Sign in Become a member

Gary Stoller

Tanita Tikaram on Learning about Life through Theater (and Music)

Tanita Tikaram on Learning about Life through Theater (and Music)

Tanita Tikaram will never forget a concert she performed many years ago in Wales. “I once played a gig in Cardiff and, afterward, was in my hotel bedroom trying to sleep,” Tikaram says. “I could hear people in the street singing ‘Cathedral Song.’ It doesn't get better than

In Austin and TVs across the Land, Jenny Reynolds Connects through Stories and Emotions

In Austin and TVs across the Land, Jenny Reynolds Connects through Stories and Emotions

Growing up in Westwood, Massachusetts, singer-songwriter Jenny Reynolds appreciated all of her mother’s records—except one. “Before I was old enough to go to school, my mom and I used to listen to her records, including the Kingston Trio, Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Gordon Lightfoot, and Peter, Paul and

John Jorgenson's Eclectic Taste: From Django Reinhardt to the Who

John Jorgenson's Eclectic Taste: From Django Reinhardt to the Who

John Jorgenson’s guitar playing was impressive when I saw him perform with the Desert Rose band at Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Casino in 2010 and at the Joe Val Bluegrass Festival in Framingham, Massachusetts, four years later. But those performances were nothing like last summer when he brought his

Tammy Faye Starlite as Nico: 'Inappropriate is My Favorite Adjective'

Tammy Faye Starlite as Nico: 'Inappropriate is My Favorite Adjective'

Nico was a compelling, grim and somewhat scary performer at Manhattan clubs in the late 1970s. I remember sitting on a wooden floor of a now-defunct club as the celebrated Andy Warhol protégé sat in the center of the room fervently pressing on the keys of her harmonium. It was

Four Decades after Forming, Magic Music Makes Debut Album

Four Decades after Forming, Magic Music Makes Debut Album

As John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High” and Coors beer alerted the rest of the country to the glories of Colorado in the 1970s, a band of hippie musicians called Magic Music left the Centennial State to make its mark nationwide. The group, which began playing music together while living

John McCutcheon Releases A Folk Masterpiece

John McCutcheon Releases A Folk Masterpiece

It’s been a long time since I considered an album a folk masterpiece, but I must give that distinction to John McCutcheon’s new Trolling for Dreams. The album — the 38th in McCutcheon’s prolific career — overflows with great songs, warm and lively vocals and masterful playing. McCutcheon, a

The Sometimes Forgotten Byrd to Be Honored on Both Coasts

The Sometimes Forgotten Byrd to Be Honored on Both Coasts

Gene Clark is finally getting his due. For decades, Roger McGuinn received most of the credit for the Byrds’ impact on rock and roll, tied in with psychedelic, country, and folk music. McGuinn was the unquestioned leader, and there’s no reason to denigrate his incredible contributions and his longevity