Category Archives: Music

Popcorn Behavior’s Hot Contra Dance Tunes, Journeywork and Strangest Dream

Naomi de Bruyn wrote this review. It is rather disconcerting at first to listen to this group. The music is impeccable and surpasses much of what I have heard in my life. This in itself is not all that remarkable. However, … Continue reading

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Jay Ungar and Molly Mason’s Relax Your Mind

Jay Ungar and Molly Mason are best known for their waltz, “The Ashokan Farewell,” which became the centerpiece tune of the Ken Burns/PBS documentary about the American Civil War. They’re more than a one-trick pony, though, as they demonstrate on Relax … Continue reading

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Jay Ungar and Molly Mason’s Harvest Home: Music For All Seasons 

Brendan Foreman wrote this review. Most famous for their sparse yet sublime fiddle tune “Ashokan Farewell,” the eventual theme to Ken Burns’ Civil War series, Jay Ungar and Molly Mason are seasoned veterans of the old-time circuit. Besides being excellent musicians (Ungar … Continue reading

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Wolfkings’ Freeze-Die-Come To Life

The music of the Wolfkings belies their name, if you equate wolves with something wild and muscular. The San Francisco-based ensemble fronted by singer-songwriter Michael Talbott makes gentle chamber-folk-pop in the confessional vein of Bright Eyes, Elliott Smith, Nick Drake, et al. … Continue reading

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Robin Laing’s Whisky for Breakfast

For those listeners who are already fans of Scotch whisky, the album is a pleasant musical tour. Whisky for Breakfast is an amiable album, not to be taken too seriously, about the pleasures of life as seen through the lens … Continue reading

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Robin Laing’s The Water Of Life

Judith Gennett wrote this review. “Robin is sometimes to be found on the Tasting Panel of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. It’s a difficult job, but someone has to do it!”— Robin Laing’s The Water Of Life Laing’s set-list includes a few … Continue reading

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Ralph Alessi’s Quiver

Quiver is New York trumpeter Ralph Alessi’s second outing as a leader for the ECM label, following his highly successful 2013 title Baida. His quartet here keeps the same rhythm section, bassist Drew Gress and drummer Nasheet Waits, both of … Continue reading

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Robin Huw Bowen’s Hunting the Hedgehog: The Gypsy Harp of Wales

 Patrick O’Donnell wrote this review. There’s good reason harps have long been associated with heavenly visions, fairies and all things sweet and light. Their gentle sound is hard to describe in any terms but “angelic,” and the music they produce is … Continue reading

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Crasdant in concert

Crasdant plays music to warm your heart and tells tales to tickle your funnybone. This Welsh band played on a wet windy night that, they said, reminded them of home. The two sets of instrumental music for flute, harp, fiddle, and … Continue reading

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 Llio Rhydderch’s Telyn 

Fans of Robin Huw Bowen and the Welsh triple-harp tradition should check out Llio Rhydderch, who studied and toured with the fabled Nansi Richards. For the uninitiated, an explanation is in order. The Welsh have a drastically different style of … Continue reading

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