General

Another shot of deep southern soul, featuring long-lost demos by Eddie Hinton and a new release by Donnie Fritts.

Just a few things that have been yankin' my chain lately: from Donald Trump and skinny suits to Home Depot and hipsters.

Desert-island discs, featuring Miles Davis, Muddy Waters, The Rolling Stones, The Band, Lucinda Williams, Bo Diddley, Aretha Franklin, etc.

A tribute to The Great American Trucking Song, with Red Simpson, Del Reeves, Kay Adams, Dave Dudley, Jim Lauderdale, The Bottle Rockets, etc.

Blowin' the blues with Little Walter, Sonny Boy II, Lazy Lester, Big Walter Horton, Slim Harpo, Annie Raines, Rod Piazza, Kim Wilson, etc.

That murky, mythological force that keeps drawing us down for purposes both sanctified (such as baptism) and sinful (e.g. killing your baby).

Several developments following the shootings at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston seemed to restore a small measure of sanity when we desperately needed it the most.

A healing playlist for Cavs fans everywhere, with Lucinda Williams, Dwight Yoakam, Rosanne Cash, The Black Keys, Buddy Miller, etc.

Where the soul of man never dies: B.B. King, Howard Tate, Nina Simone, Lou Ragland, Michael Bloomfield, etc.

Hoping to make a career playing (or teaching) jazz? Take a few tips from interstellar traveler and consummate showman Sun Ra.

The long-lost recordings of The Nitty Gritty Sextet, plus Joe Cuba, Bronx River Parkway, The Lebron Brothers and more Latin soul.

From a Quaker boarding school to the death-defying Jim Rose Circus Sideshow... It's been a long, strange trip for NE Ohio native Marky Ray.

A conversation with Chris Horne, proprietor of a new print magazine and website devoted to Akron music, arts and culture.

A few of our favorite voices: Billie Holiday, Delbert McClinton, Frank Sinatra, Amy Winehouse, Johnny Taylor, George Jones, Shelby Lynne...

Pretty excited that guitar legend Steve Cropper will be coming to Cleveland on April 18 to induct The "5" Royales into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Here's a re-post in their honor.

Rubber City Review tackles the tough issues: the Middle East, the Midwest brain drain, brain surgery, Scarlett Johansson, Kanye West, the Cavs, frozen custard...

Soul jazz favorites by Brother Jack McDuff, Cannonball Adderley, Charlie Hunter, Gene Ammons, Grant Green, John Patton, Kenny Burrell, Medeski Martin & Wood, Sonny Stitt, etc.

From W.C. Handy to The Black Keys: A quick look at how American roots music evolved in the 20th Century. Footnotes available upon request.

Lord help me in my time of need. I can’t take one more soulless, mind-numbing bro country song. I know, I promised to stop bitching about this garbage. But two things have kept me from moving on [...]

Obviously, much has changed in Cuba since we first ran this post in 2010 (as a follow-up to this piece) – including the restoration of full diplomatic relations and the easing of travel [...]

Document Records is a Scottish label known for its reverently compiled reissues of blues, gospel, bluegrass and other forms of American roots music… in other words, the last place I [...]