Wow. Just wow. This is Miles Davis at that stratospheric peak he seems to ride every few albums, the ones with mountains of praise written about them over the decades. For some reason it’s far less revered than the likes of Kind of Blue, Bitches Brew, and On The Corner, but it’s just as important … Continue reading Miles Davis – Miles Smiles
My favorite musical discoveries often appear on the most unexpected detours. As I leapt from one Twitter feed to another last week, I was surprised to learn that Robert Glasper recently crafted an entire album of reinvented Miles Davis tunes. Even better, there was a music video for his take on eternal jam Maiysha, with new vocals courtesy of Erykah Badu.
Miles Davis is one of the most prolific musical geniuses of all time, having dominated most of the 20th century jazz landscape with progressively experimental releases that pushed the boundaries of what music could be. His work was not only adventurous; it was catchy, fun, thrilling, and always memorable. Being a huge fan of the … Continue reading Miles Davis – Solea
I say it every year because it’s always true: this year has been great for music. All it takes to find the greatness is an open mind and a set of ears. And a little help from your friends. So to begin, I want to thank all my friends around the world for the tips … Continue reading 50 Best Albums of 2018
This is my official shout out to all the great albums that didn’t make the cut for the 50 best albums of 2017. Some of these are albums I know I need to spend more time with. Some of them I simply didn’t get to until late in the year. The point is, I keep … Continue reading 50 More Must-Hear Albums of 2017
When I was ten years old, I chose the alto saxophone as my instrument for school band. I kept at it through high school, but gave up when my interests turned elsewhere. I still own that sax, but I haven’t touched it in years. If only I’d known that it could create otherworldly music like … Continue reading Joseph Shabason – Aytche
Here it is, the Optimistic Underground list of best ambient albums ever made. Inspired by all the discussion surrounding Pitchfork’s list of the genre, I decided to lay out my favorites. This is a sound that I’ve been in love with my whole life, so the only problem was narrowing it down. Lots of people … Continue reading 32 Best Ambient Albums Ever Made
Optimistic Underground 