Dirty Linen Shorts

Allen Ginsberg Holy Soul Jelly Roll - Poems and Songs 1949-1993 [Rhino/Word Beat]
On this four-CD set, Allen Ginsberg's words pay tribute to 44 years of Blakeian imagery and Whitman-like vision. The pace of Ginsberg's readings is an invitation to explore one of this generation's most creative minds. Ginsberg's humor radiates with rocket speed madness. His reading of "Howl" shows a mastery of stand-up comedy. "A Supermarket in California," from 1956, finds Garcia Lorca by the watermelons and Walt Whitman "poking among the meats in the refrigerator and eyeing the grocery boys." Selections span Ginsberg's commercially-released six albums. But the majority of tracks are previously unavailable. Many of the poems are set to music with Ginsberg singing in a demented baritone with accompaniment by The Clash, Bob Dylan, Don Cherry, Happy Traum, Elvin Jones, and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler. (CH)

Slobo Horo Esma [Rockadillo ZENCD 2041 (1994)]
Slobo Horo's second album Esma, is a spirited, generally raucous affair. Supported by darabukas and saxes, heavy lead electric guitars sear through a hard-core dance song from Turkey sung by male vocalist Jarkko Niemi. Accordion and violin provide a suitable melodic lead on the romantic-sounding Gypsy song "Ramajana," with Leeni Pukkinen delivering her convincing vocals there and on a quieter, wistful Albanian song about a boy pressed into military service. The uptempo numbers are fiery, the slower ones are charged with the spark of enthusiasm. Great for ethnic dancing or just bopping around, this disc deserves a wider release. Enthusiastically recommended. (AR)

Corky Siegel Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues [Alligator ACLD 4824 (1994)]
Just when you though you had heard it all, Corky Siegel makes a galactic genre jump and successfully combines chamber music and blues. You might remember Siegel from his 60s stint in the Siegel-Schwall Blues Band. On this release, he plays piano and harmonica with the West End String Quartet, plus tabla player Frank Donaldson. As you might expect, this disc is at times quite classical, and other times basically blues, but most of the time the music hangs out some place in between. Mozart meets Muddy Waters. How can you go wrong? (GL)

Andy Statman Andy's Ramble [Rounder CD 0244 (1994)]
Andy Statman (Country Cooking, Breakfast Special) is a mandolin whiz who brings along with him a top-notch group on this instrumental bluegrass release. Statman's picking and tremelos are as fast as the drive in Tony Trischka's banjo on the title track and "Avenue `L' Breakdown." A David Grisman-trained player, Statman exhibits playing traits of both Bill Monroe and the cross-picking styles of Jesse McReynolds. Equally as intriguing is his cross-hatching of mandolin and double fiddlers, Kenny Kosek and Vassar Clements. The album turns eclectic in "Oceanic Waltz," with its mix of piano (Norman Zamcheck), mandolin tremelo and upper-neck reaches, but mandolin fans will sit in awe over this collection nonetheless. (SI)

Magpie Seed on the Prairie [Long Tail LT001 (1994)]
Marking 20 years of making music together for the duo of Greg Artzner and Terry Leonino, this album, like others before, it features strong political material, touching on relevant topics such as the environment ("White Wings"), human rights ("How Long?"), aboriginal issues ("Live Like a Prayer") and the attempt to reclaim some sense of the spirituality of the earth ("The Eagle and the Hawk"). The major lyrical theme is indeed this link between native spirituality and reverence for the environment. Magpie performs tasteful but understated instrumental work, with the guitar prominent and some assistance on harmonica, mandolin, dulcimer, drum and Native American flute. This appropriately pushes the words and singing to the forefront. In fact, one of the standouts is the chilling, but wonderfully-presented, unaccompanied piece "Yellow Metal," and there are strong vocal harmonies on tracks like "Swimming to the Other Side." Seed on the Prairie is a testament to a duo who make music not just because they can, but in order to tell the stories of our time. (IE)

Various artists ** Mozambique One ** [Globestyle CDORBD 086 (1994; rec 1989); U.K.]
Various artists ** Mozambique Two ** [Globestyle CDORBD 087 (1994; rec 1989); U.K.]
These well-paced hour-plus compilations offer quite a variety of musical styles and wonderfully exotic instruments from the southeast African nation of Mozambique. Six cuts feature undulating, melodic examples of a women's choral/percussion style called tufo, which reminds me of the Tahitian and Tubuai choirs. A primary school teacher plays a homemade kanakari (banjo). There's an ensemble of 20 panpipes, shakers, and vocalists that weave an intricate, otherworldly sound. A blind nsansi (thumb-piano) player sings about being displaced from his home during Mozambique's civil war. Add in male a cappella groups similar to Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a board zither/percussion quartet, an accordion/guitar/conga trio, a self-taught street guitarist/singer, some robust, frisky percussion/timbila (singular mbila -- a zylophone) selections, and these discs are sure to please fans of African music seeking something a little different. (AR)

Katy Moffatt Hearts Gone Wild [Watermelon CD 1030 (1994)]
Katy Moffatt keeps steadily cranking out quality albums. Hearts Gone Wild is a strong set of love songs, all but one (which is by brother Hugh) were written or co-written by Moffatt (including five collaborations with co-producer Tom Russell). The tunes range from full twang-country ("Hellbound Heart") to gutsy ballads ("Thinking With My Heart") to rootsy rock ("Junkyard Heart") to flat-out heartbreak ("Kansas City Mornin' "). Two of the best songs on the disc, the aching "Through With You" and the catchy, tongue twisting "Ruin This Romance," were composed by the formidable team of Moffatt, Rosie Flores, and Wendy Waldman. Moffat is backed by a solid band including frequent collaborator Andrew Hardin on guitar and Larry Campbell on steel. Her singing on this album is marvelous -- expressive, full bodied, and passionate. Hearts Gone Wild finds Katy Moffat at the height of her powers both as singer and writer. (MP)

Mickey Newbury Nights When I Am Sane [Winter Harvest WH 3301 (1994)]
Nights When I Am Sane documents a performance at the Hermitage Ballroom by Mickey Newbury, who's been performing for over 20 years and has the beautifully ripped-up voice and miserably enthralling compositions to show for it. I'm not one to kick a man for being down, but it's sometimes hard to listen to this album because of its seldom-relenting darkness. But Newbury's dead-on lyrics and restrained guitar -- and that voice -- make depression seem almost worthwhile. The title song is superb, with a slow pace that you wouldn't dare speed up if you could; every note is pressed through pain. (PMW)

Doc Watson Family Songs From the Southern Mountains [Sugar Hill SHCD 3829 (1994)]
Sixteen previously unreleased gems from 1962 to 1973 feature Doc Watson and family members -- including fiddling father-in-law Gaither Carlton, guitarist and son Merle, banjo playing brother Arnold, and singing wife Rosa Lee -- performing a wide spectrum of country blues, gospel, ballads, fiddle tunes, and more. Liner notes from Doc's daughter Nancy add warmth to the project, provide an insight into the Watson family's tradition of making music at home, and describe the various sources of the songs and tunes. (AR)

Paul Mounsey Nahoo [Iona IRCD 029 (1994); Mesa (1995)]
I recently saw a listing of this album that simply identified it as "Scotland/Brazil." That made it irresistible, so I sought out and found Nahoo, just to satisfy my curiosity. And curiosity certainly is the right word for this recording. Working in Brazil with local musicians, and equipped with a pile of archival recordings of old Scots singers, they went at the task of tracking together a modern concept album that is alternately as sublime as pop music gets and as stupid as dance music can be. In the wake of three Mouth Music albums, Nahoo may not seem so adventurous, but there are moments to match anything those "other" Scots innovators have done. On a scale of one to 10, I'd give it an eight... and a two. (CF)

Mr. Peters Boom & Chime Haul Up Your Foot, You Fool [Fire Ant Records FACD 1006 (1994)]
Allen Ginsberg Holy Soul Jelly Roll - Poems and Songs 1949-1993 [Rhino/Word Beat]
Lewis Cowdrey It's Lewis [Antone's ANT 0029 (1994)]
Cyril Tawney Down the Hatch: Songs About Drink and Drinkers [Neptune NGL 101 CD (1994)]
Bass Mountain Boys Love of a Woman [Pinecastle/WEBCO PRC 1033 (1994)]
Jenny Allinder Jenny [Jim Martin Productions C-6914 (1994)]
Priscilla Herdman Forever and Always [Flying Fish FF 70637 (1994)]
Anne Hills & Cindy Mangsen Never Grow Old [Flying Fish FF 70638 (1994)]
Marion Williams My Soul Looks Back: The Genius of Marion Williams 1962-1992 [Shanachie 6011 (1994)]
Norman & Nancy Blake While Passing Along the Way [Shanachie 6012]
Woody Mann Stories [Greenhays/Flying Fish GR70724 (1994)]
Eric Bogle Live: I Wrote This Wee Song... [Greentrax 2-CD set CDTRAX 082D (1994)]
Ian Carr & Karen Tweed Shhh [Hypertension HYCD 200 147 (1994)]
Mouth Music Shorelife [Rykodisc CD (1995)]
Barbara Kessler Stranger to This Land [Eastern Front EF-0104 (1994)]

Pamela Murray Winters, Steve Winick, Dan Willging, Denise Sofranko, Ed Silverman, Al Riess, Linda Dailey Paulson, Michael Parrish, Chris Nickson, D.D. Nelson, Tom Nelligan, James Morman, Tom Mobbs, T.J. McGrath, Chris Lockett, Jeff Lindholm, Gerry Lell, Jim Lee, John R. Bobey Jr., Steve Ide, Craig Harris, Ellen Geisel, Cliff Furnald, Dan Ferguson, John C. Falstaff, Ivan Emke, Kerry Dexter, Winthrop Dahl, Paul E. Comeau, Lynne Brakeman, Lahri Bond, Dave Beltane, Bruce E. Baker.