John Shand Posts

June 10, 2016 / Album Reviews - Archive

UNSEEN SCENES (Studio Songs) 7.5/10 Respective Scene has the bass and drums initially lurching in off-kilter lockstep through a light mist of electronics. But as first the piano and then the tenor saxophone join the lockstep unravels and engrossing exchanges build over the simple root material. It is among the…

June 9, 2016 / Concert Reviews - Archive

The Joan, May 22 6/10 Jazz singer Hetty Kate reminds me of a good champagne with some bottle age: simultaneously effervescent and restrained. She also boasts natural elegance, a pretty voice devoid of any harshness, excellent diction (notable on a fleet Love Me or Leave Me) and a breezy rhythmic…

June 8, 2016 / Album Reviews - Archive

MEANTIME (Newvelle) 7.5 stars What a way to launch a new label dedicated to high-end audio on vinyl! The sound! This is surely among the best recorded albums I have heard, but not in a clinical way. Turn this up, close your eyes, and the band is in the room,…