Vinyl Musings
The Charles River Valley Boys are a largely forgotten band in the history of bluegrass, despite having a significant impact during their all-too-brief 1960's heyday. As students at Harvard, the members of the Charles River Valley Boys hardly fit the typical rural bluegrass demographics, but word of their impressive skill spread, reaching the ear of… Continue reading Now Spinning – Blue Grass Get Together
The world lost one of the very best lyrical poets last week with the death of Robert Hunter, principle lyricist for the Grateful Dead as Jerry Garcia's longtime songwriting partner. Though Hunter was fairly reclusive compared to the rest of the band, he was, apart from Garcia, the most quintessential member, combining folk imagery, strains… Continue reading Now Spinning: Robert Hunter – Tales of the Great Rum Runners
Gary U.S. Bonds threatened to fade into obscurity after a brief run of hits in the early '60s before Bruce Springsteen resuscitated Bonds' career twenty years after its heyday by pairing him with the E Street Band. The E Street Band was firing on all cylinders when they went into the studio with Bonds and… Continue reading Now Spinning: Gary U.S. Bonds – On The Line
Recorded live during the height of the San Francisco rock scene at the historic Fillmore West, this album captures the magical collaborative spirit that represents the best of the late sixties San Francisco scene. Starting with the front cover, no specific artist is credited, with all the musicians who performed listed along with concert photos… Continue reading Now Spinning: Live at Bill Graham’s Fillmore West
After Delaney & Bonnie ended their marriage and band in 1973, Bonnie Bramlett launched an all too short-lived solo career that despite a lack of attention or acclaim, produced three albums culminating with this sorely overlooked southern soul classic, It's Time. Fairly or not, Delaney & Bonnie are often best remembered for who joined their… Continue reading Now Spinning: Bonnie Bramlett – It’s Time
'Elmore James' got nothin' on this baby'-George Harrison By the time George Harrison shouted out Elmore James on 'For You Blue', James had been dead for seven years and missed the opportunity for the middle-aged breakthrough that Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and others experienced during the 1960's blues revival. Of course, Elmore James is a… Continue reading Now Spinning: The Resurrection of Elmore James
The real Mississippi blues One of those summer nights.... thunderstorms have cooled the day's suffocating humidity down to a near-balmy 80 degrees and I trot out to my backyard for some gardening work, a favorite hobby to pass the time, with the sounds of Bukka White echoing from my turntable inside. It's a Friday night… Continue reading Now Spinning: Bukka White
The Other Side Of Sun Opinions tend to vary among collectors when it comes to Record Store Day. And sure, while there's plenty of silly novelty - from unnecessary rereleases (with originals available for a fraction of the cost just a few bins down) to a hectic shopping experience - I refuse to see something… Continue reading Now Spinning: The Other Side Of Sun
Minnesota Folk: 'Spider', 'Little Sun' and 'Snaker' One of my fondest college memories involves a solo trek through a classic November Minnesota snowstorm into Minneapolis to see 'Spider' John Koerner and Tony Glover at the 400 Bar in 2008. As a 19 year old kid, I knew next to nothing about their work, but I… Continue reading Now Spinning: Koerner, Ray & Glover
"I hate a song that makes you think that you're not any good. I hate a song that makes you think that you are just born to lose. Bound to lose. No good to nobody. No good for nothing. Because you are either too old or too young or too fat or too slim or… Continue reading Now Spinning: Woody Guthrie
