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B. B. Wolfe - Heart Worn Sleeve
It's not often I pop in a disc from an unfamiliar local performer and I'm not only thoroughly impressed, but I'm surprised almost to the point of being stunned. Mesmerizing, soothing vocals, combined with thoughtful superb writing. The voice is unique, but familiar, it recalls early Dylan of the basement tapes era, but there is more there, an additional warmth reminiscent of Greg Brown or Chris Smither. This is a honest CD, written and performed in the heartland with the unfettered Midwestern sensibilities of an artist possessing uncanny maturity for his sophomore release. I found myself listening to it over and over this afternoon. Highly recommended, one of my favorite CDs of 2008.- Steven Johnson Publisher MichiganFolkLive.com
Click on the CD to order, you'll be glad you did.
Laura Bates and Brandon Foote - Jubilee
From the minute Laura Bates' beautiful soprano voice follows the opening cords of the first song of this recently released CD, my senses were served notice that this was not music to be ignored. This is not background music, this music artistically rendered and beautifully mastered. This CD is filled with wonderful instrumental performances by some of Michigan's finest young artists. For all their youth, they play with ability and restraint that should be far beyond their years.
Quite frankly this is not just one of the best CDs from a Michigan artist I've heard this year, it's one of the best CD's I've heard this year period. Wonderfully written, wonderfully performed by both Brandon Foote and Laura Bates and the host of musicians accompanying them from their Earthwork Music Record label. This record features 9 songs written by Brandon and Laura and one classic song that is beautifully performed here, "Hard Times Come Again, No More" by Stephen Foster.
I have several favorites including their rendition of the Foster tune, but one song particularly grabbed me with it's wonderfully wrought combination of music and lyrics, "All Will be Well".
"Time to lift the backdrop baby, time to drop the show,
And face the fruit of consequences of deeds we did not sow,
Time to tell the truth about things we haven't changed
And the fragile thread in each of us, that fear is going to break."
That's great writing, but you're not really going to appreciate until you hear for yourself.
Corinne West - Bound for Living
Not since Patty Griffin released "Living with Ghosts" have I heard a debut CD with as much promise of things to come as Corinne West's "Bound For Living". This Mountain songstress hails from the California Sierra Mountains, but her debut album takes me home to both the fog enshrouded peaks of the Southern Appalachians where I was born, to the snow covered pinnacles of the Rockies which I called home a lifetime ago.
This album has many influences, from the sparse instrumentation and traditional singer-songwriter flavor of my Favorite “Angel” to the hard-driving Bluegrass influenced sounds of “Road Work Ahead”. The entire effort delights with Corrine’s beautiful clear voice, great songwriting and fabulous accompaniment. Click on the CD cover to buy this gem of a recording. Highly recommended!
CORINNE WEST: Bound For The Living
Americana Music with a kick ~ a story ~ & a twist of bluegrass ~ driving from the fast lane to the slow lane.
Judy Insley - Leaving Home
A fantastic songwriter and guitarist, Judy Insley writes songs which paint wonderful imagery while portraying her unique view of the world. It's a world you'll want to share by picking up her new CD "Leaving Home" or catching a show featuring this Michigan Artist. Her song "Mother Earth" could be the anthem for a generation as we try to repair the damage we've done to our world.
Be sure to listen to:
The Beginning
Mother Earth
Heart, Soul, Flesh and Bone
Last Watch
Judy Insley - Mother Earth
"One tree falls and then another
Lay the forest to waste
Can we save these fallow fields
And all the cleansing river yields
Ooh, what we've done to you..."
