Sing Out! Magazine – Spring 2010

My copy of the latest issue of Sing Out! Magazine arrived in today’s mail. It’s the Diamond Anniversary issue of the most venerable of folk music publications. I’ve been honoured to be one of the contributing writers for about half of Sing Out’s 60 years (and a subscriber for a fair bit longer). It remains an essential read for anyone interested in folk music. Congratulations to Sing Out! editor Mark Moss and everyone else connected to the magazine.

As usual, this issue of Sing Out! has a bunch of my CD reviews including:

Beyond the Pale- Postcards
Guy Clark- Somedays the Song Writes You
Stevie Coyle- Ten in One
Caroline Herring- Golden Apples of the Sun
James Keelaghan- House of Cards
Kris Kristofferson- Closer to the Bone
Frank London & Lorin Sklamberg- Tsuker-zis
Corb Lund- Losin’ Lately Gambler
Maria Muldaur- Maria Muldaur and Her Garden of Joy
Nathan Rogers- The Gauntlet
Tom Russell- Blood and Candle Smoke

Sadly, there’s also an obituary I wrote about my old friend Kate McGarrigle.

--Mike Regenstreif

This week in Folk Roots/Folk Branches history (May 25-May 31)

Folk Roots/Folk Branches with Mike Regenstreif was a Thursday tradition on CKUT in Montreal for nearly 14 years from February 3, 1994 until August 30, 2007 and around the world via the web for most of those years). Folk Roots/Folk Branches continued for some time as occasional features on CKUT, and is now a blog. Here’s the 39th instalment of “This week in Folk Roots/Folk Branches,” a weekly look back continuing through next August at some of the most notable guests, features and moments in Folk Roots/Folk Branches history.

May 26, 1994: Extended feature- Tom Russell.
May 25, 1995: Show theme- 25 years of Rounder Records.
May 28, 1998: Guest- Penny Lang.
May 31, 2001: Guests- John & Michele Law (The Laws).
May 29, 2003: Guest- Samantha Parton (Be Good Tanyas).
May 27, 2004: Guest- Murray McLauchlan.
May 25, 2006: Show theme- Hommage à Bob Dylan on the occasion of (the day after) his 65th birthday.
May 31, 2007: Guests- Dawn Tyler Watson & Paul Deslauriers.
May 29, 2008 (Folk Roots/Folk Branches feature): Recent reissues by Shel Silverstein and Bob Gibson.

Pictured: Mike Regenstreif and Penny Lang at the Folk Alliance Conference, February 2005 (Photo: Taylor Caffery).

--Mike Regenstreif

This week in Folk Roots/Folk Branches history (May 18-May 24)

Folk Roots/Folk Branches with Mike Regenstreif was a Thursday tradition on CKUT in Montreal for nearly 14 years from February 3, 1994 until August 30, 2007. Folk Roots/Folk Branches continued for some time as occasional features on CKUT, and is now a blog. Here’s the 38th instalment of “This week in Folk Roots/Folk Branches,” a weekly look back continuing through next August at some of the most notable guests, features and moments in Folk Roots/Folk Branches history.

May 19, 1994: Guest- Connie Kaldor; Extended feature- Priscilla Herdman.
May 18, 1995: Extended feature- Songs about the Canadian Prairies.
May 23, 1996: Guest- Penny Lang.
May 22, 1997: Show theme- Songs about politicians, the political process and current issues.
May 18, 2000: Guest- Nancy White.
May 24, 2001: Show theme- "A nod to Bob Dylan" on his 60th birthday.
May 22, 2003: Guest- Maria Dunn; Extended feature- Tribute to the late Freyda Epstein.
May 19, 2005: Guest- Sue Foley.
May 24, 2007: Show theme- Songs of Bob Dylan on his 66th birthday.

--Mike Regenstreif

This week in Folk Roots/Folk Branches history (May 11-May 17)

Folk Roots/Folk Branches with Mike Regenstreif was a Thursday tradition on CKUT in Montreal for nearly 14 years from February 3, 1994 until August 30, 2007. Folk Roots/Folk Branches continued for some time as occasional features on CKUT, and is now a blog. Here’s the 37th instalment of “This week in Folk Roots/Folk Branches,” a weekly look back continuing through next August at some of the most notable guests, features and moments in Folk Roots/Folk Branches history.

May 12, 1994: Extended feature- Western Swing.
May 11, 1995: Extended feature- Gift of the Tortoise: A musical Journey through Southern Africa with Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
May 16, 1996: Extended features- The Friends of Fiddler’s Green; A Tribute to the late Walter Hyatt.
May 14, 1998: Show theme- The Songs of Tom Paxton.
May 11, 2000: Show theme- The 50th anniversary of Sing Out! Magazine with Guest- Mark Moss, editor of Sing Out!
May 15, 2003: Show theme- From All His Friends in Far-Flung Places: A Tribute to Dave Van Ronk.
May 17, 2007: Guest- Max Layton.

Pictured: Mike Regenstreif and Tom Paxton at the Champlain Valley Folk Festival, circa mid-1990s.

--Mike Regenstreif

Lainie Marsh -- The Hills Will Cradle Thee

LAINIE MARSH
The Hills Will Cradle Thee
Bait & Tackle
lainiemarsh.com

Just last week, I wrote that Natalie Merchant’s Leave Your Sleep was an early candidate for my album of the year. My early candidate for discovery of the year is Lainie Marsh, a singer and songwriter whose work on her debut album, The Hills Will Cradle Thee, is steeped in Appalachian authenticity – she grew up in West Virginia – and blended with the sophistication and imagination of a Berklee College of Music education and, quite obviously, a craftsperson’s dedication to her art.

All of those elements are revealed in “Jalopy,” the opening track, a timeless song that bears Marsh’s 2008 copyright, but that sounds like it could have been a stringband tune or country blues song from the 1920s or ‘30s or any time since. In addition to Marsh’s voice, the old-time banjo playing of Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show is a particular delight on “Jalopy.

A lot of Marsh’s songs reflect her West Virginia upbringing. “Motherlode,” a kind of down-home jazz tune, is filled with references to country life from farm animals to coon dogs to the centrality of religion. “Way Down” is written from the perspective of a coal miner’s wife who is ready to break out of her traditional role, while “Banjo Moon,” is a sweet reminiscence of simpler times and younger days back home.

A couple of songs combine Marsh’s country-folk roots with wider musical references. “Hey Ludwig” is a clever ditty that lyrically nods to some of Beethoven’s most familiar compositions while “Little Samba Queen” blends Appalachian and Brazilian motifs with nods to Antonio Carlos Jobim, João Gilbreto and Astrud Gilbreto and their classic “Girl from Ipanema.”

Although Marsh was new to me with this album, I did recognize one of her songs, “A Ways to Go,” as the lead track from Cowgirl’s Prayer, an album by Emmylou Harris from 1993. That she’s been writing such quality material for a long time suggests to me that there's probably many more great Lainie Marsh songs waiting to be heard. And I’m looking forward to hearing them.

--Mike Regenstreif

Joel Mabus -- No Worries Now

JOEL MABUS
No Worries Now
Fossil
joelmabus.com

In 2004, I reviewed Golden Willow Tree, an album by Joel Mabus, in Sing Out! Magazine and led the review by saying “Very quietly, and under too many people’s radar, Joel Mabus has spent the past 25 years building one of the most impressive bodies of work spanning both traditional and contemporary folk music. He’s a fine singer, has a virtuoso’s command of guitar and banjo (and fiddle, which he doesn’t play on this particular album), has a deep repertoire of traditional ballads, old-time music and blues, and is a superb songwriter whose compositions are well informed by the traditions and traditional songs he’s mastered.”

Except for needing to add another six years or so onto his résumé, that strikes me as a good lead for a review of No Worries Now, Joel’s latest album.

Many of Joel’s past albums – this is his 20th – have had some sort of focus: albums of traditional ballads or banjo music or guitar instrumentals come to mind. The focus on No Worries Now is on his songwriting – and, from the first song to the last, he leaves no doubt that he’s a terrific and musically versatile songwriter who can knock off swing tunes filled with witty lyrics and hot guitar licks, topical songs that would do Tom Paxton proud, and riveting narrative ballads with equal facility.

Among the many highlights here are “Am I Right,” a swing tune filled with down home witticisms, “Two Cents Plain,” a ragtime song for the new depression, “Little Mister Diddy,” a clever tune about Joel’s favourite corrupt politician that could also be about your favourite corrupt politician, and “How Can I Keep From Singing,” in which he keeps the melody and repeating line from the old hymn but rewrites the verses as a universalist song of peace.

My favourite track, though, is the epic “Charlie Birger,” about a 1920s gangster who, apparently, ousted the KKK from his turf. In the tradition of Woody Guthrie’s “Pretty Boy Floyd” or Bob Dylan’s “John Wesley Harding,” Joel casts Birger as a Robin Hood of his time, a friend to the common people. Joel’s performance is so riveting and intense that you hardly notice that it’s an eight-minute ballad.

I can’t imagine a Joel Mabus album that I wouldn’t highly recommend and No Worries Now is certainly no exception.

--Mike Regenstreif

This week in Folk Roots/Folk Branches history (May 4-May 10)

Folk Roots/Folk Branches with Mike Regenstreif was a Thursday tradition on CKUT in Montreal for nearly 14 years from February 3, 1994 until August 30, 2007. Folk Roots/Folk Branches continued for some time as occasional features on CKUT, and is now a blog. Here’s the 36th instalment of “This week in Folk Roots/Folk Branches,” a weekly look back continuing through next August at some of the most notable guests, features and moments in Folk Roots/Folk Branches history.

May 5, 1994: Extended feature- Nanci Griffith.
May 4, 1995: Extended feature- Sweet Honey in the Rock.
May 9, 1996: Show theme- The music of Texas.
May 6, 1999: Guest- Pete Seeger; Show theme- An 80th birthday (May 3) tribute to Pete Seeger.
May 4, 2000: Guest- James Leva.
May 6, 2004: Extended feature: A nod to Pete Seeger on the occasion of his 85th Birthday(May 3).
May 10, 2007: Guest- Annabelle Chvostek.

Pictured: Pete Seeger, circa 1960.

--Mike Regenstreif