Sam Rivers- Dimensions & Extensions (1967/1986)- ****
(1967 session that remained on the shelf until 1986. This is an excellent hard bop showcase for both Rivers and Donald Byrd. It occasionally wanders off into free jazz territory, which makes it all the more exciting for me.)
v/a- Ultra-Lounge One The Rocks, Part One (1997)-***
(I know many find muzak and swingin' pop versions of rock and soul classics sacrilege, but for reasons I can't fully explain, I find some of the arrangements really appealing. I don't recommend a regular diet of this, but once in a while, it's fun.)
Willy DeVille- Backstreets Of Desire (1992)- ****
(One song, "Chemical Warfare," is a major speed bump on an otherwise brilliant record. Unquestionably, Willy's best.)
R.E.M.- Collapse Into Now (2011)- ***1/2
Mink DeVille- Coup De Ville (1981)- ****
(Really enjoying Willy today.)
Mississippi River Revival- Live At NOLA Funk Fest, October 2025 (2026)- ***
(Supergroup featuring Stanton Moore & Rob Mercurio from Galactic, Roger Lewis & Gregory Davis from the DDBB, Big Sam, Luther Dickinson and Jennifer Hartswick. I bet this was fun in person. On tape, it seems very bland, with the usual NOLA covers and extended jams.)
R.E.M.- Reckoning (1984)- ***1/2
The Replacements- Live At City Gardens, 1984 (2025)-***1/2
Mink DeVille- Cabretta (1977)- ****
Johnny Thunders- So Alone (1978)- ****
Mink DeVille- Le Chat Bleu (1979)- ****
(An inadvertent chronological trifecta of brilliant junkie music!)
