Cheese Years

Back in 2017 and after two EPs, the much vaunted British Classic Rockers Bigfoot released their self-titled debut album but, just a little over a year later, and with far less fanfare, the band quietly disappeared. Now guitarist and main songwriter SAM MILLAR has a solo career and delivered a very enjoyable album three years ago. With a new band and ready to hit the road, SAM MILLAR is releasing a new album today titled “More Cheese Please“. There’s a lot of humour within the title, as the music Millar play these days was considered cheesy back in the day by some rancid journalists: “More Cheese Please” is all about feel-good ’80s influenced melodic hard rock with an AORish radio friendly approach.

Blue Note's handy roundup series moves on to chronicle the '60s label stint of a bebop veteran. Returning to the States from Europe to cut several dates, Dexter Gordon managed to produce some of his best stuff for Alfred Lion's venerable jazz company. This fine disc features many of the highlights, including both breezy swingers and dusky ballads. Ranging from an incredible bop long-player with trumpeter Donald Byrd ("Tanya") to one of his patented after-hours smoothies ("Don't Explain"), Gordon reveals his large store of talent with solos that are both intricate and beguiling, and that's his mode for a set that also takes in bossa nova ("Soy Califa") and some fetching originals ("Cheese Cake"). Gordon novices should start here.

Franks’ Wild Years emerged in 1987. Between the subtitle Un Operachi Romantico in Two Acts, the album title’s callback to the Swordfishtrombones character, and the presence of “Frank’s Theme,” the record could be viewed as an account of Frank’s misadventures. But Waits is a born three-card monte man, so that could all be obfuscation.