This is an excerpt from the print edition of Dirty Linen magazine #102 (October / November 2002). The magazine is available on newsstands and by subscription.

Recording Reviews
Here are a just a few of the hundreds of reviews in every issue.

Oliver Mtukudzi
Vhunze Moto
Putumayo PUT 199-2 (2002)

Although relatively new to American ears, Oliver Mtukudzi is well known in his home country of Zimbabwe. His recording career spans more than 25 years and has yielded 41 albums. Mtukudzi's latest release (and third for Putumayo Records) is called Vhunze Moto, which translates to "burning ember" in his native Shona language. The album's title is a direct reference to the frustration and anger percolating in his deeply troubled nation. As Rhodesia turned into Zimbabwe, and Zimbabwe has, in recent years, turned into chaos, so too has Mtukudzi's musical focus shifted. During the late-70s struggle for independence, Mtukudzi sang in support of the freedom fighters. Today, his messages center around respect for human rights, the terrible violence currently gripping his country, and the AIDS epidemic (which has claimed several of his family members and friends). Musically, Vhunze Moto is primarily acoustic and illustrates Mtukudzi's considerable talents as a guitarist. The melody lines are intricately woven, often gentle, and always burning. Among the many discernible influences in Mtukudzi's music are elements from the Zimbabwean mbira tradition and mbaqanga from South Africa. His music is a true blend of African sounds, with no one style ever overpowering the others. Danceable, positive, and exciting, Oliver Mtukudzi's music will undoubtedly continue to make an impact far beyond the borders of his homeland. — Annette C. Eshleman (Lancaster, PA)

Linda Thompson
Fashionably Late
Rounder 11661-3182 (2002)

Between 1972 and 1982, the years of her remarkable musical partnership with then-husband Richard Thomp son, Linda Thompson was one of the great voices of English folk-rock. But following their breakup and a single solo album, she stopped performing, the victim of a medical condition called hysterical dysphonia, which stilled her singing voice. In recent years there have been tentative steps back — an appearance in a London theatrical production, cameos onstage with her son, Teddy Thompson, some low-profile studio work — and now she has ventured all the way. The cleverly titled Fashionably Late is her first album since 1985. The good news is, she sounds as if she had never left.

Her rich voice has all of the emotional power that grabbed listeners years ago, often conveying a deep, weary sadness that matches the mood of the mostly serious material here, but also capable of a salty music hall fling. She wrote or co-wrote nine of the disc's 10 songs, many in collaboration with Teddy. The lineup of backing musicians is amazing. It includes Kate Rusby, Martin Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Van Dyke Parks, and Danny "No Relation" Thompson, to name just five, in numerous, mostly acoustic combinations adeptly managed by producer Ed Haber.

The rousing opening track, "Dear Mary," was surely intended as a symbolic salute to the past as Richard backs Linda on guitar and harmonies for the first time in 20 years, joined by their children, Teddy and Kamila Thompson, on the choruses. "Miss Murray,"a plaintive tale of ill-fated lovers, is an evocative, mournful song that recalls the mood and sound of Linda's early work with Richard, as does "Dear Old Man of Mine," a sad tribute to a lost father. "Nine Stone Rig" is an edgy, minor-key murder ballad with strong Scottish roots, while "The Banks of the Clyde," another striking traditional-style song, is the lament of a lonely Scottish woman living a ruined life in London, framed by Kathryn Tickell's gentle Northumbrian smallpipes. The disc isn't all utter gloom and doom, though. "Weary Life" is a wryly ironic look at being married too long, accented by Philip Pickett's bleating crumhorn, that should bring a knowing smile.

Regardless of history, Fashionably Late would be a fine album. But as the return of an important artist who, amazingly, has lost none of her touch, it marks an especially welcome moment in contemporary English music. — Tom Nelligan (Waltham, MA)

Kim and Reggie Harris
Simplicity
Appleseed APR CD 1061 (2002)

Kim and Reggie Harris have added another album of finely crafted original songs, well-chosen traditional numbers, and smartly interpreted covers to their Appleseed discography. They stay true to their overriding vision of performing material that speaks to important social issues with their rendition of Pete Seeger's "Rainbow Race," on which they team with the duo Magpie (Terry Leonino and Greg Artzner); a cute, upbeat, song of energy conservation called "Solar Carol" (sung to the tune of "Angels We Have Heard on High"), with lyrics co-author Charlie King joining in on vocals; and David Roth's "Earth," a composition about a world of peace. The traditional "This Little Light of Mine" has two personas, moving along for the first two minutes in a tender, loving treatment with just Kim singing and Reggie on guitar, then transforming into a rollicking anthem of hope with bass and drum driving the proceedings and Charlie King and Karen Brandow adding their vocal oomph to the choruses. Reggie's newly written "Sweetness of Your Smile" is an exquisite love song that has the potential to turn into a folk classic, and Kim shines on an a cappella version of the spiritual "Roll Jordan Roll." However, the focal point of the CD is a three-track sequence, the centerpiece of which is the powerful "Short Shift at Ground Zero," a spoken-word composition by Kim Harris about the September 11th tragedy, interspersed with "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" and segments of the "Our Father" prayer. This cut is preceded by Reggie's serene, moving, title track (a guitar/oboe instrumental), and followed by a solo oboe rendition of Sibelius' "Finlandia." Another great set from this fine duo. — Al Riess (Buffalo, NY)