A New Opera for the 21st Century Canon, By Way of Willa Cather

WILLA CATHER'S short story 'Paul's Place' has been transformed into an opera event by GREGORY SPEARKS and KATHRYN WALAT. Our JOSPEH NEWSOME ranks it 'amongst the finest recorded opera performances of the 21st Century.'
by David McGee
 

 
 

She’ll Take You There

RORY BLOCK returns in celebration of "power women of song" on AIN'T NOBODY WORRIED--a thoroughly captivating outpouring of signature songs by female artists from the '60s through the '80sl
by David McGee
 

 

 

Breathe Deep The Intoxicating Fragrance

Being unfamiliar with the first two self-released albums by the duo known as The Bergamot (native Indianans Jillian Speece of South Bend and Nathan Hoff of Michigan City), I will happily admit to being bowled over by everything...
by David McGee
 

 
 

All In a Day’s Blues

An alum of the late, great Calvin Owens's Blues Orchestra, guitarist CHARLES 'CD' DAVIS has a winner in his solo debut, 24 HOUR BLUES, featuring some Orchestra vets and four outstanding vocalists playing up a blues storm.
by David McGee
 

 

 

The Masters Weigh In

Bluegrass masters DOYLE LAWSON (& Quicksilver) and PETER ROWAN pick it clean, pick it true and demonstrate why the traditional never goes out of style.
by David McGee
 

 
 

Christmas Beyond the Blue

BLUES, BLUES CHRISTMAS VOLUME 3 leads this revised and updated review of four essential blues Christmas albums, including last year's DEATH MIGHT BE YOUR SANTA CLAUS
by David McGee
 

 

 

The Title Tells the Tale

ROB STONE is back with his fourth album as a bandleader. GOTTA KEEP ROLLIN' is, says our ERIC STEINER, an album 'fans of post-war Chicago blues will want on their CD shelves.'
by David McGee
 

 
 

Like the Music, He Lives On

JEFF HEALEY, a remarkable artist by any measure, exercised his passion for vintage jazz and swing in his latter years and made memorable music. A new retrospective offers a stirring overview of some peak moments.
by David McGee
 

 

 

In Heavy Rotation: A Bucketful of Blues

A bucketful of new blues rounded up here: reviews of fine new CDs, from THE NIGHTHAWKS, JAY WILLIE &: JAMES MONTGOMERY, ANTHONY GERACI, SWINGADELIC and DAVE STRYKER & BOB MINTZER & THE WDR BIG BAND
by David McGee