Six cool things about music, from two perspectives:
Aaron Williams of Minneapolis:
1 Goldings/Bernstein/Stewart Organ Trio, Dakota. The jazzy trio, led by Larry Goldings, hit the ground running, showing their versatility and deep grooves to packed clubs.
2 Samantha Fish comes to Fineline. The talented blues-rock guitarist is back and promises to be an energetic Sunday night set.
3 Pert Near Sandstone’s Winter Stringband Gathering. The energetic bluegrass favorite has announced an annual two-night run March 3-4 at the Cedar Cultural Center. Joined by like-minded openers Arkansas and the Hackensaw Boys, it’s always a fun night out.
John Bream, Star Tribune critic:
1 Rosalia, a Rolling Stone cover story. Her ‘Motomami’ is one of the best and most daring albums of 2022, and this profile by Cat Cardenas portrays the Spanish superstar as a fearless, freedom-seeking artist who knows no boundaries . Most Formidable Quote: “I continue to be amazed at the phenomenon of women and their talent falling into pre-determined categories such as sexy, crazy, intimidating, and diva. Not everywhere, they’re just limiting.” The same is true for genres of music.
2 Siza “SOS.” After what seemed like an eternity since his debut (five years to be exact), the charming R&B singer/rapper released his sophomore collection last week of 23 tracks that are deep and very personal. It’s too late to make his 2022 Best of Him list, which many critics have already published, but it will be the case with me.
3 Dakota’s Jose James. The Minneapolis-raised vocalist was warm and witty at the homecoming holiday show, performing great tunes such as “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm,” a jazzy hip-hop take on seasonal fare. . We loved his velvety original “Christmas in New York” and his outstanding backup trio, especially the brilliant 24-year-old pianist Julius Rodriguez.
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