Annie Dinerman

Annie Dinerman - Welcome Video

Catherine Russell

Swing music has always made Americans feel invincible, as if we could survive war or peace, with or without love. Swinging supremely through her seventh solo album, Catherine Russell sings fresh life into 13 classic tunes that ask timeless questions. She makes the lyrics sound like they just popped into her head.

Interview - 3 Grammy nominations for CD featuring DACA artists

Elle King

In 2015, singer-songwriter Elle King's hard-rocking first single, "Ex's & Ohs," played in every store and restaurant. King's second CD busts loose with that familiar, danceable mix of rocking country, funk, and blues that will appeal to Christine Ohlman fans. King's confessional, bad-girl lyrics are reminiscent of Amy Winehouse but with a hopeful drive.

Interview With Bette Smith at Bowery Ballroom

Elmore's Annie Dinerman caught up with Bette Smith for the second time in less than a year, but what a year it has been for Smith. Here's what transpired. Bette Smith swept onstage at Bowery Ballroom wearing her customary yellow dress, a huge Afro, and thigh-high white vinyl high-heeled platform boots. ...

Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens of Brooklyn - Live Review

A sign over the bar says "Liquid Love," a perfect description for the vibe created by Naomi Shelton and her first-rate soul band at Bar Lunatico. Shelton, a Daptone Records artist with a loyal Brooklyn fan base, recently made a frosty Sunday afternoon much warmer for a very attentive brunch crowd. ...

Little Richard "Here's Little Richard!" - CD Reissue

Here is one of my favorite pieces. It's fun to build so much punch into a very short piece. Little Richard's music is fueled by the power of a truly unique personality. P.S. Little Richard was five feet ten inches tall. That's not basketball tall, but it's not little. In 1952, Art Rupe, owner of Specialty Records, discovered singer Richard Penniman and caught lightening in a bottle. Rowdy, bawdy and charismatic, Little Richard integrated his segregated audiences in a dancing frenzy,...

Otis Redding "Complete And Unbelievable... The Otis Redding Dictionary Of Soul" - Reissue

Artist: Otis Redding Label: Rhino Release Date: 10/07/2016 Rhino Records is celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Otis Redding Dictionary Of Soul with a 2‑disc Deluxe Edition (CD, vinyl and digital). The gifted, accomplished and influential singer-songwriter, beloved for hits like "Respect" and "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," left us suddenly in 1967 at the tender age of 26. ...

Si Cranstoun "Old School" - CD Review

Classic soul fans are quickly catching on to the sixth CD by British singer/songwriter Si Cranstoun, an Old School where dancing is everyone's major. Heavily influenced by 1950s and 1960s American rock and R&B, Cranstoun produces and leads his band with frisky vitality and abundant taste.

Tom Jones, Beacon Theater, NYC - Live Review

This is one of my favorite pieces in my entire portfolio. All Photos by Ehud Lazin Drums and guitar played alone on a darkened stage as Tom Jones entered, singing John Lee Hooker's "Burning Hell." At 76, he looked trim in a blazer and jeans, his dark curls cropped close, his sandpapery baritone as vigorous as ever. ...

Tasha Taylor, The Second Generation of Stax - Interview

Tasha Taylor's new R&B/soul songwriter CD, Honey For The Biscuit , was recently reviewed by Elmore staffer and R&B songwriter Annie Dinerman. Annie was so taken with Tasha's sound that she reached out to dialogue with Taylor about songwriting, producing and the "Heart Of Soul." ...

Tasha Taylor "Honey For The Biscuit" - CD Review

If Tasha Taylor wants to tour all over Europe and the UK, go for it, Girlfriend, but come home soon. US audiences deserve to hear this supple alto voice that's tenderly, confidently devoted to blues and soul. ...

Zac Harmon "Right Man Right Now" - CD Review

Zac Harmon was among the producers of Black Uhuru's "Mystical Truth" album, which received a 1994 Grammy nomination. As a guitarist, he's been compared to Freddie King. As a songwriter, he's worked with Evelyn "Champagne" King, The Whispers and the O'Jays. ...

The Bo-Keys at Joe's Pub, NYC - Live Review

Excellent Memphis Soul band heats up Joe's Pub in Manhattan. Photo by Allison Fensterstock

Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens of Brooklyn, Fat Cat NYC - Live Review

A gifted singer with a message of hope you can dance to. Photo by Kim Nyugen.

Wouter Kellerman at Carnegie Hall - Live Review

Wouter Kellerman's adventurous, tender, spirited new hit album, Love Language , originally started as a small acoustic project. In 2012, the South African flutist and world music composer put it on the shelf for a while, turning his attention to a bigger project with Bengaluru-based composer and producer Ricky Kej. ...