From my review at rvajazz.com:

Sat 10 Jan – Lionel Loueke Trio @ Jazz Standard

Guitarist Lionel Loueke is capable of a plethora of tones and timbres with his instrumental combination of guitar, voice, and effects. Beginning the set at Jazz Standard on Saturday night with the title track from his latest release, Karibu, Loueke's voice and guitar melded into an African herald. Singing bass in unison to a mixed-meter thumbed guitar riff while adding clicking vocal percussion, Loueke immediately captivated the audience and quickly caught those not familiar with his background and music up to speed. On point…

Beyoncé - Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)
Analysis by Dean Christesen

I strongly believe that there are characteristics of music that only hit the subconscious level and that can help or hinder the popularity of a song. There can be a discrepancy here, since what might affect the subconscious of the layman listener might be fully realizable to the musician or music scholar: not only those who know about a dominant-tonic resolution are aware of what it feels like to listen to it, but it is a conscious realization to know it exists. Since it is impossible to…

One year ago on a sunny Sunday afternoon, the Mingus Awareness Project found its home away from home in Richmond, Virginia. Created and first held in Chicago by brothers Jon, Dan, and Erik Godston in May 2007, M.A.P. was formed to educate people on two topics: jazz bassist Charles Mingus and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (or ALS), the disease that killed him and continues to kill thousands every year. The project’s goal is to raise money to benefit an ALS research foundation.

Drummer Brian Jones—a childhood friend of the Godston’s—was naturally affected when their mother died from the disease after…

This review has been published by All About Jazz.

Visit Fight the Big Bull on the web.

Track listing: Dying Will Be Easy; November 25th; Grizzly Bear; In Jarama Valley.

Personnel: Matt White: guitar, tunes; Pinson Chanselle: trap kit; Cameron Ralston: bass; Brian Jones: percussion; Bob Miller: trumpet; Reggie Pace: trombone; Bryan Hooten: trombone; J.C. Kuhl: tenor saxophone; Adrian Sandi: clarinet.

Fight the Big Bull - Dying WIll Be Easy

So I recently bought a mandolin to try and teach myself how to play. I'm a drummer with a couple years of basic guitar background. But I never got really fluent on the guitar. Now a couple years later, I can play some basic chords on the instrument but nothing too crazy. I wanted to get back into playing a compact chordal instrument like the guitar (as opposed to a piano, which I am learning in school along side drums and which is not compact), but didn't want to play the guitar. Everyone plays the guitar. So I was listening…

1. Wow, my library radio played these songs back to back:

John Scofield - Hammock Soliloquy within the first 12 seconds
Andy Davis - Quicksand within the first 15 seconds

Listen to the melody of each. Even in the very low volume of my office cubicle, I could hear Davis' voice mimicking Scofield's melody that played just a moment ago. Check it out.

2. It's kind of like when my band in high school (The Supreme Quartet) wrote a song called Who's the Bossa?, and we thought the melody that our guitarist wrote was SO cool, until…

From RVAjazz.com

Simplicity is a modest title for an album that has exciting complexities around every corner. Wild melodies, blazing solos, and unique interplay often mask any simplicity that is to be found in the music. But still, there is a certain welcomed basic-ness at the heart of saxophonist Jason Arce's debut release. Penned solely by Arce, the compositions are borne of a talented band full of life and energy.

The album firmly opens with the title track, featuring a sharp-edged wandering melody, but there is some titular truth to the very next piece, "Break the Wall." After a balladic…

Every Woman is a Tree
Angles | Clean Feed (2008)

See this review on All About Jazz.

Track listing: Peace is not for us; Don't ruin me; My world of mines; Every woman is a tree; The indispensable warlords; Let's talk about the weather (and not about the war)

Personnel: Magnus Broo: trumpet; Mats Aleklint: trombone; Martin Kuchen: alto saxophone; Mattias Stahl: vibraphone; Johan Berthling: double bass; Kjell Nordeson: drums.

Glows in the Dark
Music to Listen to Glows in the Dark By (2008)

See the review on All About Jazz.

Clusone Trio - Love Henry
Gramavision (1996)

See the review on All About Jazz.

Track listing: Introduction; Red Hot; When I Lost You; White Hot; Cuckoo In The Clock; Uninhabited Island; Red Spots; Bilbao Song; Restless In Pieces; Love Henry; In The Company Of Angels; Tempo Comodo; Moeder Aller Oorlogen; White Christmas/Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor; Ao Velho Pedro/Marie Pompoen; Goodbye.

Personnel: Han Bennink: drums, percussion; Ernst Reijseger: cello; Michael Moore: alto saxophone, clarinet, melodica.