DJ for The Blend
Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
Steve Miller hails originally from Columbus, Ohio, and moved to Massachusetts in 2013. He spent his career working in the world of insurance and now works as a semi-retired consultant when not spinning discs at WICN. Steve first heard jazz in his parents’ home and his passion for the music truly ignited in high school and college. He lives in Central Massachusetts with his wife Leslie and their highly ridiculous dog, Coltrane.
Latest Album Reviews
Review of A Bluesman of Sorts
Album Info: A Bluesman of Sorts
Reverend Freakchild Album: A Bluesman of Sorts Label: Treated & Released Genre(s): Contemporary Blues Posted By: Duane Verh
Jun 1, 2025
Review
The biographically elusive Reverend Freakchild’s convincing deep-soul delivery enables him to infuse well-worn songs with an elemental juice that enlivens them in a near-transcendental manner; witness “Roll and Tumble Blues” or “Hellhound On My Trail” present here. The Good Rev’s feral reading of the Bobbie Gentry hit “Ode To Billie Joe” is as fascinating as it might be unexpected. Appealing work from a one-of-a-kind artist.
Florida-based / Mississippi-born Deborah Silver breaks with tradition on her 2025 album Basie Rocks! Credited to The Count Basie Orchestra with Deborah Silver, the 11-track album is a first for the Count Basie Orchestra as Basie Rocks! is basically a rock tribute album turned into a big band jazz love fest. Recorded in NYC and Pompano Beach, Florida, Basie Rocks! is, simply put, a superbly recorded jazz vocal album.
As he points out in the album liner notes, Scott Barnhart explains, “To have The Count Basie Orchestra, directed by yours truly, record an album of Rock and Roll classics is something that I had never thought about before I met Deborah.” Credited as co-producer, arranger and director of The Count Basie Orchestra, Barnhart can take credit for a most original type of rock tribute album, while Basie Rocks! producer and Rolling Stones drummer Steve Jordan gives
The Alexis P. Suter Band Album: Just Stay High Label: Big Mama Genre(s): Contemporary Blues Posted By: Duane Verh
May 26, 2025
Review
Alexis Suter’s powerhouse vocals sync up with lyric sets worthy of the voltage on her band’s current offering, making for a most satisfying listen. Contributions from her band and session players, as well as Ms. Suter’s own handiwork, result in a track-after-track assault of message-meets-music chemistry. Standouts in a first-class song stack include “Some People”, “Big Girl Panties” and “Breathe”. Guitarist Jimmy Bennett adds particular fire to the solid instumental backup. Ms. S does justice to Ron Davies’ “It Ain’t Easy” and Leon Russell’s “A Song For You” for added treats. A “Best Of The Year” candidate.
Review of Transcendence Plays Music of Pat Metheny
Album Info: Transcendence Plays Music of Pat Metheny
Transcendence Album: Transcendence Plays Music of Pat Metheny Label: FMR Records Genre(s): Crossover Jazz Posted By: Robert Silverstein
May 24, 2025
Review
A big fan of the Pat Metheny Group after the release of their 1977 breakthrough debut album, called Pat Metheny Group, I was taken aback a bit after playing this album only to find there was no guitar player on the album. Being that Pat Metheny is a guitarist first and a fine composer as well, the release of the 2025 album release by the jazz trio known as Transcendence, entitled Music Of Pat Metheny, readily displays another side of Metheny, the composer.
It's easy to say that Pat Metheny fans might not even recognize his music on this album by the music alone, yet there are so many great jazzy sounds on this instrumental Transcendence tribute to one of the great guitarists of the past 50 years. Although the bulk of the album features reinterpretations of Pat Metheny’s compositions, there are also several covers here of music written as well by jazz icons Herbie
Jon Gold Album: Chasing Echos Label: Entropic Genre(s): Contemporary Jazz Posted By: Robert Silverstein
May 19, 2025
Review
Pianist / composer Jon Gold released his album Bossa Of Possibility on the esteemed BluJazz Records back in 2012. 13 years later he returns with an album of all-new material called Chasing Echos. The less than common spelling of the album title notwithstanding, the 11-track / 65-minute CD is a positive joint production by Jon Gold and Brazilian-born, NYC-based Mauricio Zottarelli, the latter being a renowned drummer in the realms of Brazilian and Latin jazz.
The beauty of the album is the diversity and inspiration of music culled from the ranks of Brazilian and other exotic South American musical locales. As one would rightly construe, Zottarelli brings in a prevalent rhythmic backdrop. Composer and keyboardist Gold himself often draws from a diversity of regional Brazilian music yet he also sometimes makes his point with other eclectic and atmospheric influences like Stravinsky and
Oct 24, 2024 -
For fans of Beirut, Joni Mitchell, Tori Amos, Regina Spektor and Keren Ann. The lush bucolic folk of ‘Season to Season’ is the first... Read Full Article
Sep 12, 2024 -
Indiana based Singer Songwriter Abbie Thomas to release eagerly awaited second album Sept 27
The candid creative spark behind Abbie... Read Full Article
Jul 31, 2024 -
FOLK MUSICIANS CATHY FINK, MARCY MARXER, AND
CHAO TIAN ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM,
FROM CHINA TO APPALACHIA
THE GLOBAL MUSIC PROJECT... Read Full Article
Jun 12, 2024 -
Embark on a musical journey across Africa that celebrates the rich cultural tapestry of the continent with Putumayo's African... Read Full Article
Jun 3, 2024 -
Few musical compositions have so successfully tapped into that elusive formula of the enduring human spirit that is the recipe for timeless... Read Full Article
May 21, 2024 -
Released in mid-2024, It’s Worth It is the second solo album by Delay Tactics guitarist and keyboard player David Udell. It’s Worth It... Read Full Article
Mar 15, 2024 -
CMH RECORDS (Country. Music. Heritage.) maintains a rich history of classic country and bluegrass albums and is honoring several of these legacy... Read Full Article
