(Rock, Folk/Country) CD

(Rock, Folk/Country) CD

(Rock, Folk/Country) CD

(Rock, Folk/Country) CD

A really fantastic album from Leo Kottke – the kind of 70s material that really set him apart from the rest, and which really gave him a special place away from the acoustic underground of the time! Kottke started out with a album on Takoma Records that was every bit as great a guitar classic as his famous labelmates like John Fahey and Robbie Basho – but by the time of this mid 70s live date, he'd evolved to a level where his guitar playing was even more incredible than before, but also matched with slight vocalizations, and a sense of wit that always helped avoid any too-posturing modes that might have got in his way. At some level, it's almost as if Leo were developing this personality in which the rest of himself was a way of distracting from the genius of the work of his fingers on the guitar – while he was quietly using that instrument to knock you over the head with all these unusual tunings and phrasings. Titles include "June Bug", "Standing In My Shoes", "Hear The Wind Howl", "Eggtooth", and "The Fisherman". (Rock, Folk/Country) CD

(Rock, Folk/Country) CD

(Rock, Folk/Country) CD

(Rock, Folk/Country) CD

(Rock, Folk/Country) CD

(Rock, Folk/Country) CD

(Rock, Folk/Country) CD

25 songs from Dave Evans, Davey Graham, Bert Jansch, John James & John Renbourn, Peter Finger, Leo Wijnkamp Jr, and John James. CD

An amazing tribute to the Bakersfield scene – one that finally gives the California city the same sort of attention that we usually see in sets dedicated to Nashville! Bakersfield is well-known as the home of Merle Haggard and Buck Owens, but the city's got a long legacy of influencing country music for decades – a good deal of which is presented here, in a package that brings together loads of rare Cali country singles that we never would have heard otherwise, along with well-chosen cuts from some of its stars, and a fair bit of rare and unissued material too! At the center of the set is a huge hardcover book by Scott Bomar – hardcover, 12" square, and with 224 full color pages of notes and images on the genius of Bakersfield, and what made it such a unique country music spot. The 10 CDs feature nearly 300 songs in all – one disc of which is all rare live and unissued material – and in addition to work by Buck and Merle, the set features tracks by Wayne Morris, Jerry Cornelius, Vancie & Rita, Georgia Lynn, Kenny Hays, Tommy Lewis, Rollie Webber, Johnny Barnette, Bonnie Owens, Bobby Durham, George Latta, Owen Charles, Larry Daniels, Gene Moles, Al Brumley, Bill Handy, Leo Stephens, Faye Hardin, Tom Tall, Cliff Crofford, Kenny Vernon, Rose Lee Maphis, Oscar Whittington, Foyle Holley, Dick Curless, Red Simpson, Gary Paxton, Jim Ward, and many many more! CD

A fantastic late 70s album from guitar genius John Fahey – his first after a number of years away from the recording studio – and a real back to basics effort overall! There's none of the "orchestra" trappings of other 70s records – nor some of Fahey's more longer-form ideas – and instead, the tracks focus mostly on his incredible sense of texture and timing on the acoustic guitar – heard to perfectly as he folds his own compositions together with songs by Bill Monroe, Bola Sete, Leo Kottke, and Doc Watson! The whole thing's wonderfully understated – even more so than you'd guess from the cover – and titles include "Silver Bell/Cheyenne", "Ann Arbor/Death By Reputation", "The Discovery Of Syliva Scott", "Guitar Lamnento", "Melody McBad", and "The Grand Finale". CD

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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 John Snipes, Dink Roberts, Joe Thompson & Odell Thompson, Etta Baker & Cora Philips, John Jackson, Homer Walker, Irvin Cook & Leonard Bowles, 'Big Sweet' Lewis Hairston, John Tyree, Rufus Kasey and more. CD