John Apice

New Jersey

Article Writer, Features Writer and Music Reviewer at Americana Highways

Features Writer at Freelance

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Articles

REVIEW: Skinny Lister “Songs From The Yonder”

1 week ago | americanahighways.org | John Apice

Skinny Lister – Songs From The Yonder With the demise of The Pogues, many still have a tickle in their ear for Shane McGowan’s aggressive vocal ruggedness. Purists have found this kind of music with Great Big Sea (“When I’m Up, I Can’t Get Down”), The Toasters, Black 47, & the Dropkick Murphys (especially in Skinny’s “Set Us Straight”). But they’re all part of the same patchwork quilt.
REVIEW: Vince Guaraldi “Oh, Good Grief!”

1 week ago | americanahighways.org | John Apice

Vince Guaraldi – Oh, Good Grief! I thought this one would be a little outside of my realm. Then I thought – these Peanuts/Charlie Brown program specials always had compelling piano music in it. So, I reneged. I’m a baby-boomer & I remember buying David Seville’s “The Chipmunk Song” way back when I was a kid. But what gripped my ears was not that major novelty hit for children. What penetrated my adolescent ears was David Seville’s jungle beat 45 flip.
Peter Holsapple “The Face of '68” • Americana Highways

1 week ago | americanahighways.org | John Apice

Peter Holsapple – The Face of ’68 After accumulating wonderful credentials throughout his career, Peter Holsapple has slipped back into a more roots-oriented collection with his more stylish guitar playing.
REVIEW: The Steeldrivers “Outrun”

1 week ago | americanahighways.org | John Apice

The Steeldrivers – Outrun This is a finely tuned 20-year-old Grammy-winning bluegrass band. They open with a prickly, dark bluegrass tune in the title track “Outrun.” It’s wonderfully constructed & itemizes all the things you can’t outrun – like the grim reaper. The group doesn’t stop with the grim reaper but even mentions Jekyll & Hyde in “The River Knows,” which is steeped in the light bluegrass pickings in a mix of myth & legend.
REVIEW: David Starr “Must Be Blue”

1 week ago | americanahighways.org | John Apice

David Starr – Must Be Blue This is Colorado-based & Arkansas-native David Starr’s blues studio album, which rolls out some assertive blues covers & a few originals. The album also features John Oates (Hall & Oates) on background vocals. 10 pieces exemplify Must Be Blue (Drops April 25/Quarto Valley Records/37:37) produced by David (electric, acoustic & slide guitars/vocals/bgv) with Mark Prentice (bass/keyboards) in Nashville.
REVIEW: Tad Robinson “Soul In Blue”

2 weeks ago | americanahighways.org | John Apice

Tad Robinson – Soul In Blue This is another veteran blues harmonica man who reaches out with his newest blues excursion & he’s true to the tradition. He returns to where he started at the Delmark label & debuted in 1994. Tad is one of the blues artists who skillfully negotiates a pinch of soul into his program. If it were 1962, I’d say R&B, which it is, but today’s R&B doesn’t seem to represent accurately the music of artists like Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Gloria Lynne & Lou Rawls.
REVIEW: Buddy Guy “This Is Buddy Guy!”

2 weeks ago | americanahighways.org | John Apice

Buddy Guy – This Is Buddy Guy! This live set features 8 exhilarating blues tracks recorded & released originally by Vanguard Records. The Louisiana-born Buddy Guy was captured at the New Orleans House in Berkeley, CA. The Grammy Award-winning guitarist has been playing since 1953, & he shows his Chicago blues skills throughout. This record is not locked into only Guy’s blues traditions. His sharpened influences included deep blues, avant-rock, some soul & free jazz.
REVIEW: Scrapper Blackwell “Mr. Scrapper’s Blues”

2 weeks ago | americanahighways.org | John Apice

Scrapper Blackwell – Mr. Scrapper’s Blues Recorded in 1962, this is Scrapper’s 2nd LP during his return to recording & was originally released on Bluesville Records. The LP is fairly trim instrumentally since it only features Scrapper (vocals/acoustic guitar/piano). Born in South Carolina (1903) as Francis Hillman Blackwell, he lived most of his life in Indianapolis, Indiana. He became an American bluesman who was pre-Muddy Waters & pre-Chuck Berry.
REVIEW: Jeffery Broussard & the Nighttime Syndicate “Bayou Moonlight”

2 weeks ago | americanahighways.org | John Apice

Jeffery Broussard & the Nighttime Syndicate – Bayou Moonlight This music, like bluegrass, is a diversified genre. Loaded with melody & thrust. I was introduced years ago to this dynamism through Buckwheat Zydeco & Clifton Chenier. It’s comfortable to hear the music still being played by skillful performers like Louisiana’s Jeffery Broussard (accordion/lead vocals) & the TBC Brass Band.
REVIEW: Volume Five “Leave a Light On”

2 weeks ago | americanahighways.org | John Apice

Volume Five – Leave a Light On I always thought bluegrass music was a little more melodic than the average country song. Some would argue with me, but on this latest bluegrass effort, the two opening tunes “Dying All Over Again” & “Dreams Like That” are exceptional examples of how bluegrass is consistently melody-driven & can indeed be exciting music.