Category Archives: Music

The Chieftains featuring Ry Cooder’s San Patricio

The Chieftains! One of the best bands in the world! They can play anything! They’ve recorded with The Rolling Stones, Marianne Faithfull, James Galway, Sting, Sinead O’Connor, Linda Ronstadt, Diana Krall, Elvis Costello, Los Lobos, Chet Atkins. They made a … Continue reading

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Vesna Pisarović’s Poravna

Croatian singer Vesna Pisarović has come a long way since her song “Everything I Want” placed 11th in the Eurovision Song Contest 2002. She still sings pop music in concert, and the music on her nine pop albums has been … Continue reading

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Geir Sundstøl’s Sakte Film

Geir Sundstøl’s recordings have always had a cinematic quality about them. His 2025 offering Sakte Film (Slow Motion Film) pushes that envelope even further, as explicitly stated in the title. The Norwegian musician and composer here stretches his already multicolored … Continue reading

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Michael Bayley Hughes and Bob Hewitt’s Strat Masters: The Definitive History Of The World’s Most Famous Guitar

In recent months I have seen some excellent films. But, not features. No… the lowly documentary film has roared back with a vengeance. The House That Ahmet Built (about Ahmet Ertegun & Atlantic Records,) Life Through A Lens (the story … Continue reading

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Simon Linnert Trio’s Sayeh, Joe Magnarelli’s Concord, and Tony Miceli’s Nico’s Dream

I’m getting so much enjoyment out of this record. Part of it is that I’m going through a piano trio phase, but it’s also just an excellent album. Danish former piano prodigy Linnert turns in his first trio recording with … Continue reading

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Kyler’s A Flower Grows in Stone

Jason Erik Lundberg wrote this review. Kyler England’s newest album is a thing of beauty. Her previous album and EP dealt with the death of her mother from cancer, and of trying to comprehend how and why this could happen. … Continue reading

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Lady Godiva’s Whisky You’re the Devil, Tales of Kings and Boozers, and Red Letter Day

Patrick O’Donnell wrote this review. You’ve got to hand it to Lady Godiva, a “Celtic punk” group out of Sauerland, Germany. In the “unlikely” category they’ve taken the prize, hands-down. Who would’ve thought the Pogues would inspire a bunch of … Continue reading

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René Lacaille’s Mapou

Faith J. Cormier wrote this review. There must be something about the music of former French colonies. I was astounded by how much René Lacaille’s music from the Indian Ocean island of La Réunion sounds like Acadian music from the … Continue reading

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Various artists’ The Rose & The Briar

This recording is a collection of American ballads, and a strange and wondrous thing it is. The CD accompanies a hefty book of essays, articles, letters and even a classic comic strip about the American ballad, edited by Sean Wilentz … Continue reading

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Phil Haynes’s Return To Electric, and Transition(s)

Phil Haynes, a drummer and composer who was born in Oregon, seems to be on my wavelength in 2025. Though he’s always been forward looking, lately he’s also found himself revisiting his past, particularly working with electric guitarists in the … Continue reading

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