Category Archives: Music

3hattrio’s Dark Desert Night

I’m a huge fan of southern Utah, home of Zion, Arches, Canyonlands and Bryce national parks. And I’m a newly minted fan of this outfit called 3hattrio, which is based in the Zion area and makes music that matches the … Continue reading

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Peter Cooper’s Depot Light, Songs of Eric Taylor

“Please listen,” Peter Cooper writes at the end of the liner notes to this fine album, his fourth solo release. That might be a pitiful, needy whine if he were begging you to listen to his own songs. But he’s … Continue reading

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Ben Hunter and Joe Seamons’ Take Yo Time

Ben Hunter and Joe Seamons are a roots music duo based in the Pacific Northwest. In 2014 they were part of the backing band for Dom Flemons, founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, on his debut solo album Prospect … Continue reading

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Balkan Clarinet Summit’s Many Languages, One Soul

If you at all like instrumental music from southeastern Europe, if you enjoy the sound and versatility of the clarinet, or if you just like wildly eclectic international music – personally, all three describe me – then this Balkan Clarinet … Continue reading

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Fairport Convention’s Myths And Heroes

Having lived with ‘Myths And Heroes’ for a few days before reviewing, in order to gather various ideas about it, there are a couple of things I think need to be said at the outset. First, the title track – … Continue reading

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Various artists’ Nordic Roots 1-3

There’s a pleasing dissonance in Nordic traditions, often a restraint that hints of something without ever going there, that’s found much more in Nordic music than is often the case with music from the Irish and Celtic traditions. Listening to … Continue reading

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Terry Adams’s Talk Thelonious

I’ve been a casual fan of NRBQ since about 1992, when I happened to see them when Richard Thompson opened for them. I remember three things about them: 1) Their guitarist Al Anderson was fantastic. 2) Their pianist Terry Anderson … Continue reading

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Harry Long’s The Waltons Guide to Irish Music

The subtitle of Harry Long’s The Waltons Guide to Irish Music is ‘A Comprehensive A-Z Guide to Irish and Celtic Music in All Its Forms’ and for once this is an accurate statement. It is indeed an indispensable guide to … Continue reading

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…And Maddy Dances

Warning, up front, in advance: if you’re expecting a scholarly historical restrospective of Steeleye Span, you’re doomed to disappointment. (You also don’t know me very well, but that’s a different issue.) I’ve been a fan of theirs for over three … Continue reading

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Your Guitarist May Vary – Mine’s Pete Townshend

A long time ago (when I was younger than my daughter is now), a World Famous Guitarist Who Shall Remain Nameless rather coyly asked me who I thought the best guitarist in rock and roll was. If he was hoping … Continue reading

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