The choice of the Honest Broker and the Sound Cafe

On May 20th, the American jazz critic and music historian Ted Gioia published an article titled "12 Outstanding New Albums by 12 Artists from 12 Countries" on his website The Honest Broker. Leading in with "these under-the-radar records absolutely deserve your attention", the famed author of "Delta Blues: The Life and Times of the Mississippi Masters Who Revolutionized American Music" includes Andres Roots "Vol. 12" in his handpicked dozen: 

"This artist hails from Tartu, Estonia... and mixes Baltic and Euro-modal flavorings with large doses of raw bluesiness. It’s almost as if muddy waters were flowing into the Gulf of Riga. Musicians of this sort run counter to all expectations, and upset various purists." 

On May 31st, the Toronto-based webzine The Sound Cafe published their "Quick Picks for June 2023" that also includes "Vol. 12", alongside new releases by more mainstream acts such as Foo Fighters, Imagine Dragons, and Estonia's own Trad.Attack!: a "selection of new releases... well worth checking out"!

Photo by Leif Laaksonen.