Freedom Exercise is the debut album from alto saxophonist and composer Josh Johnson. With that title and the current Los Angeles resident’s choice of instrument, folks might be expecting an excursion into avant-garde jazz, but that’s not what’s up. Learning that Johnson’s heading a band comprised of guitar, electric bass and drums could lead others to anticipate a neo-fusion scenario, but that’s not the scoop either, though elements of that genre are found in Johnson’s style. Instead, the album’s contents are far more accessible and with intertwining and very welcome contemporary progressions. It’s out digitally October 9, with LP pre-orders shipping in December, through Northern Spy.
The alto saxophone was the instrument in the hands of arguably the greatest innovator in the history of jazz. However, speaking as someone who generally prefers the style when it’s spitting out sparks of creative friction far more than the pursuit of placid atmospheres or the cultivation of prolonged and unimaginative grooves, the alto sax has played no small role in many questionable moments.
To be fair, in jazz terms, the alto is certainly not as potentially frustrating an instrument as the vibraphone, the flute, the organ, the guitar, and even its reed relative, the soprano sax. In fact, due to Parker’s supreme mastery of the horn, people rarely bring up that it’s aptitude for unperturbed buoyancy is especially well-suited for mellow situations.
I mention all this because Josh Johnson is not a particularly hard blower, though he avoids sinking into the mire described above through smart playing, compositional verve, and savvy execution from a four-piece band featuring drums and percussion by Aaron Steele, electric bass by Anna Butterss, and guitar by Gregory Uhlmann. If not modeled on fusion, they are more than slightly reminiscent of Chicago post-rock.
Charlotte, NC | Even Record Store Day looks a little different during the era of COVID-19: Timeless notes from Don Cherry’s trumpet reverberated inside Lunchbox Records as customers entered five at a time in an attempt to get their hands on limited edition vinyls this past Saturday. While Lunchbox normally stocks some limited edition releases, this was a particularly special day for vinyl lovers, as it was Record Store Day — a national day that celebrates local record stores across the country by releasing records that can’t be bought online or at stores like Urban Outfitters. While Record Store Day is no new concept for Lunchbox, which has been participating in the nationwide event for 12 years, doing so with COVID-19 still looming in Charlotte was a whole other story. In previous years, some eager customers would secure a spot in line hours before the sun would rise over the turquoise building on Central Avenue. While there was still a sizable line by the time owner Scott Wishart arrived — around 
McKinney, TX | Red Zeppelin, the Only Female-Owned Record Store in Collin County, Offers Time Travel with Good Tunes: Katie Scott was 8 years old when she first started rocking out to albums by hair metal bands in the ’80s. As a child, Scott took piano lessons, but was more attracted to the heavier music that her parents listened to. When she was a teenager, her parents passed along their record collection, which sparked her love of vinyl. Some of her favorite albums include Hunky Dory by David Bowie and Speaking in Tongues by Talking Heads. After Loco Cowpoke, a family-owned salsa shop, closed in downtown McKinney, Scott saw the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream and open a record store. Two weeks after the salsa shop closed, Scott signed the paperwork to lease out the space and became the first female record store owner in Collin County. In July, Red Zeppelin opened its doors. “Who would have thought it would have happened during the pandemic?” Scott says. Scott, who is a former Allen ISD teacher, designed the record store to take music lovers 
ABOUT CRYING IN H MART | In this exquisite story of family, food, grief, and endurance, Michelle Zauner proves herself far more than a dazzling singer, songwriter, and guitarist. With humor and heart, she tells of growing up one of the few Asian American kids at her school in Eugene, Oregon; of struggling with her mother’s particular, high expectations of her; of a painful adolescence; of treasured months spent in her grandmother’s tiny apartment in Seoul, where she and her mother would bond, late at night, over heaping plates of food.
Richmond, BC | Steveston’s retro record store gets set for one last jam: However, Frankie Neilson said it’s not the end for the Beat Merchant, which will transfer into online only. If you’re one of the growing number of Stevestonites who takes great pleasure in flicking through the storied vinyl collection at the Beat Merchant, you’d better soak it all in. For the popular, retro record store on Second Avenue at Bayview Street will soon be no more. But don’t panic just yet, owner of 15 years Frankie Neilson said he’s going to stay open for the next six months – until the lease runs out on March 31, 2021 – so his loyal customers get comfortable with the fact he’s taking his entire business to an online and delivery model. Ironically, Neilson told the Richmond News, since the pandemic kicked off in March, there have more customers popping in for a browse and a chat than ever before. He said, at age 67, it’s just time to dial it back a bit and create more time to dance to his own tunes, rather than spend it all 
Chicago, IL | Currency Exchange Cafe Reopens Next Week, Providing A Platform For Artists And Chefs Of Color Hit Hard By Pandemic: With performances, artist residencies and a pop-up record store, the “Retreat” activation at the Washington Park cafe will “support artists who have lost space,” one leader said. A new, yearlong program will offer live music and food from local chefs while providing a much-needed platform for Chicago’s creatives of color at the Currency Exchange Cafe. “Retreat,” an extension of Rebuild Foundation’s Black Artists’ Retreat, will “activate” the cafe at 305 E. Garfield Blvd. when it reopens Oct. 9. Performances, artist residencies and 
Frederick, MD | Downtown Frederick record stores shift to more online sales in midst of pandemic: Since late 2013, Vinyl Acres, a shop nestled underground on East Patrick Street — not too far from the Square Corner in downtown Frederick — has been a destination for audiophiles and vinyl record shoppers looking to expand their collections. But recently, due to the dangers of operating a record store during the coronavirus pandemic — where people often leaf through rows of albums — Bob Berberich and his wife Martha Hull, the co-owners of the shop, have decided to permanently shut their doors at 25 E. Patrick St. …At first, when Sam Lock, the owner at The Record Exchange, had more limited hours, Wolfe was seeing less competition, he said. But even since Lock has expanded his hours, online sales have been strong at Rock & Roll Graveyard, Wolfe said. “Now I have my entire new inventory online, so it’s been helpful for me, for people who don’t feel safe going into a store,” Wolfe said. “And plus most things … it’s much more affordable than shopping in a record store in New York City and Los Angeles, so the prices are a lot 
Washington, DC | ‘Holy grail’ of Beatles’ rarities, signed on train to DC concert, up for auction: While the most casual music fan knows The Beatles first live appearance in the United States was Feb. 9, 1964, on the Ed Sullivan show, some aren’t aware their first U.S. concert was two days later at the Washington Coliseum. Now, a piece of Beatles memorabilia, being hailed as the “holy grail” of collectibles is up for auction: A “Meet the Beatles” promotional album, signed by all four band members for guitarist George Harrison’s older sister, Louise, as they traveled by train from New York City to D.C. on Feb. 11, for that evening’s show in Northeast D.C. “They couldn’t fly because there was so much snow in Washington — eight inches — so they had to take a train,” said Bobby Livingston, executive vice president of RR Auction, which is conducting an online auction of the album. What makes the signed album so desirable is that it captures 
To a large extent, the lasting appeal of the 1950’s rock ‘n’ roll explosion is defined in contemporary terms by a widely celebrated handful of originators and the subsequent explosion of wildcats who reacted to the sound of sweetly broken ground with worthwhile recordings of their own. One thread finds a bunch of unkempt, well-intentioned hicks succumbing to the potency of uncut rhythm and blues and combining it with the essence of their own tradition to fuse a new music that conquered the world.
