The Mamas And The Papas: “The Complete Singles 50th Anniversary Collection” (2016) CD Review

In early 2014, an unusual and interesting compilation of music by The Mamas And The Papas was released on CD. Titled A Gathering Of Flowers: The Anthology Of The Mamas And The Papas, this CD contained snippets of interviews as well as music. And now a special new anthology of the band’s singles, The Complete Singles 50th Anniversary Collection, is being released by Real Gone Music. This two-disc set includes both the A sides and the flip sides, and if you think you already own all this material, you might be surprised. Several of the singles have differences from the album versions. Also, the second disc includes the band members’ solo singles, many of which I hadn’t heard before. This set contains extensive liner notes by Ed Osborne (with some information I hadn’t previously known, or perhaps had forgotten), as well as some photos (look how adorable Michelle Phillips is in that fur jacket, particularly on the photo on the back of the booklet).

The first disc kicks off with “Go Where You Wanna Go,” which was the band’s first single, released in 1965, but then pulled so that “California Dreamin’” would be thought of as the band’s first single. “Go Where You Wanna Go” is one of the many semi-autobiographical songs in the band’s repertoire. It and its flip side, “Somebody Groovy,” would be included on the group’s first LP, If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears. Also included on that record are those two huge hits, “California Dreamin’” (which also used “Somebody Groovy” as its flip side) and “Monday, Monday,” both of which are included here. As much as I like “Monday, Monday,” I actually prefer its flip side, “Got A Feelin’,” which was written by Denny Doherty and John Phillips and is included on this disc. “Got a feelin’ that I’m wasting time on you, babe/Got a feelin’ that you’ve been untrue/I’ve got a feelin’ that you’re stealin’/All the love I thought I was giving to you.”

“I Saw Her Again” is another great song, and is one of the tracks that is different from the album version.  That song was included on the group’s second LP, The Mamas And The Papas. Also from that album is the hit “Words Of Love,” written by John Phillips and featuring Cass Elliot on lead vocals. This single version is different from the album version, with some prominent horns and a more prominent piano part. The flip side is a good cover of “Dancing In The Street,” a song that a lot of bands were covering at that time. There is a nice instrumental section with some good work on keys, and some goofing around at the end. That’s followed by one of their best covers, “Dedicated To The One I Love.” I love their rendition, but my absolute favorite cover is their version of “Dream A Little Dream Of Me,” which is also included in this set. It was the band’s last really big hit, and it’s absolutely beautiful, with Cass sounding great.

“Creeque Alley” has always been one of my favorite Mamas And The Papas songs, and it’s one that this set’s liner notes go into some detail about, detailing some of the autobiographical material in the lyrics. This is another track to have significant differences from the LP version. Its B side, “Did You Ever Want To Cry,” is also a really good song, and one you might not be as familiar with. Another of my favorites is “Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming To The Canyon).” This song was included on a compilation cassette I had in my teens – you know, one of those Summer Of Love compilations that were so popular in the mid and late 1980s – and I could never get enough of it. It’s a wonderful song. “At first so strange to feel so friendly/To say good morning and really mean it/To feel these changes happening in me/But not to notice ‘til I feel it.”

The second disc begins with a few Mamas And The Papas songs, but is mostly made up of solo singles from three of the band’s members. It opens with The Mamas And The Papas doing a couple of covers – “Do You Wanna Dance” and “My Girl.” Their version of “Do You Wanna Dance” is slow and has strings, and frankly isn’t that good. “My Girl” is better, though of course not as good as the original. The other two Mamas And Papas songs on this disc are the songs from the group’s final single. “Step Out” and “Shooting Star” were both written by John Phillips and also were included on People Like Us.

The second disc then gets into the solo singles, beginning with Cass Elliot’s output, and that’s when this disc starts getting really good. She covers John Hartford’s “California Earthquake,” and does a good job with it. Obviously her version is a bigger production than the original, but it works well. That’s followed by “Talkin’ To Your Toothbrush,” a wonderfully mellow and groovy song that was written by John Simon. I really like Mama Cass’ relaxed vocal approach here. “All For Me” is an odd little number, with Mama Cass mostly humming throughout the track. “It’s Getting Better” was a hit for Mama Cass. This song, written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, was also covered by Leonard Nimoy. Mama Cass also does a nice version of Mann and Weil’s “Make Your Own Kind Of Music,” which was a top forty hit for her. One of my favorites is “Lady Love,” which she dedicates to her daughter, and which has a fun vibe. It was written by Delaney Bramlett. Another favorite is “Blow Me A Kiss,” written by Jack Carone. “Don’t bother me while I’m dreaming/Don’t make me move while I feel like this/Blow me a kiss.” Interestingly, both of those songs were B sides. And “I Can Dream, Can’t I” is actually a better song than its A side, “A Song That Never Comes.” Go figure.

The second disc includes a single from John Phillips – “Mississippi,” along with its flip side, “April Anne.” Both songs were written by John Phillips, and both are quite good, with strong country elements. “Mississippi” is a totally delightful tune. “Sipping on a beer on Bourbon St., and I’m sitting easy/Don’t get me wrong – it takes a lot to please me.” And I love that bass. This is one of my favorite tracks of the second disc. “April Anne” is a mellower tune. “Anne, the gypsy woman once said/Let an easy rider share your bed/But you chose the drunken gigolo instead.” (This single was released in 1970, the year after Easy Rider.)

This disc also has two singles from Denny Doherty. “Whatcha Gonna Do” is an excellent folk rock song. This song was also used as the title track to an LP (on the cover of that album, Denny is pictured in a tub outside, which is interesting, as the cover of the first Mamas And The Papas record showed the group in a bathtub). “Gathering The Words” has a sweeter feel. “To Claudia On Thursday” and “Tuesday Morning” are also really good (“Tuesday Morning” has a little “Monday, Monday” reference). I hope Real Gone Music will see about releasing Whatcha Gonna Do on CD.  Right now it looks like that album is only available as a very expensive import.

CD Track List

Disc One

1. Go Where You Wanna Go
2. Somebody Groovy
3. California Dreamin’
4. Monday, Monday
5. Got A Feelin’
6. I Saw Her Again
7. Even If I Could
8. Look Through My Window
9. Once Was A Time I Thought
10. Words Of Love
11. Dancing In The Street
12. Dedicated To The One I Love
13. Free Advice
14. Creeque Alley
15. Did You Ever Want To Cry
16. Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming To The Canyon)
17. Straight Shooter
18. Glad To Be Unhappy
19. Hey Girl
20. Dancing Bear
21. John’s Music Box
22. Safe In My Garden
23. Too Late
24. Dream A Little Dream Of Me
25. Midnight Voyage
26. For The Love Of Ivy
27. Strange Young Girls

Disc Two

1. Do You Wanna Dance
2. My Girl
3. Step Out
4. Shooting Star
5. California Earthquake
6. Talkin’ To Your Toothbrush
7. Move In A Little Closer, Baby
8. All For Me
9. It’s Getting Better
10. Who’s To Blame
11. Make Your Own Kind Of Music
12. Lady Love
13. New World Coming
14. Blow Me A Kiss
15. A Song That Never Comes
16. I Can Dream, Can’t I
17. The Good Times Are Coming
18. Welcome To The World
19. Don’t Let The Good Life Pass You By
20. The Costume Ball
21. Mississippi
22. April Anne
23. Watcha Gonna Do
24. Gathering The Words
25. To Claudia On Thursday
26. Tuesday Morning

The Complete Singles 50th Anniversary Collection was released today (January 8, 2016) through Real Gone Music.

Larry Keel: “Experienced” (2016) CD Review

You are probably familiar with Larry Keel for his work with Keller Williams in Keller & The Keels. And Keller Williams joins him on one track on Larry’s new studio CD, Experienced. This is an excellent album of all original material, written by Larry Keel and long-time collaborator Will Lee. The band on this one is Larry Keel on guitar and vocals, Jenny Keel on upright bass and vocals, and Will Lee on banjo and vocals. Will Lee has been playing with Larry Keel since the early days of Magraw Gap. In addition to Keller Williams, this disc features guest appearances by Sam Bush, Peter Rowan and Del McCoury.

It gets off to a wild, energetic start with a fantastic bluegrass instrumental tune, “Ripchord,” written by Will Lee. Seriously, this track kind of blew me away. It features the amazing Sam Bush (of New Grass Revival) on both mandolin and fiddle. There is some phenomenal playing here, and this song isn’t one of those bluegrass tunes that are just about playing fast. This tune takes us in some interesting directions. It’s followed by “Lil Miss,” a cool tune with a rough, bluesy vibe. “You seem so hypnotized/Wrapped up in your little lies/The truth’s so far away/All night had nothing to say.” This one was written by Larry Keel, as was the following track, “Memories,” which is one of my personal favorites. It has a sweeter, more intimate folk feel, with a wonderful vocal performance. This song stood out for me the first time I listened to this disc, and each time through it seems to hit me even harder. “Memories taking me by surprise/Long lost ties/Through this day’s eyes/Wake up and start another day/Full of memories.” This is a song that has been around a little while; the Larry Keel Experience released a video for it in October of 2014.

Del McCoury joins them on vocals for “Fill ‘Em Up Again,” a fun, positive tune written by Will Lee. Jason Carter (from The Del McCoury Band) plays fiddle, and Mike Guggino (from Steep Canyon Rangers) plays mandolin. There is a lot of joy in this music, and it should make you feel good. Then Keller Williams joins them on mandola and vocals for “Miles And Miles.” This track has a more serious tone. “The illusion is only a fool’s game/But life goes on/And on and on.”

Peter Rowan joins Larry Keel for “The Warrior.” Peter Rowan was one of the first bluegrass musicians I ever really payed attention to, thanks in large part to his work in Old And In The Way with Jerry Garcia (“Midnight Moonlight” still pops into my head on a fairly regular basis), and I am always excited to hear what he’s doing. “The Warrior” is perhaps the most interesting track on this CD, with those deep rumbling vocals affecting something deep within us. “I refuse to feed this illusion/I deny the confusion/I am not here/You are not there.” The CD then concludes with “Another Summer Day,” written by Will Lee, and featuring Anders Beck (of Greensky Bluegrass) on dobro and Jeff Covert (who also engineered these recordings) on percussion. This one has sweet, beautiful, relaxed feel to it, and is another favorite of mine. “Talked for days and nights on end/No other place I’d rather be/Couldn’t have a better friend.”

CD Track List

1. Ripchord
2. Lil Miss
3. Memories
4. Fill ‘Em Up Again
5. Miles And Miles
6. The Warrior
7. Another Summer Day 

Experienced is scheduled to be released on February 26, 2016.

A MusiCares Tribute To Carole King Blu-ray Review

Carole King was honored as the 2014 MusiCares Person Of The Year, and a concert was held in Los Angeles to celebrate, featuring performances by James Taylor, Gloria Estefan, and Alicia Keys, as well as by Carole King herself. I have to admit, a lot of the artists in this lineup were folks I wasn’t familiar with (such as Leah McFall, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride) or people I wasn’t really interested in (Lady Gaga, someone calling himself will.i.am), but the show overall is quite good.

It opens with LeAnn Rimes and Steven Tyler singing “Hi Do Ho (That Old Sweet Roll)” (and yes, Steven has scarves tied to his microphone stand). This is a good version, with a nice solo on violin. The backing band also has a horn section, which is great. And clearly, Steven Tyler is having a good time (and someone in the audience must have caught his hat). That’s followed by Pink singing “So Far Away,” accompanied by Paul Mirkovich on piano. I’ve never listened to Pink, but here she delivers a good, emotional vocal performance.

Train does “I Feel The Earth Move,” and lead singer Pat Monahan goes to Carole King’s table in the audience and has her join him on vocals. She seems impressed by Pat’s vocal performance, and yeah, it’s pretty good. Lady Gaga does “You’ve Got A Friend,” and really milks it, at the end singing, “Carole, you’ve got a friend” and “Carol, I love you.” Gloria Estefan does a nice rendition of “It’s Too Late,” with a full band. And then a guy who calls himself Will I Am (but writes it as will.i.am, which is fucking obnoxious) says that the songs Carole King wrote changed his life. He sings “Love Makes The World” with a girl named Leah McFall, but it’s actually Leah who sings most of the song. Will just does some kind of rap toward the end. This is definitely one of the weakest moments of the show.

But it’s followed by one of the best performances of the evening – Jason Mraz, Zac Brown, Sara Bareilles and Raining Jane together doing “Beautiful.” This is one of the show’s highlights. First off, there is a cello, an instrument I always appreciate. Plus, it’s a sweet and yet energetic rendition. I wasn’t familiar with Raining Jane before this, but now I plan on looking into this band when I get the chance. Another highlight is “Way Over Yonder” sung by Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Judith Hill and Darlene Love. As you might guess, there are some powerful vocals here, and they are backed tenderly by the band.

Alicia Keys does a pretty good rendition of “Natural Woman.” She is on piano, backed by the band (though eventually she gets up to move center stage). And we see shots of Carole King singing along from her table. Alicia signals the band to keep going just a little longer than they’d planned and sings, “Now Carole told me to take my time right here, she said to make it last.” And of course things get really good when James Taylor comes out on stage to sing “Up On The Roof.” His voice still sounds great, and he is on acoustic guitar, backed by the band.

But the best part is when Carole King herself performs. Neil Portnow, president of The Recording Academy, gives a speech about Carole King and her music, and presents her with the award. She mentions Gerry Goffin in her own speech, and then she performs, first doing “Home Again” with Ahmad El Haggar and Moez Dewad, and then performing with James Taylor (Carole King is on piano, James is on acoustic guitar). They do “Sweet Seasons,” and then James takes over lead vocal duties for “Hey Girl.” That’s followed by a sweet version of “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.” James leaves the stage, and Tom Scott joins the band on saxophone for an excellent rendition of “Jazzman.” The show then wraps up with another version of “I Feel The Earth Move,” with Carole King on lead vocals and most of the other artists returning to back her up.

A MusiCares Tribute To Carole King was released on Blu-ray on June 23, 2015 through Shout! Factory. There are no special features.

Steve Slagle & Bill O’Connell: “The Power Of Two” (2015) CD Review

Saxophonist Steve Slagle and pianist Bill O’Connell have worked together on several projects, but until The Power Of Two they hadn’t worked as just a duo. This CD features mostly original material, including a tribute to pianist Kenny Drew, Jr., who died in the summer of 2014 (these tracks were actually recorded soon after that, on September 12, 2014). There are also a few well-chosen covers, including material by Bill Evans and Dave Brubeck. The liner notes are by Jack Zulack, executive producer at Panama Records.

The album opens with “Good News,” composed by Steve Slagle. This is an interesting and kind of loose tune that has a playful vibe which I like. There is a nice piano solo halfway through, which maintains that loose, fun feeling and attitude. It’s followed by “One Life,” also written by Steve Slagle, which begins with some cool work on keys. And when Slagle comes in on saxophone, the tune takes on an intimate and sweet vibe. And again, there is definitely a loose feel to the tune, which gives the music an immediacy. I love what Steve Slagle does on sax, particularly toward the end. Even though this is one of the longer tracks, I wish it were even longer, as I like what they’re doing as it fades out.

Steve Slagle then switches to flute for “Peri’s Scope,” the first of the album’s covers. This was written by Bill Evans, and so it’s interesting that it’s the flute and not the piano which begins the track and really leads the direction of the tune. It isn’t until halfway through that Bill O’Connell solos on piano. That is followed by another cover, “I’ll Wait And Pray,” written by Jerry Valentine and George Treadwell, and perhaps most famously recorded by John Coltrane for his 1961 LP Coltrane Jazz. This wonderful version by Steve Slagle and Bill O’Connell has a gentle beauty. They also cover Dave Brubeck’s “The Duke,” which was a tribute to Duke Ellington written fairly early in Dave Brubeck’s career. Steve Slagle plays flute on this track, which for me is another of the disc’s highlights. The CD’s final cover is Miles Davis’ “Circles,” which was on his Miles Smiles LP.

“A New Day” has such a positive, happy tone, and right from the start it had me smiling. This one was written by Bill O’Connell. “KD Jr.” is the CD’s tribute to pianist Kenny Drew, Jr.  It was written by Steve Slagle, who had played and recorded with Kenny Drew, Jr. And it was this composition that began the project that resulted in this CD. There is something sweet and beautiful about this track, and I love Slagle’s expressive playing on saxophone. Surprisingly, there is a vocal toward the end, “Talking about Kenny Drew.” Drew was only fifty-six at the time of his death.

“The Power Of Two,” the CD’s title track, has a delicious, lively feel, and is one of my favorites. It was written by Steve Slagle. The CD wraps up with the moving “Into Your Grace,” also written by Steve Slagle, and “Whistling Spirits,” a strange, eerie, short tune written by Steve Slagle and Bill O’Connell, on which Steve Slagle plays flute.

CD Track List

1. Good News
2. One Life
3. Peri’s Scope
4. I’ll Wait And Pray
5. A New Day
6. KD Jr.
7. The Power Of Two
8. The Duke
9. Circle
10. Into Your Grace
11. Whistling Spirits

The Power Of Two was released on March 23, 2015 on Panama Records.

Dead & Company at The Forum, 12-31-15 Concert Review

I never got to see the Grateful Dead on New Year’s Eve. By the time I had moved to the west coast, the New Year’s shows were a thing of the past. But I think I experienced a whole hell of a lot of that magic last night at The Forum in Inglewood, where Dead & Company played a nice, long show. It was the second of a two-night run, but I didn’t go the first night. This show was scheduled to start at 8 p.m., and the band took the stage at 8:16 p.m. That has to be as close to on time as these guys have ever been.

They kicked off with “Feel Like A Stranger,” which was perfect. It was a song my friend Jon and I both wanted to hear. And the line about midnight drew a cheer from the audience. It was a good version, too, with a nice jam. At one point during the jam, John Mayer got a little bluesy. After that fifteen-minute “Feel Like A Stranger,” they went into “They Love Each Other,” with John Mayer singing lead. This song featured some nice stuff on keys by Jeff Chimenti. And there was more great stuff on keys during “Ramble On Rose.” And then we were treated to “Loose Lucy” with a great, slow groove, followed by “Sugaree.” Hey, did John forget a line? During “Sugaree,” it turned midnight on the east coast. And holy moly, John gave us some fantastic guitar work. The first set then ended with “Hell In A Bucket,” a song I’ve always dug. Yeah, it was a short first set, only an hour and a minute. But we knew there was plenty more music on the way.

A relatively short set break (thirty-two minutes) and an incredibly long line for the bathroom meant some people missed the beginning of the second set, which is a shame, because the band opened it with “Dark Star.” “Dark Star” was fairly mellow to start, but it didn’t take too long to build in power. On the line “Searchlight casting,” Bob stretched out “Search.” After the second verse, the song got oddly chaotic for just a moment, then transitioned sweetly into “Uncle John’s Band,” which featured a wonderful jam with lots of energy. That led into “Terrapin Station.” (Hey, did they forget to do that section of “Uncle John’s Band” where they repeat the lines about “How does this song go?”) I have to say it’s still weird hearing John Mayer sing “Terrapin.” Bob took over lead vocals starting with the line “Inspiration.” Bassist Oteil Burbridge got on Bill’s kit for part of the “Drums” segment, which was good, but not quite as good as “Drums” from the Worcester show (the only other Dead & Company show I’ve attended). And then during “Space,” was that a “St. Stephen” tease I heard? This was a really interesting “Space,” at one point rumbling my rib cage. As they did at the Worcester show, the eased into “Dear Prudence” from “Space,” and it was a really sweet rendition. That ended the second set, which was an hour and three minutes.

There were some good people seated around us at this show. One guy, Tyler, really wanted to hear “Fire On The Mountain.” Jon and I assumed we’d hear “Sugar Magnolia.” So my prediction for the third set was “Sugar Magnolia” into “Scarlet Begonias” into “Fire On The Mountain” into “St. Stephen.” I called it, and was right, sort of. At 11:42 p.m. the band returned to the stage and opened with a very fun rendition of “In The Midnight Hour,” a song that oddly none of us considered in our predictions and guesses, but which seemed obvious once they started it. At Bob’s urging, the crowd echoed “Wait.” When they finished that song, there were still four or five minutes until midnight, so the band started a little jam, during which some characters, including Father Time, started coming out onto the stage. Then, reminding us of Bill Graham, two more people flew over the crowd in a giant joint, eventually landing on the stage, as the Star Wars theme played over the sound system (Father Time had a blue lightsaber), and there was a quick New Year’s countdown, followed by the balloons and confetti dropping onto the audience and stage. It was beautiful. And then the band started “Sugar Magnolia.” And yes, they went into “Scarlet Begonias,” and this was a seriously fantastic version. Then, rather than going into “Fire On The Mountain,” the band surprised us by going into “Touch Of Grey.” Bob’s voice seemed a bit worn out at the beginning of the song, but it was still a really good version. And after that, they went into “Fire On The Mountain,” with Bob sounding really rough. They ended it with a sudden shout of “Fire!” After a brief pause, the band started “St. Stephen,” and even though I had guessed they would play it, it still completely thrilled me. It was a song that of course I had never seen the Grateful Dead do, and Dead & Company did such a wonderful rendition. The jam became really beautiful before they returned for the last verse. And then they ended the third set with “Sunshine Daydream.”

The third set ended at 12:50 a.m., and it was only a minute or two before the band returned to the stage for the encore. John Mayer thanked everyone for accepting him in the group, and said, “This musical experience has changed my life forever.” Ah yes, the Dead sure do have that effect on people. John then dropped a hint about more to come in the new year, which of course made everyone happy. Making me happier still was the encore, a sweet and moving version of “Brokedown Palace,” one of my favorite songs, and a perfect way to end the night. And actually, as the song was ending, they played a little of “Auld Lang Syne,” without the vocals. The show ended at exactly 1 a.m.

Set List

Set I

1. Feel Like A Stranger
2. They Love Each Other
3. Ramble On Rose
4. Loose Lucy
5. Sugaree
6. Hell In A Bucket

Set II

1. Dark Star >
2. Uncle John’s Band >
3. Terrapin Station >
4. Drums >
5. Space >
6. Dear Prudence

Set III

1. In The Midnight Hour
2. Sugar Magnolia >
3. Scarlet Begonias >
4. Tough Of Grey >
5. Fire On The Mountain
6. St. Stephen >
7. Sunshine Daydream

Encore

1. Brokedown Palace >
2. Auld Lang Syne

Here are a few photos from the night:

"Drums"

The joint just about to land

Happy New Year

January 2016 Concert Calendar

I started this blog to let people know about all the good music that's out there. I only review CDs that I like. The rest I leave to everyone else. In addition, I try to keep track of where those artists are performing. So here is a list of a few concerts you might be interested in for the month of January, 2016. Most of these are artists that I've reviewed. I will try to add to this calendar whenever I can throughout the month.

January 1, 2016  (Friday)
Cracker  -  The Crocodile, Seattle, WA
Ellis Paul  -  One Longfellow Square, 1 Longfellow Square, Portland, ME  -  8:00 p.m.
They Might Be Giants  -  Music Hall Of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 
Yonder Mountain String Band  -  Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO

January 2, 2016  (Saturday)
Cracker  -   Aladdin Theatre, Portland, OR
Los Lobos  -  The Cave, Big Bear Lake, CA
Ellis Paul  -  Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette Street, New York, NY  -  7:30 p.m.
They Might Be Giants  -  Music Hall Of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
Don White  -  Club Passim, Cambridge, MA  -  8:00 p.m. 
Yonder Mountain String Band  -   Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO

January 3, 2016  (Sunday)

January 4, 2016  (Monday)
Rebecca Loebe  -  One-2-One Bar, Austin, TX

January 5, 2016  (Tuesday)
Teddy Thompson and Kelly Jones  -  The Echoplex, Echo Park, CA

January 6, 2016  (Wednesday)
The Howlin' Brothers  -  Charleston Pour House, Charleston, SC

January 7, 2016  (Thursday)
Samantha Crain  -  Cimarron Breeze, Perkins, OK
The Howlin' Brothers  -   The Ale And The Witch, St. Petersburg, FL
Ellis Paul  -  Fan Cruise, Cozumel, Mexico -  4:00 p.m.

January 8, 2016  (Friday)
Samantha Crain  -   The Blue Door, Oklahoma City, OK
The Howlin' Brothers  -   The Funky Buddha, Boca Raton, FL
Ellis Paul  -  Fan Cruise, Cozumel, Mexico -  4:00 p.m.
Livingston Taylor  -  Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA

January 9, 2016  (Saturday)
Josh Lederman And The Cambridge-Somerville All-Stars  -  The Plough And Stars, Cambridge, MA  -  4:00 p.m.
Ellis Paul  -  Fan Cruise, Cozumel, Mexico -  4:00 p.m.
Livingston Taylor  -  Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA

January 10, 2016  (Sunday)
Ellis Paul  -  Fan Cruise, Cozumel, Mexico -  4:00 p.m.

January 11, 2016  (Monday)
Rebecca Loebe  -  One-2-One Bar, Austin, TX
Ellis Paul  -  Fan Cruise, Cozumel, Mexico -  4:00 p.m.

January 12, 2016  (Tuesday)

January 13, 2016  (Wednesday)
Marshall Chapman  -  Musicians Hall Of Fame, Nashville, TN  -  6:00 p.m.

January 14, 2016  (Thursday)
Samantha Crain  -   Taos Mesa Brewing Company, Taos, NM
Ellis Paul  -  Baldwin's Station, 7618 Main Street, Sykesville, MD  -  8:00 p.m.

January 15, 2016  (Friday)
Cherry Poppin' Daddies  -  Tupelo Music Hall, Londonderry, NH
Samantha Crain  -   Spirit Room, Jerome, AZ
Ellis Paul  -  Dreaming Tree Coffeehouse, 1 Oak Summit Road, Baptistown, NJ  -  7:30 p.m.
Cheryl Wheeler  -  Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA

January 16, 2016  (Saturday)
John Cafferty And The Beaver Brown Band  -  Tupelo Music Hall, Londonderry, NH
Samantha Crain  -   Hotel Cafe, Los Angeles, CA
The Howlin' Brothers  -   Inkwell Pub, Margate, FL
Ellis Paul  -  The Vanilla Bean, Pomfret, CT  -  7:00 p.m.
Cheryl Wheeler  -  Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA

January 17, 2016  (Sunday)
The Howlin' Brothers  - Terra Fermata, Stuart, FL
I See Hawks In L.A.  -  McCabe's, Santa Monica, CA

January 18, 2016  (Monday)
Kaki King  -  The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI
Rebecca Loebe  -  One-2-One Bar, Austin, TX

January 19, 2016  (Tuesday)
Samantha Crain  -   Amnesia Bar, San Francisco, CO
Kaki King  -   City Winery, Chicago, IL

January 20, 2016  (Wednesday)
The Howlin' Brothers  - Will's Pub, Orlando, FL
Kaki King  -   Old Rock House, St. Louis, MO
Los Lobos  -   Harris Center For The Arts, Folsom, CA  -  7:30 p.m.
Ryan Montbleau  -  Club Passim, Cambridge, MA  -  8:00 p.m.
Yonder Mountain String Band  -   Lyric Theatre And Cultural Center, Lexington, KY

January 21, 2016  (Thursday)
Samantha Crain  -   Axe And Fiddle, Cottage Grove, OR
The Howlin' Brothers  -   High Dive, Gainesville, FL
Jimmy LaFave  -  Unplugged On The Front Porch, Austin, TX
Ryan Montbleau  -  Club Passim, Cambridge, MA  -  8:00 p.m.
Yonder Mountain String Band  -   The Vogue, Indianapolis, IN

January 22, 2016  (Friday)
Samantha Crain  -   Sou'wester, Seaview, WA
The Howlin' Brothers  -   House Concert, Atlanta, GA
Kaki King  -   OZ Nashville, Nashville, TN
Magnolia Memoir  -  Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA
Ryan Montbleau  -  Club Passim, Cambridge, MA  -  8:00 p.m.
The Muffs  -  The Echoplex, Echo Park, CA
Willie Nile  -  Sticky Lips, Rochester, NY 
Ellis Paul  -  Daniels Hall at Swallow Hill Music, 71 East Yale Ave, Denver, CO  -  8:00 p.m.
Yonder Mountain String Band  -   Canopy Club, Urbana, IL

January 23, 2016  (Saturday)
Dave Alvin And Phil Alvin  -  McCabe's, Santa Monica, CA  -  8:00 p.m.
Samantha Crain  -   Trillium Cafe, Hood River, OR
The Howlin' Brothers  -   The Hummingbird, Macon, GA
Kaki King  -   OZ Nashville, Nashville, TN
Josh Lederman And The Cambridge-Somerville All-Stars  -  The Plough And Stars, Cambridge, MA  -  4:00 p.m.
Los Lobos  -   Cerritos Center For The Performing Arts, Cerritos, CA
Ryan Montbleau  -  Tupelo Music Hall, Londonderry, NH
Ellis Paul  -  Avogadro's Number, 605 South Mason , Fort Collins, CO  -  7:00 p.m.
Yonder Mountain String Band  -   Orpheum Theater, Madison, WI

January 24, 2016  (Sunday)
Dave Alvin And Phil Alvin  -  McCabe's, Santa Monica, CA  -  8:00 p.m.
Samantha Crain  -   Al's Den, Portland, OR
Kaki King  -   Terminal West, Atlanta, GA

January 25, 2016  (Monday)
Samantha Crain  -   Al's Den, Portland, OR
Gaelic Storm  -  Capitol Theatre, Clearwater, FL
Kaki King  -   Georgia Theater, Athens, GA
Rebecca Loebe  -  One-2-One Bar, Austin, TX

January 26, 2016  (Tuesday)
Samantha Crain  -   Al's Den, Portland, OR
Gaelic Storm  -   Lyric Theatre, Stuart, FL
Yonder Mountain String Band  -   State Theatre, State College, PA

January 27, 2016  (Wednesday)
Samantha Crain  -   Al's Den, Portland, OR
Gaelic Storm  -   Parker Playhouse, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Los Lobos  -   Lincoln Center Hall, Fort Collins, CO
Patrolled By Radar  -  Cinema Bar, 3967 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City, CA
Martin Sexton  -  Music Box, Cleveland, OH
They Might Be Giants  -   Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, UK 
Yonder Mountain String Band  -   The National, Richmond, VA

January 28, 2016  (Thursday)
Marshall Chapman  -  3rd And Lindsley, Nashville, TN
Samantha Crain  -   Al's Den, Portland, OR
Kris Delmhorst  -  Club Passim, Cambridge, MA  -  8:00 p.m.
Los Lobos  -   Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO
James McMurtry  -  Main Street Crossing, Tomball, TX
Martin Sexton  -   Space, Evanston, IL
They Might Be Giants  -   Riverside, Newcastle, UK
Yonder Mountain String Band  -   Cat's Cradle, Carrboro, NC

January 29, 2016  (Friday)
Samantha Crain  -   Al's Den, Portland, OR
Kris Delmhorst  -  Club Passim, Cambridge, MA  -  8:00 p.m.
Gaelic Storm  -   Plaza Live, Orlando, FL
I See Hawks In L.A.  -   Pappy And Harriet's, Pioneertown, CA
Willie Nile  -   Towne Crier Cafe, Beacon, NY
Ellis Paul  -  Ashland Coffee And Tea, 100 N. Railroad Ave, Ashland, VA  -  8:00 p.m.
Martin Sexton  -   Castle Theatre, Bloomington, IL
Yonder Mountain String Band  -   The Orange Peel, Asheville, NC

January 30, 2016  (Saturday)
Samantha Crain  -   Al's Den, Portland, OR
Gaelic Storm  -   Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Jorma Kaukonen  -  McCabe's, Santa Monica, CA  -  8:00 p.m.
Jorma Kaukonen  -  McCabe's, Santa Monica, CA  -  10:00 p.m.
Jimmy LaFave  -   One World Theater, Austin, TX
Willie Nile  -   Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
Martin Sexton  -   CSPS, Cedar Rapids, IA
They Might Be Giants  -   Limelight 1, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Yonder Mountain String Band  -   The International, Knoxville, TN

January 31, 2016  (Sunday)
Samantha Crain  -  Sunset Tavern, Seattle, WA
Jorma Kaukonen  -  McCabe's, Santa Monica, CA  -  7:30 p.m.
Jorma Kaukonen  -  McCabe's, Santa Monica, CA  -  9:30 p.m.
Willie Nile  -   Long Island Museum, Stony Brook, NY
Martin Sexton  -   Turner Hall, Milwaukee, WI
They Might Be Giants  -   O2 ABC, Glasgow, Scotland

My Favorite CDs of 2015

It was much more difficult for me to put together a list of favorite CDs this year than other years, because there were just so many good releases. Throughout each year I give the CDs ratings on a list that I keep private (I hate assigning a number like that to an album, but it helps me keep track of which albums stand out to me as I go along), and then at the end of the year I post the top ten. The problem this year is that so many more than ten CDs got a very high rating on my list. Keep in mind that I only review CDs that I like anyway, so every CD I’ve written about this year is something I’ve enjoyed and think is worthwhile. So rather than limit the list to ten somewhat arbitrarily, I’m expanding the list to eighteen discs. And even that number is excluding some truly excellent albums. As with past years, my guidelines for assembling this list are as follows: each CD has to be full-length (at least thirty minutes); each CD has to be made up of mostly original material, for songwriting plays a big part in my choices; and the CDs can’t be live albums or compilations or re-issues.

18. The Stone Hill All-Stars: “Away” 

Away was recorded in a single day, which is impressive, especially as there is nearly an hour of original material here. But what’s much more impressive is that all of these tracks are good. My favorites are “Bent And Reversed,” “Despite The Current Mess” and “All Along The Waterfront.”

17. Birds And Arrows: “Edge Of Everything”

Birds And Arrows is the duo of Andrea Connolly and Pete Connolly, who wrote all of the songs on Edge Of Everything, an album produced by Chris Stamey. Check out “Desert Home,” “Ghosts In The Water” and “Catastrophe.”

16. Nick Ferrio: “Amongst The Coyotes And Birdsongs”

There has been a heck of a lot of good music coming out of Canada lately. Nick Ferrio’s Amongst The Coyotes And Birdsongs has some seriously strong original folk tunes. Two of this CD’s tracks – “Come Hell Or High Water” and “Mirrorball Shine” – are among my favorite songs of the year.

15. Matt Criscuolo: “Headin’ Out” 

This is the only instrumental album on my list. Matt Criscuolo is a talented saxophone player, and Headin’ Out features some really good original material. Check out tracks like “Enchanted” and “At Night.”

14. Blimp Rock: “Sophomore Slump” 

Blimp Rock is an unusual band with its own perspective and approach to music and to the world, it seems. Sophomore Slump has a wonderful sense of humor; listen to tracks like “Vampires,” “Sensitive Boys” and “Music Industry Blues” for examples.

13. The Brian Kinler Band Featuring Francesca Capasso: “The Race Against Time” 

Brian Kinler continues to impress me, even as he ventures somewhat away from jazz and more into the dance realm on this new release. And though vocalists have been a component of his live performances for years, The Race Against Time is the first CD to have a vocalist. Francesca Capasso is wonderful. Check her out on the single, “Bombshell.” There are also some excellent instrumental tracks, like the beautiful “Racing Against Time” and “The Lost City.” Another favorite is “The Coldest Part Of You.”

12. Peter Case: “HWY 62”

Peter Case is an impressive songwriter, and HWY 62, his first new album in several years, has a lot of great songs. Among my favorites are “Waiting On A Plane,” “New Mexico” and “All Dressed Up (For Trial).” He has some good musicians backing him, including Ben Harper and D.J. Bonebrake.  

11. James McMurtry: “Complicated Game”

James McMurtry is an extraordinary songwriter and storyteller, and Complicated Game features some excellent material. Check out “Ain’t Got A Place,” “She Loves Me” and “How’m I Gonna Find You Now.” His son Curtis joins him on a couple of tracks on this release, and Derek Trucks joins him on “Forgotten Coast.”

10. Holly Golightly: “Slowtown Now!”

It had been a while since we’d been treated to a Holly Golightly full band album, and Slowtown Now! is a delight. Some of my favorite tracks are “Frozen In Time,” “As You Go Down” and “What You See.”

9. Holly Golightly And The Brokeoffs: “Coulda Shoulda Woulda” 

At first, I was only going to include one Holly Golightly disc on this list. But which one? The fact is they are both fucking great. So they’re both here. And these Brokeoffs albums always put me in a good mood. Check out “Heaven Buy And Buy,” “Apartment 34” and “No Judgment Day.”

8. The Mynabirds: “Lovers Know” 

The Mynabirds are a wonderful indie pop band featuring gorgeous lead vocals by Laura Burhenn. This whole album is really good, but that lead-off track, “All My Heart,” stands out especially, and is a song that gets in my head fairly often. Also, listen to “Semantics,” “Velveteen” and “Shake Your Head Yes.”  

7. Ray Wylie Hubbard: “The Ruffian’s Misfortune” 

This is such a good album, full of delicious bluesy vibes and some folk tunes as well. And what a great voice! Check out tunes like “All Loose Things,” “Too Young Ripe, Too Young Rotten,” “Jessie Mae” and “Stone Blind Horses.” The McCreary Sisters provide harmony vocals on “Barefoot In Heaven.”

6. Chris Page: “Volume Vs. Voice”

As I already mentioned, there has been a lot of great music coming out Canada lately, and one of my favorite discs of the year is Chris Page’s Volume Vs. Voice. This album finds Chris doing the vocals and playing nearly all the instruments. That’s great, but what really makes this album something special are the lyrics. Check out “Rocket + Savings,” “Calling All Kids Reunion,” “Treatment Burns” and “The Persuasive Injury.”

5. Tom Paxton: “Redemption Road” 

I’ve been listening to Tom Paxton off and on since I first got into folk music in my teens, and yet I was still surprised at just how good his new release is. The songwriting is top-notch, with tunes here that are both moving and humorous. And there are guest appearances by John Prine and Janis Ian. Listen to tracks like “Virginia Morning,” “Susie Most Of All,” “The Losing Part” and “Central Square.”

4. Bombadil: “Hold On” 

Bombadil’s Metrics Of Affection was on my list of favorite CDs of 2013, and their new release, Hold On, has a much-deserved spot on this year’s list. I think Bombadil is one of the most interesting bands out there these days. Check out songs like “Amy’s Friend,” “Sunny December” and “Framboise.” You will not be disappointed.

3. Norma MacDonald: “Burn The Tapes” 

In 2014, Bend The River’s CD nearly made my list of favorites. And this year, Norma MacDonald’s solo album, Burn The Tapes, is near the top of my list. Though it’s a solo album, she does get some help from her Bend The River band mates. I am just really taken by both Norma’s voice and her songwriting. Check out “Blue As A Jay” (one of my favorite songs of the year), “You Can’t Carry It Around” and “Hard To Get Back.”

2. Jimmy LaFave: “The Night Tribe”

This is such a great album, with music that puts me in a really good mood. Jimmy’s vocals are excellent, and some of the material is beautiful. Check out tracks like “The Beauty Of You” and “Maybe” and “The Roads Of The Earth.” Jimmy LaFave is joined by Radoslav Lorkovic on piano and organ, along with some other great musicians. 

1. Anne McCue: “Blue Sky Thinkin’” 

I had heard some of this material earlier when I saw Anne perform in concert, and I couldn’t wait for this album to be released. And just as I expected, it’s fantastic. It’s my favorite of Anne McCue’s albums (though I don’t think I’ve heard all of them yet), and my favorite disc of 2015. She has a wonderful band backing her, including Dave Raven, Carl Byron and Dusty Wakeman, and she is joined on “Devil In The Middle” by Dave Alvin on vocals. Every track is great, but some favorites include “Dig Two Graves,” “Things You Left Out In The Rain” and “Long Tall Story.”

Well, there's the list. Though, as I said, even though I expanded it from previous years, it is still missing some really good releases from bands like Fool’s Gold, Love Love, Pugwash, Ryan Montbleau Band, and Double Naught Spy Car & Stew (among others). Also, I didn't include Paul Kelly's The Merri Soul Sessions, even though it's one of the best CDs of the year, because some of these songs were released in 2014 on singles. And because of my policy against including albums of covers, Myriam Phiro's incredible Voyages did not make the list, but you should definitely go check out that album.