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RT @markoconnor35 Mark O'Connor's "You Must Hear This" segment will air tomorrow, July 3rd, on NPR's "All Things Considered." - less than a minute ago
New CDs Levon Helm, Moby, Brad Paisley, Wilco, Leslie Mendelson, Matt Duke, Richard Thompson, the Builders & the Butchers, Away We Go sndtrk - 2 days ago
Pete Seeger’s 90th Birthday Celebration from Madison Square Garden: airing on PBS' Great Performances this summer: http://tinyurl.com/m6okx6 - 2 days ago
There is a reason why banjoist Alison Brown's music has joined space shuttle crews four times now. Her compositions are full of the technical wizardry that scientists crave, while simultaneously being full of joy. Astronauts are humans too, and who wouldn't want to wake up to such positive melodies? Mission Specialist John Grunsfeld actually took the CD with him so he could have the first listen in space. That in itself is interesting as most astronauts take i-pods. Though it would be fun to look down on Earth while listening to Alison's quintet, you don't have to. The music alone will take you on a wild ride.
Husband, bassist, and Compass Records co-founder Garry West backs Alison on her 10th release. Pianist John R. Burr is back trading breaks with Brown, but a more recent member is mandolinist, fiddler, and percussion master Joe Craven. Not only does the band now offer another soloist, with Joe, it offers three! To maintain variety, some tunes are bluegrass based, one sounds Caribbean, and another hints of the Irish. All of them are jazzy, acoustic, and joyful.
The album's title is from Don Quixote: "Tell me the company you keep and I'll tell you what you are." Alison didn't realize it when she chose the name that there was a double meaning. Though she is the star, her bandmates are equal to the task, inspiring each other and her to deeper levels. Secondly, the company she keeps is Compass Records.
Her label is in its fifteenth year, thriving by focusing on independent music with top releases only boasting sales of a few thousand units. That may not sound like much, but others in the music business are involved with closures, mergers, and sales that are down. Alison Brown's music and her label are up. (JB)
Ashleigh Flynn flew under our radar for much longer than she should have. It wasn't until she opened for Todd Snider did we see that she could command attention from listeners unfamiliar with her. She sold 45 albums at intermission during the concert we attended.
Flynn hails from the banks of the Ohio River and has been playing out for over 10 years, travelling throughout the country. Her voice is gruff but sensitive and the heartfelt truth behind her lyrics is constantly compelling.
Flynn isn't afraid to wear her feelings on her sleeve. In "The Seventh Sea", she unapologetically leaves behind others and finds solace in herself. She passionately sings of the displaced people of New Orleans in the title track "American Dream", and brings the listener to Kentucky coal country in "Hazard County". Throughout the album, listener's are shown a myriad of emotions and tense situations from Flynn. But despite the serious nature of many of the songs, it's difficult not to smile and sing along. (DH)
Most of us take a little bit of time off during the summer for vacation - usually to get away from the stress of our work and just relax. Bela Fleck, for the first time in about 15 years took some time off in the early months of 2005. His mission was not to rest and relax, but to go to Africa and study the origins of the banjo - filming a documentary of his travels and recording the music he made with the continent's aboriginal musicians.
At the last moment, Sony, who was footing the bill for this endeavor, backed out. Bela Fleck soon found himself as the financier of a major multimedia project. However, Fleck still followed through and completed both the album and the documentary entitled Throw Down Your Heart.
All the tracks feature amazing African musicians doing traditional music. Fleck brings the banjo back to its African roots and plays alongside these prodigies, careful to let their talents shine while he moves out of the spotlight. Every song was recorded in Africa with the exception of "Thula Mama," recorded when Fleck unexpectedly ran into Vusi Mahlasela in Boulder, Colorado.
Fleck just finished touring with Toumani Diabate, Vusi Mahlasela, Anania Ngoglia & D'Gary - all of whom are on the album, and will be doing many more appearances with Toumani Diabate and Oumou Sangare in the coming months. (DH)
Harvey Reid burst on the scene over 20 years ago by winning national championships on multiple instruments. Few have done that other than Mark O'Connor. Neither are in competitions any more. Both are too busy creating. This is Harvey's 21st recording, his first solo album since the 2003 autoharp release. On "Blues and Branches" Reid plays 11 different guitars, 6 string banjo, and autoharp. (He doesn't need a band!)
Joyce Anderson does make two cameos, one if which is an old spiritual "Let your Light Shine On Me." They trade off singing verses because they both love the song, and their harmonies are close and pure. A wise sage once wrote: Those who sing together stay together. (They are married.) There is reference to a lighthouse in the song, which is special for them since they see one daily where they live in Maine.
The albums highlight song is Harvey's original "From Where I Stand." This heartfelt editorial is a revelation about mankind's only hope for survival. You'll have to listen to discover his answer which may seem simple at first, but if it were, this song wouldn't be necessary. Other highlights are Harvey's commentary on Hollywood and hearing him play and sing the blues on autoharp. What a hoot. Harvey Reid is the perfect example as to how an independent musician can survive. He plays 20 instruments. He writes, sings, and arranges. He has his own label, newsletter, and was one of the first to embrace the internet years back. Today he has a musical partner and is the father of two. Since little Otto is now playing, perhaps a family band is in the future. Why not? (JB)
FolkAlley.com expands its geographical presence with the addition of KUT's Matt Reilly from Austin, TX, to its team of music hosts. Since September 2003, Folk Alley has brought the best of traditional folk, Americana, singer/songwriter, bluegrass, Celtic, world and acoustic instrumental music styles to an international audience - listeners tremendously excited to finally find "their" music available 24 hours a day on the Internet.
Reilly, a Texas native, began his radio career in Austin, TX, working for KGSR, one of the country's most respected Triple A stations. He also spent time in front of the camera as a VJ on Austin Music Network, a local music video channel. In 2004, Reilly moved to Philadelphia to work for WXPN, a national vanguard in Triple A music. While there, he served as the station's Assistant Music Director and hosted the shows Jamnation, The New Music Show and The Indie Rock Hit Parade. Reilly and his wife, Jennifer, returned to Austin in July 2008 to be closer to family and enjoy the balmy Texas winters. He is currently a member of the music department at KUT, a recognized leader in eclectic music.
Matt joins fellow DJs Jim Blum, Elena See, Barb Heller and Gene Shay as part of an all-star team of public radio hosts. He will be heard in the stream daily from midnight to 5 a.m. ET (GMT -4), the slot recently vacated by Jeff St, Clair, WKSU's new morning host.
The Greencards - "Fascination"
Great Lake Swimmers - "Lost Channels"
Sara Watkins - "Sara Watkins"
The Indigo Girls - "Poseidon and the Bitter Bug"
Wheeler Street - "Roodumdah"
David Wilcox - "Open Hand"
Richard Shindell - "Not Far Now"
Danny Schmidt - "Instead the Forest Rose to Sing"
Beoga - "The Incident"
Bela Fleck - "Africa Sessions"
Steep Canyon Rangers - "Lovin' Pretty Women"
Clarence Bucaro - "Till Spring"
Diana Jones - "Better Times Will Come"
Vienna Teng - "Inland Territory"
Ramblin' Jack Elliott - "A Stranger Here"
Bearfoot - "Doors and Windows"
Ellis Paul - "A Summer Night in Georgia"
April Verch - "Steal the Blue"
Various - "A Tribute to Utah Phillips - Singing Through the Hard Times"
Le Vent du Nord - "Mesdames et Messieurs!"
Nancy Wallace - "Old Stories"
Various - "Dark Was the Night" (a benefit for the Red Hot Organization)
The Flatlanders - "Hills and Valleys"
Brian Herbert & Friends - "Any Time at All"
Ashleigh Flynn - "American Dream"
Jeremy Garrett - "I Am a Stranger"
Jesse Winchester - "Love Filling Station"
Folk Alley Celebrates Pete Seeger's 90th Birthday with a Special Side Stream
May 1, 2009
In honor of Pete Seeger's 90th birthday (May 3rd), Folk Alley has put together a 5 hour side stream of memorable Seeger classics covered by artists like Tom Paxton, Bruce Cockburn, Janis Ian, Bruce Springsteen, Natalie Merchant, Greg Brown, and, of course, the iconic troubadour himself.
Judy Collins is best known as a singer and a song interpreter of sorts. Some of her most well-known songs were not her own, and many of the well-crafted songs she has written may not get too much attention because of the amount of covers she has performed. Luckily, some high-profile artists who have been influenced by Judy Collins' music came together to record some of her original works.
Born to the Breed has musical legends on every track including Leonard
Cohen, Dolly Parton, Joan Baez, Rufus Wainwright, Kenny White, Chrissie Hynde, Bernadette Peters and Jimmy Webb. Two of the highlights include Jim Lauderdale's version of "Easy Times", which is likely much more country than Collins ever expected it to be, and Shawn Colvin's take on "Secret Gardens"--a retrospective written by Collins after driving past her grandparent's home after they had passed.
Despite the tiredness of the 'tribute album' genre, it seems like all these artist definitely belong as each track has something unique to offer. Another appeal is that a portion of the album's earnings goes to the Jazz Foundation of America, which provides emergency aid for uninsured musicians and may be most noted for its help of jazz
musicians after Hurricane Katrina.
Justin Townes Earle has had a lot to live up to right from the beginning. With his first release, skeptics were curious if Earle could live up to his father, Steve Earle's talent. Justin surpassed anyone's expectation with a captivating live show and non-stop touring. Whereas only a year ago, critics held Justin up to his father's standards, he now has to live up to his own.
Midnight at the Movies offers heart-felt ballads like "Someday I'll be Forgiven for This", but the majority of these songs are much more fast-paced and driven than his earlier works (Yuma and The Good Life). Throughout the entire album, Earle works some impressive finger picking, which is often times the musical driving force in his songs. Accompanying Earle's guitar and vocals is a proficient band of relative unknowns including multi-talented right-hand-man Cory Younts.
Alongside his guitar proficiency, we hear the tactfully emotional lyrics we have known Earle for in his earlier recordings. However, for the first time, we hear reference to his family in "Mama's Eyes", a realistic and sincere dedication to his parents. When Earle performed this piece at last year's Kent State Folk Festival, he prefaced the song by saying that his parents hadn't heard it and that "one parent would be truly proud and the other would be relatively indifferent."-- a great example of Earle's frank sense of humor.
Many actors have branched out in recent years to record the music that they love. Often, many are better at their first craft (Billy Bob Thornton). A rare exception is Steve Martin, who is just as talented a banjo player as a comedian and actor.
Martin's The Crow is the product of 45 years of closet banjo playing and Tony Trischka's urging. The title track of which was performed on Trischka's album Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular and ended up being Steve Martin's first hit single since his farcical "King Tut" in 1978.The difference is that now Martin is very serious.
There's nothing to laugh about on The Crow. Martin was once quoted as saying that you can never play a sad song on the banjo. In the album's liner notes, Martin retracted that statement saying that the banjo had the capacity for some very mournful and lonesome songs. He goes on to give a brief history of his time with the banjo and it becomes very obvious through listening to the album and reading about its contents that Martin has a deep friendship with the instrument.
The Crow is filled with many stars of bluegrass and country including Vince Gill, Tim O'Brien, Tony Trischka, and Earl Scruggs; but they are not the stars. The focus every song is definitely the banjo and the album its self is almost a "Thank You" note to the banjo for everything it has given the grateful Martin.
Abigail Washburn's soulful singing has been one of the signature sounds of Uncle Earl since she joined in May 2003. Recently signed to Nettwerk Records as a solo recording artist, her album Song of the Traveling Daughter was released in August, 2005. The album features original songs in English and Mandarin Chinese, which she speaks. 
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