New Music Releases: Carla Bley / Andy Sheppard / Steve Swallow, Khruangbin & Leon Bridges, Boogaloo Communicators

Carla Bley / Andy Sheppard / Steve Swallow - Life Goes On

Beautiful sounds from pianist Carla Bley – a musician who just keeps on blowing us away as the decades move on – and that's saying a hell of a lot, given how many years she's been making music! There's a really special quality to this record – a warmth and maybe just a slight touch of humor, but not in the overdone way of some of Carla's records from the 80s – much more subtle, and mixed with occasional currents of darkness – all handled with this understated sense of personality that perfectly showcases all three members of the group – Bley on piano, Steve Swallow on bass, and Andy Sheppard on tenor and soprano saxes. Swallow maybe sounds more wonderful here than we've heard in years – the record is a great reminder of how many great contributions he can make to music – and titles include the longer cycles of songs "Life Goes On", "Copycat", and "Beautiful Telephones (parts 1 to 3)". ~ Dusty Groove

Khruangbin & Leon Bridges - Texas Sun

Khruangbin get a great new sound here – thanks to the vocals and acoustic guitar of Leon Bridges, who bring a whole new dimension to their music! The title and cover of the record are very well-put – as there's this open space to the record that's a bit different than previous outings by Khruangbin – still that aesthetic that lingers somewhere south, down near the border – but maybe more relaxed and letting itself flow down the road to some territory that's all its own – the marvelous vocals of Leon Bridges at the wheel, with the rest of the group well-tuned to make the journey with a warm dose of mellow soul. Titles include "Midnight", "C-Side", "Conversation", and "Texas Sun". ~ Dusty Groove

Boogaloo Communicators - Carpe Diem

A really fantastic little quartet – one who play an old school version of soul jazz that's jamming, groovy, and completely outta sight! These guys have a sound that makes you feel like you've just found some Hammond combo album on a tiny label from back in the day – long tracks that are filled with great solos on organ and guitar, driven by tight drums and congas – with a mode that's soulful and slightly psychedelic – reminding us of our favorite records by artists like Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones, Cal Green, or Charles Kynard – all references that we don't use lightly! Titles include "Ms Persuasive", "Sin Ti", "Zumbambala", and "Wee Lee". ~ Dusty Groove