Welcome to The Notebook. Every month explore the new sounds that the Hult Center team and friends are listening to.
Eryn H – Marketing Coordinator
Leon Bridges is gearing up for the release of his latest album Leon and the three singles he has released in anticipation are nothing if not smooth. “Laredo,” in particular, is getting back-to-back plays from me until further notice. The song feels like a late-summer Texas golden hour with a deep groove that’s easy to fall headfirst into, all alongside what is quite possibly my favorite chorus in recent memory. There’s soul flavor to spare on the track, and with Leon’s effortless, smoky vocals heading up the project, it’s hard to resist going back in for another play.
Leon Bridges – Leon
Daniel O – Content and Design Coordinator
In 2020, Broken Glowsticks (AJ Perdomo of The Dangerous Summer) released the song “Dancing on My Own” and I was eagerly awaiting the full length announcement. Well, an album never came. Two Dangerous Summer records later and just shy of 4 years from that first songs original release, AJ has finally (and I really mean finally) released Unimaginable Time. Is this the best thing he has ever done? Yes, yes it is. I find myself sitting somewhere between beautiful and sad. But I think that is what this album is all about. It’s balancing all the good and the bad that life brings. It’s a record that is full of family and friends, love and loss. Literally, “Funeral Song” has voicemails played throughout, giving me the impression those might be the last times AJ heard their voices. Unimaginable Time is an amazing record. Masterfully recorded, brilliantly performed, definitely in my top 5 for the year.
Broken Glowsticks – “Unimaginable Time”
Abbey A – Marketing Manager
My country phase is still going with no end in sight. Parker McCollum’s latest single “What Kinda Man” is upbeat, catchy & thought-provoking. This song is all about change and self-discovery and feels different from standard country, with a mix of genre-bending instrumentals that go against the norm of his traditional stylings. This single is totally different from what he’s put out before and is definitely worth the listen!
Parker McCollum – “What Kinda Man”
Evan G – Marketing Coordinator
With the help of social media and a few viral hits, Eugene, Oregon-raised brothers, Dana and Alden have become a major force for bringing jazz to a new (and younger) audience. The group combines impressive technical skills with a silly and creative charm to create music that is equal parts chill & exciting. I recently got to catch a show by the group touring their newest record, Coyote, You’re My Star, and have kept the album on repeat ever since. If you’re looking to add a touch of soft-pop/jazz to your life, give Coyote, You’re My Star a listen.
Dana and Alden – Coyote, You’re My Star
Jim O – The Jazz Station
Trumpeter Jim Rotondi was one of the strongest, most capable players of his generation. He performed and recorded with everyone from Ray Charles to George Coleman, co-led the hard bop collective One For All, and was a highly-respected educator in the U.S. and Europe. Finesse, his 18th album as a leader, is the first to feature him with a big band and orchestra.
The tunes are all originals, and they give him plenty of opportunity to demonstrate his sure sense of swing and clean, well-conceived solos. Everything is completely assured and relaxed, even in the most difficult lines.
Jakob Helling (a new name to me) did the arrangements, which are excellent. They ‘re clearly extensions of Jim’s compositions, not just backdrops for a string of solos. The Notes and Tones Jazz Orchestra brings Helling’s challenging arrangements to life (that trumpet section is killin’!) and has several very fine soloists of its own to add to the mix.
Sadly, Jim died very suddenly in July, before he had a chance to enjoy the acclaim that the album is getting. It was Jim’s long-time dream to record an album of his tunes with a big band and orchestra. That it turned out to be his last release is tremendously sad, but it’s a beautiful finale for one of the very best players around.
Jim Rotondi – Finesse
Zephian M – Sr. Administrative Specialist
In 2018 I managed to see The War on Drugs 5 times; twice at summer festivals, once in Chicago, once in Normal Illinois (on my birthday), and once in Milwaukee WI. Somehow that feels like a lifetime ago, so I was excited to hear The War On Drugs released a new live album. They have a bit of magic live that is really captured in these recordings, leaning into swirling shoegaze sounds and Sprinsteeny saxophones and shouts. My favorite parts of the new Live Drugs Again album is just how good the guitars sound- Adam Granduciel’s use of every guitar pedal under the sun, really comes through. All in all it makes for a pretty great The War On Drugs experience and it brings back a flood of great show memories from one of my favorite bands.
The War on Drugs – Live Drugs Again
