A killer collection of rare mid 50s Columbia Records singles by Sid King – a key figure in helping hillbilly music transition to rock and roll! Sid is probably more country than some of his rocking contemporaries, and the work here actually seems to be perfectly balanced between the two modes – maybe in part because the group hails from Texas, and in part because much of the production is handled by Don Law – the Columbia country powerhouse, and a studio talent who's got an especially strong ear for making the guitar ring out in the mix! There's a great sense of growth going on over the space of the years in these tunes – definitely hillbilly in the early 50s cuts, but hard rockabilly genius on the later ones too. (Rock, Folk/Country) LP, Vinyl record album

Prepare to discover your new favorite artist – a tremendously hip cat who never got his due – and who should be held as high on these shores as British talents like Nick Drake, Bert Jansch, or John Martyn! Like all of those three, Davy Graham is a complete original – a guy with an acoustic guitar, but light years beyond familiar folk – often using all these jazzy changes in his style, and mixing his own music with songs by Dylan, The Beatles, Muddy Waters, and even Art Blakey – but all in ways that are completely transformative, and which maybe use the familiar songs just as a way for Graham to show us how individual he can be – because even a song we know sounds nothing like the original. His guitar work is superb – full of all the fresh ideas, unusual phrasings, and special sounds that the best of his generation were bringing to acoustic music – and titles include "Lotus Blossom", "Down Along The Cove", "Stan's Guitar", "Bulgarian Dance", "Buhaina Chant", "I'm Ready", "Getting Better", "Hornpipe For Harpsichord Played Upon Guitar", and "Pretty Polly". LP, Vinyl record album