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Steven Stone
Sarah Harmer – You Were Here
Canadian musicians have long found it necessary to come south to the US of A if they want to make it big. Sarah Harmer is one of a long line of Canadians lured stateside by the siren’s song music machine. Like fellow Canadians, the Bare Naked Ladies, her music is intelligent, quirky, and very much
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Steven Stone
Gibson J-185
The Gibson J-185 Revisited
One of the most-fabled flat-top guitars Gibson ever produced is the Gibson J-185. Introduced in 1951, and discontinued in ’59, only 270 natural-finish and 648 sunburst J-185s were made. Guitarists from delta bluesman Skip James to Sons of the Pioneers guitarist Ken Curtis played it as their instrument of choice. Why? In the words of
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Steven Stone
Gibson J-185
The Gibson J-185 Revisited
One of the most-fabled flat-top guitars Gibson ever produced is the Gibson J-185. Introduced in 1951, and discontinued in ’59, only 270 natural-finish and 648 sunburst J-185s were made. Guitarists from delta bluesman Skip James to Sons of the Pioneers guitarist Ken Curtis played it as their instrument of choice. Why? In the words of
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Steven Stone
Newport Folk Festival
Bluegrass/Blues Elementals Before Farm Aid, Telluride, or even Woodstock, there was the Newport Folk Festival. Begun in the late ’50s, this yearly gathering molded and defined a generation’s tastes in music. It was the all-star event of roots music. Vanguard’s just-released pair of three-CD sets, one for blues and one for bluegrass, let us hear
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Steven Stone
Various Artists – Concerts for a Landmine-Free World
Ever since the first Farm Aid concert, musical extravaganzas for worthy causes have become standard fare. Concerts for a Landmine-Free World is different from the usual star-studded gangbang because it features roots-oriented artists. The biggest “celebrity” you’ll find is Emmylou Harris, who leads off the CD with “The Pearl.” Other artists include John Prine, Guy
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Steven Stone
Sean Watkins – Let It Fall
Sean Watkins is one third of the young Grammy-nominated supergroup Nickel Creek. Along with his sister Sara and mando phenom Chris Thile, they’ve lit up the festival circuit with fresh musical energy. Let it Fall is Sean’s first solo album, and it showcases his superb chops and mature musical sensibilities. All but one of the
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Steven Stone
John Gorka – The Company You Keep
John Gorka is the energizer bunny of singer/songwriters. He just keeps going and going. Each new release not only equals the quality of his last, but exceeds it. The Company You Keep is John’s eighth album. It features not only superb songwriting, but sterling performances. While some songwriters create great melodies, Gorka’s forté is his
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Steven Stone
Clarence White – 33 Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals
33 Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals came from a cassette tape discovered in Clarence’s personal archives after his untimely death. These home recordings feature him playing lead guitar accompanied by Roger Bush on rhythm for a number of bluegrass standards. All the songs are tantalizingly brief. The longest, “In the Pines,” runs a mere 2:11. The format
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Steven Stone
The Kentucky Colonels – Legendary Live Recordings
The Kentucky Colonels Living in the Past: Legendary Live Recordings is made up of tapes from seven different shows in 1961, ’63, ’64, and ’65. Material is from performances at venues in California and New York. Most of the CD is from a ’65 performance, and was originally recorded in mono. Along with a classic
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Steven Stone
Keith Whitley – Sad Songs and Waltzes
The late Keith Whitley, who died at age 33 of acute alcohol poi-soning, was an example of why it isn’t always a good idea to try to live your lyrics if you’re country music singer. He started as a child, singing on the radio by age nine, and at 15 he was touring with Ralph
