Category Archives: Music

Stick In The Wheel’s From Here

If I had known earlier about From Here, Stick in the Wheel’s debut full-length release, it probably would have earned a spot on my 2015 Top 10 list. As it is, it’s still one of my favorite albums from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Stick In The Wheel’s From Here

Dear Richard, Please Will You Play…? Three shows, three settings, one happy woman

Saturday night in Saratoga, California and for the third time in as many months, I’m gearing up to let an evening of music make me very, very happy. ​The Carriage House, at the Montalvo Arts Centre, is a lovely little … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Dear Richard, Please Will You Play…? Three shows, three settings, one happy woman

Barrule’s Manannan’s Cloak

The Isle of Man is a small island in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland, with a lot of history and an ancient Celtic culture. Barrule is a trio that is celebrating that culture and bring the island’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Barrule’s Manannan’s Cloak

Down For The Ride: 45 Years of The New Riders Of The Purple Sage

“Ladies and gentlemen, the greatest alt-country rock band in the universe…” It’s Halloween, 2015, and I’m perched on the back of the soft bench running along the wall of the Sweetwater Music Hall, in Mill Valley, California. Mark Topazio, affectionately … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Down For The Ride: 45 Years of The New Riders Of The Purple Sage

What’s New for the 20th of December: Winter Holiday food and drink, a dreydl tale, Debussy’s ‘War Carol’, Kage Baker and Christmas, an egg nog recipe, a Solstice story, an offbeat Christmas film, Steeleye Span & Pratchett, Christmas Revels, music by Loreena McKennitt and much more!

It was Christmas and Kinlocochbervie had a festive atmosphere about it. Decorations and fir trees decked out with tinsel stood in windows, lighting the dull afternoon with flashes of cheerful Technicolor brilliance, and the door to the Compass was adorned … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Commentary, Film, Food and Drink, Music, Stories | Comments Off on What’s New for the 20th of December: Winter Holiday food and drink, a dreydl tale, Debussy’s ‘War Carol’, Kage Baker and Christmas, an egg nog recipe, a Solstice story, an offbeat Christmas film, Steeleye Span & Pratchett, Christmas Revels, music by Loreena McKennitt and much more!

Triakel’s Vintervisor

Originally intended as a Christmas CD, Triakel’s second release developed a broader theme while the trio was in the studio — winter. And not just any winter, a Swedish winter. This beautiful follow-up to 1998’s eponymous Triakel celebrates not just Yuletide, … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Triakel’s Vintervisor

Ben E. King’s The Complete ATCO/Atlantic Singles Vol. 1—1960-1966 (2-CD Set)

The release of this comprehensive set of Ben E. King’s complete ATCO/Atlantic singles was, sadly, well-timed. King, who died in April 2015, was one of the great soul singers of his generation. This is the first of two planned sets, … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Ben E. King’s The Complete ATCO/Atlantic Singles Vol. 1—1960-1966 (2-CD Set)

Grex Vocalis’ Magnum Mysterium

Magnum Mysterium is a collection of choral music around the celebration of the birth of Christ — the Magnum Mysterium that has provided such a rich heritage for Christmas celebrations. Although Grex Vocalis is a Norwegian group, the disc also … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Grex Vocalis’ Magnum Mysterium

Vince Guaraldi Trio’s A Boy Named Charlie Brown

A half-century ago, the Los Angeles-based jazz label Fantasy released an album that was essentially the soundtrack to a film that was never shown. It came out in a beautiful, full-color, double-gatefold jacket and included lots of additional color artwork … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Vince Guaraldi Trio’s A Boy Named Charlie Brown

Jenna Moynihan’s Woven

If you like Scottish-style fiddling, Jenna Moynihan’s Woven ought to be on your list of top releases of 2015. This young American fiddler has made an album of traditional and trad-style contemporary fiddle tunes that is bursting with contained energy … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Jenna Moynihan’s Woven