Sep 12th, 2008 · Widely considered one of his generation's premier saxophonists, Potter plugs in with his quartet of backbeat-blasting electronic wizards. Hear the band's slippery grooves and tactful textures in a live set from New York.
Aug 5th, 2008 · Chinese American music producer Dave Liang's upbringing was as culturally mixed as the Shanghai jazz scene of the 1930s. So he created a new ensemble combining traditional Chinese instruments with hip-hop and electronica.
Jun 20th, 2007 · Booker T. & The MGs recorded some of most enduring riffs and backbeats of the '60s. Because organist Booker T. Jones, guitarist Steve Cropper, bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn and drummer Al Jackson Jr. recorded together constantly, they developed a signature sound.
Mar 14th, 2007 · Betty Davis could be sultry or earthy, strident or nasty. She seized heavy funk backbeats, and around them built commanding, sometimes taunting vocal entreaties that were way ahead of their time: Her work presages the stances and ideas of strong hip-hop women from Erykah Badu to Foxy Brown.
Jan 24th, 2007 · The tone of The Twilight Singers' "Live with Me" moves beyond that of a simple lover's plea: Over an ominous slide guitar, washes of electric guitars and a pulsing backbeat, the vibe gets pushed into ever more unnerving territory, thanks to two great singers who know their way around it.
Aug 25th, 2006 · The backbeat of Gov't Mule's "Mr. High and Mighty" is a heavy-lidded blast of '70s stomp-rock -- Foghat's "Slow Ride" functions as a not-so-distant cousin. But rather than extol stoner virtues, the song expresses indignation over the doings of the craven and powerful.