(Rock, Folk/Country) LP, Vinyl record album

The sixth volume of American Recordings from Johnny Cash – recorded in the months between June's & Johnny's passing – produced by an increasingly reverent Rick Rubin and put together with care and consideration. Cash sounds justifiably weary on these late recordings, with songs chosen from the work of great friends, admirers and the Man In Black himself. It's the second posthumous set in the series, but it's truly good stuff, and certainly respectful of Johnny's astounding legacy. Includes "Ain't No Grave", "Redemption Song", "For The Good Times", "Satisfied Mind", "I Corinthians 15:55", "I Don't Hurt Anymore", "Cool Water", "Last Night A Stranger Had A Dream" and "Aloha Oe". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Willie Nelson's best albums of the later years – a sparer effort, with a 4 piece band and a ton of Willie's raw, classical and Spanish influnced guitar playing that he does some charmingly on stage over the years, but doesn't often come through in the studio. Includes "Matador", "She Is Gone", "We Don't Run", "It's A Dream Come True", "I Thought About You Lord" and more. CD

Really beautiful later work from Michael Hurley – a set recorded in the 21st Century, and with some slightly more sophisticated settings than some of Hurley's earliest records – yet still overflowing with all the charms that make his music so great! Hurley handles guitar, vocals, and a bit of piano – and there's some light backing elements on bass clarinet, dobro, bass, and violin – the last of which sounds very nice, as it's used in these really light, sweet ways – not polished, but also not like a fiddle either. Katie Clayborn sings some backing vocals at times, almost acting like the Emmylou Harris to Hurley's Gram Parsons – on titles that include "Edinburg Lag", "Got Over It", "O My Stars", "The End Of The Road", "Blockade Stillers", and "The Rue Of Ruby Whores". LP has a different track order than the original CD – and includes a bonus recent live recording of "Murderer's Home Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly strong collection of country cuts from a very unusual scene – material recorded for the tiny Cuca Records label in Wisconsin – a company who was more likely to open their doors to just about anyone, than they were to carefully pick who got to record in their studio! Yet because of that approach, Cuca was able to capture some fantastic sounds that would have otherwise been lost to more commercial concerns – music that here represents an underground of country singers and late rockabilly acts from the scene in southern Wisconsin – all artists with the kind of twang and subject matter you'd be much more likely to discover down in Tennessee! As usual with Numero Group, the record is as musically great as it is culturally compelling – put together with plenty of care, and a stunning set list that includes "Happy Don't Last Forever" by Nancy Lee Jordan, "Little Hero" by Dixie Drifter, "Cardinal" by John D Curnow, "Six Foot Down" by Gene Ski & The Troubadours, "There's A River" by Sam Podnay, "Hello Houston" by Johnny Madrid, "Wanderer" by The Lavenders, "Challenge" by Larry Phillipson, "Run Little Girl" by Harrison Two, "Heaven Help The Working Girl" by Janet Kaye, "Trouble Sweet Trouble" by Curley Fields & The Kentuckians, and "When I See You" by Rog Winters & The Plainsmen. LP, Vinyl record album

Vintage recordings by Texas Troubadours, Roanoke Jug Band, Roanoke Entertainers, Johnnie Autrey, Dixie Playboys, Wanderers Of The Wasteland, Roy Hall & The Blue Ridge Entertainers, and Tommy Magness & The Orange Blossom Boys. LP, Vinyl record album

The 6th volume of American Recordings from Johnny Cash – recorded in the months between June's & Johnny's passing – produced by an increasingly reverent Rick Rubin and put together with care and consideration. Cash sounds justifiably weary on these late recordings, with songs chosen from the work of great friends, admirers and the Man In Black himself. Includes "Ain't No Grave", "Redemption Song", "For The Good Times", "Satisfied Mind", "I Corinthians 15:55", "I Don't Hurt Anymore", "Cool Water", "Last Night A Stranger Had A Dream" and "Aloha Oe". CD

Includes the songs "Cry! Cry! Cry!", "Hey Porter", "Folsom Prison Blues", "I Walk The Line", "Get Rhythm", "Big River", "Guess Things Happen That Way", "Ring Of Fire", "Jackson", "A Boy Named Sue (Live)", "Sunday Morning Coming Down", "Man In Black", "One Piece At A Time", "Highwayman", "The Wanderer", "Delia's Gone", "Rusty Cage", "I've Been Everywhere", "Give My Love To Rose", "The Man Comes Around (Early Take)", and "Hurt". CD

A set that's way more than just a "best of" sort of anthology – as the package features three full albums by the group, plus other material too! The set begins with the classic debut, Gilded Palace Of Sin – a true late 60s rock masterpiece – and like albums by Love and The Velvet Underground, a set that barely made a mainstream impact at the time – but which has gone on to be the stuff of influence and legend over the decades! The album's the first from Gram Parsons and the group – one of only two they would cut together – and the whole thing is a perfect blend of rough-edged rock and country influences rising up from the LA scene – all those glimmers of brilliance that Parsons had brought to the Byrds and other projects, maybe given their full flowering here in a mode that's unabashed about its country music influences – maybe even more so than some of Gram's later solo work. Sneeky Pete Kleinow's steel guitar really adds a lot – but so does the presence of Chris Hillman on guitar and mandolin, and Chris Ethridge on bass and piano. Titles include the brilliant "Sin City" – a track we'll love until we die – plus "Christine's Tune", "Do Right Woman", "Dark End Of The Street", "My Uncle", "Wheels", "Juanita", "Hot Burrito No 1", "Hot Burrito No 2", "Do You Know How It Feels", and "Hippy Boy". Burrito Deluxe is the second of only two albums recorded by Gram Parsons with the Flying Burrito Brothers – and a masterpiece that pushes the group's sound even farther than their debut! The set is filled with special moments – songs that show just why these guys were such a special bridge between late 60s country and rock music – and why all of the other groups they inspired just never came close to serving things up this well! Gram Parsons is fantastic on vocals, of course – but the whole group is great, especially Sneaky Pete on steel guitar. Titles include the fantastic romper "Man In The Fog", the very groovy "Lazy Days", the haunting "God's Own Singer", and the group's Jagger/Richards' approved take on "Wild Horses – plus other cuts that include "High Fashion Queen", "Image Of Me", "Older Guys", and "If You Gotta Go". Flying Burrito Brothers is The Burritos first LP, post-Parsons – and a pretty strong statement for the merits of the now unquestioned leader, Rick Roberts, and multi-instrumentalist new guy Bernie Leadon, who would later turn to the dark side and join the Eagles! Roberts penned or co-penned seven of the album's ten tunes, including "Colorado", "Hand To Mouth", "Just Can't Be", and "Four Days Of Rain". His contributions are for the most part nicely fragile, with just the right doses of sweetness and sadness. The group also covers Merle Haggard's "White Line Fever", Gene Clark's "Tried So Hard", and Dylan's "To Ramona". This is one of the band's rarer LPs, probably because of the absence of hipster hero Gram Parsons – truly a worthy piece of work! CD also features some other tracks recorded by Parsons with the group – including "Six Days On The Road", "Break My Mind", "Sing Me Back Home", and "Close Up The Honky Tonks" – and live tracks "Ain't That A Lot Of Love" and "Losing Game" – plus Gene Clark singing on "Here Tonight". (Rock, Folk/Country) CD

A set that's way more than just a "best of" sort of anthology – as the package features three full albums by the group, plus other material too! The set begins with the classic debut, Gilded Palace Of Sin – a true late 60s rock masterpiece – and like albums by Love and The Velvet Underground, a set that barely made a mainstream impact at the time – but which has gone on to be the stuff of influence and legend over the decades! The album's the first from Gram Parsons and the group – one of only two they would cut together – and the whole thing is a perfect blend of rough-edged rock and country influences rising up from the LA scene – all those glimmers of brilliance that Parsons had brought to the Byrds and other projects, maybe given their full flowering here in a mode that's unabashed about its country music influences – maybe even more so than some of Gram's later solo work. Sneeky Pete Kleinow's steel guitar really adds a lot – but so does the presence of Chris Hillman on guitar and mandolin, and Chris Ethridge on bass and piano. Titles include the brilliant "Sin City" – a track we'll love until we die – plus "Christine's Tune", "Do Right Woman", "Dark End Of The Street", "My Uncle", "Wheels", "Juanita", "Hot Burrito No 1", "Hot Burrito No 2", "Do You Know How It Feels", and "Hippy Boy". Burrito Deluxe is the second of only two albums recorded by Gram Parsons with the Flying Burrito Brothers – and a masterpiece that pushes the group's sound even farther than their debut! The set is filled with special moments – songs that show just why these guys were such a special bridge between late 60s country and rock music – and why all of the other groups they inspired just never came close to serving things up this well! Gram Parsons is fantastic on vocals, of course – but the whole group is great, especially Sneaky Pete on steel guitar. Titles include the fantastic romper "Man In The Fog", the very groovy "Lazy Days", the haunting "God's Own Singer", and the group's Jagger/Richards' approved take on "Wild Horses – plus other cuts that include "High Fashion Queen", "Image Of Me", "Older Guys", and "If You Gotta Go". Flying Burrito Brothers is The Burritos first LP, post-Parsons – and a pretty strong statement for the merits of the now unquestioned leader, Rick Roberts, and multi-instrumentalist new guy Bernie Leadon, who would later turn to the dark side and join the Eagles! Roberts penned or co-penned seven of the album's ten tunes, including "Colorado", "Hand To Mouth", "Just Can't Be", and "Four Days Of Rain". His contributions are for the most part nicely fragile, with just the right doses of sweetness and sadness. The group also covers Merle Haggard's "White Line Fever", Gene Clark's "Tried So Hard", and Dylan's "To Ramona". This is one of the band's rarer LPs, probably because of the absence of hipster hero Gram Parsons – truly a worthy piece of work! CD also features some other tracks recorded by Parsons with the group – including "Six Days On The Road", "Break My Mind", "Sing Me Back Home", and "Close Up The Honky Tonks" – and live tracks "Ain't That A Lot Of Love" and "Losing Game" – plus Gene Clark singing on "Here Tonight". (Rock, Folk/Country) CD

A fantastic little record – one that's not only important as a key introduction of Middle Eastern sounds to the US market, but one that also fits perfectly with other Vanguard label experimental folk sets from artists like Peter Walker and Sandy Bull! Unlike those musicians, who absorbed global elements, Hamza El Din is the real deal – and both sings and plays the oud here with a wonderfully rich quality – spare and acoustic, but ringing out with the complexity of an essential session on Takoma Records, and with a transcendent sound that grabs the listener instantly. There had been other American recordings with oud before, but the presentation here marks the set as one of the best – with titles that include "The Message Bearer", "Greeting Card", "Fortune Teller", "The Spirits", and "Grandfather's Stories". (Global Grooves, Folk/Country) LP, Vinyl record album

Arranged by Mort Garson – with tracks that include "Child Of Clay", "Today", "Turnaround", "The Lovers", "You Pass Me By", and "My Love Is A Wanderer". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great assortment of rare work from the golden era of Western Swing – featuring famous Texas and Oklahoma acts, plus a lot of other much more obscure artists! The set features a whopping 99 tracks in all – with work from Fort Worth Doughboys, Bob Wills & Texas Playboys, Doug Bine & His Dixie Ramblers, the Tune Wranglers, the Washboard Wonders, the Crystal Spring Ramblers, Buddy Jones, Cliff Bruner's Texas Wanderers, the Sunshine Boys, the Hi-Flyers, and more. CD