Tag Archives: folk music

Alex Sturbaum’s Slash

In an email conversation I had with Alex Sturbaum (they/them) after they contacted me about reviewing this album, one of my comments was something on the order of “this is an incredibly generous album.” And I didn’t just mean the … Continue reading

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Various artists’ Traditional Fiddle Music of the Ozarks, Volume One: Along the Eastern Crescent

Fiddle music was once endemic to nearly every region of North America, including Mexico and certainly Canada. Most regions developed their own peculiar styles – the best known include southern Louisiana (Cajun), Texas, Appalachia, New England, and Cape Breton Island … Continue reading

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Various artists’ The Fiddle Collection (Volume One)

Richard Barnes wrote this review. If you only buy one more CD this year (unlikely, I know!) and you love the sound of the fiddle, then this should be the one you choose. It’s been a labour of love for … Continue reading

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Erlend Apneseth’s Nova

I’m usually not a huge fan of strictly solo instrumental albums, but I can easily overlook that rule of thumb for Erlend Apneseth’s Nova. It’s hard to overstate just how much I enjoy this record. Some of that is simply … Continue reading

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Päivi Hirvonen’s Kallio

Kallio is the second solo album from Päivi Hirvonen, a Finnish folk singer and fiddler, but it scans like the work of a mature artist who knows where she’s going and what she’s doing. To be fair, Hirvonen has been … Continue reading

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Christy Moore’s Whatever Tickles Your Fancy and Christy Moore

John Benninghouse wrote this review. Christy Moore is an icon of Irish folk music. Growing up in the 1950s, he was surrounded by the music of his homeland, including such legends as the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. After moving … Continue reading

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Christy Moore’s This Is the Day

There are some singers who stay in your heart forever. To me Christy Moore is one of these chosen few. He was there in the legendary Planxty, he was the voice on the first Moving Hearts album, one of the … Continue reading

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Christy Moore’s Live in Dublin 2006 (double CD and DVD)

I write this as Europe prepares for two nights of the Eurovision Song Contest, in which each country submits a song, often performed by a starry-eyed youngster, who does his or her best to cover his or her roots, singing … Continue reading

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Kevin Courrier’s Trout Mask Replica, and Sean Nelson’s Court and Spark

We have reviewed other books in the fascinating series called 33 1/3. It’s an incredible conceit. Give an author carte blanche to write about a favourite album, in any way they want. Recall Allan Moore’s didactic treatise on Jethro Tull’s … Continue reading

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Various artists’ Folk and World Music Galore Vol 1

Over the past couple of years I’ve greatly enjoyed reviewing a number of offerings from the German family of labels Nordic Notes and CPL-Music. Their releases cover a much greater variety than I am capable of covering (or even aware … Continue reading

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