American Folk Music
Kate MacKenzie -> Geoff Muldaur
| KATE MACKENZIE |
Red House 91 |
Age Of Innocence |
● CD $15.98 |
10 tracks, 34 minutes, recommended. For years Kate MacKenzie
sang with Stoney Lonesome, a group which enjoyed wide exposure on the
"Prairie Home Companion" radio show. MacKenzie's 1995 solo
effort Let 'Em Talk was widely praised and with this second release
on Red House records, she provides more convincing evidence that she is a
strong performer in her own right. MacKenzie's beautiful voice, equally
sassy and vulnerable, has much to do with this. The high quality of the
instrumental backing also deserves mention. Musicians include John
Reischman on mandolin, fiddler Stuart Duncan, banjo players Tony Furtado
and Alan O'Bryant, Rob Ickes on dobro, and producer Nick Forester on
guitar. Of course strong material doesn't hurt either and you will find it
here! I particularly enjoyed the title tune, a tribute to the simple life,
and the fine version of the traditional song Single Girl paired
with a fine instrumental workout on Sally Ann. As she did on her
first album, MacKenzie includes a song by Greg Brown; this time it is Driftless.
Other selections include Carolina which MacKenzie co wrote with
Forester, Blue Lonesome Wind, and a spirited romp through the
traditional number, What's the Matter with the Mill. (DP)
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| MAGICAL STRINGS |
Flying Fish 416 |
On The Burren |
● CD $15.98 |
Philip and Pam Boulding play 13 instrumentals, including 4
by O'Carolan.
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| TAJ MAHAL |
Columbia CGK 18 |
Giant Step/De Ole Folks At Home |
● CD $12.98 |
CD reissue of classic early Taj album, with Candy Man,
Stagger Lee, Fishin' Blues, Take A Giant Step, You're Gonna Need Somebody
On Your Bond and many more. Great stuff! (MB)
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| DAVE MALLETT |
Flying Fish 110 |
Inches & Miles: 1977-1980 |
● CD $15.98 |
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| DAVE MALLETT |
Flying Fish 291 |
Open Doors And Windows |
● CD $15.98 |
CD reissue of singer/songwriter's (Kathy Mattea, Emmylou
Harris) first recording on Flying Fish
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| WALL MATTHEWS |
Clean Cuts 712 |
Gathering The World |
● CD $16.98 |
Guitarist Wall Matthews is a "new acoustic"
scenester. He isn't really a dawg-eared technopicker; nor is he a new age
snooze inducer. Creativity sets him apart from the pack here, as does his
bold choice of African-based material. Earthy female vocals are the
backbone of many songs - Woody Guthrie's Pastures Of Plenty/ Go Down
Old Hannah, the call and response Ada and the title track. And
Matthews' percussion seasons most tracks without being too
"ethnic". It all inspires good listening. (MB)
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| MARY MCCASLIN
& JIM RINGER |
Philo 1055 |
The Bramble & The Rose |
● CD $15.98 |
Reissue of excellent 1978 album by distinctive duo. A fine
mix of traditional songs (Oh Death/ Canaan's Land), old country
favorites (I Don't Believe Youve Met My Baby/ Rank Stranger) and
more contemporary compositions (Geronimo's Cadillac/ Stages Of My Life/
Strawberry Roan, etc) and even a very effective folk-country version
of Ray Charles' Hit The Road Jack.
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| MARY MCCASLIN |
Bear Family BCD 16232 |
Rain - The Early Recordings |
● CD $21.98 |
The earliest recordings of this fine folk performer recorded
for Capitol between 1967 and 1968 and mostly previously unissued. She does
songs by Leonard Cohen, Lennon & McCartney, Hoyt Axton, Bert Jansch
and others.
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| MARY MCCASLIN |
Philo 1149 |
Things We Said Today - Best Of Mary McCaslin |
● CD $15.98 |
18 tracks, 62 min., essential. This is absolutely
mesmerizing. Culled from four past Philo albums, these songs reveal
McCaslin as an incomparable writer and interpreter of the pure American
folk song. No tricks, no glitter here. Just exquisitely recorded songs
that can stop you dead in your tracks to simply listen and remember. In
her gentle hands, the Lennon-McCartney title track becomes utterly
American, spun slightly to reveal emotional depth even the Beatles missed.
Her high, crystal-clear voice is never hurried here. The 18 songs flow one
into the next with the power and assurance of a river. Ten of the songs
are originals and many, like Old Friends, are classics. She even
shares the spotlight once with Jim Ringer on The Bramble and the Rose.
The whole is poignant and moving. (DC)
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| MARY MCCASLIN |
Philo 1160 |
Broken Promises |
● CD $15.98 |
13 tracks, 40 min., recommended This set of mostly
self-penned numbers dealing with disappointments in life and love is
McCaslin's first new issue in several years and should be welcomed by
those who value an experienced lyrical perspective. The whole program is
evocative and effective, but I particularly like the title tune, Once
Again/ The Old Days, her plaintive reading of the Beatles' Help/ If
I Don't Miss You, and the country fiddle-backed Too Late to Pray.
A weary and wise program on the whole, good listening for those of us who,
like the artist here, have reached our middle years. (DH)
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| ED MCCURDY |
Tradition TCD 1025 |
Cowboy Songs |
● CD $11.98 |
13 tracks, 40 min., recommended What makes this collection
so interesting and satisfying, at least to me, is that McGurdy sings these
cowboy songs with none of the trappings of commercial country music.
Instead it's just his voice and guitar, accompanied intermittently by Erik
Darling's banjo. Featured numbers include When the Work's All Done This
Fall, Jack O'Diamonds, Utah Carroll, Red River Valley,
Along Side of the Santa Fe Trail, Poor Lonesome Cowboy, and The
Texas Song. The digital reissue of the identically titled LP from the
early 60's, featuring a folklorist's approach to early 20th Century music.
(DH)
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| JOHN MCCUTCHEON |
Rounder 0192 |
Winter Solstice |
● CD $15.98 |
Hammer dulcimer music for Christmas, Chanukah, and the New
Year's season featuring Trapezoid & members of the Washington Bach
Consort.
|
| JOHN MCCUTCHEON |
Rounder 0216 |
Step By Step |
● CD $15.98 |
This album is a multifaceted crystal. The dulcimer sparkles
in this as a mid-summer's sun on a mountain stream. The backup, alone, in
this album is a who's who of creative contemporary folk music. There is
Paul Van Arsdale on hammer dulcimer, Grey Larsen and Malcolm Dalgish,
Trapezoid, Metamora, Ralph Gordon, Walt Michael, and many others. Each
selection is a gem of a different hue and texture, each placed expertly in
its own setting. O'Carolan has never lived as well as in two selections on
this album. The old United Mine Workers' Step By Step sounds as if
it had just been born. And on and on. Phrases like "tour de
force" come to mind while trying to describe this album. But it is
meant to be heard and not just discussed. Get it! (DB)
|
| JOHN MCCUTCHEON
& SI KAHN |
Rounder 4017 |
Signs Of The Times |
● CD $15.98 |
This is a topical album borne of love. John & Si clearly
love what they are doing, they do it well and mean what they say. Their
clear and strong voices melt and dovetail as they sing of the `signs of
the times'. It is in an ancient tradition of minstrelsy that these two
perform. There is a line from Joe Hill to Woody Guthrie to Pete Seeger
(who John sometimes resembles) to Si Kahn and John McCutcheon. They are
sincere but not preachy. There is no "line". They are bitingly
funny as in Government On Horseback and One Thin Swimsuit
and are fine as in No Mas, No More . The music and the lyrics (most
of which they have written) blend beautifully. They can sing, they can
play and they are true poets and folk artists (DB)
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| JOHN MCCUTCHEON |
Rounder 8016 |
Mail Myself To You |
● CD $15.98 |
John's second album of children's songs for Rounder - with
assorted musicians and singers.
|
| JOHN MCCUTCHEON |
Rounder 8036 |
John McCutcheon's Four Seasons : Summersongs |
● CD $15.98 |
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|
| KATE & ANNA
MCGARRIGLE |
Hannibal HNCD 1394 |
Matapedia |
● CD $15.98 |
10 tracks, 44 mins., recommended Enter the world of the
McGarrigles... a singular dreamscape of personal revelation and
multi-layered memory. Kate and Anna can be disconcerting with the
unguarded quality of their writing, cutting so close to the heart, and
this CD features some of their best writing in years. If you've already
heard Emmylou Harris' take on Goin' Back to Harlan, Anna's personal
reading will reveal a different kind of melancholy. But there's plenty of
the sparkle of hope and love here, too. Talk About It is a
crackling paean to foreplay. And my favorite track, Hang Out Your
Heart, pulses with an incredible underlying groove, structured like
one of Richard Thompson's best. The rich arrangements suit the moods well.
The whole CD can take you to wondrous, distant places. My advice is: go.
(DC)
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| KATE & ANNA
MCGARRIGLE |
Hannibal 1405 |
Love Over & Over |
● CD $15.98 |
CD issue of their 1982 LP with two bonus tracks.
|
| KATE & ANNA
MCGARRIGLE |
Private Music 2070 |
Heartbeats Accelerating |
● CD $12.98 |
At their best - as on their early Warner Bros. LP's - the
McGarrigles have always been capable of breaking hearts with just their
high, quavering voices. Few others are as adept at turning a simple rhyme
into a thing of beauty, a casual observation into profundity. And while
not every song here is as brilliant as Heart Like A Wheel, their
songwriting skill still shines on the somber I Eat Dinner/ I'm Losing
You and especially Love Is. As usual the topic of choice is
love of one kind or another. The two songs by Philippe Tatartcheff are
pleasant but overwritten asides on an otherwise exceptional effort.
Recommended. (JC)
|
| METAMORA |
Sugar Hill 1134 |
The Great Road |
● CD $15.98 |
Metamora are Malcolm Daglish, Grey Larsen & Pete
Sutherland.
|
| WALT MICHAEL &
COMPANY |
Flying Fish 70480 |
Step Stone |
● CD $15.98 |
Eclectic group of songs and tunes from sources as diverse as
Bill Monroe, Utah Phillips and traditional (Step Stone, Final
March, Chinqui Pin Hunting, Joe, Dubuque, Pretty
Little Indian, a.o.) Michael plays guitar, mandolin, and a lot of
hammered dulcimer. He's accompanied by Mark Murphy on bass, Frank Orsini
on fiddle, and John Kirk on several instruments. This is a spirited old
time album by this young upstate New York band. I particularly enjoyed
Utah Phillips' cowboy song, The Goodnight-Loving Trail, and
Monroe's Ashland Breakdown. (RP)
|
| DALE MILLER |
Kicking Mule 3904 |
Fingerpicking Rags & Other Delights |
● CD $15.98 |
|
DALE MILLER: Air On A G String/ Amtrak Shuffle/ Bicycle Built For
Two/sidewalks Of New York/ Birth Of The Blues/ Blue Prelude/ Boys From
Blue Hill/ Chattanooga Choo Choo/ Cheap Wine/ Fleabites/ God Bless The
Child/ Hey Jude/ Inflation Blues/ Little Fugue/ Nice Work (if You Can Get
It)/ Shelley's Swing/ Son Of Diddie/ Stagger Lee/ Sweet Georgia Brown/
Take It On The Run/ The Pitschel Players Theme/ Too Tite Rag
|
| JULIE MILLER |
Hightone 8103 |
Broken Things |
● CD $13.98 |
12 tracks, 48 mins, highly recommended I wasn't too
impressed with Julie's debut album "Blue Pony" but this new one
is a knockout. She's an eccentric but very effective vocalist and is
joined by husband Buddy who harmonizes on a number of tracks as well as
guest vocalists like Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Victoria Williams and
others. The songs, all but one Julie Miller originals, are powerful
evocations of emotional and topical landscapes that are enhanced by the
beautiful melodies Julie has created. The arrangements range from acoustic
to country rock at the forefront of which is Buddy's superb acoustic and
electric guitar work and solid accompaniments from a variety of backing
musicians. The one non-original is a American traditional song Two
Soldiers given a spell binding arrangement that echoes what Fairport
Convention and Steeleye Span did with English traditional songs - I'd love
to hear Julie & Buddy do a whole album of traditional songs. Several
of Julie's originals like Orphan Train and All My Tears have
a strong traditional feel to them. At times this album brings to mind the
heyday of Richard & Linda Thompon - dig Buddy's intro to Out In The
Rain! (FS)
|
| BILL MORRISSEY |
Philo 1145 |
Inside |
● CD $15.98 |
Bill Morrissey's gravelly/ twangy New Englandy voice is an
instrument all its own. But he has a hard time fitting into this
"produced" mix. His best songs are ballads of the road, trains,
or rivers, and that holds true here on Man From Out Of Town/ Rite Of
Spring/ Casey, Illinois and the trad Hang Me, Oh Hang Me in
duet with Greg Brown. Bill's strange voice is so well-suited to tales of
dislocation and loneliness - these other love song/ folk songs aren't
quite his niche. 12 cuts with Suzanne Vega, Ron Levy and many more. (KP)
|
| GEOFF MULDAUR |
Hightone 8097 |
The Secret Handshake |
● CD $15.98 |
The reissue of the Harry Smith Anthology of Folk Music has
brought a few of the 60s folkies out of hiding. Geoff, probably best known
as ex-member of the Jim Kweskin Jug Band, Paul Butterfield's Better Days,
& Maria's ex-husband, has re-emerged with this fine CD of mostly old
blues & folk numbers, with the history of each song told by L.A.blues
expert Mary Katherine Aldin. Subtitled "American Music: Blues &
Gospel", Geoff's joined by a bunch of old friends including Dave
Grisman, Amos Garrett, fiddler Richard Greene, tuba master Howard Johnson,
ex-Tower Of Power saxist Lenny Pickett. My fave is the combining of the
old blues standard (Gonna Buy You A) Chevrolet (earlier done by
Geoff with Kweskin) done as a fife & drum based tune, combined with
Don Pullen's post-Mingus classic Big Alice (which had previously
been recorded by both Greene & Johnson!) Also includes beautiful
versions of Alberta/ Wild Ox Moan/ This World Is Not My Home. (GM)
|
| GEOFF MULDAUR |
Hightone 8125 |
Password |
● CD $15.98 |
Geoff's newest includes a couple of originals along with
songs from the repertoire of Sleepy John Estes, The Two Gospel Keys, Blind
Willie Johnson, Eric Von Schmidt and others. Includes various guest
musicians and vocalists including Dave Alvin, Richard Greene, Kate &
Anna McGarrigle, Van Dyke Parks and others.
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