Portland, Oregon Singer-Songwriter's 5th Album Has A Unifying Spirit
Portland-based Americana singer-songwriter and acoustic guitar/harmonica player John Craigie has put together a basically fine collaboration with musician-friends on his “No Rain, No Rose” 13-song collection. To my ears, the majority of the songs are of a high quality and the performances are stellar. But there are some issues,
Al Green's Gospel on Film
Al Green is a man possessed. That should come as no surprise to anyone who has ever witnessed Green live. The spirits dwelling in that shelter come pouring out when Green opens his mouth. You can see and hear them fighting for dominance, tumbling over one another in their rush
The Endearing Qualities of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings
It had been nearly six years to the day since I had seen Gillian Welch and David Rawlings in Charlottesville, Virginia, on the initial The Harrow & the Harvest tour, so I was not about to miss this short mini-tour to celebrate the album's release on record. Instead
The Cosmic Simplicity of Ian Felice’s Solo Masterpiece
Walking out in the Richmond rain after a Felice Brothers concert, I admitted to waxing poetic and said it was like a dose of cosmic understanding and transforming joy. That’s a bit like my feeling after hearing Ian Felice’s new album, In the Kingdom of Dreams. In this
Yesterday's Gone: Fleetwood Mac At 50
Does anybody know what time it is? Does anybody really care?
Old songs tend to drift in and out of our sub-conscious at the most random of times. For some reason the old Chicago song came to mind as I was thinking about the turn of the calendar. Many a
'No Matter Where I Went, I Meant to Make My Way Back Here”: Conor Oberst Live
While October in the Bay Area usually brings a three-day extravaganza of Conor Oberst shows (which my friend has dubbed Octoberst), this May his fans were given the chance to see him three times in 24 hours. It was definitely one of the best 24 hours of my life. I