Mary Flower & Leon Cotter – Chants of Rain This interesting album opens with the kind of melody the late Leon Redbone would gladly play. It’s an instrumental “Mary’s Rag,” with the acoustic guitar fingerpicking clarity of Portland’s Mary Flower against the warm notes of Leon Cotter’s clarinet. Benny Goodman & Artie Shaw would be […]
Gary Stewart – One Track Mind These are archival recordings of the late Kentucky son Gary Stewart (1944-2003), mostly pre-RCA & basically demos, & home studio work tapes. They’re unpolished, narrative-oriented songs with blemishes intact. It’ll appeal to the Gary Stewart fan base & completists & be a curiosity to listeners who appreciate the legendary […]
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The Binoculars – Double Whammy Strange. It starts with the classic Anton Karas melody “Third Man Theme” – from the motion picture “The Third Man” & a hit for Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass in the ’60s & revised nicely as an interlude during The Band’s “Last Waltz” concert. But here, a bright fiddle, […]
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Backline Turning New Ground This project is a bluegrass with lots of rural spirit in its mountain music jubilance. While the majority is upbeat, it’s not fiery but accomplished as it warms up to the occasion. Wonderfully skillful performances in the tradition of The Cox Family & some Alison Krauss. The showcase opens with 3 […]
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Aaron Nathans & Michael G. Ronstadt Esperanza This is the acoustic progressive folk duo’s 5th LP & it’s quite an ambitious effort. Not that their previous albums weren’t interesting, but their partnership seems to develop & rejuvenate with clarity & precision through each succeeding collection. Invariably cool performances, self-assured & confident. There are 10 well-sculpted […]
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Glenn Morrow’s Cry For Help – Our Final Album Vol. 1 The band is in its 12th year & has quite a history, but I picked up Glenn Morrow decades ago when I picked up his 1986 band Rage To Live’s self-titled album. In all honesty, I got it for a few dollars at the […]
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Doug Duffey and Badd – Souvenirs This gets off to an easily digested bluesy start with a jazz undertow, ebullient & cool. Doug Duffey has a smooth delivery bluesy voice similar to the voices that came through the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. “Broken Heart & Empty Hand” has a succinct quality. Recorded with a sonorously […]
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Lara Downes & Friends – Hold These Truths This showcase begins pensively with a short piano piece, “Welcome,” & like several of the 21 cuts on this album, it’s precise & brief. The compositions vary from works written by Oscar Peterson, Willie Nelson, Charles Ives, Stephen Foster, Leonard Bernstein & Aaron Copland. It’s quite a […]
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Tipps and Obermiller – Little-Kid Heart Story songs & narratives can be the best types of songs. And Tipps & Obermiller are good storytellers. There’s a beginning, a middle & an end. Descriptive words & many places a singer can take you. “Apartment 303” opens this new album & it has a clever melody sung […]
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Molly Paddock – Before We Let The World In Peculiar voice but sufficiently charming. A bit like the late Nanci Griffith, but South Carolina’s Molly Paddock isn’t country-oriented. Her music, not her voice, has shades of Kate Bush, a pinch of Rickie Lee Jones & lots of style in between, despite the spare showcase. Her […]
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