On September 23, the folk music community lost one of its guiding lights with the passing of Jerry Epstein. To sum up all the contributions and inspiration this man provided is an impossible task. Labels of folklorist, singer, arranger, conductor, … Continue reading →
“At first I suspected something” Tucked in between covers of Bruce Springsteen’s “Johnny 99” and Norman Blake’s “Billy Gray” on Mark Erelli and Jeffrey Foucault’s excellent murder ballad compilation, Seven Curses, is the short, mysterious “Tom Merritt.” It is a song of … Continue reading →
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/224907734″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] This week’s duet is a first-time collaboration between Mark Pierce of North East England and Californian Aimee Oliver. Mark is a folk hobbyist with a keen ear for American old-time and British … Continue reading →
There is a long standing tradition of family performers in folk music. Many of the classic old-time country bands such as the Carter Family were comprised of family members. Many traditional musicians learned by osmosis through attending dances and being … Continue reading →
The ballad “Sir Patrick Spens” is one of the oldest ballads in western Europe. It tells the story of a king who seeks the best and most experienced sailor in his kingdom for a dangerous and certainly life threatening journey. … Continue reading →
THE RAILSPLITTERS The Faster it Goes Self www.therailsplitters.com The Railsplitters is a bluegrass band made up of three women and two men, and this is their debut album. The men, banjo player Dusty Rider … Continue reading →
STEEP CANYON RANGERS RADIO Rounder 11661 www.rounder.com Radio is Chapel Hill, North Carolina’s Steep Canyon Rangers’ ninth studio album and fourth release for Rounder Records – including a couple with actor/comedian and banjo playing … Continue reading →
VISHTÈN Terra Rouge Plages 05L www.vishten.net If you’ve been to Prince Edward Island or the Magdalen Islands, it makes sense that a band from the former would pay homage to the distinctive red sandstone … Continue reading →
PHIL JAMISON Hoedowns, Reels and Frolics:Roots and Branches of Southern Appalachian Dance University of Illinois Press www.press.uillinois.edu Alex Ross wrote recently in the New Yorker that “when classical-music fans hear that a new Hollywood production … Continue reading →
DAVE ELLIS With Any Luck But Bad Little Village Foundation www.littlevillagefoundation.com There’s a quiet authenticity to California-horse-country-bred Ellis’ relaxed, no-frills delivery of songs of the cowboy life. Almost anyone – a kid, a Hollywood … Continue reading →
