Jeff Walker

Allen, who passed away last week at the age of 79, was the most distinctive drummer Africa ever produced. As Fela Kuti’s musical director, he was the co-creator of what we know as Afrobeat. Hugh Masekela, who died in 2018, was the continent’s finest horn player, celebrated for fusing...

Lou Reed "New York" (Rhino). This week’s music pick is a deluxe reissue of the fifteenth studio album by Lou Reed which was originally released in January 1989. The album received critical success upon release and is widely considered to be among Reed’s strongest solo efforts. A new reissue...

Having lived through death, prison, homelessness, and drug epiphanies, Margo Price is well equipped with country music’s subject matter — but treats it without sentimentality on this new release. Earlier this year, in a round of interviews to promote her third album, which was ultimately delayed by the coronavirus pandemic,...

Throughout this COVID-19 pandemic period we are all living through collectively, we have each found new ways of working. This has been out of necessity more than anything else. Although this new release from Ray LaMontagne was recorded pre-Covid, it resonates as a work recorded alone and in isolation....

My selection for this week’s recommended listening comes from the legendary Staple Singers. The current racial tension and attention to the racial and humanitarian issues that the Black Lives Matter movement has generated here in the United States makes this release rather timely. As we have all heard over...

Fiona Apple "Fetch the Bolt Cutters" (Epic) On April 17th, Fiona Apple surprised the music world and released her first new record in 8 years. “Fetch the Bolt Cutters” is daring and shatters the pop-song structures that once grounded her. No music has ever sounded quite like it. Maybe this...

Over the past few weeks, I have found myself exploring and listening to music that is, many times, newly discovered due to personal time in pandemic-induced isolation here in Los Angeles. Music is something I use to relax and I listen to as many new releases as I can....

Jonathan Wilson "Dixie Blur"  Wilson, whose long resume includes ‘70s-inspired solo albums, production work and a touring stint as a key band with Roger Waters’ touring unit, can be seen in the recent “Us + Them” concert film and on a new “This Is Not a Drill” tour starting this...

Tame Impala "The Slow Rush" (Interscope Fiction). Kevin Parker is the musical mastermind behind the psychedelic rock/pop outfit Tame Impala. Hailing from Perth, Australia, he released the first Tame Impala album “Innerspeaker” 10 years ago when he was 24 years old. Although Tame Impala is a band, their music...

The multidisciplinary artist and songwriter Terry Allen, 74, has received prominent fellowships, has had work featured in biennales, and has released twelve albums two of which are considered touchstones of outlaw country. In addition to a career as a musician, Allen is also a visual artist with drawings and...