Accessibility has always been a high priority for Lou Donaldson, whose soul-jazz and hard bop isn't about complexity for the sake of complexity or abstraction for the sake of abstraction. The veteran alto saxophonist isn't afraid to groove, which is why many blues and R&B fans who don't care for a lot of bop have found him very easy to get into -- it isn't uncommon for someone to say, "I'm not a big bop fan, but I definitely appreciate guys like Lou Donaldson, Stanley Turrentine, Hank Crawford,...   [ read more ]

CD $18.03

E-Town Concrete's debut is a more ambitious mixture of hip-hop, hardcore, and metal than normal, if only because lead shouter Anthony Martini can actually rap. That he does so in a gruff half-scream is even more impressive. It's that delivery that guides ETC's music, since the band chooses to play the power surge of hardcore off the rhythms of hip-hop, instead of simply rocking a huge riff over a double bass roll and telling everyone to "jump! jump!" Tracks like "Cycles" and the ...   [ read more ]

CD $44.63

E-Town Concrete's debut is a more ambitious mixture of hip-hop, hardcore, and metal than normal, if only because lead shouter Anthony Martini can actually rap. That he does so in a gruff half-scream is even more impressive. It's that delivery that guides ETC's music, since the band chooses to play the power surge of hardcore off the rhythms of hip-hop, instead of simply rocking a huge riff over a double bass roll and telling everyone to "jump! jump!" Tracks like "Cycles" and the ...   [ read more ]

CD $11.38