Leon Redbone, Red to Blue. Lush string and horn arrangements and contributions by a small army of folk/jazz mavens obfuscate the fact that this guy's a great guitar player. But then there's that voice. The feel is retro-deluxe, right down to the dialogue with Hank Williams Jr. (!) on a remake of Emmett Miller's version of "Lovesick Blues." Aw-reetie. (Sugar Hill, PO Box 55300, Durham, NC 27717-5300)
--Steve James
Hilary Field, Ballad Stories. Field is one of a growing number of gifted women gaining prominence in the classical guitar world. Her latest recording features a pleasing program of contemporary guitar works from around the globe with pieces from Argentine-born composers Jorge Morel and Astor Piazzolla, Czech national Milan Tesar, Spaniard Antonio Ruiz-Pipo, and Yoquijiro Yocoh of Japan. Throughout, Field displays sensitive musicianship, solid technique, and a burnished tone. Her premiere of Morel's "Berceuse" (for guitar and string quartet) alone is worth the price of the album. (Yellow Tail, 9102 17th Ave. N.E., Seattle, WA 98115-3212)
--Mark L. Small
Good Ol' Persons, Good 'n' Live--20th Anniversary Collection. For two decades, the West Coast–based Good Ol' Persons has blended strong singing, brilliant musicianship, and a slightly left-of-center selection of tunes into a unique, bluegrass-based acoustic act. Band stalwarts John Reischman, Kathy Kallick, Sally Van Meter, Laurie Lewis, and Todd Phillips all became stars through their work with the GOP. Here, 20 years of live performances converge on one brilliant CD, with Reischman's impassioned mandolin and Van Meter's soul-searching dobro guitar leads backing Kallick's emotional lead vocals. (Sugar Hill)
--David McCarty
Dusan Bogdanovic, Mysterious Habitats. This beautiful release is characterized by a respect for the integrity of a wide variety of influences and for the primacy of creativity. "Introduction, Passacaglia, and Fugue for the Golden Flower" is an exquisite, exciting, and original work with a flavor both Oriental and Baroque. Sonata #2 uses a Balkan melodic vocabulary and elaborate, highly charged counterpoint to project emotional and intellectual depth. Bogdanovic has created something special in this adventurous synthesis of folk, jazz, country, and classical music. (GSP, 514 Bryant St., San Francisco, CA 94107-1217)
--Scott Cmiel
The Music of Kentucky: Early American Rural Classics 1927–37 (Vols. 1 and 2). Here's the polar opposite of pop music: old-time singing and playing so intense and personal it's amazing that some of it was even recorded. Volume 1 features sacred music, including the booming harp-guitar of evangelist Alfred Karnes. Volume 2 offers some otherworldly fiddling, ballads, and mountain blues by artists like Emry Arthur and Monroe Gevedon. This is as good as it gets. (Yazoo, 13 Laight St., Sixth Floor, New York, NY 10013)
--Steve James
Doc Watson, The Vanguard Years. Wow! This four-CD set (packaged in one convenient jewel box) is a treasure chest of great American music. Highlights include beautifully remastered versions of the classic "Deep River Blues" and "Black Mountain Rag" from the album Doc Watson; the duet with Clarence White, "Farewell Blues," from Treasures Untold; and Watson's performance of "Windy and Warm" from Southbound. "Arrangement Blues," a duet with Watson and his son Merle; and "Bye Bye Bluebells," in which Watson duets with another American original, Merle Travis, are just two of the many brilliant, previously unreleased tracks here. (Vanguard)
--James Jensen
Julian Bream, Sonata. Bream, a master of color and a powerful interpreter of the long form, presents a passionate program of three large works. The brilliant, four-movement title piece is by Antonio Jose, who was slain by militia during the Spanish Civil War. The second piece was written in 1934 by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (five years before he fled Italy's anti-Semitic laws) in homage to Italian composer Luigi Boccherini. The final work performed here, Niccolò Paganini's "Grand Sonata," was written for guitar with violin accompaniment and rearranged by Bream for solo guitar. (EMI Classics)
--Scott Cmiel
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