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Steven Stone
Dylan – Pop’s 15 Greatest Minutes
Pop quiz: What was the most important and influential live set in the history of pop music? Your choices are Elvis on Ed Sullivan, The Beatles at Shea Stadium, Jimi Hendrix at Monterey, The Rolling Stones at Altamont, or Bob Dylan at Newport in 1965. If you’re apt to pick Dylan at Newport, you might…
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Steven Stone
Uncle Earl – Waterloo, TN
Old-timey music isn’t a particularly attractive or commercially viable musical genre. Uncle Earl may change that. This foursome of twenty-something women may not be quite as foxy looking as The Coors, but they still manage to effectively de-whisker old time music. Uncle Earl consists of Kristin Andreassen on guitar, harmonica, clogging and vocals, Rayna Gellert…
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Steven Stone
Grateful Dead – Live at Cow Palace
The Grateful Dead was an electric jug band with more in common musically with Jim Kweskin than Jimi Hendrix. On this new three-CD set, you can hear this ultimate jam band at its loosest-tightest best. On this recording, the husband/wife duo Keith and Donna Godchaux held down the keyboards and background vocals. The rest of…
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Steven Stone
Patty Larkin – Watch the Sky
Patty Larkin is one of the finest acoustic guitarists in the world. On her 12th release, Watch The Sky, she focuses on her songwriting, singing, and multi-instrumental talents. The final results are as stellar as her guitar playing. Unlike prior recordings, usually group efforts involving other musicians in a commercial studio environment, Watch The Sky…
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Steven Stone
Steep Canyon Rangers – Lovin’ Pretty Women
The Steep Canyon Rangers are part of a new wave of young bluegrass bands that turn the energy past hot to fricassee. In 2006, they won the International Bluegrass Musician’s Association’s “Emerging Artist” award based primarily on their incendiary stage show. Even though Lovin’ Pretty Women is a studio album, it captures much of the…
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Steven Stone
Emmylou Harris – Songbird
Emmylou Harris’ latest box set, Songbird, occupies a unique place among deluxe anthologies. Instead of being merely another greatest hits or an unreleased versions set, it’s a collection of personally important musical moments. Songbird grants Ms. Harris a chance to be her own critic by showing her audience which performances and collaborations were the most…
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Steven Stone
Gina Villalobos – Miles Away
Gina Villalobos proves that a contemporary artist of the female persuasion doesn’t have to possess an “American Idol” voice to create powerful music. Remember Kim Carnes or Bonnie Tyler? At times, Villalobos’ voice is reminiscent of both, but with a heaping helping of grit and backroads dirt. On other songs, her vocals drift into a…
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Steven Stone
Tony Trischka – Double Banjo
Tony Trischka’s 35-year career has seen him play with Tony Rice, Mike Marshall, Darol Anger, Jerry Douglas, and David Grisman. He’s also Bela Fleck’s banjo teacher. And though he started as a bluegrass picker in the style of Earl Scruggs, Trischka grew past bluegrass into newgrass, jazz, and acoustic fusion. He’s a founding member of…
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Steven Stone
Mark Newton – Hillbilly Hemingway
At first listen, you’d call Mark Newton’s music bluegrass, but it’s not just bluegrass. Sure, the affects are slathered on, but the drums give away the game – this is really honkytonk roots rock/pop masquerading as traditional bluegrass. Is that a bad thing? No, but it would be a mistake to assume that Hillbilly Hemingway…
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Steven Stone
Chip Taylor/Carrie Rodriguez – Ruhr
This live set features an especially outstanding back-up band. Festival curator and virtuoso jazz guitarist Bill Frisell joins Greg Leisz on steel guitar and mandolin, David Piltch on bass, and Kenny Wollesen on drums to form the core band. Cameo appearances by Katie Jackson and Denise Brown on background vocals and Buddy Miller on electric…
