Category Archives: Country
PAUL EVANS-FOLK SONGS OF MANY LANDS & 21 YEARS IN A TENNESSEE JAIL.
PAUL EVANS-FOLK SONGS OF MANY LANDS & 21 YEARS IN A TENNESSEE JAIL. Music it seems, has dominated Paul Evans life. Some of his earliest memories revolve around. As a child, he sat around the kitchen table with his family, listening to the popular music of that time. Doris Say, Eddie Fisher, Dinah Shore and …
THE NUTOPIANS-LENNON RE-IMAGINED.
THE NUTOPIANS-LENNON RE-IMAGINED. With so many artists and bands being inspired by John Lennon’s music, it’s no surprise his music is so widely covered. For many artists, it’s their way of paying homage to one of the most articulate, perceptive and intelligent songwriters in the history of modern music. Sadly, the results however, have varied …
SWEET DREAMS: WHERE COUNTRY MEETS SOUL VOLUME 2.
SWEET DREAMS: WHERE COUNTRY MEETS SOUL VOLUME 2. Ever since the fifties, country music has influenced soul music. That’s no surprise. After all, many soul singers grew up in the southern states, listening to the country music coming out of Nashville, Memphis and Muscle Shoals. Back then, country music was King. There was no alternative …
COUNTRY SOUL SISTERS VOLUME 2: WOMEN IN COUNTRY MUSIC 1956-1979.
COUNTRY SOUL SISTERS VOLUME 2: WOMEN IN COUNTRY MUSIC 1956-1979. Last October, when I reviewed the Soul Jazz Records compilation Country Soul Sisters: Women In Country Music 1952-1974, I wondered whether it would convert me into a fan of country music? Sadly, that wasn’t the case. Its persuasive powers and that of the Country Soul …
J.J. CALE-CLASSIC ALBUM SELECTION.
J.J. CALE-CLASSIC ALBUM SELECTION. One of the most underrated singer, songwriter and guitarists is J.J. Cale, whose career began back in the late fifties as Johnny Cale. However, it wasn’t until 1972 that J.J. Cale released his debut album Naturally. Naturally featured a track that would become synonymous with J.J. and would introduce his music …
FERN KINNEY-GROOVE ME.
FERN KINNEY-GROOVE ME. After taking a break from music to raise her young family, Fern Kinney decided to mount her musical comeback. Little did she realize that she was about to release what not only what become a disco classic, but a song that would become synonymous with her and transform her career. That song …
BILAL-A LOVE SURREAL.
BILAL-A LOVE SURREAL. Born in 1979, and raised in Philly, Bilal Oliver Sayeed’s career began when he was just twenty. Having left Philly, Bilal moved a hundred miles to New York, where he began to become a familiar face within the city’s music scene. Soon, he knew artists across the hip and Nu-Soul scene, including …
MICHAELA MCCLAIN-THE STORY SO FAR.
MICHAELA MCCLAIN-THE STORY SO FAR. Recently, I came across one of the most talented singer, songwriters and musicians I’ve heard in a long time. Her name is Michaela McClain, who released her debut single Needed More in March 2012, with her sophomore single Ur Love following later in March 2012. After that, Michaela headed to …
JOE SIMON-DROWNING IN THE SEA OF LOVE.
JOE SIMON-DROWNING IN THE SEA OF LOVE. Although Joe Simon had been around since the 1959, releasing his debut album Joe Simon in 1963, for the next ten years, he struggled to make a commercial breakthrough. Granted Joe enjoyed a string on minor hit singles on Vee Jay Records and the Sound Stage label. Unfortunately, …
LATER ALLIGATOR-LOUISIANA ROCK AND ROLL.
LATER ALLIGATOR-LOUISIANA ROCK AND ROLL. Given the amount of music that’s released on a weekly basis, finding time to review everything isn’t easy. Often, some releases get overlooked in the process. This I discovered recently, whilst looking through two mountains of albums. They contain just some of the recent releases I’ve received. Within these two …
RY COODER-ELECTION TIME.
RY COODER-ELECTION TIME. For roughly a hundred years, American music has a history of producing some of greatest protest singers in the history of music. Woody Guthrie, Joe Hill, Josh White, Pete Seeger, Burl Ives and Billie Holliday. A later generation protest singers included Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs and Joan Baez. Unlike America, British singers …
COUNTRY SOUL SISTERS.
COUNTRY SOUL SISTERS. Not everything that glitters is gold. Nor is every compilation what it may appear. With its title Country Soul Sisters, some people have bought Soul Jazz Records’ most recent release thinking this is an album of country-tined soul music. That’s not the case. For anyone looking for that type of compilation, then …
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS: WHEN COUNTRY MEETS SOUL.
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS: WHEN COUNTRY MEETS SOUL. Compilers it seems, are always looking for new ideas for the compilations, that will make their particular compilation standout from the sometimes overcrowded compilation market. Record companies big and small, sometimes perceive compilations as shooting fish in a barrel, an easy way to make quick buck. Having said …
THE LAST PICTURE SHOW-ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK.
THE LAST PICTURE SHOW-ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK. Like many people, one of the most memorable parts of The Last Picture Show is the soundtrack. For me, it’s not just the music typifies the era, it’s the way director Peter Bogdanovich uses and deploys the music in such an evocative way. During the film, the music wafts out …
KAREN DALTON-IN MY OWN TIME.
KAREN DALTON-IN MY OWN TIME. Imagine Bob Dylan describes you as his favorite singer in his autobiography, and compares your voice to Billie Holliday, and your guitar playing like the legendary Jimmy Reed’s. That must be the ultimate accolade for any singer. You may be wondering who is this singer that Bob Dylan rates so …
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