james armstrong guitar

The Angels Listened In

It's been a long, hard climb back to the active list for JAMES ARMSTRONG following a 1996 home invasion that left him without the use of his left arm. But back he has come, all the way, with GUITAR ANGELS, a blues triumph throu...
by David McGee
 

 
 
mark maggie spotlight small

It Starts With The Heart

Another triumph for MARK O'CONNOR, but this time he's sharing the spotlight with his ferociously talented new bride, MAGGIE O'CONNOR, on DUO.
by David McGee
 

 

 
carol robbins taylor

On The Street Where She Lived

Continuing to advance the art of jazz harp and her own compositional skills, CAROL ROBBINS is joined by Billy Childs' Jazz Chamber Ensemble and others on nine cool new tunes on TAYLOR STREET.
by David McGee
 

 
 
duke robillard ear worms

On a Higher Plane

With songs by Dylan, Chuck Berry, Arthur Alexander, Goffin-King, Ronnie Self, Allen Toussaint and others, THE DUKE ROBILLARD BAND's EAR WORMS seeks, and attains, transcendence.
by David McGee
 

 

 
mcartney111

The Mad Scientist Deep in Experimentation

'Good, not great,' says our DHRISTOPHER WALSH in in his deep dive into Sir Paul McCartney's McCARTNEY III, adding: '...it shows an artist still reaching, ideas still flowing.'
by David McGee
 

 
 
bill evans company

A Hoot For The Age

The hootenanny lives! Banjo master/educator Bill Evans’s In Good Company has that feel of an informal gathering of musicians playing exactly what they want to play, complementing each other to a T and having a great time doin...
by David McGee
 

 

 
024

Talking Turkey and Radiating on the 88s

Mitch Woods and the Rocket 88s got the crowds in Turkey all shook up on the Efes Blues Festival tour in October 2010. A new CD/DVD set preserves a record of the boogie woogie flu and rockin' pneumonia the fellows infected the c...
by David McGee
 

 
 
cristina braga samba

‘The One Who Sings Sends His Sorrows Away’

Content meets form in a most unforgettable and humanistic way, on Samba, Jazz and Love, the latest Stateside release from Brazil's formidable CRISTINA BRAGA
by David McGee
 

 

 
martina mcbride classic christmas

A Christmas Dialogue Continues

Consider Classic as the next installment of Martina McBride’s ongoing dialogue with Christmas, and a fairly scintillating one at that. It earns its title.
by David McGee
 

 
 
bucky three

A Classic Blend, Thus a Classic

Now 87, BUCKY PIZZARELLI gives a vintage performance in tanden with his guitarist son JOHN PIZZARELLI and his frequent six-string collaborator ED LAUB on THREE FOR ALL
by David McGee
 

 

 
newport featured

Newport Folk Festival Goes Roots-y (But Hasn’t It Always Been So?)

A surprise set by JAMES TAYLOR was the highlight of highlights at this year's NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL. Our man on the scene, IRA MAYER, a festival veteran, reflects on the lineup's not-so-folky flavor.
by David McGee
 

 
 
roger mcguinn spotlight

The Deep Roots Elite Half-Hundred of 2018, Pt. 1

Part 1 of the Deep Roots Elie-Half Hundred of 2018 features ROGER MCGUINN, MELODY GARDOT, RORY BLOCK, RODNEY CROWELL, et al.
by David McGee