"righteous Gemstones" Mcbride

Jennifer Nettles should be familiar to you all. The frontwoman of Sugarland, responsible for 30 million records sold, Jennifer has been a country radio staple for over 20 years.

The Bondsman: Hell And Back is a collection of songs written fromthe point of view of Kevin Bacon’s and Jennifer Nettles’ characters.

Gold Review by William Ruhlmann
The major label Universal Music is the repository for the recordings the Righteous Brothers made in the 1960s, separately and together, for Moonglow, Philles, Verve, and MGM Records. Universal's Gold reissue series, like Sony BMG's Essential series, consists of two-CD compilations of label artists. The Righteous Brothers scored 22 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1963 and 1974, 21 of which are included here. (The exception is a cover of the Jerry Butler hit "He Will Break Your Heart," which spent one week at number 91 as the B-side of the Top 20 hit "He.") Since the set contains 48 tracks in total, that means the format allows plenty of space for non-hits and album tracks. In the Righteous Brothers' case, it also allows for some of the many solo efforts of duo members Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley.

Simon McBride has quickly become one of the most celebrated guitarists of recent years. In 2023, he stepped into the limelight as the new guitarist for Deep Purple, taking a step that sounds like something out of a rock'n'roll fairytale: from the small stages of the pubs in his native Belfast to the biggest arenas in the world.

With colored pencils

McBride proves himself a true master of hooklines, from the vocal lines to the riffs and adorning licks, everything is utterly catchy and (even the guitar lines!) truly singable.

It's difficult to keep track of the prodigious bassist and composer Christian McBride's musical activities. He has appeared as a sideman on hundreds of recordings and released numerous albums as a leader, starting with his debut, 1994's Gettin' to It. His groups have ranged in size from trios to big bands, and he has, at times, leaned into funk, R&B, and other styles. One of his projects, Christian McBride's New Jawn, is a quartet alongside saxophonist Marcus Strickland, trumpeter Josh Evans, and drummer Nasheet Waits—for sure, a top-notch unit. 2023's Prime, which follows the group's 2018 self-titled first album, combines straight-ahead and freer playing just as its predecessor did.