Reviews (1)

A Compilation Worth Checking Out !
This 2cd compilation was released to celebrate Topic Records sixtieth birthday , but I suppose it`s really an introductory cd to the delights of Topic`s rich array of artists , and the legacy that they`ve left over the last forty years .

If you`re open minded to music , you`ll discover over 2 hours of ecletic folk music performed by some of the finest talent that the British Isles , and Ireland has to offer .

This cd is a great listening experience in it`s own right , but once these songs are etched in your brain , you`ll be out hunting down the original Topic albums that they came from .

Go on , buy it , it`s cheap enough ! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Laid Back and Unpretentious
But a lot of fun at times. All of these selections were recorded live in a small (and extremely relaxed) radio studio. The results range from charming to just sloppy. It's particularly refreshing to hear a different side of the more well-known performers (Muldaur, Danko and Kaukonen) without the usual bells and whistles. Muldaur's performance is particularly engaging. At it's best, this CD makes you feel like you're sitting in the artist's living room, a friend more than an audience member. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It was distinctly ironic: at the very zenith of America'spostwar space-age love affair with TV, 3-D, and rock & roll (and otherdisposable cultural ephemera), a grassroots movement set out torecapture the country's lost musical heritage. These curious minds notonly found it in a wealth of seemingly forgotten protest songs,spiritual blues, and country laments, but also forged new songs in itsimage. That this crusade sprang from lower Manhattan's WashingtonSquare and the doorstep of New York University made the paradox all thesweeter. Ted Myers, the producer of this triple-disc anthology, grew upjust blocks from the epicenter of that folk-quake, and his generoussense of place and time permeates this rich collection. Generallymisunderstood and historically pigeonholed, the era finally gets itsdue, chronicled here by 72 tracks that extend far beyond theroots-conscious work of Woody Guthrie, theWeavers, Ramblin' JackElliott, and Pete Seeger on onehand, and the more popular material by the Kingston Trio, Limeliters, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan on theother. Culturally, the Folk movement was the alt-rock of its day--ifeminently more conscious of history and politically committed.Musically, it encompassed an ethos that enthusiastically blurred theboundaries between blues, Appalachian ballads, jug music, pure country,honky-tonk, work songs, and even unbridled novelty; this set exploresthem all, often with a palpable sense of discovery. Historically, themovement championed preservation at the same time it gleefully tweakedold sensibilities in pursuit of new inspiration. Listen and you'll hearmusic that became touchstones for artists as diverse as the Byrds, Roberta Flack, Rod Stewart,and--wittingly or not--every passionate coffeehouse minstrel who's strode onstage with a guitar ever since. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Best folk revival anthology ever!!
Since CDs started predominating the form in which music is available to the consumer, there have been many folk reissues. But this one is by far, the best collection of reissues I've seen or heard. It's only problem -- if it's even a problem -- is that after you've listened to all 72 tracks, you're left wanting more. The sound quality too is excellent. Go for it!

A Satisfying Compendium
About 6 years ago, I bought Rhino's "Troubadours of the Folk Era" CD's. They introduced me to many folk singers whom I now know intimately. Taking that one better, Rhino now has this 3 CD set with pictures, liner notes and personal essays. Buyer beware, if you do have the Troubadours CD's, you may be disappointed to learn that many of the same recordings do pop up here. The good news is that there is a wealth of other material here to select from. Joni Mitchell is explained as not appearing due to licensing restrictions in this collection, yet oddly, she appeared on the Troubadour series. Conversely, Dylan appears here although he was not on Troubadours. The times are a'changin' I guess. I do have some minor quibbles with the material selected... "There but for Fortune" is not, in my opinion, the best Joan Baez choice for this collection, as it was released later in the 60's and doesn't have as much of that Washington Square flavor as say, "We Shall Overcome" or any of her broadside ballads do. Also, why do they select "Codine" from Buffy Sainte Marie, which is one of the hardest songs of hers to appreciate at first listening? Also, with lesser known artists such as Judy henske whose older material is NOT available on CD, why do we have "High Flying Bird" yet again, as on Troubadours? It's an amazing song, but for those of us starved for Henske, another selection would have been adequate.

That said, this is still worth having, for its historical impact and musical pleasure. Enjoy!

Boomer nostalgia trip
I can't write about this CD in the third person as the other reviewers have because many of the songs bring up vivid memories of the singers and other events happening at the time that were related to those songs. I'm listening to this CD at work, and I would have gotten through all three CDs if I didn't keep repeating some of the songs endlessly. As one who owned about half of these songs on LP, if I were to create a CD with representative songs of the era, many of the same songs would be on it.

Some of my all time favoritesongs are included like "Pack up your sorrows," "Thirsty boots," and "I can't help but wonder where I'm bound." These are on CDs I've already bought, but it is still great to have them all in one place. Other's enter my CD collection for the first time. Finally "Reason to believe," "Suzanne," "Hard Traveling," "Euphoria," "Sing and turn Jubilee" and "The motorcycle song" can be played in the car.

If you are new to this music or this era, this is just a sampling. Some of these artists you will probably want in more depth. When they play "Cod'ine," I want to run home to also hear Buffy Sainte-Marie sing "Pineywood hills" and "Until it's time for me to go." But start here, it's a great introduction. It's hard for me to listen to "Four strong winds" without also hearing "Early morning rain," but if you've never heard Ian & Sylvia, this is one of the two best songs to start with.

If you grew up/old with this music too, how can you resist?

Was it that long ago?
It is encouraging that this set may have been prompted by success of "The Best of Braodside" out on Folkways last year. In this case you get a pretty panoramic look at folk based music in the early 60s and people are certain to disagree on what is good or bad, should be in or should be out. The bottom line is that no matter what your point of view there is a lot of high quality music here and a good look at how folk music planted seeds for a lot of what is still happening in contemporary music. It was a great time, it was (and is) great music and one thing that can be agreed upon is that having Judy Henske's "High Flying Bird" back in print is a real important plus.

revive us again
The New York Times this week refers to the "new folk revival." Even from that elevated vantage it is clear that rooted sounds are rising from the ground once more, and that's a cause for rejoicing. Along with it, there's what might be called a folk-revival revival, a growing interest in the legendary folksong movement that reached its apex in the early to mid-1960s, leaving an indelible mark on American popular music ever after.

This welcome, (mostly) judiciously selected collection of songs covers the early revival and follows it to its end, just as "folk" was being redefined as a vehicle for personal introspection rather than as a traditional, communal form of expression. Anyone who was touched by the revival, or who is curious to know what it was about, should claim Washington Square Memoirs as quickly as it takes to retrieve cash, check, or credit card.

Now the inevitable quibbles about choices: Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, and Simon and Garfunkel aren't here because the editors couldn't get legal clearance, so their absence is excusable. But why not Leonard Cohen? And why Bob Gibson's dopey "Fog Horn" and not Patrick Sky's great reading of "Reuben" or, failing that, "Cape Cod Girls"? Why Ed McCurdy's pedestrian "Darlin' Corey" and not his sterling version of "The Two Sisters"? Why not a less dated, more interesting Paul Siebel song than the mopish hippie ode "Then Came the Children" -- say, "Louise" or "Long Afternoons" or "My Town"? And it is hard to think or speak or write of the Limeliters' arrangement of "The Wabash Cannonball" without conjuring up the adjective "hideous."

As one listens to these three discs, sometimes it is best to keep historical value as much as musical virtue in mind. You might say, if you're in a charitable frame of mind, that some of these songs -- the Big Three's "Nora's Dove (Dink's Song)" and Gibson and Camp's "Betty and Dupree" for two examples -- lose something in the translation from gritty folk plaint to pretty pop tune. Still, there are pleasures to be had in unexpected places. Not having heard the song for some 35 years, I was shocked at the lump in my throat as I was reintroduced to the Chad Mitchell Trio's earnest "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream" (a once widely sung anti-war anthem and campfire song [composed by Ed McCurdy], for those of you too young to know what I'm talking about). And there's the almost maddeningly infectious melody of the Kingston Trio's "Molly Dee" (written by a very young John Stewart). Lucinda Williams has never been accused of writing maddeningly -- or even pleasantly -- memorable melodies. Maybe these uncool guys with crew cuts and striped shirts were on to something after all.

Most of the music, though, lays claim to artistic seriousness and esthetic achievement. Lots of highlights, from the familiar to the obscure, and some happy surprises, such as the revelation of Judy Henske's excellence; her bluesy reading of Billy Edd Wheeler's "High Flying Bird" has an emotional and intellectual depth that probably didn't even shine as vague glimmer in the collective imagination of the Journeymen. Dylan, Dave Van Ronk, Ian and Sylvia, Koerner, Ray, and Glover, the late Fred Neil, Tom Rush, Odetta, Taj Mahal, Tom Paxton, Kweskin's Jug Band, and other giants of the revival deliver the goods (though -- so kill me -- Joan Baez bores as always). A special delight is the inclusion of the undeservedly forgotten Kathy and Carol's gorgeously harmonized "Wondrous Love," and it's good, too, to be reminded that there once was an Even Dozen Jug Band -- but jeez, why the merely decent "Take Your Fingers Off It" and not the hilariously inspired "Evolution Mama"? Ah, well, complain and listen and smile. Damn if it isn't true, but -- in the Weavers' words -- wasn't that a time? ... Read more

Album Description

International Folk Dance Mixer ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Wrong music to song titles
The music samples I heard here couldn't be from this CD! I am a folkdance teacher and am familiar with these tunes listed. The samples do not match!However,this may be a mistake of when it went online, not the fault of the CD. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

National Council for the Traditional Arts strike gold
The National Council for the Traditional Arts (www.ncta.net) has struck gold in them thar hills ... in the persons of: Wayne Henderson plays guitar with the speed of a banjo - thumb and finger picks; John Cephas of Cephas and Wiggins is a Piedmont blues player. Wiggins makes appearances with his harmonica;Eddie Pennington plays in a thumb-picking style, providing his own bass line on either acoustic or electric guitars;Johnny Bellar plays the Dobro or resophonic guitar as well as lap steel guitar and bass; Linda Lay adds voices and guitar; her husband David provides rythmn guitar.

All have strong credentials as traditional musicians - very traditional, superb musicians. The result is an album with no weak cuts. They are as comfortable on fiddle tunes (I Don't Love Nobody) as with Stamps-Baxter gospel music (Where the Roses Never Fade) as with their own compositions (Northern Lights) as with covers of traditional blues (Cannonball Blues) etc. ...

Personal favorites are Heaven and Walking Mama. The only "problem" with the collection is that it makes you sorry you missed the tour. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Amazing collection of rare political songs
This 10 CD set includes some very rare political songs. Many can be considered "folk songs" although there are also some rarities like classical-oriented Communist Party songs. If one is interested in the Almanac Singers, the early recordings of Josh White, or Peekskill, this is a must have. The book which accompanies the collection is very informative. I only give the collection 4 stars instead of 5 since there are some songs which do not hold up so well after so many years, but overall this is fantastic compilation. ... Read more

Album Description

Tom Waits, Charlie Musselwhite, Johnny Otis, Holly Near, David Grisman, Audrey Auld, & Camper Van Beethoven are among the Northern California artists contributing songs to this tremendous benefit CD for KRCB Radio. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A visionary fiddler's concept-album masterpiece.
My eariest recollection of Darol Anger as one of the world's most unique fiddlers goes back nearly two decades, with the Windham Hill release of "Live at Montreux," featuring the Darol Anger/Barbara Higbie Quintet. To this day, I still pull this CD out, if only to play "Near Northern," a true classic of its genre. But that album had been released in the early, "good" days of Windham Hill, when the label had been the pet project and unique vision of Will Ackerman and Anne Robinson. Absent their subsequent leadership, the label veered off-base as far as my musical tastes were concerned. And, consequently, I lost track of Darol for more than a decade.

Then, about four years ago, while in the evening "commuter rush," I had the opportunity to hear samples of "Heritage," with commentary by Darol, on the daily NPR "All Things Considered" show. And the little I was able to hear immediately convinced me that I needed to hear more.

With those musical snippets bouncing around in my head, I couldn't find my own copy of the album fast enough. And, once I had my own copy in hand, and had heard it through, I later ended up purchasing the better part of a dozen copies, both for friends in the music industry who had done something similar and for other friends who I also figured would like it. (They ALL liked it.)

In a sense, this turned out to be a "musical reunion" album for me, with session work by Paul McCandless of Oregon (and formerly the Paul Winter Consort), the best oboist on the planet, Edgar Meyer (now, already, a legend), Béla Fleck (ditto), Mavis Staples (ditto), Willie Nelson (ditto), Michael Doucet (ditto), Mike Marshall (ditto), David Grisman (ditto), Andy Narell (ditto), and on and on... Several of these artists, like Darol, were remembered, with fondness on my part, from their Windham Hill days as well.

"Heritage" will always be my personal favorite "roots" album, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (OBWAT) and others in the genre notwithstanding. A full story of the musical roots of the album can be found at the "Heritage" page at the Six Degrees Records label website. The story is very interesting; permit me to simply state that the concept is to tie together all of the roots of American folk music, with the famous folk song "Shenandoah" as its unifying thread, and move on to the music itself, touching on what are the highlights for me.

The album both opens and closes with statements of the "Shenandoah" theme as sung by Jane Siberry, first with a nicely understated introduction by Phil Aaberg on piano, and then, in the closer (where the "oral" tradition of passing down roots music from one generation to the next is depicted in a "mother teaches daughter" way), with beautifully shaded steel pan work by Andy Narell. And in between these two "album covers" are some incredible gems. I won't be granted the webpage space to describe all of them, so I'll just say a sentence or two about my own personal favorites.

Mary Chapin Carpenter singing "Pretty Polly": Some of the greatest recording effects I've ever heard. And Chapin Carpenter's voice, and the arrangement, are splendid here.

Paul McCandless ripping on penny whistle and bass clarinet in "Down In The Willow Garden": A delightful romp that puts the lie to the statement that this guy's "merely" the best oboist on the planet.

Willie Nelson singing "Hard Times Come Again No More": This is vintage Willie. (Interesting, as an aside, is the fact that James Taylor sings the same song on the O'Connor/Meyer/Ma "Appalachian Journey" album.)

Darol and Michael Doucet sawing (and singing) away on "La Ville des Manteau": Simply the best Cajun two-step I've ever heard.

Mavis Staples singing "Oh, Death": The version on OBWAT has to take its place in line behind this authoritative rendition.

The Nashville Lumberyard (Darol, Vassar Clements, John Hartford, Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, Tim O'Brien, Matt Glaser) with yet more "sawing away" on the classic "Golden Slippers."

Tim O'Brien singing another classic, "The Water Is Wide," in a style that can best be described as "antidotal if not antipodal" to the version that Pete Seeger sings on his "Pete" album (on the Living Music label).

I know I've missed some folks, and some good tracks, here, in picking my faves, and to them I apologize. But "space is space" and "a thousand words or less" it needs to be.

This whole album is a labor of love, an act of integrity, and, far more importantly, a uniquely personal vision of its creator. All of the roots tunes here, after having been refracted through Darol's musical prism, emerge transmogrified but otherwise unscathed.

The best roots album ever? It sure gets my vote. It's anything BUT "Sadly, a dud," as one reviewer below unfortunately characterizes it. Thanks, Darol.

Sadly, a dud.
This project looks so promising. Get together some fine instrumentalists, invite some famous singers, work over some classic tunes. Well, the instrumental tracks are fine (Anger plays well throughout). Everything else -- with the exception of Willie Nelson's affecting reading of 'Hard Times Come Again No More' -- is rotten. Jane Sibbery makes an utter mess of 'Shenandoah' -- hard to do, as anyone who can hold a tune can make this song work. The reprise, which features Sibbery teaching the tune to an infant, is embarrassingly awful. And Tim O'Brien should buy Sheila Jordan's 'Lost and Found' -- he might get some ideas on how to sing 'The Water is Wide'. Those unfamiliar with these beautiful tunes will get the wrong impression; those who love them should steer well clear.

Heritage
I didn't think anyone could match Judy Collin's interpretation of Pretty Polly until I heard Mary Chapin Carpenter on this CD. Wonderful sampling of folk artists interpreting traditional songs. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Since the dawn of the 78 record, the instrumental Yiddish folk music known as klezmer has seen its ups and downs. But thankfully, like the entire Jewish culture that fostered it, klezmer has persevered and along the way influenced how some of us hear jazz, bluegrass, even comedy. Ignore the scratches and pops of the 78s, and you will hear why klezmer is a timeless yet progressive music, built upon improvisation. For its sheer diversity, this collection of early recorded klezmer--taken from the vast music library of Dr. Martin Schwartz--has no rivals. On the opening cut from 1923, Jacob Hoffman plays a furious xylophone solo; on 1916's "Yiddisch Chusedel," Max Leibowitz plays the fiddle backed only by the rock-steady rhythm of a piano; and Joseph Solinksi brings a thoroughly haunting violin solo to "Rumanische Fantasien (Part 1)" that doesn't sound at all like it came from 1911. Klezmer greats get their due props, too: tracks by Dave Tarras, Naftule Brandwein, and a handful of Abe Schwartz compositions give the compilation its backbone. As with most good klezmer tunes, there's joy to be found in this music, and sadness, too; but on this set, variety reigns supreme and steals the show. Absolutely essential for klezmer enthusiasts. --Jason Verlinde ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent Source Recording
This is a definite must if you want to learn klezmer from the old school (78's). This is the stuff most modern klezmer players go to in order to find material and learn how to play it authentically. There are also some really cool solos and players here. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Reviewer in Cambridge Mass
An amazing compilation of national and boston area female singers, whose proceeds benefit Boston center that provides help to battered women. Album includes hauntingly beautiful cut by Merrie Amsterburg "World of Our Own Making," Melissa Ferrick performing an amazing accoustic version of her "Everything I Need," as well as contributions by rising stars in Boston's flourishing music scene. A great variety of songs that rock and incredibly beautiful ballads. A must-buy CD!

Awesome CD
I am not normally a fan of women folk singers but this CD is absolutely one of the best CDs I have listened to. There's not a single song on it that I don't like. And even better- it supports such a wonderful cause. In this day and age of violent lyrics and harsh music this CD is a refreshing change- you have to buy it!

Equal To Lilith Fair Concert Records
Honestly, this is as good or beyond the quality of the Lilith Fair CDs I have of those concerts. Getting such exceptional folk performers in one package is unusual. And New England seems like it's almost the official headquarters for most of the really fine singer-songwriters: Melissa Ferrick, Patty Larkin, Merrie Amsterburg, Jennifer Kimball, you name 'em.

Now More Than Ever Before¿Instead of Eminem
If you are saddened and dismayed by things like Eminem, this is the album to buy to save some lives that could be ruined or destroyed by misogyny. The Patty Larkin song alone is worth it but all the rest are brave and beautiful.

You've gotta get this CD!
This is a must buy! Every artist featured on this CD is uniquely different, yet share a common ground of making a difference to battered women and children. This is what today's music should be about! If you are reading this, and you haven't purchased this CD...now is the time! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Don't let the cover art fool you, this is the real deal
I was skeptical when I purchased this CD, nervous that the recordings would be scratchy and obscure versions. Nope. This CD is wonderful if you like the roots of folk. It's one of those CDs that when it finishes you're ready to listen to it again. Even though it has 14 quality tracks it seems like a tease, like it should've been a double album. The cover art may be bad but the music definitely makes up for it. ... Read more