I wrote a review of Gil Scott-Heron’s I’m New Here for today’s Washington Post. I think it may be the best album of the young year. (I didn’t bother to listen to many January releases, so I can’t say this with certainty). After a veritable drought recently, this week’s new release schedule is full of good stuff to listen to: I recommend the new Sade and Jaheim albums, though I haven’t had the chance to spend much time with either yet. One release that I have jammed quite a bit is Galactic’s Ya-Ka-May, a great, sprawling and accessible overview of New Orleans music in all its variations, which I covered in a Post profile that ran on Saturday. Read the rest of this entry »