Bentley’s Bandstand: October 2021 By Bill Bentley Brandi Carlile, In These Silent Days. When a world-class singer comes along, it’s not that hard to hear it. There is a power in their voice that never goes over the line, but demands every square inch of attention to all those within earshot. Brandi Carlile has been that kind of […]
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Divine Horsemen, Hot Rise of an Ice Cream Phoenix. This Los Angeles group, fronted by singers Chris Desjardins (aka Chris D.) and Julie Christensen, were one of the aggregations at the frontline of the rock barricade in the 1980s. Wherever they played, it was guaranteed there would be sonic overload and a jacked-up audience ready […]
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Bentley’s Bandstand: August 2021By Bill Bentley Leon Bridges, Gold-Diggers Sound. When certified Texan Leon Bridges decided to make a sharp left turn recently, he moved into the Gold Diggers club and complex on Santa Monica Boulevard in East Hollywood and let things percolate real good. Shedding some of the super smooth soul moves that Bridges […]
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Bentley’s Bandstand: July 2021By Bill Bentley Sam Filiatreau. He comes from Kentucky, and–fortunately–sounds like it. Sam Filiatreau has the feeling of someone who just walked in from the front porch, sat down in a long-used rocking chair and started singing songs that could easily have been on earth for a hundred years. Every single thing […]
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By Bill Bentley Steve Almaas, Everywhere You’ve Been. There are some rock musicians who are so overwhelmingly born to play the music it’s obvious from day one. Steve Almaas was growing up in Minneapolis when the Beatles got inside his head, and he’s been riding a musical express train ever since. Early band Suicide Commandos made a mighty dent […]
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Art of Time Ensemble, Ain’t Got Long. One of the world’s great gifts is when a new album lands out of nowhere. It’s hard to tell where it came from, but listening to it becomes a revelation. Who are these people? Why are they so amazing? And where o’ where have they been hiding? In […]
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Brigitte DeMeyer, Seeker. There are some singers who get right to the core from their very first note. Something about the way they live a song, and don’t just sing it. It’s clear they’ve been through the fire, and have come out the other side with their spirit intact. Brigitte DeMeyer is one of those people. Though she’s lived […]
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Hasaan Ibn Ali, Metaphysics: The Lost Atlantic Album. Reading like a chapter out of a great Raymond Chandler novel, Hasaan Ibn Ali’s new release has some serious twists and turns. In 1964, drummer Max Roach persuaded Atlantic Records to record relative newcomer Ali. That album, titled THE MAX ROACH TRIO FEATURING THE LEGENDARY HASAAN and released […]
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The Burnt Pines. Sometimes there are semi-secret clues to understanding how bands achieve a unique sound. The Burnt Pines are a polycultural outfit, members coming from various nationalities and pursuits. Bandmember Aaron Flanders is from Illinois and the semi-token American in the band. Besides being in charge of most of the stringed-instruments for the band, it turns out he […]
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By Bill Bentley Alabama Slim, The Parlor. The true blues from the back alley is coming to an end. While this isn’t a judgment, it’s going to feel pretty empty when it’s gone. Alabama Slim is one of the last of the breed, born in 1939 in Vance, Alabama. He lived a life that really isn’t there anymore, working […]
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