Tag Archives: Americana music

Jenny Scheinman’s All Species Parade

The last time I caught up with composer and violinist extraordinaire Jenny Scheinman she’d just released her 2017 album Here On Earth. Whereas that stellar release was best described as jazz flavored Americana, Scheinman’s latest All Species Parade is the … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Jenny Scheinman’s All Species Parade

Odetta’s Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues

Odetta is one of the key figures in the American and worldwide folk music revival of the 1950s, and along with Pete Seeger and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott one of the few still around and performing today. This glorious re-release of … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Odetta’s Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues

John Prine’s Fair & Square

“That’s golden!” John Prine exclaims, after the last strains of a guitar chord fade away on the last (bonus) track on his latest album, Fair & Square. Those two words sum up the whole album. Prine is an absolute treasure … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on John Prine’s Fair & Square

John Stewart’s Havana

John Stewart was an early member of the Kingston Trio, replacing Dave Guard in 1961. He wrote one of the Monkees’ greatest hits (“Daydream Believer”). He inspired Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac to play guitar. Buckingham paid him back for … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on John Stewart’s Havana

Various artists’ Six Strings North Of The Border, Volume 1

Judith Gennett wrote this review. Six Strings North Of The Border is an instrumental collection of tunes from Canadian guitarists. Often record companies compile showcases of their own artist, but some of the guitarists here record via Borealis and some … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Various artists’ Six Strings North Of The Border, Volume 1

Patrick McGinley & Family Style’s Patrick, Family & Friends; Bob Neuwirth’s Havana Midnight; and Graham Parker’s Deepcut to Nowhere

Rebecca Swain wrote this review. McGinley’s in Italy with the blues guys, Neuwirth’s in Cuba with the classical musicians, and Parker is, apparently, just in a tizzy. Here’s the scoop. On Patrick McGinley’s enjoyable live (or at least partly live) … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Patrick McGinley & Family Style’s Patrick, Family & Friends; Bob Neuwirth’s Havana Midnight; and Graham Parker’s Deepcut to Nowhere

Mimi & Richard Fariña’s Pack Up Your Sorrows: Best of the Vanguard Years

Brendan Foreman wrote this review. Richard Fariña is one of America’s least known superstars. Although he was only in his early twenties, by the early ’60s Fariña was already a veteran of both the Irish uprisings of the ’50s (he … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Mimi & Richard Fariña’s Pack Up Your Sorrows: Best of the Vanguard Years

Stephen Stills’s Turnin’ Back the Pages

Stephen Stills peaked early. There were the Au Go Go Singers and The Continentals, but his first successful band was Buffalo Springfield. What talent was joined together for that little group of rock’n’rollers! Wacko guitarist-songwriter-humanitarian-toy-train-magnate Neil Young! Richie Furay of … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Stephen Stills’s Turnin’ Back the Pages

Melissa Carper’s Borned In Ya

Melissa Carper gives a graduate level seminar in classic country music style on her third solo release Borned In Ya. Carper is the real thing when it comes to Americana music, as I’ve been preaching since covering her previous albums … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Melissa Carper’s Borned In Ya

Jake Xerxes Fussell’s When I’m Called

I could make this entire review about one single song on Jake Xerxes Fussell’s fifth album When I’m Called. His treatment of the song “Cuckoo!” perfectly encapsulates the way song-gatherer Fussell creates his art. It started out as a “lieder” … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Jake Xerxes Fussell’s When I’m Called