PFT Media

We’ve always dug Kyle Eastwood’s soulful bop style, but his latest album Cinematic has the bassist veering towards some literal cinematic moodiness. In a departure from their norm, Eastwood and company deliver a marvelous set of soundtrack classics that transmute some well-tread tunes into fresh gold. Whether it’s the classic themes from Bullitt, Taxi Driver, and Skyfall, or even the iconic “Windmills of My Mind” and “Gran Torino,” Eastwood performs them all with unique aplomb. The result is powerful and haunting, sometimes even tear-jerkingly moving. Slight spoiler, don’t snicker, even the Pink Panther theme gets saddled for a new wild ride. 

Keeping with the theme of movie music, we round out the show by delving into some of the genre’s best and brightest on celluloid and solo: Lalo Schifren, J.J. Johnson, Michel Legrand, and Henry Mancini. Truly music that bends the imagination this mix will delight with well known tunes, some deep dives, and a few ear-pricking samples.Continue Reading …

In this episode of the Major Scale we have Nobody… no, it’s not a scheduling snafu, it’s Elvin Estela, an artist who goes by the moniker of Nobody. For over 20 years he’s been fighting the good fight by composing amazing music that ranges from the outer reaches of psychedelic infused hip hop to rare groove suites of the highest order. We’ve been dying to talk to him since The Major Scale started and on this episode he joins us to wax poetic on music, influences, ‘90s college radio, and other things all too familiar.

Michael Blake returns with something old that is new again–the re-release of Slow Poke At Home. Originally recorded in 1998 during a landmark year in the saxophonist’s career, today the original release fetches a fairly hefty price. Like all of Blake’s work, Slow Poke is a curious collection of originals and imaginative covers by Duke Ellington, Neil Young, and Eddie Harris. It’s a sonic crossroads of bluesy slide guitar and a jazzy rhythm section that, at times, is gruff and rootsy as well as ethereal. 

Curious indeed.Continue Reading …

Guitarist Rez Abbasi makes the kind of music that draws from all corners of the world. From the far reaches of the East to his home on the West Coast in LA, Abbasi weaves together beautiful musical scenes with each recording he releases. His recent album, A Throw of Dice, proves all the above and then some. He was commissioned to score a nearly century old German silent film based on an episode from the Mahābhārata, one of two epic Sanskrit tales of India from the 8th century (See what we mean about Abbasi drawing from all corners?) We got him on hand to give us the finer details on the project and sample some of this sweet music that defies categorization.Continue Reading …