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Henry Carrigan

THE READING ROOM: Details and Dedication Make the Argument for ‘Why Patti Smith Matters’

THE READING ROOM: Details and Dedication Make the Argument for ‘Why Patti Smith Matters’

As longtime music journalist Caryn Rose points out in the preface to her little gem of a book, Why Patti Smith Matters (Texas), the list of Smith’s contributions to art, photography, poetry, and rock and roll is so extensive that just her poetry and her influences on a generation

ALBUM REVIEW: Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams Electrify on ‘Live at Levon's!’

ALBUM REVIEW: Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams Electrify on ‘Live at Levon's!’

Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams’ live shows transport listeners to another realm. Campbell creates a multilayered sonic atmosphere with his never-miss-a-note, emotionally freighted guitar playing while Williams’ soaring vocals lift listeners and can turn tender in a moment. Live at Levons!, recorded Sept. 20 and 21, 2019, at Levon Helm

ALBUM REVIEW: Tim Stafford and Thomm Jutz Combine Forces to Bring Forward ‘Lost Voices’

ALBUM REVIEW: Tim Stafford and Thomm Jutz Combine Forces to Bring Forward ‘Lost Voices’

Five years ago, Tim Stafford and Thomm Jutz — two world-class songwriters who each have been awarded the Songwriter of the Year award from the International Bluegrass Music Association — got together to play and write. Out of that collaboration an album grew, one that weaves poignant tales of characters pulled from

ALBUM REVIEW: Irene Kelley’s ‘Snow White Memories’ Adds Warmth to Winter

ALBUM REVIEW: Irene Kelley’s ‘Snow White Memories’ Adds Warmth to Winter

Irene Kelley’s crystalline vocals warmly envelop listeners on her new album, Snow White Memories, wrapping them in a soothing blanket of sound. The eminent bluegrass singer and songwriter delivers these 11 songs with a piercing intimacy that reverberates in the heart, coursing over the emotional landscape of loneliness, loss,

ALBUM REVIEW: Margo Price Hits New Peaks on ‘Strays’

ALBUM REVIEW: Margo Price Hits New Peaks on ‘Strays’

“Light Me Up,” the second track on Margo Price’s new album, Strays, opens sparsely with Price’s vocals shimmering over verdant acoustic guitar chords. After the second verse, double shuffling drums propel the song into a frenetic, swirling rocker for two verses before shifting into yet another alternative rhythmic

THE READING ROOM: The Rise of Chuck Berry and Rock and Roll

THE READING ROOM: The Rise of Chuck Berry and Rock and Roll

Chuck Berry’s straight-ahead bluesy, rhythmic romps “Sweet Little Sixteen,” “Johnny B. Goode,” and “Maybellene” lie deep in the DNA of American popular music. A savvy entrepreneur, Berry cannily cashed in on the shift in musical styles from rhythm and blues to even looser, more spontaneous songs about cars, women,

After 50 Years, ‘Will the Circle Be Unbroken’ Still Bridges Generations

After 50 Years, ‘Will the Circle Be Unbroken’ Still Bridges Generations

In 1971, the long-haired rock and rollers of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band — Jeff Hanna, John McEuen, Jimmie Fadden, Les Thompson, Jimmy Ibbotson — sat in a circle with legends of country and bluegrass music at Woodland Studio in Nashville and in six days recorded 36 songs. A year later, those