Billy Strings - Highway Prayers

Reprise Records – 093624849438

Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition
Country: United States
Released: Sep 27, 2024
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
A1 Leaning On A Travelin' Song (3:58)
A2 In The Clear (2:57)
A3 Escanaba (4:34)
A4 Gild The Lily (5:06)
A5 Seven Weeks In County (4:16)
B1 Stratosphere Blues / I Believe In You (5:51)
B2 Cabin Song (3:15)
B3 Don't Be Calling Me (3:15)
B4 Malfunction Junction (4:52)
C1 Catch And Release (2:14)
C2 Be Your Man (4:01)
C3 Gone A Long Time (3:02)
C4 It Ain't Before (3:46)
C5 My Alice (4:06)
D1 Seney Stretch (4:34)
D2 MORBUD4ME (2:55)
D3 Leadfoot (2:46)
D4 Happy Hollow (2:46)
D5 The Beginning Of The End (3:57)
D6 Richard Petty (1:57)
[Credits]
Billy Strings (guitar/percussion/vocals) Billy Failing (banjo/vocals) Victor Furtado (banjo) Jarrod Walker (mandolin/mandocello/vocals) Jerry Douglas (dpbro) Lindsay Lou (vocals) Alex Hargreaves (fiddle/mandolin) Jason Carter (fiddle) Peter "Madcat" Ruth (harmonica/jew's harp) Royal Masat (bass/vocals) Cory Henry (piano) Matt Chamberlain (drums) Jon Brion (percussion)
Producer: Billy Strings, Jon Brion and Brandon Bell, Photographer: Dana Trippe, Designer: Bill Orner, Engineer: Brandon Bell, Gary Paczosa, Greg Koller, Chaz Sexton, Jason Tobias, Joe Caldwell, Sklyer Chuckry, Patricia Sullivan, Greg Koller
[Notes]
Highway Prayers, the major-label studio debut from Billy Strings, is a coming out party for the bluegrass wunderkind. Not that Strings necessarily needs an introduction. Over years of touring punctuated by a handful of acclaimed records on the legendary Americana imprint Rounder, the Michigan native has developed a quicksilver style that has earned him widespread appeal and industry recognition: Home, his second record, won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album in 2021, right around the time his fleet flat-picking found an enthusiastic reception among jam band freaks. Without ever abandoning his roots in traditional bluegrass, Strings ventured into other musical styles, demonstrating his facility with rock, metal, and blues, sounding equally at ease with bluegrass legends Béla Fleck and David Grisman as he is with rapper Post Malone or jam titans Phish.

My Epitaph : Ola Belle Reed

Folkways Records – FA 2493

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: United States
Released: 1976
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, & Appalachian Music
[Tracklist]
A1 High on a Mountain (05:30)
A2 I've Endured (05:50)
A3 Sing Me a Song (07:56)
B1 My Epitaph (08:10)
B2 Springtime of Life (06:08)
B3 Fortunes (06:13)
[Credits]
Ola Belle Reed (banjo/vocals)
Producer: Kevin Roth, Recorder: King Street Recording Company, Designer: Ronald Clyne
[Notes]
Banjo player and singer created this album and its accompanying notes as an autobiography, a document that describes her childhood in the mountains, her experiences, and her opinions about modern life. Produced by Kevin Roth, one of Reed's protégés, this recording is based on a live interview conducted in 1976.

Sound, Rhythm, Rhyme & Mime for Children with Bilal Abdurahman

Folkways Records – FC 7540S

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: United States
Released: 1971
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Children's, Spoken, & Educational
[Tracklist
A01 Sounds are all Around Us (03:13)
102 Join the Funny Parade (00:42)
A03 The City Block (00:54)
A04 The Bus (01:29)
A05 The Subway Train (02:39)
A06 The Summer (01:17)
A07 The Journey Through the Forest (02:27)
A08 Saw-a-Rhythm (00:59)
A09 Hammer and Saw (01:27)
A10 Sawyer's March (00:51)
A11 Fan Rythm (01:15)
A12 Fan, Clarinet, Tambourine (01:28)
B01 Pennywhistle, Woodblock Scrapes (03:41)
B02 Witty Ditty and Variations (06:16)
B03 Body Rhythms (02:30)
B04 Typewriter Rhythms (00:23)
B05 Typewriter with Woodblock (00:59)
B06 8 String Harp (Ennaga)
Uganda (03:01)
B07 1 String Ethiopian Viol (01:14)
B08 Bells (00:20)
B09 Rhythm for Mime… (04:00)
[Credits]
Artist & Photographer: Bilal Abdurahman, Photographer: Zenite
[Notes]
This spoken-word and music album was produced by musician/educator Bilal Abdurahman with a fourfold purpose: to encourage children to think and respond more readily to creative play activities through music and body movements; to make children aware of the many interesting sounds in their daily environment; to develop rhythmic coordination and better motor control; and to introduce unfamiliar sounds and musical instruments as a play and learning activity. Abdurahman and his collaborators—including daughters Rahkiah and Zainab— introduce listeners to everyday sounds and rhythms using bells, hammers and saws, electric fans, and typewriters! The liner notes include a transcript of the recording.

Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles

Smithsonian Folkways – SFW CD 40579

Format: CD, Album, digipack
Country: United States
Released: 2018
Genre: Mariachi, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Mariachi, & Latin
[Tracklist
01 El pitayero (The Pitaya Cutter) (03:31)
02 Ingratos ojo míos (My Ungrateful Eyes) (02:06)
03 Popurrí de Chihuahua (Chihuahua Medley) (05:59)
04 Son de la luna (Son of the Moon) (03:00)
05 Te llegará mi olvido (My Oblivion Will Find You) (02:28)
06 Lindo Tlaquepaque (Pretty Tlaquepaque) (03:42)
07 A la luz de los cocuyos (To the Light of the Fireflies) (02:38)
08 Quiéreme mucho (Love Me a Lot) (03:54)
09 Terrequeteque (02:56)
10 Arrepentida (Regretful) (02:34)
11 Popurrí Joan Sebastián (Joan Sebastián Medley) (06:36)
12 Querreque (03:50)
[Credits]
Producer: José Hernández and Daniel E. Sheehy, Editor: Jacob Love, Cover Artwork: Juan Solis, Designer: Rick Rawlins, Photographer: Michael G. Stewart, Engineers: David Santos and Pete Reiniger
[Notes]
Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles profoundly changed the course of women in mariachi history. Since their founding in 1994, the internationally renowned, GRAMMY-nominated, all-female ensemble has had enormous impact as a groundbreaker and role model for women in music. This recording displays the group at its best, playing fresh arrangements of gems from the mariachi legacy to create a sound of their own. 43 minutes, 44-page booklet with bilingual notes. This album is the 48th in the Smithsonian Folkways Tradiciones/Traditions Series of Latino music albums, produced with support from the Smithsonian Latino Center.

Little Folkies: Songs for Fall

Smithsonian Folkways - SFW CD 45091

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: United States
Released: 2024
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, & Children's
[Tracklist
01 Little Grey Squirrel (03:07)
02 See the Little Spider (01:21)
03 Rocketship (01:39)
04 Look at the Colors (02:35)
05 Cooking in the Kitchen (01:39)
06 Sally Go Round the Sun (00:43)
07 Wise Old Owl (04:28)
08 Up and Down (01:00)
09 Clouds Clouds (01:41)
10 Planets (03:09)
11 When We Go Outside (02:55)
12 Listen to the Train (02:38)
13 Come Dance Around (01:35)
14 The Wind Blow East (01:49)
15 There Was a Little Mouse (00:32)
16 Horses in the Stable (02:18)
[Credits]
Little Folkies (guitar/banjo/fiddle/mandolin/rain stick/tambourine/bass/vocals)
Producer & Recorder: Irena Eide, Liner Notes Editor: James Deutsch, Illustrator: Amelia Heron, Designer: Pharis Romero, Mastering Engineer: Dirk Powell, Recorders: Robert Cheek, Jeremy D'Antonio and Mark Allen Piccolo
[Notes]
Little Folkies is a multi-award-winning early childhood folk music program for parents, teachers, and kids ages 0-5. Developed by acclaimed musician and educator Irena Eide, the curriculum features a joyful treasury of original and traditional folk songs to inspire singing and movement. Songs for Fall, the first of four seasonal volumes of music, embodies the season of transition and gathering with playful tunes about animals, the universe, and more. Whether listened to at home, in the classroom, out-of-doors, or on the move, these 16 fun-loving folk songs encourage sharing and discovery, and nurture everyone’s love of music and play.

Jerron Paxton: Things Done Changed

Smithsonian Folkways - SFW CD 40265

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: United States
Released: October 18, 2024
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Blues, & Folk
[Tracklist]
01 Things Done Changed (05:15)
02 Baby Days Blues (03:16)
03 It's All Over Now (02:48)
04 Little Zydeco (02:40)
05 So Much Weed (04:07)
06 What's Gonna Become of Me (03:49)
07 Mississippi Bottom (03:54)
08 Out in This World (04:32)
09 All and All Blues (02:36)
10 Brown Bear Blues (04:05)
11 Oxtail Blues (03:09)
12 Tombstone Disposition (03:43)
[Credits]
Jerron Paxton (guitar/banjo/bones/harmonica/piano/vocals)
Producer & Mixing Engineer: Alex Hal, Liner Notes: Carla Borden, Engineer: Tony Gillis
[Notes]
Growing up in Los Angeles, Jerron Paxton would sit with an ear by the radio, eagerly absorbing the nuances and history of Black American traditional music that connect him to his ancestral roots in the South. A songwriter, inheritor of tradition, and a walking, talking jukebox, Paxton approaches his craft with equal part wit and reverence, with a knack for leg-pulling and cracking wise. Things Done Changed is an album of original songs that sound beamed in from nearly a century ago, when jazz and blues were performed as a means of both personal and cultural survival. Lick by lick, Paxton builds a bridge between generations gone and generations to come, singing the heartaches and joys of the past and present.

CooP - Fast Folk Musical Magazine Vol. 2, No. 3, Humor in Song

Fast Folk Musical Magazine – FFSE203

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: United States
Released: 1983
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Billions of Brain Cells Ago: Left Field (02:47)
A2 Rags or Satin: The Belles of Hoboken (02:25)
A3 Another Rainy Thursday: Rich Nardin (03:09)
A4 Cold Pizza for Breakfast: Christine Lavin and Mark Dann (02:43)
A5 Without You I'd Have Never Known: Gary Robinson and Mark Dann (04:26)
A6 Nursery Rhyme: Dixon Enamel the Camel (05:01)
B1 Johnny Macaroon: David Massengill (03:13)
B2 Freshmen: Willie Nininger, Annie Nininger, Jack Hardy, Mark Dann, and Jeff Hardy (03:04)
B3 Goin'Down at Old Long Beach: Sherwood Ross and Mark Dann (02:50)
B4 Post Orifice: Hollywood Dick Doll Revue (03:15)
B5 It Was One of Those Mornings: Sheldon Biber (02:26)
B6 Herpes: Bob McGrath, Grant Orenstein, and Matt Kendricks (04:25)
[Credits]
Producer: Hardy Hardy, Recorder & Field Worker: Mark Dann
[Notes]
Fast Folk Musical Magazine continued its second year of publication with a collection of another dozen songs. Recorded live and subtitled "Humor in Song," this collection demonstrates that folk songs need not be dark and melancholy. Headlining the performances are Christine Lavin's ode to the virtues of "Cold Pizza for Breakfast"; The Belles of Hoboken's lament of urban living, "Rags or Satin"; and David Nininger's song of high school angst, "Freshmen." The a cappella performance of "Johnny Macaroon" by David Massengill, Bob McGrath's cautionary tale of "Herpes," and Sheldon Biber's poem "It Was One of Those Mornings" are also featured. A copy of The CooP is included with the collection.

Been Riding with Old Mosby

Sung by Frank Bode with Tommy Jarrell and Paul Brown

Folkways Records – FTS 31109

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: United States
Released: 1986
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, & Od Time
[Tracklist]
A1 Susanna Gal (03:00)
A2 Rank Stranger (02:18)
A3 Roving Gambler (01:52)
A4 Sugar Hill (03:45)
A5 Little Maggie (03:38)
A6 Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot? (02:57)
A7 Wild Bill Jones (02:14)
B1 Precious Jewel (02:25)
B2 Piney Woods Gal (01:42)
B3 Brown's Ferry Blues (01:54)
B4 My Home's Across the Blue Ridge Mountains (02:55)
B5 Pretty Polly (03:22)
B6 Sunny Side of the Mountain (02:18)
B7 Tempy (03:46)
[Credits]
Frank Bode (guitar/vocals) Paul Brown (banjo) Tommy Jarrell (fiddle)
Producer: Eric H. Davidson & Ellen Victoria, Designer: Ronald Clyne
[Notes]
Old-time musician Frank Bode sings and plays guitar on this 1984 album of traditional American rural music. He is joined on the recording by banjo picker Paul Brown and legendary fiddler Tommy Jarrell, who sadly passed away just four months later. From murder ballads to songs of moonshiner tales to the blues, this album attests to the richness of a rural tradition passed down from generation to generation. Liner notes include song lyrics and an introduction to each track, including its origins and how it came into the perfomers' lives.

Symbiont: Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin

Smithsonian Folkways - SFW CD 40265

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: United States
Released: September 27, 2024
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, & Electronic
[Tracklist]
01 Prelude; Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin feat. Jeanne Meserve (00:50)
02 What's You Gonna Do When the World's On Fire; Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin (03:12)
03 No Hiding Place; Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin feat. Sidy (03:19)
04 My Way's Cloudy; Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin feat. Joe Rainey (03:20)
05 Mother; Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin (04:28)
06 Stars Beging to Fall; Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin feat. Taylor Ho Bynum (03:45)
07 The Green Road; Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin (02:59)
08 Live Humble; Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin (04:16)
09 In the Garden; Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin (04:18)
10 Come Down Ancients; Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin (02:59)
11 Old Indian Hymn; Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin (03:19)
[Credits]
Producer: Jake Blount & Mali Obomsawin, Liner Notes Editor: Carla Borden, Designer: Caroline Gut, Engineer: Joseph DeJarnette at Sudio 808a & Mike Monseur at Axis Audio
[Notes]
From the first notes of symbiont, the radical new collaborative album and document of Black and Indigenous futurism from Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin, the listener is met with rising tidewaters, massive droughts, and the appearance of an iconoclastic uprising amidst the world’s indifference. Questions of future or present tense swirl around the music as the duo unspools the intertwined threads of racial and climate justice. Amid rumbling synthesizer drones, the thrum of banjo, and the thwack of drum machines, a whisper of truth can be heard: this crisis has been unfolding for centuries.

From the Cold Jaws of Prison

Inmates and Ex-inmates of three prisons - Attica, Rikers Island, and the Tombs

Folkways Records – FH 5403

Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: United States
Released: 1971
Genre: Rock, Jazz, & World
Style: Rock, & Spoken
[Tracklist]
A1 Cathedral (03:09)
A2 The Junkie (02:45)
A3 A Word to the Hip (03:37)
A4 Daddy, Daddy Come Dig Me (06:51)
A5 Lord I Want to Be a Christian (03:22)
B1 An Open Letter (08:04)
B2 I'm a Dreamer (04:10)
B3 Screaming (04:37)
B4 He Arose (03:47)
[Credits]
Producer: Attilio J. Cantore and Soul Rock from the Rock, Inc., Designer: Irwin Rosenhouse
[Notes]
"What you will hear on this recording is a cry of a people for justice and human dignity. You don't know what freedom is unless you've experienced the chains from which to break free." The poems and music presented on this album were written and compiled by African-American inmates and ex-inmates of three prisons in the New York system—Attica, Rikers Island, and the Tombs. Their work speaks not only of the conditions faced in prison but to the broader African American experience outside prison walls where "Down went the junkie with the monkey on his back, the white world laughed because the junkie was Black."

Frank Quinn: If You Are Irish

Pioneer Irish-American Recordings 1923-34

Arhoolie Folklyric – CD 7033

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: United States
Released: 1997
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, World, & Celtic
[Tracklist]
01 If You Are Irish Frank Quinn (03:22)
02 Rafferty's Reel (03:06)
03 Paddy McGinty's Goat (03:16)
04 The Rakes of Drummlish (03:00)
05 Molly in the Woods (03:06)
06 The Tan Yard Side (03:10)
07 The West Port Chorus (03:03)
08 The Shan Van Vough (03:20)
09 Paddy Doyle (03:04)
10 The Leg of the Duck (03:18)
11 Eddie Dunn's Favorite Reel (03:05)
12 Going to the Fair (03:26)
13 Donovan's Reel (03:15)
14 Good Bye Mike, Good Bye Pat (03:04)
15 The Old Tea Kettle (03:06)
16 Green Grow the Rushes Oh (03:23)
17 The Four Courts (03:03)
18 Far Away in Australia (03:12)
19 The Peeler and the Goat (03:06)
20 The New Found Out Reel (03:21)
21 One Night I Came Home To My Kitty (03:23)
22 Jersey Lightning (02:52)
23 The Emerald Medley (03:20)
24 The Bunch of Rushes (03:02)
25 An Irish Farewell (02:50)
[Credits]
Frank Quinn (fiddle/accordion/vocals)
Editor & Liner Notes: Chris Strachwitz, Editor: Robert Kerwin, Cover Artwork: Robert Armstrong, Sound restoration: George Morrow
[Notes]
In 1903, Frank Quinn and his family emigrated from Ireland to New York City. A child at the time, he later became a police officer and was also a popular Irish folk musician and entertainer who sang, lilted, and played fiddle and accordion for Irish and Irish American audiences. He recorded his first songs in 1921 and seems to have ended his recording career in 1936. This collection includes recordings from 1921 to 1934.

Dan + Claudia Zane: Pieces of Home

Smithsonian Folkways - SFW CD 45090

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: United States
Released: August 30, 2024
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, & Children's
[Tracklist]
01 Little Pal of Mine: Dan + Claudia Zanes (03:42)
02 Breathe, I'm Here: Dan + Claudia Zanes (03:13)
03 Fly Like a Raven: Dan + Claudia Zanes featuring Jendog Lonewolf (02:37)
04 Tomorrow's Train: Dan + Claudia Zanes featuring Steve Earle (03:34)
05 A Friend in Springtime: Dan + Claudia Zanes (03:10)
06 Guide My Feet: Dan + Claudia Zanes (03:35)
07 Se On Tifi: Dan + Claudia Zanes (02:43)
08 Nobody Smiles the Way You Do: Dan + Claudia Zanes (02:47)
09 Sweet and Cool: Dan + Claudia Zanes featuring Munit Mesfin (03:07)
10 Walkin' Talkin' Baltimore: Dan + Claudia Zanes featuring Tyree Austin (03:34)
11 Jump-O!: Dan + Claudia Zanes featuring kLefta*maniak (02:28)
12 My God: Dan + Claudia Zanes (02:57)
13 Believe: Dan + Claudia Zanes featuring Father Goose (04:06)
14 Conversations: Dan + Claudia Zanes featuring Eze Jackson (04:01)
15 Cranberry Rock: Dan + Claudia Zanes featuring Ken and Brad Kolodner (01:15)
[Credits]
Dan Zanes (guitar/vocals) Claudia Zanes (vocals)
Producer: Dan Zanes and Claudia Zanes, Liner Notes Editor: Carla Borden, Designer: Visual Dialogue, Engineer: Steve Wright and Tony Eichler
[Notes]
Pieces of Home by Dan + Claudia Zanes is a fresh collection of songs for people of all ages: joyful songs to restore the spirit and uplift the soul. These are old and new tunes, performed by old and new friends, rooted in those crucial American and Haitian folk traditions that call family and neighbors to sing together, dance together, and play together. This album is a front-row ticket to a front porch concert – an invitation to sit and stay for a while. With voices raised in beautiful harmony, Dan and Claudia remind us that with the people we love by our side, we can find home wherever we are.

Tom Waits – Glitter And Doom Live

Anti Records – 87053-2

Format: 2 x CD, Album
Country: United States
Released: 2009
Genre: Blues, Rock, World, & Country
Style: Blues, Rock, & Spoken Word
[Tracklist]
1-01 Lucinda / Ain' Goin' Down To The Wel No Mo' (5:37)
1-02 Singapore (5:00)
1-03 Get Behind The Mule (6:26)
1-04 Fannin Street (4:16)
1-05 Dirt In The Ground (5:18)
1-06 Such A Scream (2:54)
1-07 Live Circus 5:04)
1-08 Goin' Out West (3:48)
1-09 Falling Down (4:21)
1-10 The Part You Throw Away (5:06)
1-11 Trampled Rose (5:06)
1-12 Metropolitan Glide (3:09)
1-13 I'll Shoot The Moon (4:25)
1-14 Green Grass (3:20)
1-15 Make It Rain (3:58)
1-16 Story (2:02)
1-17 Lucky Day (3:47)
2-01 Tom Tales (35:53)
[Credits]
Tom Waits (guitar/piano/vocals) Casey Waits (drums/percussion) Omar Torres (guitar/mandolin) Patrick Warren (chamberlin/mellotron/piano/organ) Seth Ford-Young (bass) Sullivan Waits (clarinet/saxophone) Vincent Henry (guitar/harmonica/saxophone/woodwind)
Producer: Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan, Art Direction: Trevor Hernandez, Photographer: Michael O'Brien, Julianne Deery, Kenny Mathieson, Marcello Villani, Michael T. Regan and Scott Spychalski, Engineer: Gavin Lurssen and Karl Derfler
[Notes]
Tom Waits’ Glitter and Doom Live doesn't fall into the various traps that many other concert recordings do, though it does have its problems. This double-disc set marks his third live effort in his nearly 40-year career, each one summing up his career to the point of its release. The first, Nighthawks at the Diner, issued in 1975 on Asylum, is regarded by many as one of the greatest live albums of all time. Big Time, released during his tenure at Island in 1986, is hotly debated in fan circles. It is likely that Glitter and Doom Live will be too, but for different reasons. The musical performances here were culled from Waits’ historic sold-out tour of the U.S. and Europe. He compiled and sequenced the tracks himself, intending to make them sound like a single show. The material leans, understandably, on his recordings with the Anti label. There are stellar performances here, of "Get Behind the Mule" from The Mule Variations, "Trampled Rose" from Real Gone, and a haunting version of Leadbelly’s "Fannin Street" from Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards, to mention just three of the 17 cuts included on disc one. But he also goes back to his Island albums with a new approach to the material. For instance, there are completely re-visioned readings of "Lucky Day" and "I’ll Shoot the Moon" from 1993’s Black Rider, and a killer -- though equally revamped -- version of "Singapore" from 1985’s Rain Dogs. Musically, the performances are flawless, as is the sound on this set. The killer stage band includes Vincent Henry on woodwinds and harmonica, guitarist Omar Torres, Patrick Warren on piano and keyboards, Casey Waits on drums/percussion, and Seth Ford Young on bass. There is also a guest appearance by Sullivan Waits on sax and clarinet; Tom plays piano and guitar. Waits decided to ax most of the stage banter from disc one. This is problematic because it is as much part and parcel of his show as the music is. Without it, the music as a whole feels more like just a random but solid collection of live tracks, rather than Waits' intended purpose of a single-show experience. The other problem is disc two, a bonus in this deluxe package comprised of a single 35-plus-minute track called "Tom's Tales," which splices stories and dialogue, reminiscences and spontaneous comedy. These routines work brilliantly and seamlessly in the context of his show. If one goes back to Nighthawks at the Diner or Big Time, evidence is ample. Without a song coming after these wildly various ruminations, they feel strangely disembodied and one can only hear it once or twice before the material itself feels old. Conversely, then, the musical disc feels incomplete, too. This one gets its grade strictly on the quality of the music. While the wide-spine digipack is beautiful, the project as a whole falls short, though some hardcore Waits fans will, as is customary, ardently disagree. -- Thom Jurek

The Blues - Music from the Film By Sam Charters

Asch Records – 101

Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: United States
Released: 1967
Genre: Blues, World, & Country
Style: Blues, Soundtracks & Musicals
[Tracklist]
A1 Alone in the Evening Hours: J.D. Short, Memphis Willie B., Willie Borum (02:44)
A2 Slidin' Delta: J.D. Short (04:56)
A3 Old Cotton Fields of Home: Pink Anderson (02:31)
A4 John Henry: Furry Lewis (03:30)
A5 Bad Blues: Baby Tate (03:27)
B1 Sitting Here Thinking: Memphis Willie B., Willie Borum, and Gus Cannon (02:48)
B2 Lonesome Ground: Sleepy John Estes (04:17)
B3 If I Could Holler Like a Mountain Jack: Baby Tate (03:06)
B4 When I First Started Hoboing: Baby Tate (03:23)
B5 Weeping Willow Blues: Pink Anderson (04:51)
[Credits]
Producer: Samuel Charters, Photographer: Ann Charters, Designer: Ronald Clyne
[Notes]
While recording in the South in the early 1960s, producer, writer, and music historian Samuel Charters was inspired not only by the sound of Furry Lewis's guitar, but by the patterns of movement in his hands and fingers as he played. Thus Charters decided to make a film that would document aspects of the blues that couldn’t be put on a phonograph record. In the sweltering summer of 1962, Charters journeyed through St. Louis, Memphis, Louisiana, and South Carolina to shoot the film The Blues and record this soundtrack. Artists featured in addition to Lewis are J.D. Short, Baby Tate, and Sleepy John Estes. Liner notes include details of the making of the film and biographies of the artists.

The Po' Ramblin' Boys: Wanderers Like Me

Smithsonian Folkways - SFW CD 40267

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: United States
Released: August 16, 2024
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklis]
01 Wanderers Like Me (03:09)
02 Lonely Pine (02:55)
03 Clouds in My Mind (03:10)
04 Streets of Chicago (02:40)
05 Trying to Live the Dream (04:09)
06 The Old Santa Fe (04:25)
07 In Remembrance of Me (03:36)
08 The Condition of Samuel Wilder's Will (02:59)
09 I'm Still a Fool for You (03:17)
10 Smoky Mountain Home (03:07)
[Credits]
Josh Rinkel (guitar/vocals) Jereme Brown (banjo/vocals) Laura Orshaw (fiddle/vocals) C.J. Lewandowski (mandolin/vocals) Jasper Lorentzen (bass/vocals)
Producer: Woody Platt, Liner Notes: Carla Borden, Photographer: Michael Weintrob, Designer: Steve Cooley, Recorder: Van Atkins, Mixing Engineer: Gary Paczosa, Mastering Engineer: Paul Blakemore
[Notes]
Beneath the steel strings and steely demeanor exemplifying the spirit of bluegrass lies the heart of a wanderer: the heartbroken rambler looking for the next big break and the next story to tell. The Po' Rambin' Boys' Wanderers Like Me is a quintessential bluegrass record, full of melodies that burst with energy and emotion and music driven by melancholy but refusing to succumb to it. They confront their losses with original songs that resonate poignantly across the hills and hollers where bluegrass was born. For The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys wandering is anything but aimless: they ramble not to escape the past but to experience the future.

The Promised Land: American Indian Songs of Lament and Protest

Originated and performed by Periwinkle

Folkways Records –FHS 37254

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: United States
Released: 1981
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Indigenous, Struggle & Protest
[Tracklist]
A1 Traditional Honoring Song (02:27)
A2 Indian Prayer, An - Lament (03:36)
A3 The Day Columbus Got Lost (01:36)
A4 Song for Sarah (02:00)
A5 Straight Talk (02:43)
A6 For the Children's Sake (03:07)
A7 Proud to Belong to the Indian Nation (02:12)
A8 The People United Can Never Be Defeated (01:25)
B1 Columbus Had Six Sailing Ships (02:25)
B2 Feathers (04:29)
B3 Ode to an Indian Swan (03:41)
B4 No Tippecanoe (02:42)
B5 The Promised Land (04:38)
B6 Traditional 49-er (01:21)
[Credits]
Periwinkle (drums/vocals)
[Notes]
The Promised Land was released during a period when the public became aware of American Indian grievances through a series of protest actions. In 1978, for example, a group of American Indians undertook "The Longest Walk" to educate people about legislation threatening tribal sovereignty and rights; the five-month spiritual walk from California to Washington, D.C., succeeded in garnering wide support―and in blocking the legislation. The opening track honors Walk participants. Other tracks include "The Day Columbus Got Lost" and "Proud to Belong to the Indian Nation." Liner notes provide a background on Native beliefs as well as detailed descriptions of songs, newspaper articles, and quotes from tribal chiefs, Nietzsche, and Bob Dylan.

Ship in the Clouds: Old Time Instrumental Music

Andy Cahan, Laura Fishleder and Lisa Ornstein

Folkways Records – FTS 31062

Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: United States
Released: 1978
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, & Old Time
[Tracklist]
A01 Ship in the Clouds (01:49)
A02 Rolling River (01:52)
A03 Molly Put the Kettle On (02:21)
A04 Liquor Seller (01:41)
A05 Elkhorn Ridge (02:46)
A06 Jimmy Johnson Pass the Jug Around the Hill (02:21)
A07 Tildy Moore (02:11)
A08 Prettiest Girl in the County (02:03)
A09 Great Big Taters in Sandy Land (03:19)
A10 There's a Brown Skin Gal Down the Road Somewheres (02:02)
B01 Coal Creek March (01:54)
B02 Greasy Coat (02:41)
B03 Hellbound For Alabama (02:32)
B04 Sally Ann Johnson (02:51)
B05 Fort Smith (02:04)
B06 Old Mother Lobos (01:55)
B07 Polly Put the Kettle On (01:57)
B08 Silly Bill (02:04)
B09 Lost Indian (02:13)
B10 Big Scioty (02:26)
[Credits]
Laura Fishleder (guitar) Andy Cahan (banjo/vocals) Lisa Ornstein (fiddle)
Producer: Kerry Blech, Notes: Andy Cahan, Engineer: Chuck Ruby, Designer: Ronald Clyne
[Notes]
Musicians Andy Cahan on banjo, Laura Fishleder on guitar, and Lisa Ornstein on fiddle collaborate to offer a fine collection of almost entirely instrumental interpretations of old-time music. The performers present music rooted primarily in rural areas across the United States. One track features vocals: "Elkhorn Ridge," sung by Cahan. Interestingly, in addition to the well-known traditional folk song "Polly Put the Kettle On," a similarly titled track, “Molly Put the Kettle On," is also included. However, as Cahan makes clear in the liner notes, the two songs "have nothing to do with [each other]." The liner notes from this 1978 recording provide brief descriptions of the origins of each of the tracks and short biographies of the three musicians.

Ruth Rubin: Jewish Folk Songs

Musical Settings by Richrd Neumann

Folkways Records – FW 8740

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: United States
Released: 1959
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, & Judaica
[Tracklist]
A1 Gitare / Sheltn, Shelt Ich Dem Tog (03:53)
A2 Papir Iz Doch Vays (02:45)
A3 Fishelech Koyfn (01:42)
A4 Beker Lid (02:32)
A5 Dortn, Dortn Ibern Vasserl (02:38)
A6 Bay Dem Shtetl (01:23)
A7 Ale Vasserlech (02:17)
A8 Tonts, Tonts Antkegn Mir (01:09)
B1 Molad'ti (01:36)
B2 Shir Ha-Hagana (02:55)
B3 Viglid (03:32)
B4 Yafim Halelot (02:24)
B5 Zemer Lach (02:16)
B6 Se Ug'di (00:58)
B7 Zirmu Galim (03:17)
B8 Shir Ha-Avoda (02:24)
[Credits] Ruth Rubin (vocals)
Cover Artwork: Joe Weitz
[Notes]
Ruth Rubin (1906–2000), a preeminent authority on Yiddish folk song, was successful as an author, concert singer, and folk song collector, with four albums in the Folkways catalogue. Although she recorded Hebrew songs also, most often she sang in Yiddish, the primary secular language formerly spoken by the Jews of Eastern Europe. On this recording, she presents a sampling of Yiddish songs as well as songs in Hebrew from early Jewish pioneers in Palestine and the period when the modern State of Israel was being established. Liner notes provide information about each song, as well as the lyrics in Yiddish or Hebrew, with English translation.

Raíces Latinas: Smithsonian Folkways Latino Roots Collection

Smithsonian Folkways – SFW CD 40470

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: United States, & Others
Released: 2002
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, World, & Latin
[Tracklist]
01 Un gigante que despierta (An awakening giant): Luis Enrique Mejía Godoy (04:03)
02 Bailecitos (Little dances): Segundo Castro and His Trovadores de Angaco (03:10)
03 Apágame la vela (Put out my candle): Nicolá Gutierres, Porfirio Rosario Santo Peña (04:47)
04 Brisas del Pamplonita (Breezes of the Pamplonita): Los Gavilanes (02:10)
05 Seis Mapeyé: Cuerdas de Borínquen (06:18)
06 Canção do Orpheo (Song of Orpheus): Luiz Bonfá (02:26)
07 Los arrieros (The muleteers): Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano (04:44)
08 Danza de los Negros (The Dance of the Blacks): Banda "Señor Cautivo" (02:05)
09 Yo canto en el llano (I sing on the plain): Cuarteto Patria y Compay Segundo (05:02)
10 Pipil Polka: Francisco Tepas (01:45)
11 Las naranjas (The oranges): Rolando Alarcón (02:52)
12 Two marimbas playing in front of the church: Two-marimba ensemble of San Mateo Ixtatán (02:18)
13 La sicodélica polka (The pschedelic polka): Ernesto Guerra y su Conjunto (02:43)
14 Adiós, Berejú: Marimba musicians of Buenaventura, Colombia (03:06)
15 Paranaê: Grupo de Capoeira Angola Pelourinho (03:15)
16 El paseadito (The little stroll): Los Reyes de Albuquerque (02:20)
17 La pájara pinta (The spotted bird): Suni Paz (00:55)
18 Corrido de Joaquín Murrieta: Luis Méndez and Guadalupe Bracamonte (04:32)
19 El Choclo (The ear of corn): René Marino Rivero (01:53)
20 Las leyendas de Grecia (The legends of Greece): Grupo Afrocuba (07:16)
[Credits]
Compiler, Liner Notes Editor & Liner Notes: Daniel E. Sheehy, Designer: BAD Studio, Atlanta, GA, Mastering Engineer: Pete Reiniger, Partner Organization: Latino Initiatives Fund
{Notes}
Featuring some of the finest Latino roots music the Smithsonian Folkways archive has to offer from such artists as Nati Cano’s Los Camperos, Luiz Bonfa, and Cuarteto Patria and Compay Segundo (Buena Vista Social Club), this specially priced CD brings you a collection of Latino sounds beyond the conventional! Much like rock 'n' roll, Latino music evolved from folk traditions. Raíces Latinas is a celebration of these Amerindian, African, and European influences in music of Latino heritage and a representation of the lively creativity that gives birth to the music of the Americas. Including Latino roots music from the Caribbean to the Andes and from Brazil to the American Southwest, Raíces Latinas invites you to discover the music behind la música!