... LP, Vinyl record album

A perfect illustration of the genius of guitarist Robbie Basho – a set recorded early in his career, but with music that's light years ahead of most of his contemporaries! Although a set of solo acoustic guitar tracks, the music isn't really folk – nor is it the sort of acoustic underground music that would emerge more strongly in the 70s – and instead, it's got a real edge throughout – lots of odd tones and weird phrasings that almost preface a whole generation of guitar experimentalists like Derek Bailey or Eugene Chadbourne – yet still within a setting that's relatively tuneful overall! Basho's music has this subtle mysticism that we really love – and the solo sounds here are as evocative as the titles – which include "Mountain Man's Farewell", "Seal Of The Blue Lotus", "Sansara In Sweetness After Sandstorm", "Dravidian Sunday", and "Bardo Blues". (Folk/Country, Rock) CD

A perfect illustration of the genius of guitarist Robbie Basho – a set recorded early in his career, but with music that's light years ahead of most of his contemporaries! Although a set of solo acoustic guitar tracks, the music isn't really folk – nor is it the sort of acoustic underground music that would emerge more strongly in the 70s – and instead, it's got a real edge throughout – lots of odd tones and weird phrasings that almost preface a whole generation of guitar experimentalists like Derek Bailey or Eugene Chadbourne – yet still within a setting that's relatively tuneful overall! Basho's music has this subtle mysticism that we really love – and the solo sounds here are as evocative as the titles – which include "Mountain Man's Farewell", "Seal Of The Blue Lotus", "Sansara In Sweetness After Sandstorm", "Dravidian Sunday", and "Bardo Blues". (Folk/Country, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Quicksand", "Tears Tears Tears", "I'm Coming Home", "Pretty Girls", "Boomerang", and "Madison Avenue". LP, Vinyl record album

As the notes say, "this album is a series of aural and spatial fantasies evoking the spirit of American patriotic music" – and the whole thing's recorded on electronic keyboards. Given that this one's on Takoma, you can guess the kind of hippy-dippy folksist influence it might have, which gives the electronic music tracks an even weirder edge. Maybe this is the kind of thing that Ives might have recorded, had he been alive in the 60s! With work by Byrd himself, plus Sousa, Cohan, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal sounds from the great John Fahey – an assemblage of excellent moments from his early Takoma albums – plus one previously-unreleased track! (Folk/Country, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the first material that John Fahey ever issued on album – presented here in two different variations of the original recording! The original Death Chants, Breakdowns, & Military Waltzes was an early Takoma Records release – and like many of them, had a title and a presentation that was a bit mysterious – part of Fahey's emergence from the vintage 78 underground, masquerading as a bit of an enigma – but already setting himself part from anyone else with his amazing work on guitar! The original album was issued in 1963, then re-recorded again in 1967 – with different tracks, and a sound that shows the already-maturing quality of Fahey's instrumentation. This CD presents both volumes – a total of 22 tracks that include "Spanish Dance", "Some Summer Day", "John Henry Variations", "America", "Take A Look At That Baby", "Sunflower River Blues", "When The Springtime Comes Again", "Dance Of The Inhabitants Of King Philip XIV Of Spain", and "On The Beach At Waikiki". (Folk/Country, Rock) CD

A wonderful set from the early 70s – a record that has John Fahey opening up even more than before, on three very long tracks that really extend his ideas into a much more open space! The territory is maybe a bit more in the mode of Robbie Basho or Sandy Bull – and the pieces themselves are dedicated to Fahey's guru, Swami Satchidananda – with some of the Eastern elements you might expect! Yet John's longstanding tradition to reworking an American idiom is still strongly in place – maybe just inflected with a new spirit breathed into the nation in the late 60s – and opened up with wonderful interplay on the strings of the guitar. Titles include "When The Fire & Rose Are One", "Thus Krishna On The Battlefield", and "Fare Forward Voyagers". (Folk/Country, Rock) CD

An explosive album from the mighty John Fahey – and maybe the record in which he starts to really break from tradition – and strongly foreground all the new changes he wanted to bring to acoustic music! There's still a strong Americanist vibe going on here, but Fahey's also stretching things out, improvising a lot more, and really letting some darker corners come forward in his sound – not just on the 19 minute title track, which is a jaw-dropper in and of itself – but also on some of the shorter tracks, as he plays with tape tricks, duets with organ or flute, and even invites the Mysterious Al Wilson along on veena! The whole thing's amazing – exactly the summation of what made Fahey such a unique talent – and titles include "The Great San Bernardino Birthday Party", "Sail Away Ladies", "900 Miles", "Guitar Excursion Into The Unknown", and "Knott's Berry Farm Molly". (Folk/Country, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

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

Brilliant work from the young John Fahey – a record that instantly captures its time-bending feel with its title, and which more than delivers on its promise with the music! The songs here are hardly real "plantation favorites", but Fahey evokes this antebellum sensibility with his sound – pre-blues, pre-folk modes that are actually his own new inventions on the guitar at the time – a cosmic intertwining of tradition and individual vision that was first set fire with records like this, then continued to inspire for decades to come. Fahey plays solo throughout – save for one duet with William Barth – and titles include "Wine & Roses", "How Long", "On The Banks Of The Owchita", 'Worried Blues", "What The Sun Said", "Revelation On The Banks Of The Pawtuxent", "Poor Boy", "Variations On The Coocoo", "The Last Steam Engine Train", "Give Me Corn Bread When I'm Hungry", and "Dance Of Death". (Folk/Country, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work from the young John Fahey – a record that instantly captures its time-bending feel with its title, and which more than delivers on its promise with the music! The songs here are hardly real "plantation favorites", but Fahey evokes this antebellum sensibility with his sound – pre-blues, pre-folk modes that are actually his own new inventions on the guitar at the time – a cosmic intertwining of tradition and individual vision that was first set fire with records like this, then continued to inspire for decades to come. Fahey plays solo throughout – save for one duet with William Barth – and titles include "Wine & Roses", "How Long", "On The Banks Of The Owchita", 'Worried Blues", "What The Sun Said", "Revelation On The Banks Of The Pawtuxent", "Poor Boy", "Variations On The Coocoo", "The Last Steam Engine Train", "Give Me Corn Bread When I'm Hungry", and "Dance Of Death". (Folk/Country, Rock) CD

A split album of genius from the legendary John Fahey – two different sides, in two different styles – both of them great! The first half of the record features beautiful duets with guitarist Woodrow Mann – a deft player who weaves wonderful acoustic sounds around Fahey's own lines – well-matched with the star of the set, but never over-eager to get in his way – with a complimentary style that may well make these duets some of the best that Fahey ever recorded. Side two features some solo numbers from John, and some that hit an older style of jazz in spirit – an extension of the early 20th Century modes explored on some of his Reprise Recordings, but done in a more subtle way that's much more in the Takoma spirit. Additional jazz elements are used on a few tracks – billed to Fahey's "orchestra", but more a small group of trad players – although the album does close on a beautiful extended solo guitar piece. Titles include "Old Fashioned Love", "The Assassination Of Stephan Grossman", "Boodle Am Shake", "Dry Bones In The Valley", "In A Persian Market", and "Jaya Shiva Shankarah". (Folk/Country, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

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

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

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

One of the wildest albums ever from the great Robbie Basho – as you might guess from the cover! Basho first made waves with his solo guitar work (and a bit of vocalizations) for the Takoma label, during the early years of John Fahey – but as the 60s ended, Robbie had more of a spiritual awakening – which really changed up certain aspects of his music. The set's still got some beautiful long-spun guitar passages – acoustic work that makes Basho maybe an even closer tie to Sandy Bull than Fahey – but Robbie also sings a bit too, in this weirdly trilling voice that almost feels as if it's been pulled from some 15th century pagan culture, but infused with a new missionary spirit. Most of the set is instrumental, but these vocal moments are wonderfully haunting too – and titles include "Venus In Cancer", "Eagle Sails The Blue Diamond Waters", "Kowaka D'Amour", "Song For The Queen", "Cathedrals Et Fleur De Lis", and "Wine Song (Sweet Wine Of Love)". (Folk/Country, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of early albums from the great Gordon Giltrap – both released by Transatlantic Records when Gordon was a very young fellow! The self-titled Gordon Giltrap is a gem from 1968 – a record that has Gordon stepping out as a hell of a guitarist, and a very dark-tinged songwriter – certainly of the generation that was budding with John Renbourn and Bert Jansch – but with a distinct quality that really set Giltrap apart from the rest, maybe making him as much of an individualist as Davy Graham! Although just 18, Giltrap's acoustic guitar work is fantastic– and his vocals are much more biting than some of his contemporaries – almost mean at times. Titles include "Window Pattern", "Blythe Hill", "Won't You Stay Awhile Suzanne", "Don't You Feel Good", "Birth Of Spring", "Don't You Hear Your Mother's Voice", and "Ives Horizon". Portrait is an amazing record – at one level filled with mastery of the 12 string guitar has has Gordon Giltrap matching the best of the Takoma generation in the US – but also graced with vocals that are very distinct, very pointed, and which make the tunes with lyrics such a contrast to the instrumentals! The whole thing is fantastic – a true testament to the legend that has grown up around Giltrap over the years – with titles that include "Thoughts In The Rain", "Never Ending Solitude", "Young Love", "Lucifer's Cage", "Portrait", "Tuxedo", and "Hands Of Fate". CD

A startlingly great mid 70s loner folk record by Scott Key – with some of the finest, most artful fingerstyle guitar we've heard on a self-recorded album from the period – and a really strong record that would be right at home on the Takoma label! Recorded in Colorado by Key himself, who plays acoustic guitar and bottleneck slide on songs that reveal a masterful acoustic guitar player, as well as creative ear for drones and post-psych effects. Occasionally has vocals, but it's a largely instrumental effort – and a brilliant one! Titles include "Cat Soup", "Buzzard Blues", "The Laughing Cowboy", "The Moonshiners Are Gone", "Goon Lagoon", "This Forest And The Sea" and more. 5 bonus tracks on this great CD version from Lion: "Hungry Joe's Birds", "One Great Sin", "Just A Song For You", "The Farm Report" and "Jabberwocky". (Folk/Country, Rock) CD

A record that really takes off nicely in the sort of acoustic territory first explored in the American underground of the 60s and 70s – evolving past some of the solo modes of contemporary musicians who might be a bit too tied to a Takoma aesthetic, while still showing that deft performance is still at the core of a record like this! Elijah McLaughlin plays both 6 and 12 string guitars – but almost always with contributions that include his own sonic touches on electronics, effects, tape loops, and even field recordings – augmented by hammered dulcimer from Joel Styzens, piano from Adler Scheidt, bass from Jason Toth, and cello and a bit of effects from Katinka Klejin. At times, there's a very melodic vibe, other moments are more subtle and woven together – on titles that include "Braided River", "Point Of Departure", "Headwaters", "Parallax", and the very long "Coloring Of Lake/Sky". (Jazz, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous acoustic guitar work from Dennis Taylor – an obscure player who issued this own album himself in a very small edition – but one we'd rank right up there with some of the bigger giants of the solo acoustic universe! At some level, Taylor's got a lot of Alex DeGrassi in his mode – that more deft, layered style that was emerging from the American acoustic underground at the end of the 70s – but he also has an ability to maybe step back for some of the more offbeat, introspective qualities of the generation before – not Takoma Records exactly, but clearly with an experimental ear that continues to keep things interesting throughout. A great lost classic, and one of those records that really blows you away when you remember that you're just hearing one guy, on one instrument – on titles that include "Going Nowhere Fast", "Bicycle Town", "Roses Of Thy Garden", "Spanish Dancer", "Reflection Of The Dayspring", "In The Silence", and "From The East To The West". (Folk/Country, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Volumes 1-3 in Tompkins Square's masterful compilations of both rare vintage and the deepest modern acoustic guitar folk experimental instrumentals – in a single package that's a perfect intro to the series if you're like us and late to get in on it! The material is in the Takoma Records realm of adventurous, genre melding (or skirting) greatness – stunning stuff that blends older recordings by masters both iconic and obscure, newer recordings by pivotal figures, and modern work by younger artists that are just as awe inspiring, and the mix of old and new is seamless! Volume 1 includes "Imaginational Anthem" by Max Ochs, "Bouba's Bounce" by Brad Barr, "White Mule III" by Jack Rose, "Untitled" by Sandy Bull, "O Holy Night" by John Fahey and more. Volume 2 includes "River Of Heaven By James Blackshaw, "Future Shot At Life" by Peter Lang, "Leaving The Apple" by Michael Chapman and more. Volume 3 includes "Zocalo" by Richard Crandell, "Sleep Architecture" by Greg Davis, "Goblins" by George Stavis, "Texarkana 1971" by Shawn David McMillen and much more. (Folk/Country, Rock) CD