Category: Music

Genre: Album

Grade: A+
Notable People: John Nemeth
Title: Name the day

Review –This guy was on several must listen lists in last year so I ordered one of his albums. WOW>>>>>this is blue eyed R&B at its finest. Hall and Oates, Steve Winwood, Van the Man, James Hunter…all have nothing on this guy. White man from Montana gets the itch and starts belting Stax Volt type numbers- sounds like he is in the studio with Booker T and stave Cropper and sounds not a little like Otis Redding. This guy is really, really good. You WILL be moving your feet.

Genre: Album

Grade: A++++
Notable People: Arthur Alexander
Title: Lonely Just Like Me

Review –I recently went out to find a few albums on CD that I only had on record and this gem was one of them. Had not listened to him in years and was stuck by what a masterpiece this was then and is now. At the time Arthur recorded this in 1993 he had been out of music business for over 20 years and was a holy roller preacher in Chicago. He had been a favorite of the Beatles and the Stones (opened for Beatles on early tour) but had fell on hard times. He came back , made this incredible album and died shortly after. There is a voluminous back catalog of his albums from the early 60s. He was a really amazing songwriter in addition to being a sterling singer and guitar player. This IS R&B as it should be…the songs of longing, despair and renewed hope reverberate through the years. If you have never heard him- shame on you- go out and get this album.

Genre: Album

Grade: A
Notable People: T-Bone Burnett
Title: T- Bone Burnett

Review –The legendary music producer, who has been the favorite of every acoustic and country- rock musician for 20 years once made his own albums. Since then he has gone on to fame with both recordings and movies (he recently did the music for True Detective). But this album (his first and self-titled)from the early 90s was quite a gem. Drop dead beautiful arrangements, flawless musicianship, great harmonies and wonderful song choices. This album was on my constant playlist then and has returned now after I recently got it on CD because I missed it.

Genre: Album

Grade: B+
Notable People: Lake Street Dive
Title: Bad Self Portrait

Review –This band has been one of the darlings of Rolling Stone for last year. Kind of a throwback group- with nice blend of pop and acoustic music. Good arrangements and musicianship and the lead singer is a Bobbie Raitt meets Linda Ronstadt sound alike. Very nice music- though I did not find myself moved by it.

Genre: Album

Grade: B+/B
Notable People: Elvis Costello and the Roots
Title: Wise Up Ghosts and Other Songs

Review – 2013 set by this venerable group does not offer anything groundbreaking- but Elvis’ singing just keeps getting better. The musicianship is very high quality and I prefer this backing band to The Attractions, though not as much as I like Elvis’ solo work when he goes mostly acoustic. If you like EC- you’ll like this. If not so much- maybe not.

Genre: Album

Grade: B+
Notable People: Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris
Title: Old Yellow Moon

Review – It’s a really nice thing when old singing partners get back together to make music. Crowell was a mainstay in Harris’s Hot Band of the late 70s- more or less singing the parts that Emmylou had done with Gram Parsons. She has gone on to much broader success but he has made good solid music for a long time as well. Nothing groundbreaking here- but good songs, great harmonies and fine session musicians give this the feel of very good 70’s country rock effort. They still sing quite well together. Very pleasant

Genre: Album

Grade: A-
Notable People: Guy Clark
Title: My Favorite Picture of You

Review – Guy Clark is an alt country legend- deservedly so. A mix of country wisdom and beat culture- he’s been making under the radar album beauties for over 40 years. His heirs are voluminous and speak of him with reverence. This is a fine album- gruff, whiskey soaked vocals, pining hearts and a lot of down home wanderin’ philosophy-with a cracker jack backing band. Close your eyes and you’ll be in a West Texas honky- tonk with the roughnecks and cowboys. A thing of beauty.

Genre: Album

Grade: A++

Notable People: David Bromberg
Title: Only Slightly Mad

Review –Yes, Yes, Yes…too good to be true- a new David Bromberg album that is reminiscent of his great Fantasy label albums of the 70s. Like all his great albums- this one is all over the place; from straight out killer Blues to Country classic, Irish Jigs, Folk- rock, and beyond. This was recorded in Levon’s barn in Woodstock with both David’s excellent band and Levon’s band- including the magnificent Larry Campbell on guitar and producing. Jon Sebastian does a turn on harmonica and a bunch of other great players help out. Check out Bryan Mitchell’s keyboards throughout, and the great horn arrangements. .

If you don’t know much about Bromberg- you should. A sideman on many of Dylan’s mid sixties classic albums, he started touring and recording in the 70s with this massive band, with a bunch of great players who could all switch from electric blues instruments to acoustic mountain instruments. His shows were magnificent (Phil- Zachariah’s Red –Eye saloon shows???). In the mid 80s- in the middle of a successful sole career- David dropped out to apprentice as a master luthier and Stradivarius re-furbisher in Chicago and gave us playing entirely. He was brought back to the stage and studio by Jorma Kaukonen in the late 90s and has begun to pick up steam again in recent years. May be one of the five great guitar players of our time, and plays everything else with strings equally well. This is magic. Treat yourself and go out get it.

Genre: Album

Grade: A-/B+

Notable People: Dave Tucker
Title: In Kind

Review –I met Dave around five years ago when he was just starting his musical journey and played a few tunes with him. He is the nephew of my good friends Connie and George, who have a B&B in Vermont and I have dined with his mom and dad. Dave has come quite way. A Jersey boy who went out to California to the promised land for singer-songwriters and seems to have found his muse. Charming set of eleven songs of Americana eclectic music. Melodic, touching and nicely arranged music with quite good musicians to boot. I have a hunch we’ll hear more from young Dave in the future. Definitely worth a listen if you like American acoustic- style music in range of genres.

Genre: Album

Grade: A-

Notable People: Jonny Fritz
Title: Dad Country

Review –Jonny Fritz is kind of like Gram Parsons meets Jack Kerouac…Heard a cut of his on the radio and stopped dead in my tracks- thinking it was a long lost Gram cut. Sounds eerily like him in places- so if you like alt country- you’ll like this sound. Lyrically, well…he’s pretty weird- kind of Kerouac stream of consciousness. One song is called “Trash day” and starts out with “Monday morning is the day they pick up trash, Oh my god, Oh my god”- a lot of it is like this but set to really good Louisiana hayride influenced country music. Cracker jack backing band. Hard to sit still listening to this; makes you want to do a two step. Just plain out there. Loved it.