sean shibe bach 1

Fashioning a More Thoughtful World

Scottish classical guitarist SEAN SHIBE, playing with lovely clarity and thoughtfulness, adds his own innate sense of the elegant to a trio of BACH lute compositions he has seamlessly transposed to his own instrument.
by David McGee
 

 
 
rory block featured

‘I Just Can’t Let Us Forget’

Continuing her 'lifetime retrospective' project, RORY BLOCK pays glorious tribute to some outstanding female blues artists of yore, some undeservedly obscure..but no longer so.
by David McGee
 

 

 
bill curreri hard road

Believe

Being about the moment and the moment far ahead, BILL CURRERI's HARD ROAD HOME sends a message of buoyant self-realization at a time when it's most needed.
by David McGee
 

 
 
junior load wagon

In Praise of the Torch Holder

In his second solo outing, JUNIOR SISK honors Polonius's advice: "To thine own self be true." In doing so, he creates a traditional bluegrass gem in LOAD THE WAGON.
by David McGee
 

 

 
po ramblin toil

Going to the Head of the Traditional Class

Staunch traditionalist with a honky-tonk bent, the PO' RAMBLIN' BOYS are set to go to the head of the traditionalist class with their Rounder debut, TOILS, TEARS AND TROUBLE
by David McGee
 

 
 
albert cummings believe featured

The Cummings Imperative

The first outstanding blues album of 2020 comes in the form of ALBERT CUMMINGS's BELIEVE, a tour de force of expressive, soulful vocalizing and guitar mastery of a higher order.
by David McGee
 

 

 
pauls case featured

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
 

 
 
Tanya Tucker via YouTube

The Deep Roots Elite Half-Hundred of 2019

Albums of the Year are not the only game in town. Here are 50 long players that made 2019 special for us.
by David McGee
 

 

 
keb mo featured

Rise Above, Find More Peace, Make More Love

KEB' MO' delivers the finest Christmas album of the 2019 season in MOONLIGHT, MISTLETOE & YOU. Highlights include a duet with MELISSA MANCHESTER on 'I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.'
by David McGee
 

 
 
ian sylvia lost

In Heavy Rotation

Reviews of new CDs by IAN & SYLVIA, GLENNA BELL, ANDY STATMAN, EBONY HILLBILLIES, MARLEY'S GHOST, BLUE HIGHWAY, REBECCA DUMAINE and the DAVE MILLER COMBO and the VILLALOBOS BROTHERS
by David McGee
 

 

 
work to do cover

The Cleansing Moment(s)

MARC COHN & BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA walk the road to salvation, and take us with them, on the JOHN LEVENTHAL-produced gem, WORK TO DO, one of 2019's finest albums
by David McGee
 

 
 
marty brown american

We’re Gonna Make It After All

MARTY BROWN emerges boldly and brilliantly on his first new studio album in 25 years, AMERICAN HIGHWAY, aided and abetted by the sure-handed production and musicality of JON TIVEN
by David McGee