CDs

Heritage, A Christmas Heritage

From the first strains of Mike Marshall’s solo fingerstyle guitar on "Greensleeves" through Tim O’Brien’s spirited blues reading of "Go Tell It on the Mountain," this all-star acoustic ensemble offers a variety of lush soundscapes, fresh takes on venerable chestnuts, and some surprising new additions to the holiday canon. Alison Brown’s five-string klezmer banjo breaks fresh ground in a medley with a fiddle trio led by Darol Anger on "Shalom Aleichem/Breakin’ Up Christmas." Pianist Philip Aaberg leads the group through an extended romp on "Christmas Eve," and bassist Todd Phillips provides the impeccable underpinnings for the sextet’s flights of fancy. Imaginative, whimsical, and at times contemplative, this collection is a welcome addition to the Christmas music library. (Six Degrees)

—Paul Kotapish

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Dakota Dave Hull and Kari Larson, The Goose Is Getting Fat

Dakota Dave Hull and Kari Larson have created an airy celebration of strings and wood that provides relief from canine choruses of "Jingle Bells" and holiday Muzak. They intersperse gems from Finland, Ireland, and Italy with more familiar titles, and the sounds they create on ukulele, mandolin, and archtop, flattop, Weissenborn, tenor, National, and piccolo guitars range from intimate and reverential to swingy and playful. The darkly whimsical "Christmas Is Coming" is a made-to-order sequel to "The Nightmare before Christmas." (Arabica)

—Ben Elder

James Keelaghan, Road

Since he chalked up more than 300 days on the road last year, you’ve got to believe that James Keelaghan knows what he’s writing about here. Keelaghan has garnered praise throughout the world and in his native Canada for his insightful versions of historical events and his eloquent and spirited insights into the extraordinary lives of ordinary folks. Road is a well-produced effort from a seasoned performer and writer with a golden voice and an all-star band. (Hightone)

—Steve Givens

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Christopher Laughlin, Simplicio

On this disc, subtitled "Music from the Age of Andrés Segovia and Agustín Barrios," Christopher Laughlin nimbly performs music by Barrios, Turina, Ponce, Rodrigo, and de Falla on a 1927 guitar built by Francisco Simplicio and played extensively by Barrios. The Simplicio has a distinctive sound—rich bass and bright trebles. The timbre of the instrument (strung with gut strings for the sessions) and Laughlin’s insightful interpretations give an indication of what a classical guitar recital might have sounded like seven decades ago. (Peregrine)

—Mark L. Small

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Patrick Street, Live from Patrick Street

One of the wondrous pleasures offered by Irish music is the interplay between Kevin Burke’s fiddle and Jackie Daly’s accordion. As half of the current Patrick Street lineup, they play as if their four hands were controlled by a single swinging, cocky mind. House Band guitarist Ged Foley joins the fun and locks in so tightly with Burke and Daly that they’re practically Siamese triplets. This lovely set culled from the band’s 1998 tour of Ireland and England features jumping new tune sets and favorites from earlier studio albums. Mandolinist Andy Irvine earns his share of the spotlight with soulful emigration ballads and comic turns. Irvine fanatics will love Patrick Street’s romp through Irvine’s signature classic "Stewball." (Green Linnet)

—Danny Carnahan

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Erica Wheeler, Three Wishes

Three Wishes is the follow-up to Wheeler’s 1996 release The Harvest, which spent three months on the Top Ten of the Gavin Americana chart and helped propel her into the folk music stratosphere. This is "new folk" at its best, with just enough country and traditional influences around the edges. Wheeler plays driving, percussive guitar that complements her songwriting abilities, and she leads a crisp, clean session band that includes guitarist Larry Campbell. (Signature Sounds)

—Steve Givens

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Various artists, A Mediterranean Odyssey

In many ways this recording is a guitar odyssey, as nearly every track depends on the guitar for its regional flavor. It takes us bopping from southern Spain to Gypsy enclaves in southern France, to Sardinia and Italy, and on to Greece. Along the way, the musicians make joyous use of sounds from dozens of other places and genres, including north African, Parisian musette, and reggae. Spanish singer María Salgado’s "Sólo por Miedo" is one of the dreamiest tracks, a waltz-time ballad over featherlight Spanish guitar. Italian band Novalia provides a perfect example of world fusion, building on Italian folk roots with electronics and Arabic drums. (Putumayo)

—Danny Carnahan

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Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum, Winter’s Grace

Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum have assembled an unusual collection of music that honors the winter season. There’s great variety on Winter’s Grace, from the bluegrass "Christmas Time’s A Comin’," to Betsy Rose’ Gaian hymn "Earth Moves in a Mysterious Way," to the Watersons’ quintessentially English setting of "Wassail Song." Mike Marshall and Nina Gerber provide tasteful guitar work, but several cuts have haunting textures created by leaving open the mid-range space usually occupied by guitar. (Signature Sounds)

—Sue Thompson

Books

Any genre of music that is broad enough to include the Carter Family and Garth Brooks, banjos and Telecasters, sequined suits and overalls needs an immense book to chronicle its history. With 634 large-format pages, The Encyclopedia of Country Music is that book. There are entries on all the major musicians and most of the minor ones. Other entries include musical instruments, disc jockeys, producers, and record labels. Perhaps the most valuable sections are the long essays on subjects such as songwriting, how records shaped the sound of country, and the folk roots of country. Highly recommended. (Oxford University Press)

—Michael Simmons

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George Gruhn, Gruhn’s Guide to Vintage Guitars, Second Edition

Gruhn’s Guide to Vintage Guitars has long been the primary resource for identifying vintage instruments, and the new 580-page second edition offers more of everything: more brands, more models, more details, and more accuracy. The inclusion of instruments that weren’t considered "vintage" when the first edition was published in 1991 make this book useful even for those simply looking for a good "used" guitar, and the new section on Gibson banjos is without peer. Other new additions include chapters on Guild, Ovation, and Mosrite, as well as the inclusion of John Monteleone in the independent maker’s section. A must-have for anyone interested in American fretted instruments. (Miller Freeman)

—Teja Gerken

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Arabica, 2515 36th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406; (612) 724-6995.

Green Linnet, 43 Beaver Brook Rd., Danbury, CT 06810; (203) 730-0333; www.greenlinnet.com

Hightone, 220 4th St. #101, Oakland, CA 94607; (510) 763-8500; www.hightone.com

Peregrine, 853 Sanders Rd. #138, Northbrook, IL 60662; (847) 657-3815; www.laughlinguitar.com.

Putumayo, 324 Lafayette St., 7th Floor, New York, NY 10012; (212) 625-1400; www.putumayo.com

Signature Sounds, PO Box 106, Whately, MA 01093; (800) 694-5354; http://www.signature-sounds.com/

Six Degrees, PO Box 411347, San Francisco, CA 94141-1347; www.sixdegreesrecords.com.