Outstanding album releases by stellar Chicago artists, available now.
1 Johnny Iguana Johnny Iguana’s Chicago Spectacular! That exclamation point is no throwaway. The dynamic pianist and Claudettes co-founder brings rockabilly verve to our hometown blues, and challenges an A-list of guest players to keep pace.
2 Kathy Greenholdt If The singer-songwriter’s clean, clear, straight-ahead folk doesn’t just recall an earlier, age; she also taps into the foundational role of folk singer-activist by devoting all CD proceeds through mid-October to the Biden-Harris campaign.
3 The J. Davis Trio Fire and Math The self-proclaimed “garage jazz” ensemble may be otherwise math-challenged (this “trio” boasts eight members), but “Fire and Math” locks into irresistible grooves, including hip-hop and funk—and the playing is absolutely airtight.
4 Sharel Cassity Fearless The saxophonist displays tremendous bebop bravado on an album of largely new material that she wrote during a bout of ill health. The performances reveal her roaring back to ravishing top form.
5 Josie Falbo You Must Believe In Spring Just when we need it most, the sonic equivalent to comfort food: an album of cherished twentieth-century standards featuring a full, lush orchestra and jazz diva Falbo’s gorgeous, golden instrument.
Robert Rodi is an author, spoken-word performer and musician who has served as Newcity’s Music Editor since 2014. He’s written more than a dozen books, including the travel memoir “Seven Seasons In Siena,” and his literary and music criticism has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, Salon, The Huffington Post and many other national and regional publications. Contact: robert@newcity.com
Music Top 5: November 2020 Smashing Pumpkin’s eleventh album is a twenty-track, double-album bonanza. If the title single is any indication, expect some defiantly old-school synth-pop.
