John Shand | Music & Other Spheres Posts

March 5, 2017 / Album Reviews - Archive

WARM (https://spookymen.com/product/warm/) 7/10 The Spooky Men actually made their name by amusing more than spooking. The problem with humour in music is its shelf-life is about the same as bread – unless of course one sees this loopy male choir live. So Spookmeister Stephen Taberner’s decision to ease this fourth…

March 3, 2017 / Concert Reviews - Archive

Sound Lounge, February 11 9/10 If a sense of surprise courses from the heart of much good music, then Phillip Johnston sliced open an artery to flood this work with the stuff. Composition and improvisation have shared a bed since music was born, but often the former has constrained the…

February 27, 2017 / Album Reviews - Archive

SOME OTHER TIME (Newvelle) 8.5/10 Noah Preminger is not just gifted, he’s smart. At the age of 30 he knows that having the vast experience of 75-year-old drummer Billy Hart in his music is a priceless asset. Add bassist John Patitucci and guitarist Ben Monder, both in their mid-50s, and…