Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Friends of Mine. Ramblin' Jack Elliott has never sounded better on disc. On Friends of Mine the Brooklyn cowboy offers up cozy and genial duets with friends he has met along the trail of concerts and coffeehouses--such notables as Arlo Guthrie, Peter Rowan, Emmylou Harris, Nanci Griffith, Tom Waits, and John Prine. "Last Letter," the pairing with Rosalie Sorrels, is particularly charming and exemplifies the honest feeling of all the performances. "Hard Traveling" and "He Was a Friend of Mine" with Jerry Jeff Walker pair two gritty-voiced compadres who sound like they've done some major ramblin' in their time. (Hightone, 220 4th St. #101, Oakland, CA 94607)
--Roger Deitz
Laurence Juber, Mosaic. Laurence Juber has established himself as one of the most gifted and versatile fingerstyle guitarists on the scene. Name the style, and Juber is all over it. On Mosaic, his latest melody-and groove-packed offering, Juber demonstrates his mastery of steel-string acoustic, nylon, electric, and 12-string guitars. This is pop music in the good sense of the word, upbeat and catchy, from a guitarist with the chops to turn the most jaded head. The bass, drum, and percussion play an important role in the production, but they always support Juber's guitar. (Solid Air, 1610 Crestview Ave., Seal Beach, CA 90740)
--Gary Joyner
Jackie Tice, Blue Coyote. This Kerrville New Folk award winner has recorded a delectable collection of musically buoyant and lyrically brave tunes-folk-rock with Native American spirituality. Though she describes herself as a confessional songwriter, Tice's songs capture instances of universal recognition and appeal. Her ode to a Dublin pub, "The Marijo Tonight," is a guitar player's "Piano Man" and as bittersweet as John Prine's "Angel from Montgomery." (Saja, PO Box 333, Center Valley, PA 18034)
--Steve Givens
Sam Mangwana, Galo Negro. Congolese legend Mangwana has produced a wonderful summing-up of his long career that features the sweet and supple nylon-and steel-string guitar of Papa Noel. Mangwana's rich, weathered tenor voice sings in Portuguese and Lingala (a Congolese language) with sparse backing from electric bass, light percussion, accordion, a charming female chorus, and Noel's omnipresent bubbly guitar. Mangwana's rumba Congolese is an infectious and inventive fusion of rhythms that at times recalls Cape Verdean morna, Colombian vallenata, beguines from Martinique, bossa nova, and the soukous Mangwana first played with his mentors Tabu Ley Rochereau and Franco. A pan-African feast. (Putumayo, 324 Lafayette St., Seventh Floor, New York, NY 10012)
--Scott Nygaard
Lhasa, La Llorona. It would have been tough to predict the result of a collaboration between a Montreal flamenco guitarist and composer and a young Mexican-American singer/lyricist with a passion for Billie Holiday and Mexican folk songs. But as evidenced by La Llorona, the combination is magical. Lhasa de Sela's sultry voice will leave no heart unstirred (whether you understand her Spanish or not), and Yves Desrosier's dreamy, undulating arrangements, centered on his nylon-string, recall Latin and Eastern European styles as orchestrated by Tom Waits. La Llorona is already a gold record in Canada, and now American audiences can find out why. (Atlantic)
--Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers
Various artists, 16 Down Home Country Classics. Focusing on old- time, hillbilly, and bluegrass music, this strong collection highlights artists you might not have heard of as well as the lesser-known work of established masters. Hazel and Alice offer tightly woven harmonies in their raw mountain folk, while Vern Williams' piercing harmony backs Rose Maddox's playful "Single Girl." A young Del McCoury belts out bluegrass, Sam McGee plays hot guitar, Kenny Baker contributes a fiery fiddle showcase, Snuffy Jenkins adds a solo banjo exploration, and the Carter Family displays their heartfelt simplicity. (Arhoolie, 10341 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito, CA 94530)
--Marc Greilsamer
Uma, Fare Well. This is a seamless, probing debut from a trio fronted by singer-songwriters Chris Hickey and Sally Dworsky. Uma explores the intense emotions between the words, the underlying drama that exists within most human relationships. It's sharp, edgy, lyrically intriguing, and melodically enhanced, a deceptively simple record that is clear and colorful, yet dark and deft. The inspired and subtle instrumentation of acoustic, electric, baritone, pedal and lap steel guitars, Dobro, cello, and organ-not to mention mellotron, optigon, sitar, and chamberlain-provide a dense, beautiful, and intense canvas that frames the characters of these clever songs. (Refuge/MCA)
--Roger Len Smith
Don Rigsby, A Vision. Well known in bluegrass circles through his work with the Lonesome River Band and J.D. Crowe, Rigsby makes his debut as a leader with this full-fledged gospel celebration. Rigsby acknowledges his debt to the Stanley Brothers with three Carter Stanley songs, among them "Wings of Angels," propelled by Crowe's banjo, and "Angel of Death," with classic four-part harmony. Ralph Stanley sings his own "Rose among the Thorns," with James Shelton on lead guitar, and leads a chorus of dozens on "Vision of a Golden Crown." Rigsby's dynamic tenor is rousing on the powerful "Over in the Gloryland," which features hot guitar picking from Bryan Sutton, and it aches and moans on the chilling a cappella solo piece "Higher Than I." (Sugar Hill, PO Box 55300, Durham, NC 27717)
--Marc Greilsamer
Rick Udler and Maria Alvim, Rhythm and Romance. Although the opening cut gives the impression of yet another smooth jazz album, the remainder of Rhythm and Romance contains some fine acoustic-based Latin jazz with a few welcome quirks. Accompanied primarily by bass and percussion, Rick Udler (nylon-string guitar) and Maria Alvim (vocals) serve up a rootsy mix of traditional samba sounds and some very interesting guitar work. "Dr‹o" begins with an almost Hendrix-like intro, "Encontros e Despedidas" features some beautiful bass/guitar interplay, and the title track's funky groove once again shows the power of the acoustic format. (Malandro, PO Box 15639, Cincinnati, OH 45215-0639)
--Teja Gerken
John Stewart, Bandera. From the first sultry strains of Bandera's poignant opening songs "Keeper of the Flame" and "Evangeline," Kingston Trio alumnus John Stewart reminds us that folk music is most successful when it has a sharp, universal edge. Stewart's guitar wails out vital wooden acoustic rock, and Lies Damn Lies, his Scottish backing band, are super, laying down a velvety but hot rhythmic cloud that complements Stewart's distinctive, earthy voice. This live album, recorded at the Turf Inn, Dalry, Scotland, exhibits Stewart as not just another revival/ flashback, but a folk singer-songwriter as good as any in the current brat pack. (Folk Era, 705 S. Washington St., Napierville, IL 60540-6654)
--Roger Deitz
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