Freedom Highway may be the album that followers of the Carolina Chocolate Drops have been waiting for in the fledgling solo career of Rhiannon Giddens. The second of Giddens’ solo efforts, Freedom Highway showcases her songwriting talents in a tour de force demonstrating her ability to move nimbly between roots genres from the primitive, folky jug-band and […]
John Mayall – Talk About That
In the 1970s, John Mayall, O.B.E., was, along with Bob Dylan, John Prine, David Bromberg, Loudon Wainwright III, Shawn Phillips and Jerry Jeff Walker, one of my musical heroes.  Now at 83 and still touring and recording albums, Mayall is an inspiration. Mayall, often called the “Godfather of British Blues,†is so much more than […]
I Will Remember Massachusetts, Part 2 – A Special Boston Playlist
Good Old Wind, Kingsley Flood (from the self-released Another Other) There’s been a recent trend of artists producing EPs rather than full-length LPs. The economics make sense, certainly for independent artists, in the context of the continuously evolving music industry. I also appreciate the possibility of getting more frequent, albeit shorter, releases from my favorite […]
I Will Remember Massachusetts – A Special Boston Playlist
Monroe, Ian Fitzgerald (from the self-released You Won’t Even Know I’m Gone) For many a year Fitzgerald has plied his trade as a folk singer, a troubadour with an acoustic guitar. Over that time he has earned the respect of fellow musicians, always a good indicator that an artist warrants attention. Let’s give credit where […]
Just Like Ringing a Bell – A Special Boston Playlist
Over the past few years there’s been a rush of overdue attention paid to the studio musicians responsible for some of the finest music of the rock and roll era. The Swampers in Muscle Schoals. The Wrecking Crew in LA. The Funk Brothers in Motown. I expect that many places, even today, have a collection […]
Big Dave McLean – Better the Devil You Know
There are bluesmen in Canada. Â Some damn good ones. Â Folks like Jim Byrnes, Amos Garrett, and David Wilcox (no relation), have been tearing it up for decades, and relative newcomers like Sue Foley, Colin James and JW-Jones have blazed their own trails to excellence. Â But through the years, one of the mainstays of Canadian blues […]
“The Favors You Ask,” A Premiere from Zach Schmidt
The best country songs tell great stories. Well, singer-songwriter Zach Schmidt has got a bunch of ’em. All the better, they are drawn from his own life experiences. The now Nashville-based Schmidt has lived a life of wanderlust, having bicycled across the US and worked on a Texas cattle ranch. No surprise to anyone, Schmidt […]
Monday Morning Video (and Audio) – Willin’
“Willin’,” by the late Lowell George, is one of those songs that many may not know by title but is immediately recognizable when it’s heard. It’s also a song to which many artists have gravitated over the years. Here is a video playlist of wonderful cover performances, starting with Uncle Tupelo and working through Tom […]
Mayer’s Playlist for July/August 2016, Part 3
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Stay Gold by Butch Walker The opening guitar riff of the lead-off track sets the tone right out of the gate: Butch Walker is ready to rock. His last album, 2015’s Afraid of Ghosts, was a somber and moving reflection on the loss of his father. After the catharsis that came […]
Mayer’s Playlist for July/August 2016, Part 2
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH Real by Lydia Loveless Lydia Loveless is accomplishing a feat that is all too rare in music today – markedly evolving her art while maintaining her musical identity. Give it some thought and I suspect you’ll agree that it occurs less often than one would think. Before talking about what has […]