Guitarist and songwriter Roger Cook’s latest album is a collection of original songs that are at times quirky, heartfelt and even thought provoking. Roger has been a member of a small songwriting community in Albuquerque and has been growing and learning more and more since his first album from a few years ago that had delightful songs like Wonder Bread Elvis.

This time around, Cook is bringing more songs from his somewhat skewed point of view including the title track, the song Mutt, Bumper Stickers and Garbage Day Pickup. He also has a sweet side. Cook writes a love song for his wife every year on their anniversary and for St. Valentines Day and some of those songs are here including You’re the One I Love, One Week at a Time, and 10,000 Hours. His sentimental side eeks through as well on the songs Hello Mama and Be Strong and he takes us along with him on his journey through Red Rock Canyon and a canyon of a different kind, Piano Alley.

Roger Cooks voice and guitar playing are rough and he often struggles to get the instrumentation right, but he is also an experimental guitarist, using alternate tunings to give us new sounds. Despite a few missed notes, his vocals are always sincere and emotional and his performance is a testament to how hard he works to create his music. There are 13 cuts on the album, all under five minutes and you can find the album streaming on most services and is available for download at https://rogercook.bandcamp.com

Comprised of three of New Mexico’s finest guitarists, Michael Anthony, Claudio Tolousse and John Maestas, this trio has been playing together off and on since Maestas and Tolousse were high school students at Manzano High School in Albuquerque, first taking group lessons and then moving onto private lessons at Anthony’s home.

The project was put together by Tolousse and Maestas to showcase their mentor. There are 12 cuts including Jimmy Smith’s Mellow Mood, Chick Corea’s Matrix, Mingus’ Nostalgia in Times Square and a brilliant arrangement of Wes Montgomery’s Four in Six. Tolousse contributes his composition, Ella. Michael Anthony brings Les is More and all contribute to the song Steps. All of the cuts are arranged by one or more of the trio. There’s even track where the guys talk about how much fun it is to play together before going into the final track on the album, Joe Henderson’s Recordame where the three just sit and play together without accompaniment. The album also features Asher Barreras on Bass and Arnaldo Acosta on Drums and percussion.

Recorded at Empty House Studios in Albuquerque the album was engineered by Matt Tobias, mixed by Nicholas Guttman and mastered by Maestas with photography and design by Ryan Montaño.

Michael Anthony was a member of the Wrecking Crew, a group of in demand studio musicians in Los Angeles that played on nearly every pop and rock album released in the late 60s and 70s. (That’s Mike guitar on the hit Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.) He has played on countless jazz albums and soundtracks and recorded or performed with Blue Mitchell, Herbie Laws, the Bobby Bryant Orchestra, the Louie Belson Orchestra, Quincy Jones, the Gil Evans Orchestra and with Miles Davis at the Monterey Jazz Festival. He was a member of the Carol Burnette Orchestra where he met his wife, Kathy, a dancer on the show.

Michael moved to New Mexico in 1980 but never slowed down. Michael Anthony was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Mexico Music Awards in 2014, has recorded ten albums and written four Jazz Guitar books. Anthony and Tolousse still make their home in Albuquerque where they teach and perform while Maestas has spent the last 10 years in The Big Easy, New Orleans. The album is available for streaming or purchase at https://jmaestoso.bandcamp.com/album/the-lineage-trio

Just a word to let you know that there is another Lineage Trio streaming online through most of the other streaming services, so be sure to get your version from the link provided.

Multiple New Mexico Music Award winner Jaime Michaels has released a new video, “How to Shine” the title track from album of the same name. This video was filmed in Pavia, Italy by Lù Magarò. Story by Gabriele Zanoncelli Camera – Lu Magaro Drone camera – Gabriele Zanoncelli. At its heart, this is a song about forgiveness, a song about looking back at your life, warts and all, and being OK with who you are and what you’ve done.

It’s the first official video from the latest album “How To Shine” and features Andrew Hardin on 2nd acoustic guitar, Dirje Childs on cello and Char Rothschild on accordion.

The track was produced and recorded by Jono Manson at the Kitchen Sink Studio, Santa Fe, and mastered by David Glasser at Airshow Mastering, in Boulder, CO.

See the complete video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcBwgDll4ss

El Paso blues guitarist became the first person to win in both the Solo/Duo and the Full Band categories at the the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge Preliminary competition with his duo, The MoneyRaker$ and with his quartet, Sam Barlow & His True Blue Band!

The Blues Foundation was founded in Memphis, Tennessee, “The Home of the Blues,” in 1980 and over the past 40 years, has grown from a small base of Memphis supporters to an international membership of over 4,000 individuals and organizations. Winners are determined by a vote of The Blues Foundation membership. https://blues.org/

Sam will be representing the Greater West Texas Blues Society in Memphis in January at the finals! So why do we mention this? Because Sam records at Montrose Records in Ruidoso, was a finalist in the Blues Album category at the2020 NMMAs and plays primarily in New Mexico.

Producer and engineer Richard Cagle moved is operation from Houston, Texas a few years ago and built a beautiful mountaintop studio in Ruidoso where he has recorded many New Mexico artists as well as acts from west Texas. Richard is also an NMMA winner.

Here’s a link to Sam’s performance. https://youtu.be/Nn6lLiZU1LU?si=moxe88RH-6YwY2vH

Songwriter and newest member of the Limelighters, C Daniel Boling has released his 9th album, New Old Friends, a collaboration with folk icon Tom Paxton.

The album contains 15 tracks, all co-written with Paxton with five cuts featuring Boling and Paxton singing together. There are some interesting titles, including Bear Spray and b=Barbed Wire, My Hick Pickup and This Town Has No Cafe.

The former park ranger and Kerrville New Folk Winner has become friends with Paxton as they crossed paths on the folk tour circuit. The album will be officially released soon on Berkalin Records, but you can download it now directly from Daniel’s website https://danielboling.com/home

Syd Masters has just released his latest album, Cabin Songs. The album was conceived during my week-long stay at a remote vintage log cabin in the Pecos Wilderness.. The first 9 songs were composed during that stay and the album is rounded out with 4 campfire classics; Running Gun, Along the Navajo Trail, Going Back to Texas and Birmingham Trail. The final track, Church Street Blues, is another original that Syd was able to finish just as the album was going to press. Fourteen songs in all.

Syd is a transplant from rural Wisconsin, is the author of the Official State Cowboy Song of New Mexico and was recognized by The Academy of Western Artists as Male Vocalist of the Year. Twice. He’s been a finalist at the New Mexico Music Awards 40 times and has won 10 awards. for Best Country Song, Best Album, Best Novelty Song, Best Remake and Best Song. You might remember Syd and his trio, The Swing Riders, playing the Star Wars Cantina Theme at the Mineshaft in Madrid in the 2011 SciFi movie Paul starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.

The new album was recorded at David McRae’s Third Eye Studios in Tijeras and features the talents of Lonnie O, David Glasser, Katie Gill, Shannon Whitehead, and Sid Fendley. Stay tuned for official release parties planned for Albuquerque and Red River. https://sydmasters.com/home

JAM COORDINATOR: LISA NICHOLS

IN PERSON (AT NMJW, 5500 LOMAS BLVD. NE)

SATURDAYS: 10:30 AM-NOON AND NOON-1:30 PM (TWO SESSIONS)

$5.00 DROP-IN FEE

All participants must submit a photo/scan of their vaccination record to gina@nmjazz.org by 4:00 pm the Thursday before the jam session. https://nmjazz.org/

We want to, first of all, thank our veterans for their service to our country and to welcome them home.

We also want to remind everyone that some veterans are still dealing with the after effects of battle and that not all wounds are visible. Healing takes time. Please be understanding of our heroes.

Finally, let us honor these brave men and women with some of the music that has come from our veteran’s workshops.

The New Mexico Music Awards in cooperation with listen!nm will begin presenting Therapeutic Songwriting Workshops for veterans around the state this summer and fall. Veterans and songwriters work together to write music that expresses the veteran’s experiences in the military. It can be painful, heartbreaking and sometimes even funny, but always rewarding. Here are a few song that our vets have produced over the past few years.

Just click on the title for a link to a video or audio file.

Put My Mind At Ease

These Are Not My Stars

I’m Afraid I Can’t

I Brought The War With Me