Author: Roy Martinez

Sporting one of my favorite album covers that I’ve seen in a while, Castle Moon, the new release by pianist and composer Joseph Akins offers an interesting yin/yang contrast with his previous album A Southern Sun, which I

The appropriately named Trialogue is a musical conversation between three superb musicians who collectively have numerous international awards, GRAMMY nominations, and more among their impressive list of accolades. The alchemy of Sherry Finzer’s flutes, Darin Mahoney’s guitar, and the percussion

With the release of her sophomore album, Life Sometimes, pianist/composer Sarah Dukes is beginning to find her place in the music world. While she is relatively new in this field, her accomplishments have already been impressive. Sarah has been

Guitarist Trevor Gordon Hall is not an artist who will be accused of being in a creative rut or mining the same musical territory over and over. On the contrary, he is constantly exploring new directions to bring fresh and

I don’t believe that I have ever begun a feature article with a disclaimer, but I will say at the outset that the scope and magnitude of Shanti Samsara is so expansive, that whatever I can fit within the bounds

If anyone does a great job of reflecting the many faces of southern California in music it is keyboardist/composer Curtis Macdonald. A previous release of his which I wrote about and enjoyed immensely was entitled Los Angeles. That album celebrated

Seamless is the perfect title for the eleventh release by solo pianist Christine Brown. In one of the coolest and most unique albums I’ve heard in a while, instrumental renditions of pop cover tunes, both old and new, segue in

On his stellar new release,  In the Company of Clouds, bassist/composer Erik Scott follows in the lofty footsteps of his critically acclaimed and chart-topping album Spirits, which I had the pleasure of writing about. With its blend of

Some music is created from a deeply personal perspective while other music is quite universal. However, the new album by David Helfand and Justin Lader encompasses both. The title, Through the Portal, refers to that threshold that we all

With so many people engaged in a sometimes life-long search for that which defines them, showcases their abilities, or gives meaning to their existence, it is a blessing to realize at a very early age that one has a particular