Here are just a few of the dozens of reviews that are in every issue of Dirty Linen.

Phil Ochs Live at Newport Vanguard 77017-2 (1996) For much of his brief life, Phil Ochs sought justice and found only irony. With Vanguard's release of these 1960s Ochs performances as part of its Newport Folk Festival Classics series, a degree of the old Ochsian irony is again apparent. Twenty years after his death, Phil Ochs, who always wanted to be on Vanguard, finally has an album on the label. Culled from Ochs' Newport appearances in 1963, 1964 and 1966 (he wasn't invited to perform in 1965), Live at Newport offers a representative cross-section of Ochs' early and middle-to-late career. Opening with the "Ballad of Medgar Evers," "Talking Birmingham Jam," "Power & The Glory," and "Draft Dodger Rag" performances that have appeared elsewhere over the years the disc (which Vanguard released on the 20th anniversary of his death) offers up Ochs in his prime and in his element. Ochs' performances here deliver, and solidly. "I Ain't Marching Anymore," "Links on the Chain," "Is There Anybody Here." These and 10 other tracks (eight of which are previously unreleased) provide a faithful and listenable record of Ochs at the Folk Valhalla that was Newport.

In some ways, it is easier to tell you what this isn't, rather than what it is. It is not traditional folk, as you might expect from Lal Waterson. It is not blues-folk-rock, as you might expect from Oliver Knight (Lal Waterson's son, and a current member of Tannteka). It is modern, gentle, jazz-flavoured music with sparse arrangements and an air of quiet mystery. "Art-folk" maybe?

Once in a Blue Moon, the first full-length release from this particular combination, contains 13 original pieces, most of them penned by Waterson. There are some striking moods, such as on the stark and quiet "Dazed" or the rock-tinged "Midnight Feast" (which first appeared on a No Masters Co-operative sampler). And there are some broad harmonies on a few numbers, notably "Some Old Salty," where the lusty chorus includes Norma Waterson and Jim Boyes. But generally, the release tends toward the introspective and contemplative. - Ivan Emke(Corner Brook, NF, Canada)

Want to kick up some sawdust in style? Of course you do, and who better to lead the calling than button box squeezer John Kirkpatrick. On Force of Habit, Kirkpatrick has assembled some great musicians yet again to voyage across the English country dance and electric Morris realm. Joining the accordion maestro are Graeme Taylor (of Home Service, Albion Band, and Gryphon) on guitar, banjo, and mandolin; Dave Berry on tuba and bass; Paul Burgess (of Old Swan Band and Mellstock fame) on fiddle.

"Morris On On Wheels!" is how the John Kirkpatrick Band is billed, and lovers of that legendary 1972 session will have plenty to savor here. In that vein there are hell-bent-for-leather versions of "La Mouresque/The Winster Morris Reel/London Pride/Glorishears," and a swaggering "Princess Royal." But Force of Habit excels because it offers a grand view of Kirkpatrick's whole career. Gems such as "George's Son" from the Brass Monkey era, "Seventeen Come Sunday" from John's stint with Steeleye Span, and the house-rocking "Blue Balloon" from the 1987 album of the same name (CD reissue, anyone?) sound as fresh and as vital as ever.

Force of Habit adds up to a complete portrait of John Kirkpatrick the professional strong vocals, brilliant arranging, and devilish button accordion work. The whole band is clearly energized by recording live before two appreciative audiences. This is folk- rock of the highest order. - Lee Blackstone (Northampton, MA)

Hinojosa's second release on Warner Brothers is a mixed bag. Recorded in a 170-year old former convent chapel in San Antonio, just a few blocks from the downtown neighborhood where Hinojosa grew up, Dreaming from the Labyrinth presents spacious, ethereal acoustics and sparse, matching lyrics that suggest much but reveal little. She has described the process of making this recording as "dreamlike," but the music's sleepyheadedness sometimes mimics lifelessness. It's not Tex, not Mex, not pop, not a successful multi- cultural synthesis at times it's more like acoustic wallpaper. However, several tracks transcend this stricture. The best, "God's Own Open Road," offers a lively, vocal with a jangling folk-country backdrop. "Sacrifices" is a beautifully melodic meditation on the sacrifices that love demands, its bittersweet romanticism underscored by tasteful Spanish guitar and accordion. The hypnotic "Beyond the Battle of Men" evokes the tragic immediacy of war in its use of acoustic guitar, wooden flute, and military drumming, but the lyrics seem oddly detached. "Laughing River Running" offers a refreshing change of pace — percolating rhythms, Latin guitar flourishes, and sighing background vocals. There's much to like on Dreaming from the Labyrinth, but the wispier compositions resonate with a mysticism that ensures their disappearance into the ether. - Greg Linder (Boulder Junction, WI)

Djivan Gasparyan's 1994 album for Traditional Crossroads [Ask Me No Questions CD 4268] featured slow, reflective tunes of mystical quality perfect vehicles for Gasparyan's duduk, the Armenian wooden oboe described in Apricot From Eden's notes as producing a "soft, warm and very touching timbre, resembling a lyric male voice." This new disc brings us Gasparyan as headman of a trio performing quite a few mid- and downright fast-tempo dances and melodies of folk songs from the Armenian tradition. Gasparyan is joined by a second duduk player who holds a tonic drone, along with an accompanist on the d'hol, a cylindrical double-headed drum. It's nice to hear the duduk fronting some upbeat music this time around, and Apricots from Eden produces a very satisfying hour of listening.

Istanbul-born ney (flute) player Kudsi Erguner leads an octet through the instrumental works of Kemani Tatyos Efendi (1863-1913), one of the most renowned composers of Ottoman classical music. Tatyos Efendi's compositions are still performed daily on radio in Ankara and Istanbul, and played throughout the Middle East. Erguner's ensemble includes two neys, clarinet, violin, kanun (Middle Eastern harp), ud, tanbur (lutes), and def (frame drum with jingles). The musicians use traditional period instruments, and apply improvisational ornamentations and embellishments in their interpretation of the compositions in order to recreate the performance practice of the late 19th century. Erguner and his crew are up to the task as they deliver seamless, inspired, exciting renditions of the relatively fast-paced repertoire.

Both discs contain precise and informative explanatory notes that are generally helpful, but sometimes get a bit too technical for those not familiar with music theory. Highly recommend to fans of Middle Eastern music. - Al Riess (Buffalo, NY)

Charlie Poole was the archetypal old-time musician if ever there was one. Hard drinking, barely literate, and with a life as characterized by wild anecdotes as it was stunning banjo playing, Poole led one of the most famous and influential string bands to come out of North Carolina, if not all of the south, the North Carolina Ramblers.

This reissue, expertly remastered from the original 78 rpm recordings, features tunes from the 1926-1931 era of Poole's career, including "If The River Was Whiskey," "If I Lose, I Don't Care," and "It's Moving Day." Aficionados of fiddle showpieces will enjoy the work of Rambler Posey Rorer on "Ragtime Annie" and "Wild Horse." With notes by Poole authority Kinney Rorrer, and good sound quality throughout, this CD provides an excellent overview of this period of Poole's work. - Nick Crews (Rochester, NY)