Americana Music Releases for Feb. 16th

Here’s some the best Americana and roots-type music releases for February 16th, 2024. Click the artist or album links to find out more. The artist’s names link to their websites and the CD title links go to either Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp or the artist’s site for ordering or downloading.  A + sign means although not a featured release, it’s a notable album that’s still worth checking out.  Also, this page will be updated as I find out about other new releases so check back again.


Eric Brace and Thomm Jutz
Simple Motion  (Red Beet Records)

It was inevitable that following the tragic death of Peter Cooper in 2022, that his musical compadres (and personal friends) Eric Brace and Thomm Jutz would get together to make a record. For more than ten years the three of them had toured together and collaborated on songwriting and recordings as they built up a solid body of work. Together, Eric and Thomm have fused their respective sensibilities in a manner not unlike the way a painter brings to life once-hidden features in a landscape painting. Majestic songwriting, genuine authenticity, incredible insight on a record filled with their pristine harmonies wrapped around stories of everyday life, struggles, triumphs, love, loss and redemption. The greatest strength of Simple Motion is the stylistic choices that were made. You’ll hear bluegrass, with blues and swing influences; soft, reflective ballads; Celtic-flavoured tunes; and folksy yarns played and sung with acoustic guitars, fiddle, banjo, accordion, mandolin, Dobro, tin whistle, and upright bass. It’s a tie-dye swirl of smooth yet familiar sounds and great songs. All the musicianship and singing is on point.  (edited from Alan Clackett review)

 

The High Hawks
Mother Natures Show  (LoHi Records)

Expect good vibes when you encounter Mother Nature’s Show, the sophomore outing from The High Hawks. This easygoing sextet exhibits the kind of special team spirit that can’t be faked, working like an efficient, albeit nicely scruffy, groove machine as it spans a variety of roots styles to evoke Little Feat, The Grateful Dead, The Bottle Rockets, and other like-minded dudes. A true group effort, The High Hawks features four writers, all of whom sing their own material with ample gusto, and arrangements designed to highlight the tunes rather than instrumental prowess. The members have overlapping resumes: Leftover Salmon’s Vince Herman and Chad Staehly of Hardworking Americans co-founded Great American Taxi, while the other four — Tim Carbone (fiddle, guitar), Adam Greuel (guitar), Brian Adams (bass), and Will Trask(drums) — all have a Taxi connection of some sort. The instantly familiar songs cover a lot of ground, ranging from dark visions of societal dysfunction to the joys of good fellowship. Although the players check their egos at the door, occasional hot licks provide a glimpse of an alternate, more forceful version of the album. The intensity rises whenever Carbone lets fly on his thrilling fiddle, and dashes of boogie-woogie piano and spiky guitar add stronger spice to the mix. Mother Nature’s Show is an understated pleasure, but extra sparks wouldn’t hurt a bit.  (edited from No Depression review)

 

Also new this week…

Blackberry Smoke – Be Right Here (3 Legged Records)
Albert Cummings – Strong
  (Ivy Music Company)
Béla Fleck – Rhapsody in Blue  (Béla Fleck Productions)  +
Phil Hurley – Stay Gold  (self-released)
The Price Sisters – Between The Lines  (McCoury Music)
Kyle Tuttle – Labor of Lust  (self-released)  +

 

Coming out soon …  Hurray for the Riff Raff, Vanessa Peters, Joe Pug, Corb Lund, Waxahatchee, Anna Moss, Sierra Ferrell, Rees Shad, Kitchen Dwellers, Sarah Shook & The Disarmers, JJ Grey & Mofro, Aoife O’Donovan, The Coal Men, Charley Crockett, Pi Jacobs, Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, Lost Dog Street Band, Pokey LaFarge and more!

Check out Americana Boogie Radio!

Bill Frater

Posted in Americana CD releases, Americana Music, Americana Music Assoc. Conference, Americana Music podcast, New music releases | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Americana Music Releases for Feb. 9th

Here’s some the best Americana and roots-type music releases for February 9th, 2024. Click the artist or album links to find out more. The artist’s names link to their websites and the CD title links go to either Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp or the artist’s site for ordering or downloading.  A + sign means although not a featured release, it’s a notable album that’s still worth checking out.  Also, this page will be updated as I find out about other new releases so check back again.

 

Seth James
Lessons  (Qualified Records)

He’s got the sound of fellow Texan Delbert McClinton, that’s for sure. Now he’s got an album of 11 Delbert songs, too, to pay tribute for all of the Lessons he’s taught him. As Seth says, “Delbert is the personification of the great spirit of American music. There is no finer example of authenticity. His music is untamed, resilient, plainspoken, and honest to its core. It does not abide by any rules, it does not seek approval, and it does not compromise. I owe a debt to Delbert McClinton that I could never repay.”

 

The Steel Wheels
Sideways  
(Big Ring Records)

Virginia-based folk rockers The Steel Wheels have been making good music for nearly 2 decades. This year, they’re meditating on “resilience and survival” – the two touchstones of their new album. Per usual, the band find themselves inspired both by traditional American music (specifically string band music from Virginia) and contemporary folk, roots, and bluegrass. This time, though, the band also drew from a deep well of inspiration that we all might recognize: the forced isolation of the global Covid19 pandemic. Though they started as an all-acoustic group, they have slowly incorporated more electronic and produced elements into their sound. The result? An engaging and surprising mix (the percussion beats against the banjo picking is absolutely irresistible) that’s hard to resist; I found myself listening straight through the album on repeat.  (edited from Folk Alley review)

 

 

Also new this week…

American Patchwork Quartet – American Patchwork Quartet  (Carolina Jasmine Records)
The Dead South – Chains & Stakes  (Six Shooter Records) +
Madi Diaz – Weird Faith  (-Anti Records)
Missy Raines & Alleghany – Highlander  (Compass Records)  +
Tyler Ramsey – New Lost Ages  (Soundly Music) +
Bruce Robison – In The Woods  (The Next Waltz)  +
Sour Bridges – Down & Out  (self-released)
Jeff TalmadgeSparrow (Berkalin Records)  +

 

Coming out soon … Eric Brace and Thomm Jutz, Albert Cummings, Hurray for the Riff Raff, The High Hawks, Béla Fleck, Vanessa Peters, Joe Pug, Corb Lund, Waxahatchee, Anna Moss, Sierra Ferrell, Rees Shad, Kitchen Dwellers, Sarah Shook & The Disarmers, JJ Grey & Mofro, Aoife O’Donovan, The Coal Men, Charley Crockett, Pi Jacobs, Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, Lost Dog Street Band and more!

Check out Americana Boogie Radio!

Bill Frater

Posted in Americana CD releases, Country music new releases, New music releases, Roots Music | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Americana Music Releases for Feb. 2nd

Here’s some the best Americana and roots-type music releases for February 2nd, 2024. Click the artist or album links to find out more. The artist’s names link to their websites and the CD title links go to either Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp or the artist’s site for ordering or downloading.  A + sign means although not a featured release, it’s a notable album that’s still worth checking out.  Also, this page will be updated as I find out about other new releases so check back again.

 

Matt the Electrician
The Ocean Knocked Me Down  (independent)

Matt the Electrician returns with his new studio album, recorded at The Aerie in Austin, where Matt had recorded 4 of his previous records. To call this a pandemic record might be slightly misguided, even though most of the songs were in fact written during 2020 and 2021. But the vibe of the record is upbeat, and weird, and fun, and sometimes sad, but hopeful, and occasionally poignant, and silly, and hopeful, but ridiculous, and also hopeful. You might think that’s a lot of vibes, but there are 16 songs on the record, because we’ve all been through a lot, and so Matt figured that, this time, everyone deserved a few more songs and a few more vibes than usual. “Matt the Electrician proves singer/songwriters can be funny without being clowns and thoughtful without being overwrought.” – Amplifier

Rod Picott
Starlight Tour
  (self-released)

Rod Picott so vividly conveys the lives of those on the edge, struggling to earn a living or those just too exhausted to carry on. Much of his inspiration is personal; he has lived that life himself. A trademark of his writing are the characters through whom he portrays his vista of bleakness. Starlight Tour is a bit different. Unchanged is Picott’s relentless melancholy. What is different is his perspective. He looks back at his life but also ponders darkly what lies ahead. With far fewer years to go than have passed, Picott, who lost his mother three years ago and fears for his elderly father, thinks about his own mortality, a theme that runs through the entire album. There is a sense of reckoning but also defiance, grace, and dignity.  (edited from No Depression review)

 

Also new this week…

Charm City Junction – Salt Box  (self-released)
Taylor McCall – Mellow War  
(Black Powder Soul Records)  +
Elexa Dawson & Stanley Hotel – Wanderlust  
(Turns Out Records)
The Roseline – Keystone of the Heart  (RPH Records)
Brit Taylor – Kentucky Bluegrassed   (Cut A Shine Records)
Lori Yates – Matador  (Laly Music)

 

Coming out soon …  The Dead South, Eric Brace and Thomm Jutz, Corb Lund, Missy Raines, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Seth James, The High Hawks, Béla Fleck, Vanessa Peters, Joe Pug, The Steel Wheels, Waxahatchee, Anna Moss, Sierra Ferrell, Rees Shad, Kitchen Dwellers, Sarah Shook & The Disarmers, JJ Grey & Mofro, Aoife O’Donovan, The Coal Men, Charley Crockett, Pi Jacobs, Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, Lost Dog Street Band and more!

Check out Americana Boogie Radio!

Bill Frater

 

Posted in Americana CD releases, Bluegrass, Country music new releases, New music releases, Roots Music | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Americana Music Releases for Jan. 26th

Here’s some the best Americana and roots-type music releases for January 26th, 2024. Click the artist or album links to find out more. The artist’s names link to their websites and the CD title links go to either Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp or the artist’s site for ordering or downloading.  A + sign means although not a featured release, it’s a notable album that’s still worth checking out.  Also, this page will be updated as I find out about other new releases so check back again.

 

Willi Carlisle
Critterland   
(Signature Sounds Recordings)

Willi Carlisle has been barn-storming the country the past few years with his righteous, roving accordion-folk tales about van life, borderlands, cattle ranching, and cheap cocaine. But the Kansas-raised singer-songwriter truly levels up on Critterland, produced by Darrell Scott. These richly rendered songs mix harrowing heartland reportage on sobriety, suicide, Ozark drug rings with openhearted tales of grief, fatherhood, and packing bowls in a  Tennessee Bojangles. The result is a beautiful folk document of American reckoning and redemption.   (edited from Rolling Stone review)

 

Jim Kweskin
Never Too Late (Storysound Records)

Jim Kweskin continues to create vital, heartfelt music some sixty years after releasing his first album. His latest effor is a very special project that has Kweskin performing duets with female singers with whom he has collaborated over his storied career. Among these vocalists are Samoa Wilson and Maria Muldaur, who was a member of Kweskin’s pioneering Jug Band, a group that played at many Newport Folk Festivals and made multiple appearances on national TV shows. In fact, Jim Kweskin & His Jug Band was proclaimed as one of the most influential bands of the early Sixties. Another one of Kweskin’s singing partners is his granddaughter Fiona Kweskin, who’s making her recording debut on this album. Kweskin’s backing band also is predominantly female, and features the acclaimed instrumentalists: fiddler Suzy Thompson, dobro & steel guitarist Cindy Cashdollar, and harmonica player Annie Raines. The 83-year-old musician has long been hailed for his vast repertoire of songs – from well-known tunes to highly obscure gems – that he has uncovered over the years. (from Label’s bio)

 

John Leventhal
Rumble Strip (RumbleStrip Records)

Throughout his 45-year career, John Leventhal has worn many hats, as a producer and songwriter, musician, composer, and more. In all this time, Leventhal has never explored being a solo artist “I’ve always had a catalog of ideas that have never found a home,” said Leventhal in a statement. “In the back of my mind, I thought that one of these days I should try to harvest some of those ideas and confront the personal gauntlet of making a solo record.” Giving a glimpse into his mostly instrumental Rumble Strip, Leventhal shared, “The idea of the record came from the fact that I had been producing and co-writing with artists for a long time and inevitably, at the end of every project, there was a bunch of material that never found a home.”   (edited from American Songwriter review)

Also new this week…

Spencer Burton – North Wind  (Dine Alone Records)
Chatham County Line – Hiyo
  (Yep Roc Records)  +
Ismay – Desert Pavement  (independent)
Sarah Jarosz – Polaroid Lovers   
(Rounder Records)   +
Malcolm MacWatt – Dark Harvest  (Singular Recordings)
Cary Morin – Innocent Allies  (independent)
Danielle Nicole – The Love You Bleed (Forty Below Records)
Sister Sadie – No Fear  (Mountain Home Music Company)  +
William Elliott Whitmore – Silently, The Mind Breaks   (Whitmore Records)  +

 

Coming out soon … Matt the Electrician, Eric Brace and Thomm Jutz, Corb Lund, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Seth James, The High Hawks, Béla Fleck, Vanessa Peters, Joe Pug, The Dead South, The Steel Wheels, Waxahatchee, Anna Moss, Sierra Ferrell, Rees Shad, Kitchen Dwellers, Sarah Shook & The Disarmers, JJ Grey & Mofro, Aoife O’Donovan, The Coal Men, Charley Crockett, Pi Jacobs and more!

Check out Americana Boogie Radio!

Bill Frater

Posted in Americana CD releases, Bluegrass, Country music new releases, New music releases, Roots Music | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Americana Music Releases for Jan. 19th

Here’s some the best Americana and roots-type music releases for January 19th, 2024. Click the artist or album links to find out more. The artist’s names link to their websites and the CD title links go to either Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp or the artist’s site for ordering or downloading.  A + sign means although not a featured release, it’s a notable album that’s still worth checking out.  Also, this page will be updated as I find out about other new releases so check back again.

Colby T. Helms
Tales of Misfortune  (Photo Finish Records)

The 21-year-old, with a voice and stylistic bent that’s reminiscent of Tyler Childers, has the potential to be the next Appalachia-based singer-songwriter to make a splash. With his debut LP Helms begins to turn potential into reality.Each of the eight tracks on Tales of Misfortune is well-written, with memorable melodies and vivid lyrical imagery about life in Helms’ rural Virginia hometown. That emotion, infused into Helms’ consistently passionate, heart-on-his-sleeve vocals, propels Tales of Misfortune. With this strong first album, Helms proves himself to be a solid talent with a bright future. (edited from No Depression review)

Also new this week…

Big State – Viva Ne’er-Do-Wells  (Big Beard Records)
Diane Coll – Old Ghosts  
(independent)
Alice DiMicele –
Interpretations Vol 1  (independent)
Shawn Hess – Wild Onion  (independent)  +
Lizzie No  – Halfsies  (Miss Freedomland Records)   +
Doug Paisley – Sad World  (independent)  +
Clay Parker and Jodi James – Your Very Own Dream  (independent)
ThorNton Creek – Swim a While  (independent)
Town Mountain – Dance Me Down Easy: The Woodstock Sessions EP  (New West Records)  +
Scott Sean White – Even Better On The Bad Days  (independent)

 

Coming out soon … Chatham County Line, Sarah Jarosz, Jim Kweskin, John Leventhal, Spencer Burton, Willi Carlisle, Matt the Electrician, Eric Brace and Thomm Jutz, Corb Lund, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Seth James, The High Hawks, Béla Fleck, Vanessa Peters, Joe Pug, The Dead South, The Steel Wheels, Waxahatchee, Anna Moss, Sierra Ferrell, Rees Shad, Kitchen Dwellers, JJ Grey & Mofro, Aoife O’Donovan, The Coal Men and more!

Check out Americana Boogie Radio!

Bill Frater

Posted in Americana CD releases, Bluegrass, Country music new releases, New music releases, Roots Music | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Americana Music Releases for Jan. 12th

Here’s some the best Americana and roots-type music releases for January 12th, 2024. Click the artist or album links to find out more. The artist’s names link to their websites and the CD title links go to either Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp or the artist’s site for ordering or downloading.  A + sign means although not a featured release, it’s a notable album that’s still worth checking out.  Also, this page will be updated as I find out about other new releases so check back again.

 

John Craigie featuring TK & The Holy Know-Nothings
Pagan Church  (Zabriskie Point Records)

Much like community, music nourishes us mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It also invites us to come together under the same roof and in a shared moment. In similar fashion, John Craigie rallies a closeness around music anchored by his expressive and stirring songcraft, emotionally charged vocals, lively soundscapes, and uncontainable spirit. The Portland, OR-based singer, songwriter, and producer invites everyone into this space on his 2024 full-length album, Pagan Church. “The music is always evolving and devolving with each new record,” he observes. “With my last album Mermaid Salt, I really wanted to explore the sound of isolation and solitude as everyone was heading inside. With this record, I wanted to record the sound of everyone coming back out.”  (from press release)

Gurf Morlix
Melt Into You  (Rootball Records)

Gurf Morlix gets a jump on the New Year with Melt Into You, his latest collection of handcrafted songs. The album contains tunes that look at the quirky side of love as well as the melancholy and downright sad. The remaining three songs are philosophical in nature, making metaphorical observations with both humor and warning. Instrumentation is what you would expect from Morlix, meaning you should expect the UN-expected. Besides songwriting that is as captivating as a gripping novel, every song has a different instrumental approach and tone, like tasting exotic foods in an as yet unknown restaurant. Admirers of Gurf’s musical expertise will not be disappointed.

 

 

Also new this week…

Brothers Brown – Nowhere Left To Go  (Woodland Avenue Records)
Kevin Burt & Big Medicine – Thank You Brother Bill: A Tribute to Bill Withers  (Gulf Coast Records)
James Talley – Bandits, Ballads and Blues  (Cimarron Records)
Watchhouse – Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater  (Yep Roc Records)
Dusty Wright – Dusted Off (independent)

 

Coming out soon … Chatham County Line, Sarah Jarosz, Alice DiMicele, Jim Kweskin, John Leventhal, Spencer Burton, Willi Carlisle, Matt the Electrician, Corb Lund, Hurray for the Riff Raff, The High Hawks, Béla Fleck, Vanessa Peters, Joe Pug, The Dead South, The Steel Wheels, Anna Moss, Rees Shad, Kitchen Dwellers, JJ Grey & Mofro, Aoife O’Donovan, The Coal Men and more!

Check out Americana Boogie Radio!

Bill Frater

Posted in Americana CD releases, Bluegrass, Country music new releases, New music releases, Roots Music | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Americana Boogie Best of 2023

Here’s Bill Frater’s picks for the best music releases of 2023. As is frequently the case, my Top 10 ends up being more of a Top 20! Please send me your picks for best music and I’ll post some here. Happy holidays and here’s to a very happy new year!

 

Iris DeMent – Workin’ on a World  (Flariella Records)
Jason Eady – Mississippi  (Old Guitar Records)
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway – City of Gold  (Nonesuch Records)
Brent Cobb – Southern Star  (Ol’ Buddy Records)
Rodney Crowell – Chicago Sessions (New West Records)

Margo Cilker – Valley Of Heart’s Delight  (Fluff & Gravy Records)
Robbie Fulks –
Bluegrass Vacation  (Compass Records)
Tracy Nelson – Life Don’t Miss Nobody  (BMG Music Group)
Brennen Leigh – Ain’t Through Honky Tonkin’ Yet  (Signature Sounds Recordings)
Tim O’Brien – Cup of Sugar  (Howdy Skies Records)

Marty Stuart And His Fabulous Superlatives – Altitude  (Snakefarm Records)
Brandy Clark – Brandy Clark  (Warner Records)
Darrell Scott String Band – Old Cane Back Rocker  (Here Records)
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit – Weathervanes (Southeastern Records)
Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley – Living In A Song  (Compass Records)
Mighty Poplar – Mighty Poplar  (Free Dirt Records)

 

 

Coming out early next year… John Craigie, Chatham County Line, Sarah Jarosz, John Leventhal, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Willi Carlisle, Corb Lund, Hurray for the Riff Raff, The High Hawks, Joe Pug, The Steel Wheels, Anna Moss and more!

Check out Americana Boogie Radio!

Bill Frater

Posted in Americana Music, Bluegrass, New music releases, Roots Music | 2 Comments

Americana Music Releases for Dec. 8th

Here’s some the best Americana and roots-type music releases for December 8th, 2023. Click the artist or album links to find out more. The artist’s names link to their websites and the CD title links go to either Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp or the artist’s site for ordering or downloading.  A + sign means although not a featured release, it’s a notable album that’s still worth checking out.  Also, this page will be updated as I find out about other new releases so check back again.

 

Rainbow Girls – Welcome To Whatever  (self-released)
Uncle Lucius – Like It’s The Last One Left  (Boo Clap Records)
Neil Young – Before and After  (Reprise Records)

 

Coming out soon, or next year… John Craigie, Chatham County Line, Sarah Jarosz, John Leventhal, Willi Carlisle, Corb Lund, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Joe Pug, The Steel Wheels, Anna Moss and more!

Check out Americana Boogie Radio!

Bill Frater

Posted in Americana CD releases, Country music new releases, New music releases, Roots Music | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Americana Music Releases for Dec. 1st

Here’s some the best Americana and roots-type music releases for December 1st, 2023. Click the artist or album links to find out more. The artist’s names link to their websites and the CD title links go to either Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp or the artist’s site for ordering or downloading.  A + sign means although not a featured release, it’s a notable album that’s still worth checking out.  Also, this page will be updated as I find out about other new releases so check back again.

Zach Russell
Where the Flowers Meet the Dew
  (Carlboro Records)

Where the Flowers Meet the Dew’s 10 songs explore reincarnation, joy, and 21st-century romance via traditional country waltzes and psych-folk rock songs alike. Throughout, Russell sings with all the grace befitting a former karaoke host and current lapsed Baptist, landing somewhere between the flourish of Chris Stapleton and the grit of Sturgill Simpson. This is the rare debut album that’s sincere all the way through, made up of songs about muscadine wine and stones in the river getting “bowled over” until they’re only just slivers. Russell longs to live in a world where you can earnestly miss your papaw and even unironically imagine a lover “that puts on Maybelline.” There’s an awful lot of self-reflection here, and that’s Russell’s greatest achievement on Where the Flowers Meet the Dew: singing impassioned country songs that feel at once uniquely modern and conventionally timeless.  (edited from No Depression review)

 

Also new this week…

Balsam Range – Kinetic Tone  (Mountain Home Records)
Bill Booth – River Town  (Wheeling Records)
Gregory Dwane – Nostalgia for Nothing  (Peacedale Records)  +
Fred Eaglesmith & Tif Ginn – A Christmas Card (A Major Label)
Uncle Shuffelo and His Haint Hollow Hootenanny – Uncle Shuffelo and His Haint Hollow Hootenanny  (Spring Fed Records)

 

Coming out soon, or next year… The Longshore Drifters, John Craigie, Chatham County Line, Sarah Jarosz, John Leventhal, Corb Lund, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Joe Pug, Anna Moss and more!

Check out Americana Boogie Radio!

Bill Frater

Posted in Americana CD releases, Country music new releases, New music releases, Roots Music | Tagged | Leave a comment

Americana Music Releases for Nov. 24th

Here’s some the best Americana and roots-type music releases for November 24th, 2023. Click the artist or album links to find out more. The artist’s names link to their websites and the CD title links go to either Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp or the artist’s site for ordering or downloading.  A + sign means although not a featured release, it’s a notable album that’s still worth checking out.  Also, this page will be updated as I find out about other new releases so check back again.

 

Amos Lee
Honeysuckle Switches: The Songs of Lucinda Williams  (Hoagiemouth Records)

Specifically, Lee revisited his “songwriting hero,” Lucinda Williams – the iconic musician he describes as “unapologetically sincere” and “a spiritual guide for me.” Now, Lee pays homage to Williams with a full album of covers from her iconic songbook – Honeysuckle Switches. Williams has been a formative artist for Lee dating back to his teenage years, “She is the most genuine and kind person,” recalls Lee. “As someone who wasn’t always readily available, her vulnerability opened my heart.” Reckoning with his own loss and grief over the past year, Lee turned to the songs of his mentor as a source of healing, the album is a way to thank Williams for getting him through life’s most difficult moments time and time again: “She has this persistence and will in her perspective, she embraces the sadness but is never enveloped by it.”   (edited from Grateful Web review)

 

Gram Parsons and the Fallen Angels
The Last Roundup: Live from the Bijou Café in Philadelphia March 16th 1973  (Amoeba Records)

n early 1973 Gram Parsons embarked on a tour to promote his recently released first solo album, GP. Gram put together a pretty great band, including the then-unknown Emmylou Harris as his singing partner. One show stood out to pedal steel player Neil Flanz: the third night at the Bijou Cafe. Neil felt that this was the best show of the tour and requested a copy of the soundboard recording. He saved it for almost forty years, and then it was acquired by Amoeba Music for a future Gram release. It turns out Neil was right. This is Gram and Emmylou at their finest. And it’s the next to last club date ever for Gram and the Fallen Angels. A 50-year-old soundboard cassette offers some unique challenges, but thanks to the efforts of some of the world’s best archival sound restoration engineers, the beauty and energy of Gram, Emmy and the band shine through. For all of those who never got to experience Gram live, this is the closest we’ll ever get to being there.

 

Coming out soon… The Wilder Blue, Zach Russell, The Longshore Drifters, Uncle Lucius, John Craigie, Chatham County Line, Sarah Jarosz, John Leventhal, Corb Lund, Joe Pug, Anna Moss and more!


Check out Americana Boogie Radio!

Bill Frater

Posted in Americana CD releases, Country music new releases, New music releases, Roots Music | Tagged , | Leave a comment