Blink
Blink: Blink (2011)
Blink is one of the recent student projects to come out of the Nordic Master program. With a well-chosen set of traditional tunes and well-crafted originals, this recording demonstrates a blend of all-around musical skill and good taste, and shows why national folk music academies are valuable to all of us. Read my full review of Blink and listen to samples in RootsWorld magazine.
Hal Cannon
Hal Cannon: Hal Cannon (2011)
Hal Cannon is best known as the founding director of the annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada. He has been collecting songs and stories from the people of the American West for the past three decades. This self-titled CD is his debut recording as a solo artist, and it was one of my favorite recordings of 2011. Read my full review of Hal Cannon and listen to the album streaming on RootsWorld magazine.
John McCutcheon
John McCutcheon – This Land: Woody Guthrie’s America (2011)
July 14th, 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of Woody Guthrie’s birth. While there will undoubtedly be a number of musical tributes leading up to that day, This Land: Woody Guthrie’s America from John McCutcheon will stand out. Read my full review of This Land, watch a video of “Pretty Boy Floyd,” and listen to more music on RootsWorld.
Fiolministeriet
Fiolministeriet: Fiolministeriet (2011)
Fiolministeriet is a string trio from Denmark who have taken traditional dance music and used their classical training to bring together the best of the dance hall and the concert hall. Read my full review of Fiolministeriet’s self-titled debut recording on RootsWorld.
Jensen & Bugge
Jensen & Bugge: Hav Og Land (2011)
Over the past few months, when my soul has needed restoration I’ve been turning to the new CD from Jensen & Bugge. This is a strong contender for my favorite album of 2011 and I know I’ll be enjoying it for many years to come. Read my full review of Hav Og Land on RootsWorld.
Nikki Matheson
Nikki Matheson: Invisible Angel (2011)
Nikki Matheson was born in Canada, and worked as a professional musician in New York City and France before returning recently to Vermont. By drawing on those experiences to write her own songs and adding traditional songs from Ireland, France, and the US, Matheson has created an appealing collection of songs. Read my full review of Invisible Angel in RootsWorld.
Here’s a video featuring the song “Patchwork.”
Monty Alexander
Monty Alexander: Uplift (2011)
The newest release from Jamaican jazz pianist Monty Alexander is full of great tunes, very well performed by top-notch players. Together these ingredients make for a thoroughly enjoyable and, as the title suggests, an uplifting listening experience. My full review of Uplift is on RootsWorld.
Here’s a video of Alexander and his trio playing “Come Fly With Me,” the opening track on this record.
Geoff Berner Interview
Geoff Berner Interview
I had a chance to interview Geoff Berner via email. The interview is now available on RootsWorld. Back in March I posted my review of his most recent album, Victory Party.
Here’s the video for the title track from Berner’s previous release, Whiskey Rabbi.
Maria Kalaniemi
Maria Kalaniemi: Vilda Rosor (2010)
Finnish accordionist Maria Kalaniemi grew up in a home where both Swedish and Finnish were spoken. In the liner notes she states, “Both of these cultures exist side by side in my musical world.” My review of her recording Vilda Rosor is on RootsWorld.
Karuna
Karuna: Hyvää Matkaa (2010)
The Finnish trio Karuna takes the listener on an enjoyable trip through new compositions anchored in traditional folk dance music. My review of Hyvää Matkaa, the trio’s first record, is on RootsWorld.
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