Pent

Sonny Rollins will go down in history as not only the single most enduring tenor saxophonist of the bebop and hard bop eras, but also as one of the greatest jazz saxophonists of all time. His fluid and harmonically innovative ideas, effortless manner, and easily identifiable and accessible sound have influenced generations of players. In addition, these skills have fueled the notion that mainstream jazz can be widely enjoyed, recognized, and proliferated. Rollins served early apprenticeships with Babs Gonzalez, J.J. Johnson, Bud Powell, Miles Davis, and Max Roach & Clifford Brown…

Bluesman Willie King's mentor, Mississippi musician Albert "Brook" Duck, once explained to Willie that most blues lyrics which have man/woman relationships as their subject actually reflect misguided, pent-up hostility resulting from not having an outlet to express frustration at the real oppressor: "the people with the money." Willie King took that revelatory message to heart, going after the root of the problem in his gutsy music and lyrics. In the liner notes to Freedom Creek, Liberators' guitarist Aaron Hodge is quoted as saying, "I think Willie King is more of a Bob Marley kind of guy, grassroots, and really striving." Willie King & the Liberators' music is gritty enough to please fans of R.L. Burnside or Junior Kimbrough, while King brings another dimension to blues poetry by focusing on national unity, change, and especially fighting corruption. The titles tell the story: "Let's Come Together (as One Community)," "Stand up and Speak the Truth," "Clean Up the Ghetto," "My Boss Man and My Baby," and "Pickens County Payback." It's unfortunate that some of the music wasn't tightened up; it occasionally rambles and bogs down into unnecessarily lengthy jams. Nevertheless, Freedom Creek is an important release with righteous lyrics and a refreshing lack of over-production – it will prove timeless.

Even though she's not quite as overt about it as Madonna or David Bowie, PJ Harvey remains one of rock's expert chameleons. Her ever-changing sound keeps her music open to interpretation, and her seventh album, Uh Huh Her, is no different in that it departs from what came before it…

Following two critically acclaimed John Parish-produced studio albums – New Long Leg (2021) and Stumpwork (2022) – South London’s Dry Cleaning take a moment to reflect on their journey and pay homage to their roots with the release of their first two EPs, now remastered and reissued together on one single record with the original artwork and lyric sheet. Guitarist Tom Dowse, drummer Nick Buxton, and bassist Lewis Maynard had been friends and musical collaborators for years, and invited mutual friend Florence Shaw – a visual artist, picture researcher and drawing lecturer – to join the band in 2017.