Detour.2013

While drummer Kendrick Scott's namesake outfit—Kendrick Scott Oracle—has been around in some form since 2006, it's a band that's really come into its own in the last few years. With the arrival of Conviction (Concord Records, 2013), Scott made a major statement on a high-visibility label; jazz listeners and critics both took note. With We Are The Drum, his debut for the storied Blue Note imprint, he raises the bar even higher, melding complex ideas and completely accessible sounds.

Black train, black train … I ain't staying where I'm at,; sings Donna Ulisse on the spirited opening track to Hard Cry Moon, her 9th album on the Hadley Music Group label. While the lyric addresses a woman's determination to move on from a failed relationship, Ulisse could be expressing her desire to follow her muse where it takes her. And this time around, it's back to (mostly) original material.

Aoife O'Donovan sophomore album, "In the Magic Hour" - produced by Tucker Martine (The Decemberists, Neko Case) and out Jan. 22, 2015 via Yep Roc Records - is a 10-song album full of the singer's honeyed vocals mixed with gauzy, frictionless sounds: splashing cymbals, airy harmonies, the leisurely baritone musings of an electric guitar. Written in the wake of O'Donovan's grandfather's death, "In the Magic Hour" is her most introspective effort yet, an aching exploration of memory and mortality.

Aoife (pronounced EEE-fah) O'Donovan's debut solo album, Fossils, was released to critical acclaim and ended up on many "Best of 2013" lists from outlets like NPR Music, American Songwriter, New York Magazine and No Depression, among others.

Southern roots rockers Larkin Poe were formed around core members Rebecca and Megan Lovell, formerly the Lovell Sisters. A bit edgier and rockier than the Lovell Sisters, Larkin Poe's electric and slide guitar riffs quickly earned them comparisons to the Allman Brothers. After introducing their sound on a set of seasonal EPs in 2010, they topped the Billboard blues chart with their fourth long-player, 2018's Venom & Faith. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Larkin Poe took shape after the Lovell Sisters called it a day in 2009. The sisters, a bluegrass/Americana trio comprised of siblings Rebecca, Megan, and Jessica Lovell, had started performing professionally in 2005 when all three were still in their teens.

While he may be best known for fronting dynamic trios, piano titan Michel Camilo does just fine by himself. There's tremendous propulsion, clarity, and strength in play when Camilo takes to the bench, and there's truly no place better to hear that than in a solo setting.

Southern roots rockers Larkin Poe were formed around core members Rebecca and Megan Lovell, formerly the Lovell Sisters. A bit edgier and rockier than the Lovell Sisters, Larkin Poe's electric and slide guitar riffs quickly earned them comparisons to the Allman Brothers. After introducing their sound on a set of seasonal EPs in 2010, they topped the Billboard blues chart with their fourth long-player, 2018's Venom & Faith. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Larkin Poe took shape after the Lovell Sisters called it a day in 2009. The sisters, a bluegrass/Americana trio comprised of siblings Rebecca, Megan, and Jessica Lovell, had started performing professionally in 2005 when all three were still in their teens.