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- Written by Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
The last 24 months of London-based guitarist and singer/songwriter Jack J Hutchinson have been pretty intense, on many levels, personal and artistic ones. His first solo album Paint No Fiction was one of the biggest independent success stories of 2018 in the United Kingdom and beyond, with the artist acquiring an increasing amount of fans and Music Press attention in his country of origin and in few parts of Europe, thanks to a powerful music combo made of 90's Brit-Rock, 70's Psychedelia and Acid-Rock songs, displaying great moments of brilliancy in the songwriting and ability in building catchy tunes with cleverly constructed bridges and choruses.
Being the prolific songwriter he has always been since the beginning of his career, Hutchinson had a lot to say about what went on, in recent times, in his personal life, about family and the state of his country, in general, facing challenging times, through some new material that revealed the guitarist and singer/songwriter's growth not just on a human level but, most importantly for his fans, on an artistic one too.
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- Written by Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
Often artists are able to express their best works when put in a familiar environment, where knowing who they are working with make them feel even more at ease and capable to release their talent in full stretch.
It is, in some way, what happened on the brand new record of the American veteran saxophonist, guitarist and singer/songwriter Jimmy Carpenter, called Soul Doctor, a record where Carpenter, more than in any of his previous solo albums, was able to display his many abilities as a musician in a truly outstanding high standard.
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- Written by Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
Too often, in his career, Pedal Steel Guitar Maestro Robert Randolph and his Family Band has been unjustifiably labelled only either as a Blues or a Blues/Rock artist, certainly diminutives to the stature of the American guitarist's artistic skills. The New Jersey-born guitarist, singer and songwriter has, instead and undoubtedly vastly showcased, throughout the years and his discography, that he is able to play and sing, thanks to his great artistic skills and his enormous talent, an incredible variety of genres at a very high level, from Soul to Funk, from R&B to Blues and the list keeps ongoing.
The way that Randolph's musical ability has vastly increased and expanded, especially in later years and, in particular, on a key album like the 2013's studio album Lickety Split, is quite remarkable. Lickety Split was, in a way, the peak of the American guitarist's musical journey through mastering his already rich R&B and Funk background, a journey that saw him and his band forging a distinctive and powerful trademark sound that confirmed Randolph & The Family Band as one of the hottest bands worldwide in those genres.
Read more: Robert Randolph & The Family Band - Brighter Days
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- Written by Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
There is an old saying about the fact that it is never too late for great things to come and this is no exception for music too. After a year from its release date in the United States, finally Europe gets to hear too the new self-titled record of one of the most exciting bands around, Hannah Wicklund & The Steppin' Stones.
Despite the average young age of all the band members, (front-woman Hannah Wicklund, 21, has started performing live age 8 and this record is the band's third release), what has been achieved on the band's new album is highly impressive, not just in terms of the collective's strong musical cohesion and unity but also for the remarkable quality of the songs present on the record.
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- Written by Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
One of the many secrets about being a skilled songwriter, for a musician, it has always been that capacity to maintain, through the artist's lyrics, contact with the reality that surrounds our everyday's life in the most truthful and honest way.
In that respect, British Troubadour Sean Taylor, one of the most versatile, refined and interesting singer/songwriters of the current English music scene, has certainly hit the spot on his brand new album, called The Path Into Blue.
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- Written by Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
If there is an Award for best name for an artist or for a band, North Jersey-born artist John Mosloskie should certainly win one for his artistic alias, Gutter Sparrow.
The American artist had previously released his debut back in 2017, with an album called The Fear Of Forgottenness that attracted the curiosity of the American Music press for the unique musical approach that Mosloskie/Gutter Sparrow loves to apply to his compositions.
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- Written by Giovanni "Gio" Pilato
It is almost unthinkable, in these days and age, to be able to maintain the high musical standards and level of popularity that one of the most successful Scottish bands of all time (if not the most successful), Runrig, has constantly maintained since their early days, back in 1973.
An accomplishment of an even bigger scale, for the Scottish collective, given the fact that their music and their playing style has shifted different musical gears and evolved, throughout the years, to several sonic shapes, moving from the dance tunes of the beginning stage of their career to more Folk and Rock territories, often shuffling the lot in an inspired and uplifting musical pastiche which had always, as a constant common ground, the moods and vibes of that beautiful part of the world that is Scotland.