Curtis Mayfield

All That and a Medley: Stevie Wonder @ Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Sunday, December 9

COMPACTED DISCSIT'S THAT TIME OF THE MONTH AGAIN

R&B Xmas CD: Some Assembly Required

Holiday Heroes band together with Feed the Children to put some soul under the Christmas tree

Shell Game

Tortoise's sonic collage summons the ghost of prog rock past

Horn of Plenty

Legendary R&B saxman Grady Gaines stumbles into the fertile second act of his career

Calendar for the week

Legendary R&B saxman Grady Gaines stumbles into the fertile second act of his career

On the Lightfoot

Ron Sexsmith follows in the unfashionable path of his Canadian idol, and makes an art of understatement

Are You Coming With Us?

The Lo-Fidelity Allstars pose some dizzying musical questions with a riot of sounds and styles

Fun, Fun, Fun

Local promoter stages a wild and woolly music festival

Various Artists

Pure Brazil: Caipirinha
Pure Brazil: Soul Groove
Pure Brazil: Girls From Ipanema
(Mercury/Uni)

TP Orchestre Poly-Rythmo

The Kings of Benin Urban Groove 1972-80
(Soundway)

Roll Over, Paul Oakenfold, And Tell DJ Tiesto the News

Top 10 DJ Mixes of 2006

On the Down-Low

Shovel away all that Usher, Prince and Lil Jon you've been jamming and dig this year's buried black-music treasures

Dem Blues

The left, turning right, was plain wrong

to attack pop culture

Candles in the Dark

The Blind Boys of Alabama bring their brand of Southern gospel closer to the mainstream -- and help keep roots music alive

Pretty Vacant

New Times' panel of critics searches for musical gems in a disheartening 2001

Chris Lee

Plays & Sings Torch'd Songs, Charivari Hymns & Oriki Blue-Marches (Smells Like Records)

Forbidden Fruit

The kiddies should be lining up as we slap a parental advisory on the latest batch of jazz, blues and heritage releases

Down So Long

Morose singer/songwriter Mark Eitzel delivers his best solo record, informed by -- gasp! -- upbeat electronica

Garden Party

A new live CD set and TV special document Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's New York City serenade

Laura Nyro

Time and Love: The Essential Masters (Columbia/Legacy) and Live From Mountain Stage (Blue Plate)

Future Shock

Gumbo gazes into his crystal ball and tells us what to expect in jazz, blues and heritage as we approach 2001

Song of Salvation

R&B legend Sam Moore finds serenity in Scottsdale

Soul Crusaders

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's reunion tour proves that there's still magic in the night

Recordings

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's reunion tour proves that there's still magic in the night

It's Still Rotten Joel to Me

Hall of Fame's recent induction of Billy Joel makes a bad idea seem that much worse

Recordings

Hall of Fame's recent induction of Billy Joel makes a bad idea seem that much worse

DID ISAAC HAYES GET THE SHAFT?"BLACK MOSES" EMERGES FROM THE BULRUSHES WITH TWO ALBUMS AND A BROKEN HEART

Hall of Fame's recent induction of Billy Joel makes a bad idea seem that much worse

Top Ten of 2009: Jason P. Woodbury

Up on the Sun is counting down the days until the unveiling of music editor Martin Cizmar's personal Best of 2009 list with some other lists from Phoenix New Times' stable of excellent freelancers. Today we bring you a list from Jason P. Woodbury, a New Times contributor, a staff writer at Tiny Mix ... More >>

La Mission: Macho Meets Homo in this Laudable But Terrible Film

Up on the Sun is counting down the days until the unveiling of music editor Martin Cizmar's personal Best of 2009 list with some other lists from Phoenix New Times' stable of excellent freelancers. Today we bring you a list from Jason P. Woodbury, a New Times contributor, a staff writer at Tiny Mix ... More >>

Cee-Lo Green: The Lady Killer

​Unless the rock you've been living under for the past two months is insanely cozy, you've probably heard the hit single from former Goodie Mob-ster Cee-Lo Green. That's "Fuck You."The vindictive little ditty made a big splash when it hit the Internet in the middle of August, celebrating all ... More >>

The Roots and Miniature Tigers at American Junkie Last Night

Shawn AndersonBlack Thought of The Roots​ The Roots & Miniature Tigers American Junkie November 20, 2010 Okay, let's go ahead and get this out of the way first: In terms of who would win in a true, neutral-turf battle of the bands between The Roots and the Miniature Tigers, there is really l ... More >>

Cheba Hut: Because Medical Marijuana Goes Down Better with a Toasted Sub

Shawn AndersonBlack Thought of The Roots​ The Roots & Miniature Tigers American Junkie November 20, 2010 Okay, let's go ahead and get this out of the way first: In terms of who would win in a true, neutral-turf battle of the bands between The Roots and the Miniature Tigers, there is really l ... More >>

Them's the Rules, or Why I Like The New Lenny Kravitz

Kravitz, looking tough as a kiddo.​If you honestly love music, you've got rules about it. Here are a few my mine. 1. Non-jazz artists and bands may feature no more than two saxophone solos during the duration of their career. 2. Bass guitars should be strung with two to four strings, bu ... More >>

Unknown Mortal Orchestra at Crescent Ballroom, 10/4/11

Jason P. Woodbury​Unknown Mortal Orchestra, What Laura Says, and St. Ranger Crescent Ballroom Tuesday, October 4, 2011 It's official: Crescent Ballroom is open, and people are excited about it. Last night was...well, really, kind of perfect. The rain mostly cleared, leaving a strange...what' ... More >>

Henry Rollins on Occupants, the Occupy Movement, and the Radio

​There aren't a lot of middle-of-the-roaders when it comes to Henry Rollins. You love him or you hate him, and he gives you plenty of chances to do either: He hosts a radio show on KCRW (doing remarkable things like following up a Curtis Mayfield cut with a jam by Japanese drone-rockers Boris ... More >>

Phantogram's Josh Carter on Sticky Fingers, Coachella, and the "Mouthful of Diamonds" Cocktail

​Phantogram is hitting the road in support of the follow up EP, or "mini-EP" as guitarist Josh Carter likes to call it, to the group's dynamic debut LP, Eyelid Movies. Last year, this trip-hop group played a packed show at Rip's Ales and Cocktails for Sticky Fingers. This time around, the ban ... More >>