MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT - CANDY MAN BLUES     ROUNDER CDROUN2208

The influential country blues singer and guitarist Mississippi John Hurt was born in 1893 (or possibly 1892) and raised in Avalon, Mississippi. He learned to play guitar from the age of nine and spent much of his youth playing old time music for friends, earning a living as a farm hand into the 1920s. In 1923 he partnered with the fiddle player Willie Narmour, who recommended John Hurt to Okeh Records producer Tommy Rockwell. After auditioning Monday Morning Blues at his home, he took part in two recording sessions, in Memphis and New York City. The ‘Mississippi’ tag was added by Okeh as a sales gimmick. The records were a commercial failure and Okeh Records going out of business during the Great Depression, so Hurt returned to Avalon and obscurity, living with his 14 children, working as a sharecropper and playing local parties and dances. In 1963, folk musicologist Tom Hoskins, inspired by the recordings, rediscovered the singer and encouraged him to move to Washington, D.C.. His subsequent performance at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival resulted in his becoming a star amongst the new folk revival audience, and before his death in 1966 he played extensively in colleges, concert halls and coffee houses in Washington, D.C. He recorded three albums for Vanguard Records and much of his repertoire was also recorded for the Library of Congress. He wasn’t primarily a blues man but more a storyteller and collector of popular songs, playing with quiet dignity a mix of country, blues and old time music. His gentle and expressive voice, coupled with a superb finger-picking guitar style, can be heard to good effect on these excellent 1963 recordings. Highlights include the famous title track, Avalon Blues, the tender Louis Collins, and two versions of the Casey Jones story. This album is part of Rounder’s brilliant Perfect 10 series of essential recordings, which also includes albums by Ted Hawkins and Loudon Wainwright III. COLD AND BITTER TEARS (CDROUN2206) features the rough-edged soul/country voice and simple acoustic guitar of the scandalously neglected Ted Hawkins. His moody world is full with the life of a street singer, reflected in dark and often quirky songs that are balanced with a surprisingly upbeat sense of humour. Before the release of his 1982 debut album on Rounder Records, Ted Hawkins earned his living by busking on the boardwalk at Venice Beach, California, a venue that he never completely abandoned even though he was a world-class singer with one of the most powerful and moving voices in American music, as well as a deeply personal songwriting style that drew equally on soul and country roots. These haunting tracks represent the true and unmitigated soul of Ted Hawkins. ONE MAN GUY (CDROUN3262) features the unique Loudon Wainwright III, who has been making records for nearly 40 years and has earned himself a special place in the American Songbook. His poignant songs are searingly honest and heartfelt, with often highly personal lyrics, biting humour, passion and an underrated gift for melody. Instantly recognisable for his voice and for his fine guitar playing, these ten songs from his Rounder years are all are unmistakably Loudon. Highlights include Out of This World, a live version of his classic School days, and the desperate Motel Blues. Essential listening.

THE BEST OF HOWLIN’ WOLF       PROPER PROPERBOX 154

Chester Arthur Burnett, better known as blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player Howlin’ Wolf, was born in White Station, Mississippi, in 1910. With his distinctive booming voice and huge physical presence (6 feet, 6 inches tall and close to 300 pounds), he became one of the greatest andmost influential electric blues performers of all time. Along with Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller), and Little Walter Jacobs, Howlin’ Wolf was one of the pillars of the Chicago Blues music scene and recorded for the legendary Chess label. His fearsome voice has been compared to ‘the sound of heavy machinery operating on a gravel road’ and many of the songs he popularised - such as Smokestack Lightnin’, Back Door Man and "Spoonful - became standards of blues and blues rock. This three CD and DVD set revolves around the great bluesman and other artists that influenced him, including Charley Patton, Skip James, Jimmie Rodgers and Sonny Boy Williamson as well as the less well-known Harlem Hamfats, Johnny Temple and Tommy Johnson. There are 41 tracks by Howlin’ Wolf himself, an excellent booklet and a DVD, ‘Talkin Howlin’ Wolf’, with insightful interviews by, among others, Bob Brozman, Sid Griffin, Charlie Musselwhite, Paul Oliverand and Charles Shaar Murray. ‘When I heard Howlin’ Wolf, I said, ‘This is for me. This is where the soul of man never dies.’ - Sam Phillips. Highly recommended.

OLI BROWN – OPEN ROAD     RUF RECORDS 1139

Oli Brown has played guitar since the age of twelve and his first main influence was Jimi Hendrix. In 2005, when invited to the States to guest with American Blues band Blinddog Smokin’, he learned about stage performance, soloing and some of the history and meaning of the Blues, which has all helped develop his writing, singing and playing to produce a formidable performer. He has opened for artists such as Buddy Guy and Taj Mahal in the States and back in England has played alongside the legendary John Mayall. The latter is highly significant, as Oli Brown’s music stands comparison with the great British blues bands of the 1960s. As well as Hendrix, other influences include Chris Cain, Albert Collins, Freddie King, B.B. King, Albert King and Tom Waits. Towards the end of 2006, whilst playing at jam sessions in Norwich, Brown met drummer Simon Dring and asked him to join the band. Talented bass player Fred Hollis soon joined and in March 2007 the Oli Brown Band performed their first gig at The Walnut Tree Shades in Norwich. Since then they have played up and down the country to increasing acclaim, recorded a live session for BBC Radio 2’s Paul Jones Blues Show, and signed to Ruf Records. The excellent Open Road, Oli Brown’s first official album, was recorded in Germany and proves that the authentic blues sound is alive and in safe young hands. ‘A great talent’ – John Mayall.

DION – SON OF SKIP JAMES       SPV BLUE LABEL SPV42322

Legendary American singer-songwriter Dion Francis DiMucci, better known as Dion, was born in 1939 to an Italian-American family in the Bronx borough of New York City. As a child, he accompanied his father, a vaudeville entertainer, on tour, and developed a love of country music - particularly Hank Williams - and the blues and doo-wop stars of the time. His began singing on the street corners and in local clubs before recording singles such as ‘A Teenager In Love’ and ‘Where or When’with his friends, The Belmonts. In early 1960, Dion checked in to hospital for heroin addiction then started on a solo career, having worldwide hits such as ‘Runaround Sue’ and ‘The Wanderer’. Changing public tastes led to a period of commercial decline but in 1987 he appeared at a fundraiser for homeless medical relief, alongside fans such as Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and Lou Reed, and began recording again. More recently he has found success with a winning blend of blues and country standards and his lived-in voice can be heard in this vein on this latest album. Highlights include Chuck Berry’s Nadine, Willy Dixon’s My Babe and classics by Sleepy John Estes (the brilliant Drop Down Mama), Robert Johnson (Preachin’ Blues) and, of course, Skip James. There are also two fine Dion originals and the spoken Interlude (Dylan Story). This is deep and affecting music from a veteran artist who sounds fully at home after finding his way back to his roots.

ERIC CLAPTON - GUITAR LEGEND       UNION SQUARE MUSIC  METRCD 188

The guitarist, singer and composer Eric Patrick Clapton, nicknamed ‘Slowhand’, was born in 1945 in Surrey, England. He became one of the world’s most respected and influential musicians, with a style that has always been rooted in the blues. In 1963 he joined The Yardbirds, a blues-influenced rock and roll band, and stayed with them until March 1965. Synthesising influences from Chicago blues and guitarists such as Freddie King and B.B. King, Clapton forged a distinctive style and soon became one of the most talked-about guitarists in the British music scene. The band initially played covers of Chess/Checker/Vee-Jay blues numbers and began to attract a large cult following when they took over the Rolling Stones’ residency at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond. They toured England with American bluesman Sonny Boy Williamson and a joint LP, recorded in 1963, was issued belatedly under both their names in 1965. Clapton left the Yardbirds after taking exception to the band’s pop-oriented direction and joined John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers in April 1965. The tracks on this album date from 1963-66 and represent Clapton’s first accomplished recordings as a student of the blues, when his embryonic talent flourished to the extent that his followers began daubing ‘Clapton Is God’ on walls around London.  Titles include John Lee Hooker’s classic Boom Boom, For Your Love (Clapton’s last recording with the Yardbirds), several tracks with the legendary Bluesbreakers, and some of the finest live British blues ever recorded (at the famed Marquee Club). Best of all are the six tracks that feature jam sessions recorded in 1965 at Jimmy Page’s house, with famous name guests such as Mick Jagger and Bill Wyman. Eric Clapton has taken a few musical diversions in the last fifty years but this exciting collection proves conclusively that his talent was always best served by playing traditional blues. An accompanying booklet includes comprehensive notes on all the recordings featured. Highly recommended.

GWYN ASHTON – PROHIBITION           RIVERSIDE RECORDS RRUKCD14

Blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter Gwyn Ashton was born in Wales and raised in South Australia. At an early age he developed a love for blues and rock music began learning to play guitar from the age of 11. He formed his first professional band in his teens to play local blues clubs and bars before going on the road across Australia. He now tours and performs his infectious brand of slide guitar-filled blues-rock in countries worldwide, including the United States and Europe. Ashton is joined on this new album by bass player Chris Glen and drummer Ted McKenna, with a cameo by the acclaimed keyboard player Don Airey. Prohibition shuffles a smart selection of tough rocking styles, from the blues-soaked Ball & Chain, through to more lyrical forays such as Castaway and the demonic Bo Diddley-esque shuffle of the title track. The album also includes a soulful tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Rest In Paradise. Every element of the blues is encapsulated here and played with amazing dexterity and power. Old Strats, Teles, National resonators, Fender tweed amps, fuzz boxes and his ancient Echoplex are driven to the extreme, guaranteed to satisfy the most discriminating taste in guitar-led blues. Gwyn Ashton’s formidable virtuoso guitar work is perfectly balanced by the Glen/McKenna axis to keep things devastatingly simple. Prohibition captures Ashton in his finest rocking blues performance to date, blending Mississippi, New Orleans and Texas blues, 60s surf, British 70s rock and no-holds-barred Australian boogie. Highly recommended.

BOB BROZMAN – BLUES REFLEX     RUF RECORDS RUF 1109

Guitar virtuoso Bob Brozman’s latest ground-breaking CD is an all-acoustic collection of songs inspired by traditional blues artists and the many musical influences Brozman has absorbed on his travels. The album features several National guitars, Bear Creek Hawaiian guitars, baglama, percussion and vocals by Bob Brozman, with Greg Graber on drums for three songs. Blues Reflex uniquely combines Delta blues with music from the Pacific Islands in a highly enjoyable and eclectic fashion. Highlights include Dead Cat on the Line (a traditional field holler with a modern edge), the Charley Patton-inspired RattlesnakeBlues, the wonderfully spooky Death Come Creepin’, Poor Me, the Skip James classic Cypress Grove Blues, New Guinea Blues (in the unusual ‘plucking’ style of the Gilnatta String Band from Myoko, East New Britain), a heartfelt It’s Mercy We Need, More Room at the Edge and Workman’s Song (a lullaby for tired working people everywhere). With Blues Reflex, Brozman shows that it’s possible to remain true to the blues tradition while being open to world and modern influences. More of his music can be heard on the excellent Songs of the Volcano.

SIMPLY BLUES       UNION SQUARE MUSIC  SIMPLYCD018

The third disc in this superb box set of four CDs features 15 essential  tracks by blues pioneers such as Robert Johnson (Hellhound On My Trail), the eery voice of Blind Willie McTell (Statesboro’ Blues), Blind Lemon Jefferson, the underrated Bukka White (Fixin’ To Die Blues), Mississippi John Hurt, Leadbelly (The Bourgeois Blues) and Blind Willie Johnson (Dark Was The Night). The other three discs are titled Blues Legends (including Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf,  Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter, John Lee Hooker, Elmore James, B.B.King, Memphis Slim, John Lee Hooker and Jimmy Witherspoon), Blues Divas (Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Victoria Spivey, Memphis Minnie, Big Maybelle and Big Mama Thornton) and Blues ‘n’ Boogie (Little Esther, Big Joe Turner, Billy Eckstine, Johnny Otis and The Ravens). Altogether there are 60 tracks and more than three hours of superb blues music. Many of the classic tracks will be very familiar to blues addicts but it’s also good to hear music by some less well-known artists, especially divas such as Ida Cox (the wonderful Hard Times Blues), Mamie Smith (first black female singer to record a vocal blues), Ethel waters (a heartbreaking version of Stormy Weather) and the wonderfully expressive Sippie Wallace (I’m A Mighty Tight Woman). Simply Blues is the latest compilation in an wide-ranging series from Union square that also includes Simply Jazz and the excellent Simply World (SIMPLYCD019).

REV. GARY DAVIS - IF I HAD MY WAY   SMITHSONIAN FOLKWAYS SFW CD  40123

John Cohen made these historic recordings in the home of Reverend Gary Davis in early 1953 and these wonderfully informal tracks predate the Reverend’s seminal albums. The irresistible CD features Davis singing with his wife and another preacher, and the music provides a window into the world of a blind preacher caught between the blues and the church. The tracks include If I Had My Way, If The Lord Be For You, Twelve Gates to The City, You Got To Move, A Friend Like Lonely Jesus, Shine On Me, Say No to The Devil, Give Me A Heart to Love and Got On My Traveling Shoes. Ten of these 18 songs were never recorded again and are unavailable anywhere else, making this an essential album for the many peaople who appreciate Davis’s moving and accomplished artistry. Extensive notes and photographs are included.

RED WHITE & BLUES       DISKY CB 902138

Blues music, which evolved from African American spirituals, work songs, shouts and chants, has been a massive influence on modern Western music styles. In the 1940s and 1950s, electric blues music predominated, with artists as Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, T-Bone Walker and John Lee Hooker. In the 1960s, a remarkable surge of interest in the blues took hold among young white audiences, especially in the UK. Bands such as Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers and the Animals covered classic early Delta Blues numbers as well as electric blues from Chicago. These musicians in turn inspired American acts such as Canned Heat and Johnny Winter, both of whom feature this eclectic collection. The 54 tracks are more or less equally divided between classic greats (such as Muddy Waters, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Memphis Slim, Son House and John Lee Hooker) and some of the finest 60s revival groups (Canned Heat, John Mayall, Alexis Korner, the underrated Groundhogs and Johnny Winter). This fascinating release is a great introduction to late twentieth century blues. It is one of a series of great value 3-CD box sets from Disky, with others including Hail Rock ‘n’ Roll (CB 902118), Rock Explosion (CB 902728) and Punk Explosion (CB 902727).

ROUGH GUIDE TO BOTTLENECK BLUES  WORLD MUSIC NETWORK RGNET 1151D

The sometimes eerie sound of a bottleneck slide guitar has been heard on many film soundtracks, including Ry Cooder’s music for Paris, Texas. But the technique’s origins can be traced back to traditional West African tribal instruments that had a gourd resonator and strings, over which a bone or metal object would be dragged  to produce music. African musical influences were introduced into America’s Mississippi Delta region, where many emancipated slaves migrated after the civil war and where the blues form was largely created. Delta blues still influences popular music today and the bottleneck style continues to fascinate. The Rough Guide To Bottleneck Blues features many fine recordings of original blues legends such as Fred McDowell, Blind Willie Johnson, Son House (Country Farm Blues), Robert Johnson (Come On In My Kitchen), Muddy Waters, Blind Willie McTell, Charley Patton and the wonderful Bukka White (Sic ’Em Dogs On). The album also includes bottleneck masters of more recent vintage, including Stefan Grossman, Jim & Bob (The Genial Hawaiians), John Fahey and Martin Simpson. This is music played with great skill and spell-binding intensity by masters of the bottleneck art.

WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN         BMG  BLUEBIRD 09026-64006-2

Subtitled The Secret History of Rock and Roll, this four CD box set is a treasure trove of historic, mostly blues reissues from the vaults of Bluebird and RCA Victor. The 100 superbly remastered tracks feature music ranging from 70-year-old blues and country jug bands to the work of many influential post-Second World War performers. The first volume, Walk Right In, has Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers, Alberta Hunter (Beale Street Blues from 1927, with Fats Waller playing organ), Bukka White, Leadbelly and Paul Robeson's 1926 recording of Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child. Volume two, The First Time I Met the Blues, features Blind Willie McTell, Jimmie Rodgers and the wonderfully named Daddy Stovepipe & Mississippi Sarah. The third volume, That's Chicago's South Side, has such classics as Leroy Carr's When the Sun Goes Down, Big Bill Broonzy’s Keep Your Hands Off Her, and the great Sonny Boy Williamson’s Good Morning School Girl. The final volume, That's All Right, includes Doctor Clayton (Pearl Harbor Blues), boogie woogie piano pieces and such rock 'n' roll precursors as Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Crudup's That's All Right, Sonny Terry’s Ride and Roll, and Little Richard's first recording from 1951 (Get Rich Quick). This invaluable collection, also available as individual CDs, is a rare treat for blues fans,  and will interest anyone wanting to know how the blues influenced 1950s and 60s rock and roll. ‘A surprises-all-the-way switchback ride through one of the great catalogues of 20th century music’ - Mojo.

ROBERT JOHNSON - OLD SCHOOL BLUES       UNION SQUARE METRO  METRDCD524

Robert Johnson, probably the most influential delta blues singer and guitarist in history, was born in Hazelhurst, Mississippi in 1911. By the time he died in 1938, allegedly as a result of drinking poisoned whisky, he had recorded only 29 songs on a total of 41 tracks in two recording sessions. The best of these recordings, including Sweet Home Chicago, Crossroads Blues and Terraplane Blues, feature here on the first of two great value CDs. Despite Johnson's undoubted originality he did not invent the blues, and the second CD explores some of his influences, many of them legends in their own right. These include Bukka White (Parchman Farm Blues), Bessie Smith, Blind Willie McTell (Mama, 'Tain't Long Fo' Day), Charley Patton (Screamin' And Hollerin' The Blues), the great Son House, Memphis Minnie, Roosevelt Sykes, Blind Lemon Jefferson (Easy Rider Blues) Lead Belly, Ma Rainey, Lonnie Johnson, Rev. Blind Gary Davis and Big Bill Broonzy. This essential double album serves as both a definitive collection of Robert Johnson’s work and a fascinating introduction into how the blues evolved.

GREEN SHADOWS - FLEETWOOD MAC     UNION SQUARE METRO  METRDCD111

This collection of singles, studio out-takes and live performances captures all the energy and excitement of one of the world’s best-known bands in its earlier blues incarnation. Man Of the World, included here, is the famous single version featuring Peter Green’s world-weary vocal and superb guitar playing. Among the other tracks are studio out-takes, alternative versions of blues classics or several live recordings. Black Magic Woman again features Green’s immaculate guitar work and there’s an rousing version of another hit single, Oh Well. Best of all, perhaps, is the powerful and disturbing performance of The Green Manalishi. There are hugely atmospheric performances recorded at London’s Marquee club (including great versions of Shake Your Moneymaker and Dust My Blues) where the fuzzy sound quality is more than compensated for by the verve and urgency of the music. This outstanding album will bring a nostalgic tear to the eye of anyone who experienced the British 1960s blues scene first hand, and proves that the music was every bit as good as remembered.

THE LEGENDARY STORY OF SUN RECORDS   UNION SQUARE METRO  METRDCD501

Sam Phillips opened his Memphis Recording Service at 706 Union Avenue in 1950 and this double CD gathers together a cleverly chosen selection of the marvellous music recorded there in the following ten or twelve years. Phillips had an uncanny knack for finding talent and this album features electric bluesmen such as Howlin’ Wolf, B.B.King, Little Junior Parker and Ike Turner, plus the artists who helped change the face of the twentieth century by inventing rock’n’roll. These include Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and the underrated Charlie Rich, heard here to great effect on three outstanding tracks. Among the lesser-known but highly enjoyable performers featured are The Miller Sisters, Charlie Feathers, Harold Jenkins (later Conway Twitty), Barbara Pittman and the splendidly named Narvel Felts. This generous 60-track collection makes a fine tribute to one of the greatest record labels ever.

THE ROUGH GUIDE TO CHICAGO BLUES WORLD MUSIC NETWORK RGNET1118CD

Some of the finest blues performances of the second half of the twentieth century were produced in Chicago, where thousands of African-American migrants moved from the poor rural farm-based economy of the southern states. Blues music thrives today among second and third generation performers and The Rough Guide To Chicago Blues features a broad range of styles that evolved into the mature electric ensemble sound that characterises Chicago blues, delving into less-reissued performers, labels and styles, and illustrating the great and varied musical heritage that musicians repeatedly return to for inspiration and structure. Artists include John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Charlie Musselwhite, James Cotton/Billy Boy Arnold/Elvin Bishop, Elmore James, Nolan Struck, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Otis Rush, Little Walter, Magic Sam, Roosevelt Sykes, Johnnie Jones, Koko Taylor, Hound Dog Taylor, Valerie Wellington, Eddy ‘The Chief’ Clearwater, Robert Nighthawk, Otis Spann, Robert Lockwood Junior/Otis Spann and John Littlejohn.

OLD & IN THE GRAY                ACOUSTIC DISC ACD-51.

This vibrant CD reunites Peter Rowan, David Grisman and Vassar Clements from the original bluegrass boundary-breakers, Old & In The Way. These three outstanding musicians have combined with veteran banjo player and vocalist Herb Pedersen, who takes over the slot left by the late Jerry Garcia. Brynn Bright plays an inspired upright bass, replacing the late John Kahn. Together the group produces joyful bluegrass music that includes great versions of Bill Monroe’s On the Old Kentucky Shore, Flatt and Scruggs’ Let Those Brown Eyes Smile at Me, John Hartford’s Good Old Boys, and a masterly Pancho & Lefty, written by the legendary Townes Van Zandt.

UNRULY - ENGLISH COUNTRY BLUES BAND             WEEKEND BEATNIK WEBE 9040.

In the early 1980s, the English Country Blues Band brought together musicians from opposite corners of the English folk scene in an innovative, barrier-demolishing blend, naturally anglicising blues and old-time country and finding new ways of looking at British traditional songs and tunes. These tracks from their two albums and one single feature the band’s core trio of Maggie Holland, Rod Stradling and Ian Anderson, regular members Chris Coe, Sue Harris and John Maxwell, and guests including Nic Jones, John Kirkpatrick, Dave Peabody and Danny Stradling. The tracks have been remastered from original tapes and there’s an extra new recording featuring the veteran English folk performer Bob Copper. Other standout tracks on this highly enjoyable CD include Weary Blues, Handsome Johnny and Rambling Boys of Pleasure.

BLUE MOON - ROBERT FORD             CONCORD CCD-2147-2.

The brilliant American guitarist and singer Robben Ford plays a compelling fusion rock, jazz and soul influenced blues. While crossing these musical genres this CD retains the power and essence of the blues in a most distinctive way, and the guitarist/vocalist/songwriter creates rich, rewarding sounds. As well as Robben Ford (guitar, vocals, wurlitzer electric piano and piano) Blue Moon also features Russell Ferrante (piano), Neil Larsen (organ, piano), Tom Brechtlein (drums), Vinnie Colaiuta (drums), Roscoe Beck (bass, 5-string bass), Jimmy Earl (electric bass), Lee R. Thornburg (trumpet, trombone), Dave "Woody" Woodford (tenor sax, baritone sax), Julie Christensen (vocal on Make Me Your Only One) and Louis Pardini (background vocal on Don't Deny Your Love).

MISSISSIPPI BLUES          PUTUMAYO PUT 196-2.

The music on this outstanding CD takes you on a journey that follows the history of the blues from Minnesota back to the Deep South and the Delta. All the artists - a brilliantly chosen mix of classic and contemporary performers - demonstrate a close connection with the rural blues traditions as the CD features tracks by Luther Allison, Junior Wells, Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, Artie White, Ike & Tina Turner (a stunning version of B B King’s 3 O’Clock in the Morning Blues), Bobby Bland (St James Infirmary), the great Mississippi John Hurt (his timeless Make me a Pallet on Your Floor), Chris Thomas King, John Lee Hooker (Baby Don’t do me Wrong), Memphis Minnie (I Got to Make a Change Blues) and Memphis Slim. This superb music is elegantly packaged with informative liner notes by Scott Jordan and a collection of highly evocative photographs.

A CHESAPEAKE SAILOR’S COMPANION            ADELPHI GCD 1032.

European exploration of and expansion into North America was made possible by three important elements: beef bouillon, sauerkraut and melody. The latter has been lovingly recreated on this fine recording by the Press Gang with a selection from ‘Four Centuries of Maritime Music on the Chesapeake Bay’. The music ranges from traditional songs dating back to the reigns of Elizabeth and James I to Tin Pan Alley numbers of the early 20th Century. The Sailor’s Companion charts the history of a fascinating musical journey that has been meticulously researched by John Townley, who leads the Press Gang - a group of friends and fellow musicians ‘shanghaied’ into a recording studio for these sessions. Among them are the cellist Anne Waple, pianist Blanton Bradley and brilliant Scots fiddler John Turner. The CD comes complete with informative liner notes and evocative vintage maritime illustrations.

SOFIA KARLSSON - FOLK SONGS            AMIGO MUSIK AMCD 748.

On this entrancing CD the gloriously pure voice of Stockholm-born Sofia Karlsson brings a sensitive beauty to a selection of traditional Swedish folk songs, religious hymns and chorales. Unobtrusive accompaniment by a fine group of musicians ensures the music’s integrity is maintained throughout. The other performers include Esbjorn Hazelius (citern, violin and voice), Leo Svensson (cello), Harald Haugaard (viola, violin) and special guest Johan Hedin (tenor kee fiddle).

SWAP - MOSQUITO HUNTER             AMIGO MUSIK AMCD 750.

The brilliant Swap’s music successfully blends Celtic and Swedish traditional influences with their own compositions to produce a highly individual sound. This lively, energetic music has become increasingly popular around the world, including England, the USA, Germany and Japan. The group consists of Ola Backstrom (violin), Ian Carr (guitar), Carina Normansson (violin and voice) and Kren Tweed (accordion). Highly recommended.