Category Archives: Music

Katayoun Goudarzi and Shujaat Husain Khan’s This Pale

All of the projects by Iranian-American vocalist Katayoun Goudarzi and Indian composer and sitarist Shujaat Husain Khan are emotionally engaging in their own ways. But their 2021 recording This Pale is especially moving. Goudarzi specializes in singing and reciting the … Continue reading

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Helen Sung’s Quartet+

Houston native Helen Sung has released six previous albums as leader, and the pianist also has appeard as guest on releases by Terri Lyne Carrington, Wynton Marsalis, Clark Terry and Louie Bellson, among others. This, her seventh leader date, is … Continue reading

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Devin Hoff’s Voices From the Empty Moor (Songs of Anne Briggs)

I only know a little about Anne Briggs, which means I know a lot more about her than most people. I’m a fan sort of around the edges of British folk music, which in my case means I know some … Continue reading

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Asleep at the Wheel’s Half A Hundred Years

Not many bands make it to 50 years (we won’t get into the Rolling Stones, those great outliers). That’s what the Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel has achieved as of 2021, so of course they made a record … Continue reading

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André Ferrari and Olov Johansson’s In Beat Ween Rhythm

Olov Johansson and André Ferrari have performed and recorded together many times over the years, mostly as members of the Swedish folk band Väsen. For much of its existence since 1989 Väsen consisted of Johansson on nyckelharpa, Mikael Marin on … Continue reading

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The Felice Brothers’ From Dreams To Dust

On my first spin through The Felice Brothers’ new album From Dreams To Dust I found my new favorite song of 2021. The second track “To-Do List” is a rootsy, rocking romp through existential angst disguised as a humorous list … Continue reading

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Various artists’ Folk Music of China, Vol. 16 – Folk Songs of the Dong, Gelao & Yao Peoples

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this installment of Naxos World’s ambitious series on the folk songs of China is stunning. Anyone who likes multipart ensemble singing with intricate, close harmonies will find this disc absolutely indispensable. … Continue reading

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Matthew Fowler’s The Grief We Gave Our Mother

Matthew Fowler’s The Grief We Gave Our Mother is a lesson in how arrangement and production can turn a collection of good songs into something more. Along the way a collection of confessional songs that started out as bare-bones acoustic … Continue reading

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The Beths’ Auckland, New Zealand, 2020

So, rock and roll. Two guitars, bass and drums. Loud, messy and emotional. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I still need it. And who better right now to provide the catharsis of rock and roll than Auckland, New … Continue reading

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Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra’s Tinctures in Time (Community Music, Vol. 1)

Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra is a modern big band featuring lots of horns including Bernstein’s slide trumpet, trombone, up to three saxophones, violin, guitar, bass, drums and the occasional guest vocalist. This orchestra has carved out its niche doing … Continue reading

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