Zach Brock is here with. his second appearance on this show. This is a cut from his most recent disc Live From the Jazz Factory - a rewarding listen from start to finish
Gisele Scales is an electric player from Sydney, Australia combining dub and beats to her soulful voice -- with much of her work sung in many different languages. This cut is from her most recent release, 2 Think
Neo Collage closes out the show, an academic ensemble from Rochester, New York. They bring the concept of string ensemble to a new level with their use of pop hooks and electronics.
Hey everybody -- sorry about the late start on this... had some bugs in the XML feed that were giving me issues -- plus I just started a brand new job. Very difficult to find extra time this week to tweeze up these code issues...
But that said...
Starting off the show is gospel violinist Kersten Stevens. A recent graduate of Yale, Kersten has already built quite a resume with some of the hottest acts in the R&B and gospel world. She has a sound that reminds me very much of Regina Carter - a little less dangerous and a little more sass. This is a cut from her most recent disc Walks Of Faith - a collection of gospel standards featuring Kersten's violin front and center - a remarkable innovation of the classic gospel convention. Fun. Lively. Spirited. Incredible.
Fran Kent is a bluegrass artist from Portland Oregon. This track features the fine fiddle of Skip Parente. Every member of this group has a very well-rounded experience in many different traditions. A lot of fun.
NeoCollage is a group of students from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. Intelligent pop hooks mixed with a touch of hiphop swagger, these guys create an impressive, finely crafted sound. Their new disc City Nights was just released on 22 Sept.
And finally, we hear from another repeat offender, EntropiK. These guys were featured on Episode 013 under just their own names, Daryn Yuill and Dan Cullen. Newly rechristened and refocused, they have just released a new batch of songs -- as tense, as brooding, and as ominous as ever.
The background music in the breaks on this episode is a tune called "Yugen" by my old group Pointless Orchestra. Our entire catalog is about to be released for free download.
