Mary Chapin Carpenter, A Place in the World. Carpenter's newest has plenty of the Rickenbacker-based country-rockers about faith in the human spirit and love that have made her a country legend, but she's also given us an ample supply of her trademark acoustic ballads, which make this CD shine. For fans of songs like "John Doe Number 24" and "The Moon and St. Christopher," there are sensual, lilting cuts like "What If We Went to Italy" and "Ideas Are Like Stars." Those two songs alone make up for the rock 'n' roll silliness of the hit "I Want to Be Your Girlfriend." (Columbia)
--Steve Givens
The Moon and the Banana Tree: New Guitar Music from Madagascar. The word astonishing kept coming to mind when I listened to this CD, which showcases the work of ten master guitarists from that magical fountain of melodic invention called Madagascar. Producer Paul Hostetter has captured timeless examples of linear and chordal guitar techniques found nowhere else on Earth. Haja and Johnny, for instance, present pieces on "guitare étouffée," with a swatch of suede stuffed under the bridge to dampen the strings. This allows them to play wickedly fast runs that retain crystal clarity and suggest the sound of the Malagasy box zither, or marovany. You'll recognize melodic and stylistic resonances with Brazilian music, American blues and jazz, and various African traditions, but these pieces always retain their Malagasy identity. Every serious fingerpicker could learn something from this CD. (Shanachie)
--Danny Carnahan
Guy Clark, Keepers. It took a long time to deliver the first live Guy Clark album, but Keepers rewards patient fans of the Texas songwriter with a super album recorded at Douglas Corner in Nashville. Clark assembled a select backup band featuring Darrell Scott, Verlon Thompson, Travis Clark, Kenny Malone, and Suzi Ragsdale. Their work is inspired yet relaxed, not the kind of self-conscious playing one often hears on live albums--more like friends itching to have a good time with great material. And Clark's songs, such as "L.A. Freeway" and "Desperadoes Waiting for a Train," are as good as the genre delivers. (Sugar Hill)
--Roger Deitz
15 Down Home Country Blues Classics. This discount sampler of Arhoolie's country blues catalogue serves as a great introduction to the genre. Mance Lipscomb, Bukka White, R.L. Burnside, and Lightning Hopkins are among the featured masters, along with lesser known but original bluesmen such as the folksy John Jackson and Texas laptop slide progenitor Black Ace (B.K. Turner). Liner notes would have made this CD an even better primer, but the music does the job. From Big Joe Williams' hell-bent bass lines to Fred McDowell's charging slide, this is a feast of country cookin' blues. (Arhoolie, 10341 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito, CA 94530)
--Steve Boisson
Laurel Zucker and Richard Savino, Mauro Giuliani: Music for Flute and Guitar. Guitarist Savino and flutist Zucker present nearly 52 minutes of duets penned by Italian classical-era master Mauro Giuliani. Among the four compositions on the disc are two of Giuliani's most popular multimovement offerings: the Grand Sonata, Op. 85, and Serenata, Op. 127. Throughout, Savino accompanies Zucker sensitively with a rich and warm guitar tone. (Cantilena, 972 4th Ave., Sacramento, CA 95818)
--Mark L. Small
Altan, The Best of Altan. Possibly today's most widely emulated working Irish band, Altan has developed its confident sound
and tight, snapping arrangements over 13 years and several shifts in personnel. This collection of tracks is drawn from five CDs and is considerably more appealing than the recently released Altan: First Ten Years because it includes a second, free, 31-minute disc of a crackling 1989 live set recorded in Germany. Mark Kelly controls the guitar end of the rhythm section through most tracks and is joined on three tracks by Dáithí Sproule. Kelly is a tasty and subtle accompanist who consistently comes up with imaginative ways to drive and dovetail with Ciaran Curran's equally impressive bouzouki work. An outstanding package. (Green Linnet)
--Danny Carnahan
Chris Smither, Small Revelations. Another rollicking collection of bluesy hits and covers by one of the best kept secrets of the singer-songwriter world. This one, produced by Texas magnate Stephen Bruton, was recorded in three days with some of the fine players who appeared on Smither's 1995 Up on the Lowdown. Smither's rhythmic fingerpicking and smoky singing are seamless, and the backup (aside from the over-present egg on "Cave Man") is superb. Includes exceptionally cool covers of Jesse Winchester's "Thanks to You" and Robert Johnson's "Dust My Broom." (Hightone, 220 Fourth St., Suite 101, Oakland, CA 94607)
--Simone Solondz
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