I really started to explore jazz more in 2014. Prior to that time I had a few favorites I listened to regularly. Those artists included mostly Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Smith and occasionally Freddie Hubbard and McCoy TYner. When I set out to expand my jazz listening I would review both the Jazz Charts at both the Roots Music Report and JazzWeek. Additionally, I would review the Jazz Birthday Page at All About Jazz.
So over the last few years, I’ve drifted away from my musical roots. Between the 1975 and 2014 I listened to primarily music that falls broadly under the umbrella of Americana. I listened to Folk, Blues, bluegrass and Texas music. After about 2014, my musical listening shifted and I found myself listening to more Jazz and New Age with some Prog Rock thrown in the mix. It seemed every time I looked at the Roots Music Report Chart or New Releases Now, I never saw music from the Americana artists I listened to. The only Americana I continued to listen to regularly was Blues.
However, today’s Roots Music Folk Chart contained new albums from some of my favorites! So let’s what new Americana music I can put into my music rotation.
So the other day I wrote a out one of the two songs that have been in my music rotation this month, Albert Cummings‘ latest album Strong. The other album is Mike Zito‘s new album Life is Hard. Like Cummings Zito has been a favorite of mine for many years a now. I started listening to his music back around 2010 in when I heard his album Pearl. I think that his last two albums, 2021 Blues for the Southside Live and Life is Hard have been the best of his career.
Ok so since September of last year my wife and I have spent most of our days babysitting our 4th grandchild, Emma. We’re at my daughter’s house from 7 am until roughly 5 pm. The result is I don;t have a lot of time to blog and/or listen to music. But I’ve been trying to listen when I am out and about on the weekends and at night. Lately, the two blues albums that have been in my music rotation are the latest releases from two of my favorites. First came Albert Cummings latest releases Strong. Then came Mike Zito’s Life is Hard .
In the early 1960s I was listening to The Beatles, Stones and the other British invasion bands. Then for several years I was listening to a lot of Motown until the late 1960s. As my world became more political, as a result of the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War, the music I listened to became more folkie. I listened to more and more Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs and Tom Paxton.
But I’m sure in the years between 1962 and 1967 I was aware of the folk groups that were making it big. One of the ways America was discovering Folk Music was through TV where shows like Hootenanny were on the air….
Hootenanny was a musical variety show that aired on ABC from April 1963 to September 1964. Here’s a little bit about the show from Wikipedia……
By the time Hootenanny concluded its first 13 weeks, a craze had been born. A front-page Variety story noted that “the big demand for the folk performers in virtually all areas of show biz (records, concerts, college dates, TV, pix) is stimulating a new folk form that can appeal to a mass audience. writers now contributing to the new-styled folk song are Bob Dylan, Mike Settle, Tom Paxton, Shel Silverstein, Bob Gibson, Malvina Reynolds, Oscar Brand, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie.”[13] MGM’s Sam Katzman produced Hootenanny Hoot, a motion picture featuring The Brothers Four, Johnny Cash, Judy Henske, Joe and Eddie, Cathie Taylor, The Gateway Trio and Sheb Wooley – all of whom did or would appear on Hootenanny.
Here;s one of the aforementioned groups The New Christy Ministrels performing their hit “Green, Green”
During 2023, as I started looking through old albums at Goodwills throughout Southern New Jersey, I decided I would add albums from the folksingers from the Folk Revival period. So far I’ve added albums from the likes Bob Gibson and Hamilton Camp, Flatt & Scruggs, and even Pete Drake and his talking guitar Additionally, I’ve added several Ian & Sylvia and Joan Baez albums Here are several from Oscar Brand and The Weavers that I’ve found…….
From Wikipedia>>>>
Oscar Brand (February 7, 1920 – September 30, 2016) was a Canadian-born American folk singer-songwriter, radio host, and author. In his career, spanning 70 years, he composed at least 300 songs and released nearly 100 albums, among them Canadian and American patriotic songs. Brand’s music ran the gamut from novelty songs to serious social commentary and spanned a number of genres.e hosted the radio show
A project of French Canadian guitarist/lyricist/producer Michel St-Père, MYSTERY took form in 1986 as a six-member outfit. They released a self-titled album in 1992 that generated quite some interest across Canada…..
…..Over the years, MYSTERY’s style has evolved from AOR (STYX, ASIA) to more adventurous art rock like that of RUSH and SAGA, but featuring delicate acoustic passages not normally heard from these two. Their music is based on St-Père’s guitar play, which is well executed yet appropriately restrained, while the keyboards remain in the background. MYSTERY won’t dazzle you with technical prowess but you will appreciate their strong melodies, outstanding vocals (Gary Savoie is often compared to JOURNEY’s Steve Perry), elegant arrangements and attention to detail. Their compilation CD “At the Dawn of a New Millenium” is made up of remastered tracks of their three albums and is a fairly good sampler of their répertoire for those wanting to get acquainted with the band. Read More
I first listen to Mystery back in 2016 when they released the album Delusional Rain (my post here)
Once again you can read a more detailed review of the album (here) at Prog Archives. I tend to like albums where I can understand most of the lyrics and this album meets the criteria. Additionally, I also like a little guitar wizardry and there is some of that too.
I really liked the first three tracks “Behind the Mirror”, the title track “Redemption” and the quintessential Prog song “The Beauty and the Least”‘
From Progradar…
Redemption’ is the ninth studio album from Mystery. Produced and mixed by the band’s own Michel St-Père, Mastering by Richard Addison, this album features a mix of classic prog-rock elements and modern production techniques, resulting in a Mysterious sound that’s both timeless and fresh, the MYSTERY sound. Mystery has been forging their way to the top of the Canadian music scene for over three decades, and their latest album is sure to cement their place as one of the most important bands in prog-rock today. With ‘Redemption’ Mystery has created a stunning masterpiece that’s not to be missed
from: Progstock
Line-up for Redemption
Jean Pageau / vocals
Antoine Michaud / keyboards
François Fournier / bass, keyboards
Jean-Sébastien Goyette / drums
Sylvain Moineau / guitarsMichel St-Pere / guitars, keyboards
Throughout Writing on the Wall Montoya’s vocals are as strong as his impeccable guitar playing. Additionally, the album is the first to feature Coco’s touring band.
Writing on the Wall is the second Coco Montoya album Grammy Award-winner Tony Braunagel (Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal) has.produced. In addition, Tony provides drums on four tracks. The band’s keyboardist Jeff Paris (Keb’ Mo’, Bill Withers).co-produced and recorded at Jeff’s Garage. Other members of the band include bassist Nathan Brown and drummer Rena Beavers.
Musicians joining Coco and the band on the album include: guitarists Ronnie Baker Brooks, country star Lee Roy Parnell, and Dave Steen.
Of the 13 tunes that comprise the album five were composed or co-written by Montoya. Steen wrote four and Paris one. All three together they co-wrote the title track .
The following quote found at the top of Coco’s biography on his website pretty much sums up Coco’s music:
“Blistering contemporary blues…piercing attack, funky, shivery guitar tones and aggressive, soulful vocals” -Blues Revue
While the following advice from Albert Collins seems to be taken to heart on Writing on the Wall...
’Just play what you feel, be real about it, and enjoy yourself.’ That’s what Albert Collins taught me,”
It seems that bringing in his touring band to create this album has been a real success and produced one of Coco’s best if not the best albums. From the start of his solo career Montoya has incorporated the lessons he learned from his mentors, both the iconic Collins (for whom he originally drummed), and UK legend John Mayall,
His first solo album in 1995 won him the Blues Music Award for Best New Artist. And from that point forward Montoya has been one of the top blues artists in the world. But he hasn’t rested on his laurals, but continues to find new ways to improve his music! And sharing the songwriting with his band along with the top-notch producing of Tony Braunage in the creation of Writing On The Wall have done just that!
The bottom line is Writing on the Wall is an A+, so Check It Out! AllMusic writes the following about Coco and I totally agree!
“One of the most prodigious and gifted electric bluesmen on the planet…a deeply soulful singer and incendiary guitarist [with] a seemingly endless penchant for invention.” –AllMusic
CocoMontoya.com
CocoMontoyaBand.
com
“Ilsa I’m no good at being noble, but it doesn’t take much to see that the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world……”
Only my thought is..it doesn’t take much to see that the blog of a seventy-two year old man doesn’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world……
And when that thought enters my mind I walk away from the computer…….
However, I also know that creating this blog and others has helped me to continue to search for and listen to new music , as well as, find new authors to read, and motivation to keep on running! So the bottom line is that while this blog may not amount to a “hill of beans” for the world in general, but it means a lot to me!
When I’m writing this blog I’m constantly making an effort to discover new music and authors, In addition I’m always trying to do things yo keep my biological clock moving backwards.
So here’s today’s discovery…….
After I had started this post and not really knowing where to take it, I decided to check out the Top 50 Folk Albums on this week’s Roots Music Report. Way down at the bottom of the chart (where I love to find new music) was a band with a name I couldn’t pass up- The Ruta Beggars. Their latest albu Ever-Changing is nestled at 48 on the chart. After my first listen, I do believe people need to check out this band!!
Folks like me, who are fans of both traditional and progressive acoustic music will really like these guys., The band’s music combines bluegrass and early swing, intricate vocal harmonies, fiery instrumentals, and plenty of fun.
The members of The Rita Beggars met while studying in Berklee College of Music’s American Roots Program. And have been best friends since the band’s inception in 2018.
The Ruta Beggars are Micah Nicol (guitar), Sofia Chiarandini (fiddle), Ariel Wyner (mandolin), Trevin Nelson (banjo), and Noah Harrington (bass).
Ever-Changing is the first album from The Rita Beggars. The album was released in 2022. All of the tracks on the album are original tunes written by the band. Justin Moses produced the alum and says this about the band and album…
“It was so much fun getting to work with The Ruta Beggars on Ever-Changing! They really stepped up to the plate and delivered in the studio. Their youthful energy translated into an exuberant recording delivered with precision. You’re sure to enjoy it if you like bluegrass with diverse and modern influences.”~ Justin Moses
