Music Reviews: Introducing Some New Stuff

Nope, the guy in the chair isn’t The Audio Beatnik. This is a stock photograph, and Jack would never listen to music over a pair of headphones. Over the last almost 20 years that  has been a reviewer, he’s written reviews of the music he loves. While reviews of classic recordings are always going to be a part of our website, recently we’ve been bringing you reviews of contemporary, independent artists. And recently, with products like the Technics OTTAVA™ f SC-C70 All-in-One Music System and the  ifi xDSD Hi-Res Bluetooth Portable USB DAC we are getting more into digital and streaming. Don’t be alarmed, however, Jack is definitely a vinyl guy!

So, here’s the story of why we are now reviewing so many independent artists you may not have heard of. Last year at the LA Audio Show, I met Cookie Marenco of Blue Coast Music. If you know Cookie, you know she is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Cookie cut her chops at Windham Hill Studios and is a genius at mastering and mixing audio recordings to get the best possible sound from them. Cookie and her studio in Belmont, CA, have attracted an amazing number of really talented artists.

I also met Jenna Mammina, an independent artist whose albums are on Blue Coast Records. Standing in line at the Starbucks in the show hotel, Jeanna handed me a CD and asked if we do record reviews. I distinctly remember saying, “Well, I don’t, but my husband does.” Well, I waited, and Jack didn’t get around to reviewing this CD. The longer it lay on our desk, the guiltier I felt. I have a very strong guilt gene. So, I wrote my first of many reviews of Blue Coast artists.

My approach to a review comes from my roots as a journalist. I like to let the artist tell you their story, and every one of them I’ve interviewed so far has had a fascinating story to tell like an Irish guy who was raised in Dublin and now lives in the Bay area, a gifted jazz singer who is an attorney by day, a concrete finisher who has probably written over 3,000 songs and many others. I hope my reviews help readers connect enough to want to at least go over to Blue Coast Records and listen. Take a look at these recent reviews, if you missed them:

• Reviewing Jaeger & Reid’s Debut Album, From Way Up Here
• Reviewing Two Piano Solo Albums by Fiona Joy, a New Age Artist with a Global Following
• Reviewing Eamonn Flynn’s First Album, The Irish Channel
• Reviewing Meghan Andrews’ Album, Just Let Go, an Autobiographical Journey
• Meet the Artist, a Conversation with Jenny Maybee about the Album, HAIKU
• Meet the Artist, Jenna Mammina, a Bay Area Jazz/Pop Artist You Should Know
• Crossing Cultures, Continents and Musical Genres; a Conversation with Jazz and Piano Recording Artist, Valerie Joyce

And, continue to look for album reviews from Jack. His most recent review of grammy-award winning jazz singer Cécile McLorin Salvant’s new album, The Window is available here.