Axl's Catch Groove

I recently attended an Arizona Audio Video Club (AAVC) meeting focused on a member’s experience at AXPONA. AXPONA (an acronym for Audio Expo North America) is the largest high-end audio trade show in North America, catering to audiophiles and industry professionals (manufacturers and dealers). While a slide show of audiophile porn played behind him, he shared some of the amazing audiophile equipment he witnessed. What struck me was how expensive the gear was. Some of the rooms he talked about easily had million-dollar stereos.

An audiophile is a passionate enthusiast who seeks high-fidelity, high-quality sound reproduction. Alan Parsons (a famous recording engineer/producer/musician) said, “Audiophiles don’t use their equipment to listen to your music. Audiophiles use your music to listen to their equipment.” Although there is some truth to that, I don’t believe it. Audiophiles are obsessed with sound quality and enjoying music with maximum clarity, detail, and immersion. Most of the audiophiles I know are passionate about music. They may not be full-on musicheads (someone obsessed with listening to, discovering, and possessing deep music knowledge), but music is the reason they are audiophiles.

I feel like audiophiles are a dying breed – most of the guys (and it is mostly guys) in the audio club are boomers. Outside the audio club, I don’t know anyone with an audiophile-quality stereo or home theater. When I went to college in 1977, at least half the kids on my dorm floor had a decent stereo. But I am wrong in my assumption that audiophiles ar dying, because the global premium audio market is estimated to be nearly $11 billion in 2026 and is on a path to grow at nearly 10% annually. So there clearly is a market out there.

The entry-level cost to become an audiophile is probably $500 to $1,200 for a decent stereo setup (amp, speakers, low-end turntable, and streamer/DAC). The next tier, which I would call mid-fi (vs. hi-fi), is $2,000 to $10,000 for a stereo (I would put myself in this category). Next would be the serious enthusiast at $10,000- $50,000 (my guess is this is where many of the AAVC club members are). Finally, there is the money-is-no-option crowd that AXPONA and high-end dealers (like LMC Home Entertainment and Cinimatic Home A/V in The Valley, where I winter, and HiFi Sound and Audio Perfection in my hometown of the Twin Cities) cater to. I would argue that there are diminishing returns beyond the mid-fi tier, but that is probably true of any obsessive hobby (golf, hunting, hot rods, etc.).

This long-winded preamble is an excuse for me to say that the easiest entry point to becoming an audiophile is Head-Fi, that is, audiophile-quality headphones and the gear to support them. As we grumpy old men die off, the next generation of audiophiles is getting into the hobby via premium headphones, headphone amps, powered speakers, and DACs, as well as inexpensive turntables, rather than a wall of equipment. Millennials (26–35) are the primary consumers of vinyl, and Gen Z (13–25) is the fastest growth demographic for vinyl. But keep in mind that half the vinyl purchased is bought by consumers who don’t even have a turntable – for many, vinyl is merely a souvenir. In general, Millennials and Gen Z are not buying turntables over $5,000; they are buying turntables under $500.

A budding audiophile can get a very good pair of wired over-the-ear headphones (nicknamed “cans“) for $200 to $300, a portable DAC/amp USB dongle for thier smartphone for $100, and stream from a high-resolution streaming service for $11 a month and be in a position to enjoy music at a quality that exceeds of what 99% of the population has access to.

Listening “out loud” via speakers or on vinyl will cost you more, but part of the fun of the audiophile hobby is making incremental improvements. Most audiophiles I know have taken years to build their systems. Start small and build as you can afford it. I recently set up my daughter and son-in-law with an entry-level system (speakers, an integrated tube amp, and a streamer) for $700 – they already had a good turntable, but the system could have included a decent turntable for another $300 – so an entry-level stereo system can be aquired for for $1000 – roughly the cost of a mid-range 75 inch TV (QLED & Mini-LED). Over time, you can upgrade.

The used market is a viable option for the budding audiophile, but a bit more dicey. Buying gear from an online site without seeing it/hearing it is not for amateurs. Thrift shops and pawn shops occasionally have gems, but it’s mostly junk. Buying from a trusted friend is a better option. There are trustworthy audio stores that also sell used equipment. Most major cities have an audio club where members typically have used equipment they would love to sell at a fair price to a budding audiophile.

A warning about Bluetooth. I have portable Bluetooth speakers and headphones for convenience – but Bluetooth is not an audiophile experience. The more you get spoiled by quality equipment and quality sources (for example, high-resolution streaming and vinyl), the fussier you get. But even my fussy ears appreciate listening to music on my bike ride via Apple AirPods or via a powered Bluetooth speaker on the deck – there is a time and place for Bluetooth.

If you love music, don’t be intimidated by dipping your toe into the audiophile world. Hearing your music on a good stereo or a pair of good cans is life-changing. Feel free to reach out (for example, in the comments section) for advice! For those of you in the know, feel free to recommend budget gear.

I am a Red Hot Chili Peppers fan, and in particular, a Flea fan. I was thrilled to learn he would be releasing a jazz album focused on his first instrument, the trumpet.

Flea composed and arranged the music, and also plays trumpet and bass throughout, joined by a crew of modern jazz cats: album producer and saxophonist Josh Johnson, guitarist Jeff Parker, bassist Anna Butterss, and drummer Deantoni Parks. It features vocals from Flea, as well as Thom Yorke and Nick Cave. Mauro Refosco (David Byrne, Atoms for Peace) and Nate Walcott (Bright Eyes) also join the band.

The album comprises six original songs—including one co-written by Flea, Johnson, and Yorke—as well as interpretations of tunes by George Clinton and Eddie Hazel, Jimmy Webb, Frank Ocean, Shea Taylor, and Ann Ronell.

Per Flea in the liner notes:

Three years ago, in 2022, as I neared my 60th birthday, I realized that if I didn’t do it now, I probably never would. So I resolved to practice trumpet every day for two years, and at the end of the two years, I would make a trumpet record, regardless of where my skill and knowledge was at. I called the great LA jazz man, my friend Rickey Washington. I knew he’d taught his son, Kamasi, and various other luminaries from the rebellious contemporary LA jazz scene that I admired so much. He agreed to teach me, and was everything I could have possibly hoped for – wise, patient, generous and loving. I’d never had a music mentor before, so to sit with Rickey at his home and absorb the traditional gifts of knowledge he shared, buoyed my heart. It was also hard as hell!

1991. Sitting in a late-night hotel room in Portland, Oregon, during the filming of My Own Private Idaho. I said to my dear friend, “I want to make an instrumental record with deep hypnotic grooves, trippy melodies layered on top, meditations on a groov……I gotta get my trumpet-playing together.” I’ve been wanting to make a record like this for the last 35 years. Time and space have finally allowed me. Thank you for listening.

I have met Rickey Washington – he was selling mercy at the first Kamasi show I attended. Incredibly cool cat. Love that he mentored Flea.

“Golden Wingship” is a brief tone-setter that signals this will be an adventure. More noise rock than jazz.

“A Plea” is a legit jazz tune with a series of short solos: bass, guitar, alto flute, trombone, trumpet, sax, percussion, and a bohemian rap from Flea. It is the most ambitious track on the album. It was the teaser single for this project (released in late 2025).

“Traffic Lights” features Thom Yorke on vocals, and it is one of Yorke’s finest vocals. Flea and Yorke have a history (Atoms for Peace). This is exactly the kind of jazz you would expect from Flea and Yorke. The second single was released in early 2026.

“Frailed” is an atmospheric piece where Flea’s Red Hot Chili Peppers’ mate John Frusciante plays trumpet and electronic drums. The song has an amazing viola solo. Some great bass grooves. Flea gets his In A Silent Way Miles groove on via the horn. This is another ambitious track. This is one of my favorite tracks on the album.

“Morning Cry” is straight bebop jazz. Flea has got to feel great about his prowess on the trumpet. He sounds like a legit jazz musician in both his composition and performance. It is a quartet of trumpet, guitar, upright bass, and drums.

“Maggot Brain” is a cover of the Funkadelic classic where Flea’s trumpet replaces Eddie Hazel’s electric guitar. Flea takes it nice and slow, savoring the melody.

“Wichita Lineman” is a cover of the Glen Campbell hit that Jimmy Webb wrote. It features Nick Cave on vocals. This is the only song on the album that doesn’t work for me. It is a great song, and Cave does a good job, but it feels out of place on the album.

“Thinkin Bout You” is an instrumental Frank Ocean cover. The original had a catchy melody and a gorgeous vibe. Flea captures the song’s beauty and riffs on it from a jazz perspective, using his bass and horn augmented by a gorgeous string section. In the song, you can feel the heat of the romance. This is the gem of the album. Third single.

“Willow Weep for Me” (Ann Ronell cover) is a moody, atmospheric piece that allows Flea to dance over the proceedings with his hypnotic trumpet tone. Per liner notes: “Entire track treated and mixed by John Frusciante.”

The album ends with “Free As I Want to Be,” which has an avant-garde jazz vibe and a face-melting solo from Jeff Parker. Flea runs his horn through some treatment that distorts his sound into what sounds like a trombone.

The album is a three-sided vinyl LP. It is well mastered and pressed for vinyl. On high-resolution streaming, it is 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC. It is a well-engineered album.

Overall, Flea accomplishes his goal of making a legitimate jazz album and mastering the trumpet. I am no jazz expert, but he doesn’t sound like an interloper or fanboy, but a musician successfully following his muse.

Our daughter (Al), son-in-law (Alex), and new granddaughter (Wren) just moved into their first house in St. Louis Park, MN. As a housewarming gift, we got them an integrated amp, streamer, and speakers (our daughter already had a turntable). For the last six years, they have been living in Manhattan, where space was a premium and a “stereo” meant a small Bluetooth speaker. They now have a nice 16’ by 28’ room that was begging for a real stereo.

Amp

A few years ago, I purchased a Douk Audio X1 amp for our Minneapolis condo. The appeal was that it had a phono amp, Bluetooth, an aux input, was tube-based, had a small footprint, had enough clean power to drive speakers at low to moderate volume, and, most of all, was cheap (under $150). The Douk has served me well and seemed like the perfect Chi-Fi* solution for the kids.

Speaker

A good starter speaker is a bookshelf-style speaker. They will be useful forever – they always have a role. A safe choice is an audiophile-quality brand’s entry-level model. I chose the British speaker company KEF’s Q1 Meta because it is well reviewed and reasonably priced ($400). I have been auditioning them in Al & Alex’s new house, and they sound great! They fill the space easily and offer a nice range from punchy bass to crisp highs. Good sound stage, even when not sitting in the sweet spot.

Streamer

Once you decide to go even slightly HiFi, Bluetooth will not cut it. So I got them an inexpensive streamer from WiiM. I have been using Bluesound devices for several years and was curious about their competitor WiiM. The WiiM works great and is priced much lower ($150) than Bluesound’s Node ($550).

Rather than “broadcasting” your streaming service via your phone’s DAC at low resolution (and at short range) to your amp (the typical Bluetooth), you use a streamer. A streamer is an audiophile network device that communicates directly with your streaming service and converts high-resolution files (typically up to 24-bit/192 kHz FLAC) to analog. You control this through your streaming service’s app on your phone – so it’s easy to use (for the true audiophile, you can use Roon). A streamer sounds way better than Bluetooth.

Turntable

My daughter already had a turntable that she used before they went to NYC. It is a solid entry-level audiophile table. See the link below for the backstory.

I am satisfied with this setup, and the kids seem delighted, too! They now have a high-quality entry-level audiophile rig. They can listen to high-resolution digital audio and fully appreciate vinyl. They are both musicheads, so it will be interesting to see if they get bitten by the audiophile bug. All part of my mission to sustain the audiophile hobby by passing it on to the next generation. Having access to a decent stereo when I visit the kids is part of the motivation, too 😉.

*Chi-Fi (short for Chinese High-Fidelity) refers to affordable, high-performance audio gear—specifically IEMs, headphones, and DACs/amps—produced by independent Chinese brands. It has gained popularity for offering premium features at low costs, often acting as a budget-friendly gateway for audiophiles.

Pat Metheny’s “Side-Eye” is a collaborative, rotating-cast project featuring Metheny alongside emerging, talented younger musicians. It launched around 2019 and focuses on reimagining Metheny’s extensive catalog and debuting new compositions in a trio format.

I had the good fortune of seeing a version of the Side -Eye trio in September of 2019 at the Dakota in Minneapolis. I have seen Metheny at least a dozen times in various ensembles, and that Side-Eye trio was one of my top 5 Metheny performances. The album from that tour, SIDE-EYE NYC (V1.IV), is one of my favorite Metheny albums. Side-Eye has been a live project, so I was stoked when a new Side-Eye studio album was coming out, along with a tour in support of it (which I will see later this spring in Chandler, AZ).

Per Mechany’s website:

Side-Eye III+, the latest evolution of Metheny’s Side-Eye project – a concept he first introduced to showcase the next generation of exceptional young musicians who have come onto his radar in recent years. The album features Metheny alongside Chris Fishman on keyboards and Joe Dyson on drums, the trio at the heart of the Side-Eye ensemble that has toured extensively worldwide.

Metheny explains, “Once I got in the studio with the guys, I realized that while the trio concept was perfect for us as a live ensemble, the music I had written was asking for something bigger. That is where the ‘+’ in Side-Eye III+ comes in. I ended up adding fifteen other musicians to the trio — expanding the sonic world of the record far beyond what we had done before.”

Recorded in the studio, Side-Eye III+ brings together an additional cast of musicians including bassist Daryl Johns, harpist Brandee Younger, percussionist Luis Conte, and a vocal ensemble led by Mark Kibble of Take 6, creating a richly layered and expansive musical landscape.

As usual, the album is impeccably recorded, arranged, performed, mixed, and mastered. The performance is youthful – clearly, the young musicians Metheny is hanging with are good for his soul. This is a joyful album.

The album is available on high-resolution streaming services as a 24-bit/96 kHz FLAC/PCM. The vinyl edition is clean and well-pressed.

Track list:

“In On It” is jazz-rock in the tradition of Weather Report, with Metheny’s unique guitar voice. The tune has two similar jazz sections with an electronica bridge.

“Don’t Look Down” is a classic ECM ’80s-style Pat Metheny Group (PMG) sound.

“Make a New World” is more of that ECM era PMG melody, dynamics, and arrangement – can’t get enough of this vibe – he can play like this all day!

“Urban and Western” has a nice gospel vibe, complete with a rich vocal ensemble. This is a new and welcome sound for Metheny.

“SE-O” has a late 60s/early 70s a acid jazz vibe. Lots of organ. There is nothing better in jazz than a funky organ trio!

“Our Old Street” is classic, contemplative acoustic-guitar Metheny. This is my least favorite version of Pat, but it is still lush and gorgeous.

“Risk and Reward” is contemplative, electric Pat, which is more up my alley. It is an elaborate, nearly ten-minute suite.

“So Far, So Good” is acoustic-guitar Pat again, but it swells into full Metheny-ensemble glory before settling back to earth.

Metheny explores his past (through new compositions), yet it feels fresh thanks to the brilliant young musicians he is collaborating with. Despite being 71, Metheny sounds youthful. This is becoming one of my favorite Metheny albums. I can’t wait to see this iteration of Metheny live!

Sturgill Simpson is a country music weirdo, and I love it. This is his second album under the moniker Johnny Blue Skies. The first one, 2024’s Passage du Desir, had a yacht rock vibe; this one, Simpson describes as a dance album. I call it country funk as the music blends funk, R&B, and 1970s-style dance music with Simpson’s iconic country vocals. The mix is deliberately muddy, giving it a swamp rock vibe. Lyrically, it offers political commentary, encourages mutiny, and explores love and lust.

Sturgill has taken an interesting release approach by initially releasing the album as a physical-only project (vinyl, CD, and cassette) to support independent record stores. However, he briefly leaked the full album himself on YouTube as a teaser before its official launch, then pulled it down before release day. Simpson claims that Mutiny After Midnight will be on streaming services (likely with bonus tracks) in four to six weeks after the 3/13/26 release date. I am a vinyl guy and buy physical albums of my favorite releases, but even I miss the option to stream. Fortunately, I am among the half of consumers who can play music the old-school way.

The band features his amazing touring band, The Dark Clouds: Laur Joamets (guitar), Robbie Crowell (keys/sax), Kevin Black (bass), and Miles Miller (drums). I had the privilege of seeing that band live in support of Passage du Desir three times in a year, and they are fantastic. Robbie Crowell’s sax is the MVP on Mutiny After Midnight.

The album opens with “Make America Fuk Again,” which has a funky groove and combines political commentary with self-reflection. The country and the protagonist are a mess, and this song sets the table for the rest of the album, both musically and lyrically.

“Excited Delirium” is a Stones-influenced boogie that is a timely condemnation of militarized policing and excessive force:

Why you dressed up like a soldier?
What the hell are you wearing a face mask for?
How the hell are you gonna protect the peace
Running ’round looking like you’re going to war?

“Don’t Let Go” is a gorgeous love song with a country music feel. This is not a fling, but a long-term relationship. Per the internet, it is about Simpson’s wife, Sarah.

“Stay On That” is a funky song about hot sex. We can all wonder what “Stay on that D, baby, ’til you hit that G” means, but I don’t think it is a chord change.

“Viridescent” is an adjective meaning greenish, slightly green, or tending to become green.  It is a love song presented in a classic rock style.

“Situation” is an amazing psychedelic funk piece about lusty infatuation.

“Venus” is a funky song about love and the god of love.

“Everyone Is Welcome” is about what the narrator used to believe, no longer believes, and now believes: “Life’s better fluid like sexuality.” Amazing sax all over this track.

“Ain’t That A Bitch” ends the album on a political note: “The poor stay poor, and the rich get rich/Nothing ever changes ain’t that a bitch.” Musically, it reminds me of The Eagles’ “Life in the Fast Lane.”

Sturgill has an impressive catalog, and he may have managed to top himself with Mutiny After Midnight. He makes protest songs feel like a party. This is the perfect album for our crazy times as we:

Spend all our time watching a bad cartoon
In a ill-fitting suit grabbing women by the poon

I only have a dozen hip-hop artists that I like. By “I like,” I mean I care enough to have purchased their CD or LP. I am only deep into one hip-hop group: Minneapolis’ Atmosphere. The point is, I am not one of those “I like everything except rap” musicheads that are common amongst my boomer colleagues, but at the same time, I am pretty ignorant of the genre. Typically, the hip hop that hooks me includes:

• Music that is more than just a beat – where you can smell the soul and funk
• A story
• A flow* that I can understand, but has character
• Guests that contribute

On Heavy Crownz’s (HC) debut album, Trench Baby Turned Farmer (he has been in the game for over a decade, dropping over 10 projects during that time and rapping since he was 10), he meets all my criteria.

Full disclosure, I know HC (he is a friend of my son), and without that connection, I would never have checked out Trench Baby Turned Farmer. I have chatted with HC several times over the years, and as we old people say, “he is a nice young man.” I checked out his 2022 mixtape, Whole Lotta Seedz, and dug it. So I have been looking forward to his first proper album.

I have listened to Trench Baby Turned Farmer, and my hip-hop collection will be a baker’s dozen now – welcome Heavy Crownz!

The clever conceit of the album is that the protagonist is an urban kid (trench baby) who grows into an adult who understands life through the genius of plants (farmer). Trenches typically carry a negative connotation, as in “working in the trenches,” but HC is using it positively, like the trenches that a farmer plants seeds in. Trench Baby Turned Farmer is a concept album (a musical album whose tracks are unified by a single central narrative or theme, which can be lyrical, instrumental, or compositional) focused on this urban-kid-turned-farmer. The setting for this concept is HC’s beloved Chicago South Side neighborhood, Englewood. Per HC’s website:

“Trench Baby Turned Farmer is a living testimony of Heavy’s journey from survival to self-realization. A Chicago story to uplift Englewood, Heavy culminates pivotal memories with lessons of resilience to redefine what we call the trenches. At the intersection of concrete and soil, Heavy invites listeners to reflect on their own roots, struggles, and growth. This is a soundtrack that anyone can grow with – because even a Trench Baby can be a Farmer.“

HC’s flow is a nice, quiet storm growl – almost a whisper. It evokes both humility and confidence. He enunciates clearly (not all rappers do), which is relevant as HC has important things to say. Although I don’t know any of the guest rappers, I feel they are real contributors and not mere window dressing – they are additional characters in the drama. Musically, the beats are gorgeous. Generally, they are soulful and slow. Occasionally, things get funky and danceable. The music is a perfect partner for the vocals and the message. It is easy-going enough to play in the background, but deep enough to listen intently.

The album should be consumed as a whole (it is a concept album after all), but most tracks can be consumed individually. Here are the standout tracks for me:

The titular track, “TRENCH BABY TURNED FARMER,” is central in explaining the concept of the album.

“Ball Courts” (featuring Panamera P & Ju Jilla) was my intro to the album as the teaser single. It uses the basketball court as a metaphor to illustrate the neighborhood’s drama. Here is a video of the song:

“Same Conversations” (featuring JAAS) is my favorite track. The song has a great beat and a nice pop hook. It rocks like Kendrick’s “King Kunta” mellowed by Indica. The song expresses frustration in a relationship yet acknowledges that the love is still there. It has a sexy vibe.

“Time Travelin’” (featuring Rhymefest) has a nice jazzy sax. The song looks back at history, including the protagonist’s rural ancestors.

“A Son’s Dream” (featuring Lilla Sol) has a beautiful soul vibe. The protagonist is riffing on his relationship with his father. Lilla Sol (a sister duo) adds some gorgeous harmonies.

“This Is Why” (featuring The O’My’s) is a great ending to the album, as HC stated on his Instagram: “This song is for anyone pursuing thier purpose in life and keeping their ‘WHY’ at the center.” Here is the video for the song:

Concept albums can be ham-fisted, but when they work, it is deft. Trench Baby Turned Farmer is the kind of concept album that works. The album is not available in physical formats, but is on streaming services (24-bit/48 kHz on high-resolution services like Tidal).

Tracklist per HC’s website:

*Per Google AI: Hip hop flow is the rhythmic, melodic, and lyrical delivery of a rap verse, functioning as a vocal percussion instrument that interacts with the beat. It encompasses cadence, speed, rhyme schemes, and, most importantly, staying on-beat. A great flow involves manipulating syllables over a 4/4 time signature to create unique, catchy patterns

I recently returned to Minneapolis for a quick trip and gathered a bunch of HDCD CDs for the Desert 🌵 Sessions to play on the Oppo, which has an HDCD decoder. The discs I picked up are limited to two artists: Joni Mitchell and Jerry Garcia.

HDCD CDs are specially encoded CDs that have a higher dynamic range and lower distortion than standard CDs (in essence, 20-bit quality from 16-bit media). Developed by Pacific Microsonics and now owned by Microsoft, it offers improved dynamic range, better 3D soundstaging, and more natural timbre. However, your CD player needs an HDCD decoder to experience the benefits of the format.

I find the format sounds better than CDs and comparable to SACDs, but that is purely subjective, as I have not A/B’d any titles. The soundstage is the most notable feature. I had a conversation on a Facebook SCAD group, and the other members confirmed that the HDCD format rocks; however, not many CD players can decode it, so most people are just playing the Redbook layer of the disk. Fortunately, the Oppo can play any shiny object, including quarters 😉 and HDCD CDs.

One of the titles I brought to the Desert 🌵 Sessions is All Good Things: Jerry Garcia Studio Sessions, a 2004 reissue box set of Garcia’s five solo studio albums (including the only Jerry Garcia Band studio release), plus an additional disc of previously unreleased studio recordings in HDCD format. The albums are remastered and include bonus tracks such as alternate versions and outtakes from the album recording sessions. 

I am not familiar with the vinyl originals or the standard CDs, but these HDCD versions sound fantastic. On Jambands.com, John Patrick Gatta said:

“These revamped recordings shine like the first sunny day after a long hard winter. I tested my copy of Run for the Roses with the new version and there’s a world of difference. The volume on the remixed and remastered HDCD disc brings the instruments up in order to add stronger support. At times, the clarity is amazing.”

I will take Mr. Gatta’s word on this, as the album’s sound is sonically great to my ears.

I have said many times that I am not a Deadhead, but a Jerry Garcia fan. I was first introduced to Garcia via his 1991 live album, Jerry Garcia Band. I have collected an extensive collection of Garcia’s solo work and projects outside of the Dead. Most of those titles are live albums. The solo studio albums feel a bit underrated in the Deadhead universe, and even for me, I have spent more time with the live Garcia stuff. But I am in a receptive state of mind to listen to these albums in this latest iteration of the Desert 🌵 Sessions.

In the liner notes, Robert Hunter says of Garcia: “He had more talent for more things in his missing finger than most have in ten.” Hunter goes on to say: “Jerry did three things well in music, stamping them fully with the strength of his extreme individuality: he composed, sang, and played brilliantly.” Indeed!

Garcia is Jerry’s first solo album and was released in January 1972. Garcia recorded the album almost entirely by himself, with only Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann assisting him. It is an eclectic mixture of Grateful Dead-style country music (transcendent) and atmospheric electronic pieces (weird). All songs were written by Garcia/Kreutzmann (weird), Hunter/Garcia (brilliant), and Hunter/Garcia/Kreutzmann (“The Wheel”). It does have some Garcia/Dead classics: “Deal,” “Sugaree,” “The Wheel,” and “Loser.” I have to admit, you need to be in an adventurous mood for the weird stuff, but it’s cool.

Garcia, also known as Compliments, is Jerry’s second solo album from 1974. It mostly covers, with elaborate band arrangements featuring horns and strings. The best feature of the album is that Jerry sounds like he is having a blast – his vocals are joyful. Covers like these would become an essential element of Jerry’s live shows.

Per Wikipedia regarding Reflections:

“Partway through production, Garcia stopped recording with his solo band and brought in the members of the Grateful Dead, who performed on four songs, plus a bonus jam from the box set version of the release we have been talking about. Three of the four Grateful Dead-performed songs had earlier live debuts: “Comes a Time” (1971), “They Love Each Other” (1973) and “It Must Have Been the Roses” (1974); “Might as Well” entered their rotation in 1976, and “Mission in the Rain” received a select few performances that same year. Most of the songs [including covers and bonus material] entered the live rotation of the new Jerry Garcia Band as well.”

The album (with reissue bonus tracks) is about half Garcia/Hunter songs and half inspired covers. Garcia’s vocals are incredible – top of his game. I never really listened to this album. What a treasure to discover at this late date. Garcia can be a very soulful singer, and he is all in here. I know many of these songs from the live albums. Jerry plays some great guitar, too. The piano by Nicky Hopkins is so good! This is my favorite album in the box set.

Highlights:

• Rock ‘n Roll Jerry on “Might As Well.”
• A cover of Allen Toussaint’s “I’ll Take a Melody” is absolutely gorgeous. Jerry croons.
• “Mission In The Rain” would be an amazing Elton John song
• “It Must Have Been the Roses,” a country weeper. Bob and Donna’s harmonies are the best.
• More Rock ‘n Roll Jerry on “Tore Up Over You.”
• “Catfish John”- again, Bob and Donna’s harmonies!
• “Mystery Train” – Jerry’s take on Elvis – truly unique.
• “Orpheus” is an instrumental Grateful Dead jam featuring Garcia, Bob Weir, Keith Godchaux, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart.

Cats Under the Stars is the only studio album by the Jerry Garcia Band (JGB). There are numerous live JGB albums. Cats Under the Stars was a commercial flop, but it is beloved by Deadheads, and Jerry often cited it as his favorite solo album. However, this is my least favorite album in the collection, but it has the best cover art!

The original album was all original material by Hunter/Garcia, Hunter/Kahn, Hunter/Garcia/Kahn, Donna Jean Godchaux, and Kahn. The bonus material on the reissue is mostly covers. The album has a Grateful Dead vibe – what we would now call Americana.

The first half of this album is made up of alternative versions of songs from the four albums. The second half is songs that never made it onto the four albums. The alternate versions are different enough from the album cuts to be interesting. The CD is a nice bonus to the collection. Highlights:

• A more spirited take on “Deal” from the Garcia sessions
• A moodier take on “I’ll Take A Melody” from the Reflections sessions
• A gorgeous studio version of the JGB live staple (they performed it over 200 times), “My Sisters And Brothers,” with the Godchaux’s from a November 1976 session
• “Iko Iko” – a studio jam of the Nola standard from Cats Under The Stars Session
• “Accidentally Like A Martyr” – a cover of the Warren Zevon classic with a rare performance of Garcia on piano from 1977

The box comes with a nice booklet with essays by Robert Hunter (Garcia’s chief lyricist) and others, photos, and notes on the recordings.

Overall, I really enjoyed digging into the Garcia solo albums. Garcia had a rich (I would argue richer) musical life outside of the Grateful Dead.

HDCD is an underrated format, but because it requires a special CD player to decode it, most listeners will never get a chance to appreciate it. I feel lucky I have my Oppo. This has been a fun rabbit hole! The combination of Jerry and HDCD is audiophile heaven.

With the exception of Outtakes, Jams & Alternates, the reissued expanded albums are available on streaming services in Redbook CD quality. The box set is not on streaming services.

I am a Harry Styles fan. My proper introduction was on the release day of his epompmus debut (May 12, 2017). I got up for a bike ride, planning to listen to the new Todd Rundgren album on the ride. I noticed that Harry Styles’ solo debut was out, so I decided to try it. Styles’ appearance on SNL earlier that spring had caught my attention enough to tempt me to change my listening plans. I was blown away. My wife and I caught the tour supporting that album and were absolutely charmed by Styles’ performance.

When I first reviewed his debut, I said the album made me think

“…of three Bs: Jeff Buckley, Beck, and dare I say, David Bowie.  The more I listen, the more influences I hear (as the Bard says: ‘Steal a little and they throw you in jail/Steal a lot and they make you king’).”

Since the debut, Styles has released two competent pop albums, Fine Line (2019) and Harry’s House (2022), starred in some movies, and rivaled Taylor Swift as the biggest pop star on the planet, and disappeared. He has reappeared with a new single, “Aperture,” announced and sold out residencies across the world, including a 30-night residency at Madison Square Garden late summer/fall, and has now dropped Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.

Albums I like fall into two categories: love at first listen and growers. Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, is a grower. First listen – vapid. Second listen – ok, there are some songs I like. Third listen – this is good. Fourth listen sold. The album is subtly arranged and performed. It is a slow burn, what used to be called a quiet storm.

There are no stiffs on the album, highlights from initial listens:

• Aperture – lead single
• American Girls – deceptively danceable
• Coming Up Roses – a gorgeous string-infused ballad
• Pop – dance floor jam
• Dance No More – play that funky music white boy!

Secret ingredient: drummer Tom Skinner (Sons of Kemet and The Smile).