The Philadelphia Folk Festival, which has been around for 54 years, isn’t your grandfather’s folk festival. While there is still a smattering of venerable acoustic solo folksingers on its program like Arlo Guthrie, Bruce Cockburn and Tom Paxton, the festival has become a great platform for Americana artists of all flavors as well as for […]
Shinyribs – Okra Candy
On various patches of land continuously testing the boundaries of wet and dry in the sea level portions of southeast Texas, southwest Mississippi and southern Louisiana live a breed of men thriving on the margins of humanity.  For a 2 week stretch they manage to semi-control their impulses enough to be trusted by others of their […]
Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams
Although Larry Campbell has released a number of his own recordings, he is known more for his associations than solo work. He is such a versatile musician it would almost be easier to list instruments he does not play. Most recently he garnered acclaim as a producer for Levon Helm’s final albums. Both albums, “Dirt […]
Victor Wainwright & the WildRoots – Boom Town
Victor Wainwright is relatively new on the national music scene, but his swampy honky tonk piano licks are having an impact in both his solo career and as a member of roots rock, blues and funk “supergroup” Southern Hospitality. Wainwright, who grew up in a musical family in Savannah, Georgia, moved to Daytona Beach, Florida to […]
Short Takes – Three Gems For Summer
There has been a lot of good music cross my desk in the last couple of months, and I’ve finally internalized I’m not going to get to all of it.  Summer’s here, though, and it’s important to have some new music in your player.  So here are some short takes on albums I’m really enjoying, but […]
Monday Morning Video – B.B. King (1925 – 2015)
We lost one of the greats last week. B.B. King was an inspiration to generations of musicians, from the weekend warriors who shows up for the sunday afternoon blues jam to the touring musicians who regularly sell out performances in arenas and stadiums. His personality was infectious, able to light up a room with his […]
Monday Morning Video – Vintage Los Lobos
Let’s kick it old school this week with a classic from one of rock music’s true legends. These guys can do it all, from the Mexican music of their heritage to blues to rock and everything in-between. Here’s a full concert from 1989 that proves the point. Over the course of an hour-long show they […]
Otis Taylor – Hey Joe Opus … Red Meat
Otis Taylor likes to experiment. As architect of a mesmerizing style of blues music christened “trance blues,” Taylor’s albums tend to have an atmospheric, dream-like quality. Taylor’s style might sometimes be described as Muddy Waters meets Shawn Phillips or Pink Floyd. Taylor’s career, like his musical style, has been unconventional. He was active in the […]
Monday Morning Video — Shakey Graves Sings About “The Perfect Parts”
One thing was immediately clear when Austin’s Shakey Graves passed through Boston a few weeks ago — he’s come a long way from his one-man band roots. Sure, he did a couple of songs solo but he quickly invited his two bandmates to the stage (drummer and guitarist/bassist). The three proceeded to whip the crowd […]
Leo “Bud” Welch – I Don’t Prefer No Blues
It’s hard to explain just what makes Leo “Bud” Welch so special. Yes, there is the fact that the 83-year-old made his recording debut in 2013. There is also the pure, rugged honesty of his delivery and the fact that, unlike some other country blues musicians who got discovered in their later years, Welch is […]