habib1 880x385 1397484934

‘It’s Where Your Life Makes Sense’

On his new solo album, Soo, HABIB KOITE goes home to Mali and draws together all the strands of his life--music, friends, countrymen. 'It's where your life makes sense,' says Habib.
by David McGee
 

 
 
carlene carter carter girl 260x152 1396628417

Circling Back

CARLENE CARTER's new album 'Carter Girl,' a tribute to the musical heritage of her fabled family, is a triumph, says contributing editor MICHAEL SIGMAN. 'I wanted listeners to feel like they're on a journey,' says Carlene.
by David McGee
 

 

 
sibelius akatemian fbb

‘Unprecedented, Powerful, Contagious’

Joyous, uplifting, even challenging in its own way, FBB by the SIBELIUS-AKATEMIAN FOLK BIG BAND takes the concept of David Bromberg's folk band a step further and delivers one of 2014's unexpected delights.
by David McGee
 

 
 
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
 

 

 
rhonda vincent only me 260x152 1394672838

Rhonda’s Revenge

Though she says it was inspired by George Jones, Rhonda Vincent's ONLY ME, a double-CD release containing one side of country and one of bluegrass, has n other message to send. Call it Rhonda's Revenge.
by David McGee
 

 
 
mother cecilia benedictines 880x385 1394068808

‘There Is a Great Desire in All Souls for What Is Good and Beautiful’

The BENEDICTINES OF MARY, QUEEN OF APOSTLES are back with another moving seasonal epistle to follow last year's chart busting Angels and Saints. LENT AT EPHESUS, the sisters' new album, is a true sacred masterpiece.
by David McGee
 

 

 
honey dont heart1 260x152 1393945668

Do Right Woman, Do Right Man

No longer incommunicado, BILL POWERS and SHELLEY GRAY are back with some friends as HONEY DON'T. The group's second album, HEART LIKE A WHEEL, is a solid advance over the group's 2009 self-titled debut.
by David McGee
 

 
 
donna ulisse featured

The Poetry, and The Poet, Within

One of the finest bluegrass singer-songwriters extant, DONNA ULISSE pays homage to the artists that inspired her on SHOWIN' MY ROOTS.
by David McGee
 

 

 
mary j blige christmas featured

Very Mary Indeed

Unquestionably the top new Christmas release of 2013, A MARY CHRISTMAS, the DAVID FOSTER-produced holiday long player from MARY J. BLIGE, is an instant soul Christmas classic.
by David McGee
 

 
 
a0413901948 2

The Game of Love

BEFORE THE WORLD WAS MADE Brennen Leigh & Noel McKay B&N In a world festering with male-female duos, Austin’s Brennen Leigh & Noel McKay have some clear advantages over the competition. For starters, their dress i...
by David McGee
 

 

 
emerald rae fly 260x152 1384400131

And Lo, She Flies

Violinist, guitarist and master of the cwrth, EMERALD RAE emerges as a serious singer-songwriter on IF ONLY I COULD FLY.
by David McGee
 

 
 
autumn in augusta songs

And A Proud Mama She Would Be

AUTUMN IN AUGUSTA, the blues-jazz-folk combo led by the wondrous LUCY SMITH, has a winner in SONGS MY MAMA WOULD LIKE. It's Ms. Smith's tribute to the music her mother loved. Mama, Ms. Smith writes, 'had awesome taste.' We agree.
by David McGee