Series Electric Guitar Case The 1SKB-66PRO Rectangular Electric Guitar Case accommodates Stratocaster and Telecaster shaped guitars.  This PRO Series case is vacuum formed of durable lightweight ABS plastic with molded in stacking ribs for added strength and durability and include SKB’s patented fiberglass reinforced TSA locking trigger latches with a comfortable rubber over-molded cushion grip handle. The interior features a rigid EPS,... 

New ZOOM Cases Protect your ZOOM H6 and H6B recorder with a SKB 3i-0907-4-H6 or the 3i-1209-4-H6B case.  These iSeries Injection Molded cases are molded of ultra-high-strength polypropylene copolymer resin, and are water and dustproof with a patented “trigger release” latch system. The 3i-0907-4-H6 interior features custom cut pockets for the H6 Recorder, XYH-6 X/Y capsule, MSH-6 MS Capsule and an accessory pocket.  The 3i-1209-4-H5B case... 

M Music & Musicians Magazine Americana Portraits Sessions 2013 Nashville, Tennessee The Americana Music Association’s annual Festival was held in Nashville in September 2013 and for the third year our own Jeff Fasano was on hand to capture these vivid portraits showcasing a diverse array of artists. #gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width:... 

BOB DYLAN The Lip-Synching Interactive Video True, video killed the radio star—but then it killed MTV, too. Yet music video lives bigtime on the Internet, and especially in the press releases I get daily from publicists wanting my time. Now I loved music videos at the beginning, but not much longer. I was one of the first music video critics, at Danny Fields’ Rock Video magazine in the early 1980s, and reviewed them elsewhere; indeed, I got fired... 

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LOU REED On His Way Somewhere Else I got there a couple minutes after 1 P.M. (Nov. 14) so if anything was said I didn’t hear it, but nothing was supposed to be said, according to the posting on Lou Reed’s Facebook page two days earlier: “New York: Lou Reed at Lincoln Center: A gathering open to the public—no speeches. no live performances, just Lou’s voice, guitar music & songs—playing the recordings selected by his family... 

RONNIE WOOD & MICK TAYLOR Playing Jimmy Reed Tunes One particularly music-knowledgeable witness of last week’s Ronnie Wood/Mick Taylor shows at the Cutting Room, which focused entirely on the music of the great Chicago bluesman Jimmy Reed and also featured Al Kooper on Hammond and Bad Company’s Simon Kirke on drums, was none other than the great Troy Sharmel. That’s right, guitarist/pianist Troy Sharmel of the legendary Dr. Bop & the... 

ALAN JACKSON Among Country Greats I generally make it a point not to read other reviewers if I’m writing about a show, so as not to be influenced. Maybe I’ll skim it to see if they got a song title that I missed, but that’s about it. But I did go to The New York Times’ review of Alan Jackson last week at Carnegie Hall when I saw it pop up on Twitter, mainly because I didn’t see anyone I knew there, not from the Times or anywhere, which... 

LOU REED, SHERMAN HALSEY & MINNIE PEARL An Appreciation I knew Lou Reed. Not really well, but we were quite friendly. I knew him a bit when I interviewed him when I was at Billboard, when Doc Pomus died. He loved Doc, and I was quite friendly with Doc—though I can’t say I knew him well, either. Lou appreciated most that I was a martial arts guy, like he was. He was happy to talk to me about martial arts. It was me, music reporter, talking... 

Newport Folk Presents WAY OVER YONDER Celebrated Music Festival Headed West To LA’s Iconic Santa Monica Pier on October 5-6, 2013  Featuring Performances by Newport Folk Alumni Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, Neko Case, Brett Dennen, First Aid Kit, Shovels & Rope, Justin Townes Earle, Calexico and more America’s legendary Newport Folk Festival®, which was named “Music Festival of the Year” at the 24th Annual Pollstar Awards, brought... 

WILL LEE & BILLY GIBBONS Allen Toussaint’s “Get Out of My Life, Woman” Miley Cyrus nude on the “Wrecking Ball” video is so last week. This week it’s Will Lee’s “Get Out of My Life, Woman,” that’s taking the Internet by storm. Okay, only 6,045 views on YouTube so far at last count, but that’s bound to rise now that both music industry newsletter writer/whiner Bob Lefsetz and Howard Stern have championed the clip. And you can... 

CARLY RITTER HOMETOWN: Los Angeles, Calif. INFLUENCES: Hank Williams, Jackie DeShannon, Nancy Sinatra ALBUM: Carly Ritter, out now WEBSITE: carlyritter.com The daughter of actor John Ritter and granddaughter of country singer Tex Ritter, Carly Ritter has a rich entertainment pedigree. She grew up listening to the rock ’n’ roll in her parents’ record collection, and played classical piano and harp as a teen. But it wasn’t until Ritter began... 

JENN BOSTIC HOMETOWN: Waconia, Minn. INFLUENCES: Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Wonder ALBUM: Missin’ a Man EP, out September WEBSITE: jennbostic.com At the age of 10, Jenn Bostic survived a horrific car accident that took the life of her father, a musician who taught her to play piano. To cope with the loss, she began writing songs. “The first time I sat at the piano after the accident, I shut my eyes and honestly felt my dad’s presence... 

LEE DEWYZE HOMETOWN: Chicago, Ill. INFLUENCES: Cat Stevens, Kris Kristofferson,   Simon and Garfunkel ALBUM: Frames, out now WEBSITE: leedewyzeofficial.com Lee DeWyze, winner of 2010’s American Idol, recorded his new album, Frames, with one goal in mind. “I wanted to take it back to what I’m really about, which is writing emotionally charged, meaningful songs,” he says. “It feels really good to get back to the grass roots of what I’m... 

FRANZ FERDINAND Setting their own pace in the studio pays off on their latest effort  Franz Ferdinand closed ranks for the recording of their fourth album, Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action. The Scottish rock band began work on the album a year and a half ago with frontman Alex Kapranos and guitarist and backing vocalist Nick McCarthy meeting in each other’s homes to write songs. “The whole recording process was off and on,” says... 

SARAH JAROSZ No creative avenue is left unexplored for  this bluegrass prodigy Americana singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz’s third album, Build Me Up From Bones, is her most ambitious project yet—an achievement the multi-instrumentalist largely credits to her education at Boston’s New England Conservatory of Music. “School was crucial in pushing me out of my comfort zone,” says the Texas native. “It expanded my repertoire and opened my... 

MOBY Old-school techno adds a touch of vulnerability to his latest project  “I’m an only child who lives alone and usually works alone,” declares Moby flatly. The techno pioneer isn’t bemoaning his lot in life— it’s just his explanation of why, after more than 20 years of producing his own records, he brought in Mark “Spike” Stent to co-produce his 11th album, Innocents. “I like to work by myself,” he says, “but I lose objectivity.... 

YOKO ONO At 80, the controversial artist is still full of passion—and surprises   To a younger generation, Yoko Ono isn’t the dragon lady who broke up the Beatles. She’s a multitasking, forward-thinking artist who’s scored 10 No. 1 dance hits, collaborated with stars including Lady Gaga, the Flaming Lips, and Iggy Pop, and staged cutting-edge art exhibitions—as well as an activist who works relentlessly to raise awareness on issues ranging... 

MICHAEL FRANTI Like his heroes, he’s on a mission to change the world through music For more than 25 years, Michael Franti has channeled his spirited blend of R&B, folk, jazz, reggae and hip-hop to both entertain and raise awareness of social and political issues. On his new album, All People, Franti—who formed Michael Franti and Spearhead in the late 1990s—has been inspired by a host of musical icons who offered him reassurance and hope... 

JOE BOYD From Clapton to Kubrick, this creative giant has worked with them all  By Michael Gallant “If you had told me 25 years ago I would be producing tribute concerts about Nick Drake’s music, it might have depressed me,” says Joe Boyd with a chuckle. Fortunately for Boyd the experience turned out to be “kind of wonderful.” It’s a fitting project for the veteran producer. Having helped pioneer the British folk-rock movement, Boyd... 

BUDDY GUY A guitar icon continues his five-decade mission to keep the blues alive By Jeff Tamarkin When blues guitar legend Buddy Guy performed at the White House last year, the significance of the event didn’t escape him. “I told President Obama that where I grew up, I didn’t even know what running water was until I was nearly 17,” Guy remembers. “I said, ‘Mr. President, picking a guitar in the White House is a long way from picking... 

DAVE KOZ His new project sets out to prove that when it comes to sax, more is better By Jeff Tamarkin “There was a big sigh of relief that first day in the studio when we made a sound together and it was really good,” saxophone giant Dave Koz is saying. He’s referring to the first recording session for his new album Summer Horns. Until that moment, the record was nothing more than a high-minded concept—get four smooth-jazz sax players together... 

TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND For these Grammy-winning blues rockers, the bar is always set high   The Tedeschi Trucks Band is only three years old, but its namesakes, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, have been married more than a decade, and they’re about to take their best collaborations—their two children—to watch the Pittsburgh Pirates’ batting practice before tonight’s concert. “The kids are a balancing influence on the road,” Tedeschi... 

COURT YARD HOUNDS Two former Chicks find a new confidence on their second set Martie Maguire and Emily Robison were still forging an identity beyond the Dixie Chicks when they released a self-titled album as Court Yard Hounds in 2010. Now the sisters are back with a second effort, Amelita—and with it comes a deeper confidence about their musical direction. Their first album was personal, but Maguire and Robison turned their focus outward on Amelita,... 

BOOKER T. JONES An architect of the Memphis sound takes his B3 on a new adventure In the ’60s, Stax Records house band Booker T. & the MG’s backed a host of Memphis soul stars, including Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, and Albert King. But beginning with 1962’s classic “Green Onions,” the quartet scored several chart-topping instrumental hits of their own. Since the group disbanded, frontman Booker T. Jones, 68, has lent his signature... 

GLORIA ESTEFAN Realizing a longtime dream with her take on timeless tunes     Since her 1985 breakthrough with the Miami Sound Machine, Gloria Estefan’s hits like “Anything for You,” “1-2-3” and “Live for Loving You” have added a Cuban flavor to pop success that’s made the Havana-born songstress a household name. After more than 20 albums, Estefan’s latest is a far cry from her early kinetic dance grooves. On the aptly titled... 

ROOTS ROCKERS Master wordsmith Elvis Costello funks up with musical magicians the Roots By Russell Hall Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson knows how to bide his time. Nearly five years ago, the Roots’ drummer and bandleader met for the first time with talk show host Jimmy Fallon to discuss potential musical guests for Fallon’s new late night TV show. As newly hired music director—with the Roots as house band—Questlove listened intently as Fallon... 

ARCTIC MONKEYS The English indie rockers dive into an R&B groove on their new set  Four albums—and seven years—after releasing their debut, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, the Arctic Monkeys’ latest record, AM, finds the band tapping into R&B melodies to shake up their guitar-driven sound. “We started with, ‘What if you go with Aaliyah melodies and riffs from Black Sabbath?’” says frontman Alex Turner. “Some... 

FLEETWOOD MAC These days the road has never been smoother for the Hall of Fame rockers   Fleetwood Mac has been virtually synonymous with two things—classic songs and internal drama. Both aspects were epitomized on the group’s 1977 multiplatinum album Rumours, but only recently has their legendary volatility been stripped away. “If you go back to 2003, when we were coming off the making of Say You Will, there was still a bit of tension between... 

TONY BENNETT & ANTONIA BENNETT The incomparable Tony Bennett’s Longevity and Legacy Do the math and he’s 87, but better make that 87 years young: Tony Bennett looks, moves, and above all else, sings better than he did back in, say, 1964, when he recorded Live At The Sahara: Las Vegas, 1964. That album, not coincidentally, was issued last week, three days before Bennett’s concert at Radio City, which had been sold out since July. He did two... 

ELVIS COSTELLO A True Risk Taker I’m tempted to salute Elvis Costello’s new album with The Roots Wise Up Ghost  as his latest reinvention, but that word’s too associated with Madonna—wrongly, I might add—or a meme, except I really don’t know what that word means. Rather, Ghost is just the latest expansion in what has essentially been a two-pronged Costello career. First, of course, is his bread and butter: his rock band side, initially... 

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