the last great post this year

Well, this blog has been fun, but I'm going to have to put it on hold for a while. I'm going to be working on organic farms in Ireland and perhaps other parts of Europe through the WWOOF organization, for 6-12 months. As I'll have neither a reliable internet connection nor access to my music horde, I won't really be able to post for some time. But before I go, I thought I'd leave you with a bunch of albums which I've uploaded but never got around to posting with images, reviews, etc.. Some of these links are fairly old, so I apollogize for any expired links, but I won't be able to re-post them. Anyway, this ought to keep you busy for a while:

Fiddle Me This: A Fiddle for your Fancy
one of my longstanding pasttimes has been making mix-cds. this one was for a friend who was learning violin. it includes celtic, folk, bluegrass, cajun, and jazz fiddling, from many of the best.
http://www.shareonall.com/Fiddle_ybmq.zip


Britain to Brittany: A Celtic Feast of Song
another mix-cd, this time full of celtic and folk music from England, Scotland, Ireland, France, French Canada, and Colorado. Many of the tracks on here are from the Acoustic Folk Box, which sparked a revival in my interest in this kind of music.
http://rapidshare.com/files/280147821/BritainToBrittany.zip


Christy Moore - Paddy on the Road
Christy's first album, before the legendary Prosperous which spawned the even more legendary Irish supergroup Planxty. Not a great album, as Christy is backed by some english session musicians who don't really have a feel for the irish music. But a good indication of the greatness to come. Vinyl?
http://rapidshare.com/files/29050280/CM-POTR.rar.html
0ld dead link replaced by older, lower-quality link courtesy of Time Has Told Me


Jethro Burns - Jethro Burns
The best mandolinist in the world before David Grisman got really hot. Some of you may recognize him from the session with Norman Blake, Vassar Clements, Dave Holland, et al. Vinyl.
http://sharebee.com/6f0c66cd


Kinky Friedman - Sold American
The Frank Zappa of country music, with a flair for fearless subject matter and perfect turns of phrase. Later, a successful novelist. Now, a governor-cantidate for the state of Texas. Long-live The Texas Jewboy!
http://sharebee.com/abc11290


Jean Carignan
The best French-Canadian fiddler in recent memory, and conspicuously absent from my fiddle cd.
http://sharebee.com/88b16fdc


Dave Van Ronk - Gambler's Blues
Early-60s session for Folkways. Some of this album was included on The Folkways Years 1959-61. Raw and great. Vinyl.
http://sharebee.com/07c54f84


The Great Clarence White Bootleg Tapes
a while back I promised you more Kentucky Colonels live recordings. Here they are. Taken from recordings at the Ash Grove in LA, mid-60s. Includes a lot of stuff with Scott Stoneman, the Jimi Hendrix of the fiddle. Here's what Jerry Garcia said about 'The Eigth of January', included here (though it's actually about 8.5 minutes, despite Jerry's memory):

I get my improvisational approach from Scotty Stoneman, the fiddle player. [He's] the guy who first set me on fire -- where I just stood there and I don't remember breathing. He was just an incredible fiddler. He was a total alcoholic wreck by the time I heard him, in his early thirties, playing with the Kentucky Colonels... They did a medium-tempo fiddle tune like 'Eighth of January' and it's going along, and pretty soon Scotty starts taking these longer and longer phrases -- ten bars, fourteen bars, seventeen bars -- and the guys in the band are just watching him! They're barely playing -- going ding, ding, ding -- while he's burning. The place was transfixed. They played this tune for like twenty minutes, which is unheard of in bluegrass. I'd never heard anything like it. I asked him later, 'How do you do that?' and he said, 'Man, I just play lonesome.' (Garcia, c. 1985, via Blair Jackson's Garcia: An American Life)
Disc 1: http://sharebee.com/6172bc99
Disc 2: http://sharebee.com/6269010b
Disc 3: http://sharebee.com/4d1cd530
Disc 4: http://sharebee.com/613af688


Fred Sokolow - Bluegrass Banjo Inventions
Brilliant Kicking Mule album includes Jody Stecher on guitar and an amazing pice called Banjo Gamelan or something. Vinyl.
http://sharebee.com/92c293ce
or http://rapidshare.com/files/134319831/Fred_Sokolow_-_Bluegrass_Banjo_Inventions.rar.html (re-posted with cover by Teclas Petras at Uncle Gil's Rockin Archives)



Tanz! with Dave Tarras & The Musiker Brothers
From the Benny Goodman of Jewish music, a wild fusion of klezmer and big band swing.
http://rapidshare.com/files/106722133/TanzWithDTtMB.zip


Rob Wasserman - Solo
Amazing solo bass album by a member of the original David Grisman Quintet. Vinyl.
http://sharebee.com/08a03824


Larry McNeely - Live at McCabes
This Takoma session is more straight-ahead bluegrass than Rhapsody for Banjo, though it includes his version of Beethoven's 5th Symphony for banjo. Vinyl.
http://www.mediafire.com/?gmjmnmnwz5i (re-post Jan-15-09)


Alan Lomax Southern Journey Vol 12 - Georgia Sea Islands
Amazing pre-blues tradition of vocal group singing. Gullah. Great.
http://www.badongo.com/file/11082092 thanks to anonymous for the repost!


Alan Lomax Southern Journey Vol 13 - Earliest Times: Georgia SeaIsland Songs for Everyday Living
More of the Same.
http://www.mediafire.com/?nmzjw4zn3yn


Alan Lomax Collection - Georgia Sea Island Songs
Even more. really excellent.
http://www.shareonall.com/GeorgiaCIsland_sjnh.zip


Bob Brozman - Blue Hula Stomp
Early Kicking Mule album for Brozman, the world master of the steel/slide guitar, and ukelele too. Title says it all: blues, hawaiian, stomp.
http://rapidshare.com/files/134318227/Bob_Brozman_Snapping_The_Strings.rar.html (re-posted with cover by Teclas Petras at Uncle Gil's Rockin Archives)


Tut Taylor - Dobrolic Plectral Society
Down-home bluegrass on Takoma. See also Norman, Vassar, Jethro...
vinyl, cleaned mp3 >192kbps vbr w/ cover 59mb
http://sharebee.com/33864b12 [re-post thanks to Bumkuncha]
see expanded page at Pathways to Unknown Worlds


Snehasish Mozumder - Mandolin Dreams
Indian ragas on mandolin!
http://sharebee.com/11cdea46 [re-post thanks to Bumkuncha]
see expanded page at Pathways to Unknown Worlds


Raphael Rabello & Dino 7 Cordas
two of the greatest guitar masters from Brazil on 7-string guitars. Stunning.
http://lix.in/ee409755
now from Um Que Tenha


Paulo Moura & Raphael Rabello - Dois Irmaos
Guitar and clarinet duets, brazillian, amazing choro music.
http://lix.in/fe40b12b
now from Um Que Tenha

Cornell Lab of Ornithology - An Evening in Sapsucker Woods
The archetypal field recordings of birds. Reissued by popular demand.
http://www.shareonall.com/Cornell_Lab_of_Ornithology_vqji.zip


Sonny Sharock - Black Woman
Free-jazz on electric guitar and voice. Powerful stuff from the late 60s. Sharrock's guitar-skronk is the stuff of legend. His wife's voice is an instrument of expression, not a song-producer.
http://sharebee.com/aa205ec7


Lenny Breau - Five O'Clock Bells-Mo' Breau
a seminal pair of albums from the greatest guitarist to ever live (arguably). He can sound like 3 people at once, playing a walking bass, jazz chords, and a melody simultaneously. Country meets Jazz meets flamenco meets classical meets pure innovation.
http://sharebee.com/38284fd7


The Legendary Lenny Breau... Now
More of the same. Absolutely stunning.
http://sharebee.com/10093576


Tommy Jarrell - Tommy Jarrell Legacy Volume 3: Come And Go With Me
a master of old-time music on this all-banjo record. for ejg.
http://sharebee.com/49b21321


Original Blind Boys of Alabama - Original Five Blind Boys of Alabama
before their crossover days. gospel and guitar; it'll make you believe.
http://sharebee.com/d7178553


Roosevelt Sykes - Chicago Boogie
master of blues/boogie/barrelhouse piano. 'The Honeydripper'
http://sharebee.com/fcfd6d0b


Roosevelt Sykes - Raining in My Heart
more.
http://rapidshare.com/files/102313397/Roosevelt_Sykes_-_Raining_In_My_Heart.zip.html


Mud Acres: Music Among Friends: Music from Woodstock Mountains
a jam featuring Happy & Artie Traum, Bill Keith, Maria Muldaur, & others.
http://sharebee.com/96a03307


Munir Bashir - The Art of the Oud (Ocora-Irak. L'Art du Oud)
oud improvisations from a master.
http://sharebee.com/eaba2552


Munir Bashir & Omar Bashir - Duo de 'ud
more
http://rapidshare.de/files/38926859/MunirBashirOmarBashir.zip.html


Joseph Moskowitz - The Art of the Cymbalom
vintage hammer-dulcimer music. east-europe meets swing. gypsy classical russian new york.
http://rapidshare.com/files/101197655/JMoskowitz-TAotCymbalom.zip


From Spirituals to Swing (Reissue 3-cd box)
arguably the most important single concert in the first half of the twentieth century. Produced by the legendary John Hammond, it brought the genius of black music to white people. Bessie Smith, Charlie Christian, Count Basie, Sonny Terry, Benny Goodman, & more. many booklet scans.
Disc 1: http://sharebee.com/d203a0d8
Disc 2: http://sharebee.com/b9fae446
Disc 3: http://sharebee.com/d0c11848
Reissue Notes: http://sharebee.com/06348cd4 Size: 94.71 MB
Original Notes: http://sharebee.com/9d2c3d0b Size: 54.36 MB


John Kirkpatrick - Jump at the Sun
british accordion-driven folk music
mp3 160k w/ big front & back cover 40mb
http://rapidshare.com/files/100780668/JKirkp-JatS.zip


Genghis Blues soundtrack
Featuring Tuvan master Kongar Ol-Ondar and throat-singing blind bluesman Paul "Earthquake" Pena. Must be heard to be believed. RIP, Paul.
http://sharebee.com/a7c4af9a


Othar Turner & the Rising Star Fife & Drum Band - Everybody Hollerin' Goat
the last living master of the cane fife, and a critical link between african music and the birth of the blues. held a legendary annual barbecue.
http://rapidshare.com/files/249320807/OthTurn-Goat.zip


Othar Turner & The Afrosippi Allstars - Senegal to Senatopia
more of the same, though with more contemporary accompanists
http://massmirror.com/e81d834c30443fd481016525b8315258.html
direct links:
http://www.zshare.net/download/8674580690f718/
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=EWB85B4Y


Bob Brozman - Snapping the Strings
more great slide guitar music and wild singing
http://massmirror.com/df2f82135219fb2f95926c7a872b4763.html
Direct Links:
http://www.badongo.com/file/8168279
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=BGBEY2S9
http://www.zshare.net/download/8592133567984b/
http://fastuploading.com/download.php?id=B978D0D71
http://rapidshare.com/files/97680082/BBrozman-StS.zip.html
http://4filehosting.com/file/98132/BBrozman-StS-zip.html


Snooks Eaglin - New Orleans Street Singer
Early acoustic Folkways session from 'the living jukebox', a new orleans legend and great guitar player with a Ray Charles-esque singing voice.
http://sharebee.com/7affa56a


Mississippi Fred McDowell - Standing at the Burying Ground
electric show from England, late 60s. Delta blues slide master. "I do not play no rock & roll"
http://sharebee.com/a892a73a


John Fahey - Yes ! Jesus Loves Me: Guitar Hymns
"Christ is not cute."
http://sharebee.com/c433d60e


Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Does Your House Have Lions: The Anthology
brilliant and strange stuff from this sax-innovator. see post in the archives. includes a track that mixes Dvorak's 'Going Home' with an 'old apple pie melody' by Stephen Foster, played simultaneously on different horns coming out of different sides of his mouth. Also a version of "Ain't No Sunshine" where he sings while playing the flute.
http://www.shareonall.com/RRK-DYHHLions_ndph.zip


Vishwa Mohan Bhatt & Musicians of Rajasthan - Desert Slide
Indian slide-guitar master meets desert caravan. kinda east-meets-east.
http://rapidshare.com/files/141343641/VMBhds.rar.html [re-post thanks to Bumkuncha]
see expanded page at Pathways to Unknown Worlds


Booka White, Skip James, Blind Willie McTell - Three Shades of Blue
3 of the greatest masters of acoustic blues. What more could you want?
http://sharebee.com/e08d6131


Reverend Pearly Brown - You're Gonna Need that Pure Religion
slide-guitar-playing religious street-singer carries on the legacy of Blind Willie Johnson. Also posted at Broke Down Engine
http://sharebee.com/2ec06d84


Victoria Spivey & Lonnie Johnson - Idle Hours
from the man who invented the guitar solo and the woman who sang Blake Snake Moan (and taught Maria Muldaur how to sing, and revived the carreer of Sippie Wallace)
http://sharebee.com/75f54cec


Lonnie Johnson - Another Night to Cry
you'll begin to see where Geoff Muldaur learned to sing...
http://sharebee.com/49899407


Lonnie Johnson-Playing with the Strings
and where Charlie Christian got his single-string work...
http://sharebee.com/9f5c7c41


Lonnie Johnson - Blues by Lonnie Johnson
more of the same
http://sharebee.com/45090544


Paul Butterfield's Better Days - Bearsville Anthology
band with Geoff Muldaur and Amos Garrett; this is white chicago blues-rock at its best, from the Woodstock region of New York.
http://sharebee.com/3c84d97b


Memphis Minnie-Queen of the Blues
that's what she was. even beat Big Bill Broonzy in a guitar contest. Led Zeppelin stole 'When The Levee Breaks' from her.
http://sharebee.com/5cf40ed5


Ewan MacColl-Black & White: The Definitive Collection
from the grandfather of british folk. the Scottish Pete Seeger, if you will.
http://sharebee.com/f9251130


Mississippi John Hurt-Best Of (Live at Oberlin College 1965)
The great folk-blues songster with elegant fingerpicking and a gentle demeanor that pervades all his work. all his well-known songs are here.
http://sharebee.com/ce4973ec


Mississippi John Hurt-D.C. Blues: The Library of Congress Recordings Vol.2
not his best performances, but include some cuts not recorded elsewhere
Disc 1: http://sharebee.com/e9324028
Disc 2: http://sharebee.com/77a5cd2b


Frank Stokes-Creator of the Memphis Blues
that's what he was
http://sharebee.com/750234ca


The Blues Project-Live at Town Hall
blues-rock featuring Danny Kalb (see Merlin-In-Rags blog)
http://sharebee.com/fb09ae26


Jo Ann Kelly - Jo Ann Kelly (1969)
there are few artists for whom John Fahey played back-up guitar (though not on these sessions). On par with Maria Muldaur as the best female white blues singer. Better than Janis Joplin, and she could play a pretty mean guitar too. Though British, somehow she ends up channeling Memphis Minnie.
http://sharebee.com/ec8621a0


Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, Kurt Schwitters - read their own works
there was some talk a while back about 'poetry'. And while I know lots of people think Leonard Cohen's songs are 'poetry', including Leonard Cohen, I really don't think they hold their own against any real 'poetry'. Here is proof.
http://www.mediafire.com/?kydzdz5kwnr



enjoy! i'll be back eventually, and maybe i'll turn some of these into real posts.