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Features duets with Dolly Parton, Gillian Welch, Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris, and Patty Loveless. (Soul, Folk/Country) CD

A classic set from British singer/songwriter Michael Chapman – his last recorded for the Harvest Records label, but done in a way that has the sort of rootsy undercurrents you'd be more likely to find in work from the US! Chapman plays both acoustic and electric guitar, often blended together in ways that echo his folk roots, but push things into a headier space overall – especially when some of the larger arrangements come into the mix – used sparingly, but in ways that show the deeper currents of the lyrics. Paul Buckmaster handled these orchestrations, with just the right touch – and titles include "Polar Bear Fandango", "Indian Queens", "Wrecked Again", "Time Enough To Spare", "Night Drive", and "Mozart Lives Upstairs". (Rock, Folk/Country) CD

Fairport Convention are down to a quartet here, but still sounds fantastic – with Simon Nicol on guitar and dulcimer, Dave Pegg on bass and violin, Dave Swarbrick on mandolin and violin, and Dave Mattacks on drums and piano – and vocals from all members of the group. LP, Vinyl record album

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Appalachian vocals and banjo tunes from great Roscoe Holcomb – mid 60s Folkways recordings with his gorgeously weary, soul stirring and sometimes otherworldly passionate voice commanding your attention and cutting real deep – and his banjo playing making a playful progressions underneath. Holcomb puts it all in that voice of his, an impressive, cutting instrument on its owns – and getting a lot of different sounds out of his banjo than many players of the era. Titles include "Wandering Boy", "Hook And Line", "Omie Wise"., "In The Pines", "Little Bessie", "Willow Tree", "Married Life Blues" and more. CD

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Appalachian vocals and banjo tunes from great Roscoe Holcomb – mid 60s Folkways recordings with his gorgeously weary, soul stirring and sometimes otherworldly passionate voice commanding your attention and cutting real deep – and his banjo playing making a playful progressions underneath. Holcomb puts it all in that voice of his, an impressive, cutting instrument on its owns – and getting a lot of different sounds out of his banjo than many players of the era. Titles include "Wandering Boy", "Hook And Line", "Omie Wise"., "In The Pines", "Little Bessie", "Willow Tree", "Married Life Blues" and more. CD

The Hurley machine keeps heaving forward – stepping out here in a set of contemporary recordings, but with sounds that are as timeless as anything else we've heard from him before! The album begins with a haunting number that features just vocals and electric piano – but played in ways that are almost like hammered dulcimer – and two more cuts feature wonderfully spooky pump organ, pulsating in ways that make the music sound even moodier than ever. Other tracks feature acoustic guitar, but still mighty nice, with all the Hurley charm in the vocals – and titles include "The Corridor", "In The Morning", "Tea", "Meara O'Reilly", and "Shockoe Bottom". LP, Vinyl record album

The Hurley machine keeps heaving forward – stepping out here in a set of contemporary recordings, but with sounds that are as timeless as anything else we've heard from him before! The album begins with a haunting number that features just vocals and electric piano – but played in ways that are almost like hammered dulcimer – and two more cuts feature wonderfully spooky pump organ, pulsating in ways that make the music sound even moodier than ever. Other tracks feature acoustic guitar, but still mighty nice, with all the Hurley charm in the vocals – and titles include "The Corridor", "In The Morning", "Tea", "Meara O'Reilly", and "Shockoe Bottom". LP, Vinyl record album

The Incredible String Band are paired down to the core duo of Mike Heron & Robin Williamson for their third and possibly best album – the truly incredible Hangman's Beautiful Daughter – using the studio as a most impressive adjunct member of the group at this point! This is an extremely talented pair – each playing myriad instruments – sitar, organ, guitar, hammer dulcimer, harpsichord, gimbri, whistle, pipe, oud, mandolin, mouth harps and more. Previous vocal collaborator Licorice sings on one song, and Dolly Collins and David Snell contribute flute organ, piano and harp – but the main duos incredible way of layering their magic with multitracking in the studio the real masterstroke of the effort. Titles include "Koeoaddi There", "Witch's Hat", "The Water Song", "Swift As The Wind", "Nightfall", "Waltz Of The New Moon", "Three Is A Green Crown" and more. CD

The Incredible String Band are paired down to the core duo of Mike Heron & Robin Williamson for their third and possibly best album – the truly incredible Hangman's Beautiful Daughter – using the studio as a most impressive adjunct member of the group at this point! This is an extremely talented pair – each playing myriad instruments – sitar, organ, guitar, hammer dulcimer, harpsichord, gimbri, whistle, pipe, oud, mandolin, mouth harps and more. Previous vocal collaborator Licorice sings on one song, and Dolly Collins and David Snell contribute flute organ, piano and harp – but the main duos incredible way of layering their magic with multitracking in the studio the real masterstroke of the effort. Titles include "Koeoaddi There", "Witch's Hat", "The Water Song", "Swift As The Wind", "Nightfall", "Waltz Of The New Moon", "Three Is A Green Crown" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A nicely subtle album from the Incredible String Band – a set that maybe doesn't have the same sort of fanfare as their earliest albums, but which also has the group really honing their sound! Make no mistake, there's nothing commercial or pop-oriented going on – it's just that Mike Heron and crew have really found a way to make a lot with a little – using acoustic guitar, violin, dulcimer, and bits of other instrumentation in these ways that have the relaxed nature of a folk group, but with more far-reaching power that befits their role in the British scene of the time. Heron's vocals are always wonderful – and Robin Williamson sings as well, as does Licorice McKechnie – and titles include "Black Jack Davy", "The Letter", "This Moment", and "Fair As You". LP, Vinyl record album

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An album from the 80s, but one that echoes a much older tradition of folk and blues – with a vibe that hardly fits the dated spelling of the duo's name! Serious Bizness is the team of Jaribu and Ngoma Hill – who harmonize together on some very message-oriented music, in a way that was often a bit overlooked in the generation of beatboxes and keyboards, but which has all the pride and power of acoustic sessions from the Civil Rights generation! Instrumentation is just acoustic guitar on most numbers, but Jaribu and Ngoma have a way of really making the songs ring out with a great deal of power – on titles that include "High Tech", "Southern Shame", "Down Underground In A Company Town", "Stolen Dreams", "Stop The Bosses", and "Malcolm Lives". (Blues, Folk/Country) CD

A gorgeous album from the UK folk scene – vocals and guitar from Cyril Tawney, with accompaniment on concertina, melodeon, and dulcimer – all of which makes for a very haunting, moody vibe! LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous document of work by Jake Thackray – one of the most unique talents on the British music scene of the 60s, but an artist who's sadly been un-remembered over the years! At first glance, Jake's definitely a folkie, but he's also one with a strong influence from French singer/songwriters like Jacques Brel or George Brassens – and takes key inspiration from them in the depth and darkness of his work. Like both Brel and Brassens, Thackray's got a style that's almost out of time – one that's ageless at some points, but with a very contemporary way of viewing the world – personal, pointed, and penned with an incredible sense of wit. In an era when most folkies were attacking the political or pushing into the fantastic, Jake spent careful time looking at human foibles and the complexities of interpersonal relationships – always from a distance, but close enough to note the odd humor in even the most banal situations. This wonderful set brings together 4 of Thackray's albums for EMI – Bantam Cock, Last Will & Testament, Jake's Progress, and On Again On Again – all of which feature Jake's slightly jazz-inflected vocals alongside acoustic guitar and very spare, but well-chosen additional instrumentation. Package also features a full disc of unreleased material – including different versions of other tunes on the albums. 97 tracks in all, and a wonderful musical discovery throughout! Titles include "The Cactus", "Country Bus", "Brother Gorilla", "The Girl In The Window", "Ulysses", "Scallywag", "Salvation Army Girl", "On The Shelf", "Go Little Swale", "Isabel Makes Love On National Monuments", "Joseph", "Famous People", "The Gravedigger", and "Leopold Alcocks". (Rock, Folk/Country) CD

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Music from Williamson Brothers And Curry, Memphis Jug Band, Mississippi John Hurt, The Carter Family, Lydia Mendoza, Carolina Tar Heels, Hattie Hart & The Memphis Jug Band, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Charley Patton, Joseph Falcon, Frank Hutchison, Jimmie Rodgers, and more. CD