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Michael Dregni
Richard Thompson – Industry and Watching the Dark
Richard Thompson has always been an idiosyncratic musician, and the release of this CD finds him at perhaps his most eccentric – and creative. In fact, this CD was too far out for Capitol, who has released several of Thompson’s recent…err, mainstream, discs; Capitol passed on it, and Hannibal/Rykodisc happily snatched it up. Teamed with…
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Michael Dregni
Deborah Coleman – Livin’ On Love
Groovy is the word for Deborah Coleman. She’s got the hip sensibility of Joan Armatrading blended with the blues groove of B.B. King. The result is music that moves you. When Coleman released her major-label debut, I Can’t Lose, in ’97, VG‘s review announced, “Deborah Coleman is a triple threat. She combines fresh songwriting, soulful…
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Michael Dregni
Tony Green – Gypsy Jazz
New Orleans artist/guitarist Tony Green has crafted a masterpiece of swinging gypsy jazz with this CD. He covers three Django Reinhardt tunes, as well as songs by Sidney Bechet, a variety of traditional waltzes and lullabies, and one original piece. The songs come to life through Green’s beautiful guitar style, emphasizing melody and emotion over…
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Michael Dregni
J.J. Cale – The Very Best of J.J. Cale
Most folks probably know J.J. Cale best by the covers recorded of his songs, from Eric Clapton’s versions of Cale’s “Cocaine” and “After Midnight” to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Call Me the Breeze.” That’s a shame, because Cale is one of hell of a guitarist and songwriter and musician in his own right. I’d even hazard to…
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Michael Dregni
Otis Rush & Magic Sam – Classic Cobra 56-58 and Cobra and Chief 57-19
These two collections of early sides by the great guitarists Otis Rush and “Magic” Sam Maghett are pure fire-and-brimstone blues. They showcase the artists when they were young and had everything to prove. The Otis Rush CD is truly stellar. Included are 24 tracks packed onto one disc, which includes seven alternate takes. These have…
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Michael Dregni
John Mayall – Best: 64-69, Drivin’ On: ABC 75-82, Silver Tones: Deram, MCA, Silvertone
The flurry of greatest hits collections showcasing John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers is exciting – and confusing. Here’s a quick primer. The first Best of covers 1964-’69 and features many of the songs and band groupings Mayall is most famous for – Clapton on cuts from the “Beano” LP, Peter Green’s work, and the earliest…
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Michael Dregni
Ry Cooder et. al. – Buena Vista Social Club
Ry Cooder has big ears. He hears music from far away, music that most of us never even sense. And he brings it to us. Spreading the gospel, as it were. Through his collaborations with Mali’s Ali Farka Toure on Talking Timbuktu and India’s V. M. Bhatt on A Meeting by the River, Cooder has…
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Michael Dregni
Martin Taylor & David Grisman Acoustic Jazz Quartet – I’m Beginning to See the Light
David Grisman and Martin Taylor had such a good time creating their Tone Poems II album they decided to not stop there. That first album was a showcase for a stellar collection of great acoustic jazz guitars, mandolins, mandolas, and mandocellos – as well as the fretmen’s fine playing. This new album is simply more…
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Michael Dregni
Muddy Waters & Big Bill Morganfield – Rollin’ Stone: The Golden Anniversary Collection &
These two CDs mark two generations of bluesmen covering the roots and the future of the blues. McKinley Morganfield, better known by his grandmother’s nickname for him as Muddy Waters, is the father of Big Bill Morganfield, who has recently burst onto the blues scene with a debut album and this sophmore effort. Muddy Waters…
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Michael Dregni
Jim Beloff – Jim’s Dog Has Fleas
Jim Beloff has a love affair with the ukulele. Ever since he stumbled on one at a flea market, he has devoted his life to the instrument’s legacy. Beloff has organized several collections of ukulele songbooks and a single method book. In addition, his colorful, stylish, and thoroughly enjoyable history, The Ukulele: A Visual History,…
