Ellis Paul | A Carnival of Voices | Philo 1191 | Fine New
England folkie in new set |
Scott Hygaard | Dreamer's Waltz + | Rounder 0397 | New
Acoustic/bluegrass guitar virtuoso |
* The Foremen | What's Left? | Reprise 46246 | Great political satire for 96 election & beyond |
The Persuasions | Sincerely | Bullseye Blues 9576 | Veteran
acapella doo-dop band in fine form |
Nomos | I Won't Be Afraid Anymore | Green Linnet 3112 | Excellent Celtic |
Samite | Silina Muasngo | Xenophile 4047 | Beautiful African acoustic music |
Julie Moffitt | Labyrinth | Mad Hatter | Fine Harrisburg-area singer-songwriter |
Savourna Stevenson, June Tabor, Danny Thompson | Singing the Storm | Cooking Vinyl 102 | Superb blend of brooding English folk w/ harp |
Akiko Yano | Piano Nightly | Nonesuch 79416 | Fascinating,
appealing Japanese pianist-singer |
The Aqua Velvets | Nomad # | Milan 35765 | Great twangy guitar
instrumentals |
The House Band | Rockall | Green Linnet 1174 | More fine
Celtic |
Linda Thompson | Dreams Fly Away | Ryko 1379 | Compilation of
music from outstanding English folkie |
Norma Waterson | Norma Waterson | Ryko | Venerable English
folksinger with impressive guest list |
The Quinns | Normal Guy + | Hazbro-Twins | Scranton area band
in appealing folk-rock |
The Chris London Band | The Chris London Band | independent | Good Scranton-area blues |
Craig Thatcher Band | Because of You + | CTB | Great, classy laid-back blues from Allentown area |
Magic Dick & Jay Geils | Little Car Blues | Rounder 3141 | J.
Geils founders do mix of acoustic & electric |
Lois Brownsey | The Truth about the Blues + | Sprinkle | Superb blues from a woman's point of view |
Tracy Nelson | Move On | Rounder 3143 | Mother Earth voice from
60s in strong bluesy set |
Orleans | Ride | Dinosaur 620184506 | Survivors of 70s band
reunite with trademark sound |
Earth to Bob | Toll Roads and Detours + | Rite Off 1125 | Excellent articulate roots-rock from Harrisburg |
William Clarke | The Hard Way | Alligator 4842 | Strong, swingy
blues from harmonica man who died in 1996 |
Altan | Blackwater | Virgin 41381 | Veteran Celtic band does
not disappoint |
Marshall Crenshaw | Miracle of Science | Razor & Tie 2823 | Melodic jangly-guitar pop songster keeps up the great work |
* John Gorka | Between Five and Seven | High Street 10351 | Gorka writes such great songs, it's scary. Add his fine voice, and it's one of 1996's best |
Paul Kelly | Live at the Continental and the Esplanande | Vanguard 79493 | Nice folky-rocky live set by Aussie Messengers founder |
Isoe | Manhattan Lullaby | Qwijibo 5340 | Very nice folk-rock
featuring songs of Kate Evans |
Rusty Zinn | Sittin' and Waitin' | Black Top 1134 | Nice swingy
blues |
The Bluegrass Album Band | Bluegrass Instrumentals Vol. 6 # | Rounder 0330 | All-star bluegrass virtuoso group does mostly trad. material |
Kenny Young and the Eggplants | Even One is Quite a Few | Coney Island 143 | Sometimes sophomorically humorous acoustic-alt.-rock but usually
a lot of fun |
Deanna Kirk | Mariana Trench | Blackbird/Elektra 61955 | Interesting, moody singer-songwriter |
Peter, Paul & Mary | Lifelines Live | Warner Bros. 46298 | Folk
institution in live set from PBS-TV with many guests |
Ralph Walker | Waiting for You + | Casita 1900241 | Fine solo
acoustic guitar |
Sergio Mendes | Oceano | Verve Forecast 314532441 | 60s
Brazilian pioneer continues his contemporary S. American sound |
Rasputina | Thanks for the Ether | Columbia 67504 | All-cello
all-female rock band in dark, often gothic songs |
Salamader Crossing | Passion Train | Signature Sound 1234 | Fine contemporary bluegrass from Boston |
Sloan Wainwright | Sloan Wainwright | Waterbug 23 | Loudon's
sister in a nice folky set |
Iain Matthews | God Looked Down | Watermelon 1055 | Matthews
Southern Comfort founder in worthwhile bunch of songs from Austin |
Arto Lindsay | The Subtle Body | Bar/None 078 | Alt. rock
pioneer does traditional Brazilan |
Jazz Jamaica | Skaravan + | Hannibal 1307 | Fine ska versions
of mostly jazz standards |
* Folk Scat | Folk Scat | Nomad 50310 | Acapella group from Sofia
combines Bulgarian folk & jazz scat singing. Wonderfully refreshing |
* Holly Palmer | Holly Palmer | Reprise 46281 | Interesting, multi-faceted singer-songwriter |
Ellen Rigas | God's Country | perSephone 456022 | Fine acoustic
singer-songwriter sings about Potter County, PA |
various | The Crime Scene | Capitol 836129 | Fun compilation of
old instrumental themes from TV & movie crime films |
Ocean Color Scene | Moseley Shoals | MCA 11479 | Clever young
Brit-pop neo-Mod band |
Mahlathini & Mahotella Queens | Stoki Stoki | Shanachie 64068 | "Lion of Soweto" (heard on Paul Simon's Graceland) in infectious S. African music |
Sibeba | Hijas del Sol | Intuition 3178 | Fascinating African/Spanish mix by two women |
Eric Johnson | Venus Isle | Capitol 898331 | Austin guitar sensation in remarkable set from art rock to Stevie-Ray blues |
C.J. Chenier | The Big Squeeze | Alligator 4844 | Zydeco
nonpariel |
Susan Graham White | Not Afraid to Fly | Blix Street 10029 | Fine singer-songwriter, protege of Tom Paxton |
Bridget Ball & Christopher Shaw | Songs from the Big Front Porch | Twining Tree 9611 | Fine, mostly traditional folk |
James Cotton | Deep in the Blues | Verve 314529849 | Interesting combination of low-down blues harmonica with mostly jazzy players |
* Tom Ball & Kenny Sultan | Double Vision | Flying Fish 656 | Fun, often humorous acoustic blues |
various | A World Out of Time, Vol 3 | Shanachie 64069 | Great
anthology of music from Madagascar |
Béla Fleck & the Flecktones | Live Art | Warner Bros. 46247 | 2
CD set of remarkable music by banjo eclecticist, includes several guests |
The Jazz Mandolin Project | The Jazz Mandolin Project + | Accurate 5020 | Electric mandolin jazz-rock fusion |
Mango Jam | Flux | Shanachie 5710 | Great, tasteful, rootsy
rock with tight vocal harmonies, infectious songs |
Heidi Berry | Miracle | 4AD 46020 | Nice New Agey vocal |
Tarika Sammy | Beneath Southern Skies | Shanachie 64067 | Enjoyable, appealing music from Madagascar |
* Suzanne Vega | Nine Objects of Desire | A&M 314540583 | Interesting, multifaceted set from acclaimed New Folkie |
Maria Muldaur | Fanning the Flames | Telarc 83394 | Nice New
Orelans influenced blues-rock from 70s veteran |
Francine Reed | Can't Make It on My Own | Ichiban 24486 | Big-voiced blues singer in superb R&B set |
Bossa Nova Beatniks | Heart to Beat + | Perigree 2453 | Fun mix of quirky songs, acoustic guitars & bongo drums |
Little Georgie and the Shuffling Hungarians | Live from Styleen's | Queen Bee 96662 | Strong set from big "R&B Revue" band |
Irving Burgie | Island in the Sun | Angel 52222 | Author of Belafonte classic "Day-O" does his own songs |
Steve Forbert | Rocking Horse Head | Paladin 24663 | 70s folk-rocker back with nice new set, insightful lyrics |
Kate & Anna McGarrigle | Matapedia | Hannibal 1394 | Fine new CD by veteran Canadian folkie siblings |
* The Puddle Jumpers | Out of the Shadows | Golden Goose 126570645 | Art rock plus folk & Celtic. Dubbed "progressive folk" it's one of 1996's best debuts |
Talitha MacKenzie | Spiorod | Shanachie 78003 | Scottish Gaelic
+ hip-hop + Eastern European in fascinating blend from Mouth Music founder |
Greg Brown | Further In | Red House 88 | Basso folkie in fine
new collection of songs |
Wasis Diop | No Sant | Triloka 697124108 | Great multi-faceted
African pop. |
Carrie Newcomer | My Father's Only Child | Philo 1203 | Yet
another outstanding folk-influenced singer-songwriter |
BR5-49 | BR5-49 | Arista 18818 | Young band doing great rockabilly & honky-tonk |
Billy Bragg | William Blake | Elektra 61935 | Articulate Brit.
protest-singer in nice set |
Michael Hill's Blues Mob | Have Mercy! | Alligator 4845 | Great electric blues from Brooklyn |
Still Small Voice | Whisper + | Still Small Voice | Nice New Age with Native American flute, guitar, piano |
Lara & Reyes | Exotico + | Higher Octave 7094 | Another nice
flamenco-influenced set from San Antonio gtr duo |
Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Mark O'Connor | Appalachia Waltz + | Sony 68450 | Classical-folk fusion |
Shawn Colvin | A Few Small Repairs | Columbia 67119 | Nice set
from one of the bright lights on singer-songwriter secen |
Randy Baldwin | Trial By Fire | Feel Good 1001 | Enjoyable
rootsy rock, with hints of Grateful Dead |
Best of 1996, Part 2: April-June
Best of 1996, Part 4: October-December
The 1996 Graham Awards
Index of Weekly Album Reviews