The Essex of Nantucket Last week was the 161st anniversary of the publication of Herman Melville‘s The Whale, or, Moby Dick. The novel was a critical and commercial failure at first. It essentially ended Melville’s career as a novelist, but it … Continue reading →
ORPHEUS SUPERTONES Going To Town Mudthumper 0022 www.mudthumper.com The old-time music revival is in its seventh decade. In that time we have encountered revivalist bands that kept to the tradition, multidimensional outfits that … Continue reading →
AKIRA OTSUKA First Tear Patuxent 231 www.pxrec.com www.akiraotsuka.com American Bluegrass fans first became aware of mandolinist Akira Otsuka as a member of the groundbreaking Japanese band Bluegrass 45. Since those days he has been a … Continue reading →
BETH McKEE Next To Nowhere Swamp Girl 2 www.bethmckee.com Mississippi native and former member of the New Orleans-based band Evangeline, singer-songwriter (and occasional keyboardist)Beth McKee’s latest album follows I’m That Way, her critically heralded … Continue reading →
For the fourth time this week we embark on an exploration of the ballad “Young Emily” – Laws M34 or Roud #182 – and in Appalachia today we’ll finish our trek. We introduced the ballad with Natalie Merchant singing an … Continue reading →
GUY DAVIS The Adventures Of Fishy Waters: In Bed With The Blues Smokeydoke www.guydavis.com This “audio play” project marks the disc debut of a one-man production that singer-songwriter Guy Davis has performed on and off … Continue reading →
PHIL PASSEN Tramp, Tramp, Tramp Philbar Music 20111 www.philpassen.com There have been a great number of recordings focusing on the Civil War in this year which marks the beginning of the sesquicentennial. This … Continue reading →
For our third post on “Young Emily” this week, we’ll travel to Northern Ireland and the banks of Lough Neagh, and there find it called “Young Edmund in the Lowlands Low.” For the history of the ballad and an introduction … Continue reading →
INGA JUUSO/HARALD SKULLERUD Juusk Talik 04 www.talik.no Joiking is the singing of the Sami people, songs that describe places, animals, people, even plants. It’s impressionistic, and raw as the music of a nomadic … Continue reading →
Our first post this week introduced the murder ballad “Young Emily”. 19th century English folk knew it as “Young Edwin in the Lowlands Low”. Eventually it acquired many other names – all cataloged commonly today as both Laws M34 and Roud 182. … Continue reading →
