Are you tired of listening to the same old tracks, but distrust the playlist gods at Spotify? Have the major labels left you in a minor bummer? Do you fear that the Billboard chart is now a wasteland of leftovers reheated one too many times?
If so, welcome to my world.
But I work hard to bypass the system, seeking out deserving new music in unfamiliar places. I spend hours every day in this angelic pursuit, and share occasional updates here at The Honest Broker.
Below is my latest roundup of rewarding recordings. Happy listening!
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Diego Barber (with Theo Bleckmann): Scarlatti Sonatas
Guitarist and Jazz Vocalist Adapt Baroque Keyboard Music
This isn’t your typical baroque album—as even the album cover makes clear. Diego Barber, who looks like a construction worker on lunch break, adapts Scarlatti for guitar, and then adds jazz vocalist Theo Bleckmann into the mix. The results are revelatory, achieving an intimacy you probably don’t associate with 18th century classical music.
Carter Sampson: Live at the Blue Door
One Woman, One Guitar, One Voice in Oklahoma City
The music industry could learn from Horton Records is a non-profit label in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The folks at Horton are totally committed to their local music scene. Their mission is simple and straightforward:
cultivating and developing Tulsa area artists;
building on the great tradition of music from that region
supporting and strengthening the community
But you don’t need to know any of that to enjoy this music. On this recent album, they shine the spotlight on homegrown Oklahoma singer-songwriter Carter Sampson. And she definitely delivers the goods in live performance, with just her voice and acoustic guitar.
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