I saw Phil Lee before he died! - Review of Phil Lee and Steve Mckeand @ The Greenhouse, Dingwall 30/01/2012

"The last month at The Greenhouse has been a rather musical one, with the move of the Medicine Show sessions to the Dingwall-based community shop. Earlier in January, we had Nashville country singer/songwriter, Mike Cullison, and gypsy jazz quartet, The Highland Hot Club, both take to the stage of The…

PAUL BURCH — WORDS OF LOVE : SONGS OF BUDDY HOLLY (Self-Released)

www.paulburch.com 

In celebration of what would have been Buddy Holly’s 75^th birthday, if he had lived, East Nashville singer-songwriter Paul Burch for once shelved his own compositions in favour of paying homage to Lubbock, Texas’ favourite son, Charles Harding Holley otherwise know as Buddy Holly. It was only after a spelling error he decided to drop the ‘e’ and…

NANCI GRIFFITH —INTERSECTION (Proper Records)

http://www.NanciGriffith.com

www.properuk.com 

It has been quite some time since Nanci Griffith has made an album as strong and consistent as Intersection. That is the good news; bad news is how it came about. For Griffith speaks of ‘I’ve had a hard life, and write it down’ on the title-track, and how the…

Freight Train Boogie Show #151 with Darrell Scott, Jackstraw, Amelia White, Folk Uke & Tom Gillam

FTB podcast #151 features the new album by DARRELL SCOTT entitled Long Ride Home. Also new music from JACKSTRAW, AMELIA WHITE and CORNFLOWER BLUE. Here's the…

Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three Single News & Updated Tour Information

Since there Later With Jools Hootenanny performance Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three appear to have made a major impact on UK music lovers. Their upcoming March dates have seen rapid ticket sales resulting in sold out shows and venue changes due to excessive demand.  The…

Judie Tzuke – ‘One Tree Less’ album and UK tour

 A year after the release of her wonderful, retrospective album, 'Moon on a Mirrorball' Judie Tzuke is back with an enchanting new album, 'One Tree Less'.  Best known for the huge hit single 'Stay With Me Till Dawn', top 10 albums, including the classic, 'Welcome to…

Tristan Mackay: Out Along The Wire

www.tristanmackay.com

I don’t know if the pop music market is overcrowded with the modern male singer-songwriter type (James Blunt et al) but, if there’s room for one more, then Tristan Mackay’s impressively accomplished debut album should put him in the frame for some serious radio attention. In a classic case of many years’ hard graft paving the way…

Grainne Duffy -- Test Of Time (GD Records) and English dates!!

 www.grainneduffy.com

Test Of Time is Irish singer songwriter Grainne Duffy’s second album and showcases her roots in blues, soul and Celtic music. Going from the soft rock of Everyday and What More Can I Do to the gritty blues rock of the grinding Rockin’ Rollin’ Stone and the churning rocker Please Take Care, there is one constant; her husky vocal. This will bring…

RAUL MALO —AROUND THE WORLD (Decca)

www.raulmalo.com   

When it comes to serving up what the public craves, Raul Malo of the Mavericks knows it better than most. His wonderful, hugely distinctive baritone voice is able at a heartbeat, to stop you in your tracks. His ability to transform a song and shape it to suit himself has long made him a favourite of the connoisseur of song. Aided by his Cuban linage and…

Low Country Dates this month for Hymn for Her

http://hymnforher.com

Lucy Tight & Wayne Waxing are "Hymn For Her", a band that hails from anywhere they can park their trailer. H4H live, tour and record in their 16 foot, 1961 Bambi Airstream (comes with dog and baby). Their recent release, 'Lucy & Wayne and THE AMAIRICAN STREAM' was entirely recorded in their classic trailer on…

TPR#74 Hymn For Her

On episode 74 of the Taproot Podcast, Lucy Tight and Wayne Waxing from Hymn For Her, how they met and started making music together; their evolution from folk duo to lo-fi rock band; and recording in their airstream…

VARIOUS —LET THE LIGHT SHINE DOWN A Gospel Tribute To BILL MONROE (Rebel)

http://www.rebelrecords.com

Here we have the Gospel Tribute to Bill Monroe and what a magical affair it is.  As you have Smiley & Reno, Don Reno, The Stanley Brothers, Ralph Stanley, Del McCoury, The Country Gentlemen, The Lilly Brothers and The Seldom Scene among others all under the one roof perform songs either written by Monroe or popularised by him.

Bluegrass gospel music has long held…

VARIOUS —WITH SOUL AND BODY A Bluegrass Tribute To BILL MONROE (Rebel)

www.rebelrecords.com 

With Body And Soul is one of two tribute releases put out by Rebel records last year to mark the 100^th anniversary of Bill Monroe’s birth, this 17-track collection is culled from the label’s back catalogue. Some tracks go back as far as 1973 as in when the late, tenor vocalist John Duffy leads the Washington DC ensemble The Seldom Scene…

RUTH MOODY —THE GARDEN (Red House Records)

Anthony Toner: A Light Below The Door

www.anthonytoner.net

          Musically, there’s a quiet understatement in this work, even on the upbeat numbers – he’s not a man to beat you around the head with a big noise. There are echoes of other great songwriters in his approach; trumpets and saxophones on some songs might remind you of…

Tom Mason: The Blue Buccaneer

www.tommason.net 

I once met a man who believed he was a Roman centurion in a previous life – seriously – and if Tom Mason doesn’t actually believe he was a pirate in a previous life then I think he wishes he was. Tom Mason is a very fine guitarist (not to mention mandolin, banjo etc.) who’s an established part of the East Nashville family. Amongst the…

Todd Novak with The Clinch Mountain Boys: Raspberry Moonshine

http://toddnovakmusic.com/   

This is a blast of fresh air: half an hour or so of exuberant mountain music played with a huge sense of fun and a real rocking drive. Todd Novak's day job is as the front man for The Cowlicks, but long association with  Ralph Stanley and his family (including playing at Dr Ralph's birthday party) has led to this album being made with The…

Madison Violet & Rebecca Pronsky at Cluny II, Newcastle

Madison Violet
Cluny II, Newcastle.
January 28th

Alan Harrison

     I shouldn’t have been too surprised to find a queue stretching down three flights of stairs to the basement of Cluny II following Madison Violet’s fantastic performance last year at the tiny Central Bar.
      All of the seats were full and people were still filing in when Rebecca Pronsky and her guitarist Rich Bennett took to the stage, with the New Yorker chatting non-stop as she tuned her…

Tom Russell at Gateshead Old Town Hall

Tom Russell
Gateshead Old Town Hall
January 20th 2012

Alan Harrison

     It doesn’t seem 5 minutes since Tom Russell was playing the exact same venue to about 100 people and tonight was a complete sell-out which bode well for Roots music in the North East.
      With no support…

Zoe Muth & the Lost High Rollers at Saltburn Community Arts Centre

Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers
Saltburn Community Theatre, Teesside
Sunday 23rd January
Alan Harrison

       I don’t know if this was meant to be a ‘secret gig’ or not but it certainly felt that way; especially as Saltburn by the Sea is normally off the…