Michael de Albuquerque: Stalking The Sleeper

English musician Michael de Albuquerque's solo output consisted of three albums in the early Seventies. Best known as the bass player for the Electric Light Orchestra from 1972 to 1974 he had no chance to get his own music on that band's records, so he went out his own with a blend of orchestrated soft rock, progressive rock and funk. The people at niche label Think Like a Key took upon them to created lovingly restored reissues with the help of fabled retired sound engineer Prof Stoned. With the upcoming release of Stalking The Sleeper the set is now complete.

It is De Albuquerque's most ambitious effort, with songs that go through hills and valleys. He starts out pretty straightforward with the only cover on the album, Ray Charles' I Gotta Woman, but after that the gloves come off for a sonic journey, channelling Bowie's floor filler Fame (Patience Cousin!), going all out with the widescreen The Wreckers and the subtle piano-driven pop of Tonight On The Highway. The bonus tracks - three from his band with ELO bandmate Mik Kaminski and a latter day demo with John Marcangelo - are nice to have, but they take away a bit from the flow of the original album.

Captain Wilberforce: "Got It" video, new album "Another World. Another Life. Another Time" in February

English indie rockers Captain Wilberforce did release a few singles after their damn fine full-length When The Dust Just Won't Settle hit the shops in 2020, but it took them some time to come up with another album. The long wait is almost over - Another World. Another Life. Another Time drops on February 20, and if the new single Got It is an indication of what's in store, it will be a cracker.

In just a little over two minutes of jangling pop goodness they take a good-natured stab at a couple failing to listen to each otherr at a therapy session. The song was inspired was by the BBC TV series, hosted by Dr Orna Guralnik who tries to patch things up.

Great Lakes: Don't Swim Too Close

American folk rockers Great Lakes have released a steady flow of well-received records since their inception in 1996. Led by singer and main songwriter Ben Crum they cover the middle ground between early REM and Neil Young, with a side order of country and Tom Petty melodicism. Their latest full-length Don't Swim Too Close is an introspective collection about aging and lost dreams, and how to cope with that.

The lyrics are peppered with dark yet funny observations - the future’s out there, waiting like an open grave - and they are delivered with an aloof, devil-may-care attitude. Imagine The Band being sarcastic for a change and while the subject matter is mostly highly personal and close to home, the songs can also serve as metaphors for the current state of the land of the free.

Jazz Mandolin Project: extra show in Kingston

All regular shows by the Jazz Mandolin Project sold out quickly, so an extra matinee gig at the Assemby in Kingston, NY on February 7 has been added. Tickets are available here.

Jazz Mandolin Project will perform a short run of dates in New England and New York this February, their first tour in two decades. JMP is an adventurous ensemble founded in 1993 by mandolinist Jamie Masefield in Burlington, VT. What began as a way for Masefield to explore improvisation outside traditional jazz frameworks evolved into a boundary-pushing trio with a rotating cast of collaborators. From its earliest days, the group became known for genre-blurring live shows that leaned into spontaneity, groove, and fearless experimentation. The current lineup includes Masefield, drummer Jon Fishman, bassist Danton Boller and trumpeter/multi-instrumentalist Michael "Mad Dog" Mavridoglou.

Words about music (820): Jimmy Carl Black

Frank was the BOSS and was not open to anything that was not from his head. There were no arguments about music because if you did, he would show you where the door was. Period.

Jimmy Carl Black