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Henry Carrigan

THE READING ROOM: Alice Gerrard's 'Custom Made Woman'

THE READING ROOM: Alice Gerrard's 'Custom Made Woman'

Reading Alice Gerrard’s inviting and candid Custom Made Woman: A Life in Traditional Music (North Carolina, December 2, 2025) is much like sitting down with her in her front room or on her porch and listening to her regale us with tales of her relationships ( the musicians she’s

ALBUM REVIEW: Della Mae Returns with Joyous, Soul-Affirming ‘Magic Accident’

ALBUM REVIEW: Della Mae Returns with Joyous, Soul-Affirming ‘Magic Accident’

Della Mae is back with joyous, soul-affirming music. Grammy award-winning banjoist Alison Brown produces and plays on Magic Accident, the band’s first album for Compass Records and their first since 2021’s Family Reunion. The songs on Magic Accident embraces the complexity of life while celebrating the glimmers of

ALBUM REVIEW: On ‘Scenes from Above’ Julian Lage’s New Quartet Delivers New Stunning Blues, Jazz, and Soul Quartet

ALBUM REVIEW: On ‘Scenes from Above’ Julian Lage’s New Quartet Delivers New Stunning Blues, Jazz, and Soul Quartet

Julian Lage is a ceaselessly inventive composer and one of the best guitarists playing today. On Scenes from Above, produced by Joe Henry, he joins forces with keyboardist John Medeski, bassist Jorge Roeder, and drummer Kenny Wollesen in a new quartet to deliver stunning new tunes that move among blues,

THE READING ROOM: Books from Musicians We Lost in 2025

THE READING ROOM: Books from Musicians We Lost in 2025

In 2025, the world got a little quieter as a large chorus of musician’s voices fell silent. The list of artists who died last year includes soul icons Brenton Wood and Sam Moore, metal innovator Ozzy Osbourne, folk legend Peter Yarrow, songwriting genius Brian Wilson, and consummate Americana storyteller

THE READING ROOM: Jane Eisner’s, 'Carole King: She Made the Earth Move'

THE READING ROOM: Jane Eisner’s, 'Carole King: She Made the Earth Move'

Carole King’s A Natural Woman (2012) remains one of the best music memoirs ever published. While many artists fill page after page with bawdy and salacious episodes on the road, in the motel room, on stage, and in the studio, King instead offers a measured and candid look back

THE READING ROOM: Muscle Shoals’ Hey Day Shines in New Book, ‘Land of a Thousand Sessions: The Complete Muscle Shoals Story, 1951-1985’

THE READING ROOM: Muscle Shoals’ Hey Day Shines in New Book, ‘Land of a Thousand Sessions: The Complete Muscle Shoals Story, 1951-1985’

From the 1960s through the 1980s, hip-shaking soul, funky rock, and soaring pop blared out of a tiny little corner in rural northwest Alabama. Muscle Shoals—part of the Quad Cities area that also includes Sheffield, Florence, and Tuscumbia—gained a reputation for the studios that defined a Southern soul

THE READING ROOM: The Best Music Books of 2025

THE READING ROOM: The Best Music Books of 2025

As the end of the year rolls around, so do the “best-of” lists. Overall, 2025 has been a good year for music books, with several outstanding biographies and autobiographies as well as some thoughtful critical analyses of music history. There is a book for everyone on this list of favorite