Hurricane Warning

Almost a half-century into his career. BOBBY 'HURRICANE' SPENCER delivers big-time on 'HURRICANE UNLEASHED,' singing some hard-luck blues but also revealing himself as a true romantic, in spite of heartbreak.
by David McGee
 

 
 

On the Spiritual Cost of Leaving

Produced by LORRAINE JORDAN, North Carolina's THE GENTLEMEN OF BLUEGRASS make a thorough examination of the physical and metaphysical cost of leaving on their debut album.
by David McGee
 

 

 

Traveling Upwards to That Glorious Place

DOYLE LAWSON & QUICKSILVER rejoice all the way through BURDEN BEARER, bluegrass gospel delivered with conviction and authority, with and without instruments.
by David McGee
 

 
 

No Goofy Exercise

TONY WRAY & TIM CROUCH are back, delightfully so, with A DREAM IS A WISH: A SPECIAL ACOUSTIC TRIBUTE TO THE MAGIC KINGDOM.
by David McGee
 

 

 

The Perfect ‘Storm’

One of our great contemporary gospel singers has returned from a four-year recording hiatus with her strongest album yet. 'Til The Storm Passes By captures the versatile Lynda Randle at her testifying best on a powerhouse colle...
by David McGee
 

 
 

Hope, Redemption and a Sky Big as God

Having conquered his demons, MIKE ZITO explains how it all happened and what brought him back from the abyss on his powerful new album, GONE TO TEXAS
by David McGee
 

 

 

Très engagé E una gioia di vivere (or, You Go, Girl)

Exploring the vagaries of love in French and Italian songs, CATARINA ZAPPONI delivers a seductive gem on ROMANTICA, her first album since 2001 and well worth the wait.
by David McGee
 

 
 

Oceanic Swells of Feeling and Musicality

On COUCHVILLE SESSIONS, DARRELL SCOTT'S 'patient, perfectionism and passion' come together in 'ocean swells of feeling and musicality,' says our DERK RICHARDSON.
by David McGee
 

 

 

Orpheus, Don’t Look Back

GRAYSON CAPPS's Scarlett Roses is an epic vision of life, love and struggle in the here and now. It is some kind of masterpiece.
by David McGee
 

 
 

Familiar, Fresh & True to the Human Experience

On a most impressive debut, JOHNNY & THE MONGRELS leap immediately into the front ranks of chicken-fried southern soul and swamp-rock on CREOLE SKIES.
by David McGee
 

 

 

Wonders Never Cease

KENTUCKY FOR ME, bluegrass icon DALE ANN BRADLEY's new long player, may be a star-studded affair,but it's all Dale Ann's show. And it may be her best.
by David McGee
 

 
 

The (Eastern) Beat Goes On

Across the Middle East and North Africa, the beat goes on. This scene shines on Putumayo’s Arabic Beat, a collection that chronicles the musical creativity of Arabic musicians today. The album revels in artists rarely heard i...
by David McGee