Travelin’ man Kohlton Pascal lights up my ‘American Idol’ season

The guy walking the railroad tracks as I watched “American Idol” tonight looked familiar. The long hair, the acoustic guitar, the face. It hit me before I heard the distinctive singing voice or saw the name flash on the screen. This season of the singing competition on FOX has just gotten way more interesting. To…

Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers gets there with folk strings style

Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers, “Almost There” Label: Words and Music Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers starts this dozen-song collection off with “Eight Days in January,” an interesting story in which the Syracuse singer, songwriter and acoustic strings player enlists the help of Rani Arbo on fiddle and harmony vocals. I thought I was off on a trip to…

A rocking party to celebrate a special album

Many of you took the time to comment about my Friday review of Castle Creek’s new recording “The Only Life,” so I thought you might like to share the vibe of the duo’s Sunday night CD release party at Syracuse’s cool room Upstairs at the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. I had my iPhone 6 warmed up and…

Fabulous Ripcords, Gunrunners, Joanne Shenandoah up for Native American Music Awards

No doubt, Fabulous Ripcords can rip with the blues. I’ve been appreciating these guys’ talent for years, since my time covering the Syracuse scene for the big daily. I remember walking around the outdoor festivals, spying them on an outdoor stage, and stopping for a song. Two. Three. Half the day. Well, that’s a bit…

How’d you like to see B.B. King play guitar for free?

Every time this gentleman walks to a stage to perform, he’s introduced the same way. He’s played a lot of shows and heard a lot of introductions. And, really, he’s a man whose recognizable face, ringing guitar sound and gritty vocals need no introduction. That’s “Mister B.B. King” to you and me. There’s been a…