Amos Lee received some solid critical notice for his first two Blue Note records and made it through to create a third — an accomplishment in and of itself these days. As they were described, these albums walked some strange line between Neil Young, Bill Withers, and James Taylor….

On the title track to his sophomore effort, Supply and Demand, singer/songwriter Amos Lee sings, “Baby I need a plan to help me understand, that life ain’t only supply and demand.” If the supply and demand Lee is referring to is money, success, and power — and it clearly…

With a dusky soul voice and a knack for literate, thoughtful lyrics, singer/songwriter Amos Lee is a throwback to a more organic-sounding pop time period. Calling to mind a mix of Bill Withers, Arthur Lee, and James Taylor, Lee croons through his mellow eponymous debut with a singular sense…

Bob Dorough and Dave Frishberg (his co-leader on this CD) have a lot in common. Both are swinging pianists, likable vocalists that do not have conventional voices, and superb lyricists with very original wits. They only collaborated once before making this CD, writing “I’m Hip” back in 1965. In…

There’s no decaf on Too Much Coffee Man, Bob Dorough’s second album for Blue Note. But there is plenty of bouquet, flavor, and remarkable stylistic diversity. Dorough is 76, idiosyncratic, goofy, and creative. He worked with Miles Davis decades ago; he’s also worked with Blossom Dearie, Art Farmer, and…

He’s never deserted either blues or jazz, but Lou Rawls hasn’t always found a receptive audience for these styles at notoriously conservative major labels. That wasn’t the case on this 1989 album, on which Rawls performed straightahead jazz and pre-rock pop or blues, and was backed by an all-star…

High ambition and a mix of middle-of-the-road funk with straight-ahead and other stylistic ventures has always been the popular saxman’s trademark as an artist and performer. On For the Love, it seems like Everette Harp enjoys the challenge of letting go of pretension, focusing on the love of song,…

Bio N/A

As one of the key voices of Schoolhouse Rock, Bob Dorough acquired many fans, but no one ever knew his name. Even after the series ended, he was reluctant to pursue a full-fledged recording career, which made 1997’s Right on My Way Home — an album he recorded when…

It is difficult not to love Lena Horne. Recorded when she was 77, this live CD finds the ageless singer sounding as if she were 57 at the most (and the photo of her on the cover makes her look 47). Horne talks the lyrics a little more than…