CDs

Väsen, Gront

The fab four of the Swedish folk scene venture further into the exotic lands of multicultural world music with this all-original release. Though their music is based in traditional Scandinavian folk forms (polskas, waltzes), Väsen can fool unsuspecting listeners into thinking they’ve wandered into a club in North Africa, the Middle East, India, or Renaissance Italy. Gront has a dark and intense feel and is the most programmatic of the band’s recordings, but the melodies are strong, the rhythms are complex and punchy, and the exotic sounds are created acoustically. Guitarist Roger Tallroth’s inventive playing, full of contrapuntal lines and oblique harmonies, takes more of the lead than in recent recordings, but this is a true band effort, with Olov Johansson’s nyckelharpa (keyed fiddle), Mikael Marin’s viola, and André Ferrari’s percussion all having an equal impact. Väsen is essential listening for world music fans—the most hummable odd-meter music around. (NorthSide)

—Scott Nygaard

RETURN TO TOP

Janis Ian, God and the FBI

Janis Ian is as much a rabble-rouser now as she was when she penned her controversial hit "Society’s Child" in 1967. On her 17th CD, Ian ruminates on her longtime loathing for government and societal injustice, though the music is contemporary enough to stand alongside that of current radio-friendly singer-songwriters. Her musical mix encompasses lighthearted honky-tonk ("Boots like Emmylou’s"), tender piano balladry ("Days like These"), and even a classic country duet with Willie Nelson ("Memphis"). Though the set features some surprising electronic elements, Ian’s trademark, skillful acoustic picking and consummate songwriting stand out. (Windham Hill)

—Karen Iris Tucker

Druha Trava and Peter Rowan, New Freedom Bell

Druha Trava is as far from the tradition as bluegrass gets. These five classically trained Czech musicians play songs by Bob Dylan and Van Morrison, mixing electric instruments (guitar, bass, lap steel) and drums into the standard lineup of acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin, and Dobro. It’s not your father’s bluegrass, even with Peter Rowan playing guitar and singing lead—but it is a thing of beauty, a sweetly understated neo-folk hybrid, played with love and precision. (Compass)

—Kenny Berkowitz

RETURN TO TOP

Miguel Trapaga with the Moscow String Quartet, Leo Brouwer

Guitarist/composer Leo Brouwer has created a rich repertoire for the guitar, drawing on the music of his native Cuba as well as the larger musical world around him. He has always created music like a sculptor, allowing the material to dictate the form. This recording by Spanish guitarist Miguel Trapaga provides a very good overview of Brouwer’s work, from the "Danza Caracteristica" of the ’50s to the Sonata of the ’90s. Trapaga, a student of Brouwer’s, shows a strong command of the whole range of the composer’s musical language, from the nostalgic simplicity of "Un Dia de Noviembre" to the aggressive modernity of "Canticum." (Opera Tres/Qualiton)

—Stephen Dick

RETURN TO TOP

Gary Cook, Now and Then

Two-time National Flatpicking Champion Gary Cook includes a little bit of everything on this 14-song CD, which showcases his contest-style flatpicking. There are showy numbers like "Yakety Sax" and "Ghost Riders in the Sky," a solemn rendition of "Shenandoah," and the gorgeous original tune "Red Cliff." Fans of lickety-split pyrotechnics will delight in his version of "Under the Double Eagle." Cook plays music as big and powerful as the mountains around his Colorado home, and some of that magic has been caught on this CD. (Gary Cook)

—David McCarty

RETURN TO TOP

Leadbelly, Bridging Leadbelly

In the autumn of 1938 Leadbelly recorded 12 of the 17 songs on Bridging Leadbelly for the BBC. The recordings were forgotten in the archives until Sean Killeen and John Reynolds discovered them in 1999. Along with classic tunes like "Goodnight Irene" and "Boll Weevil," Leadbelly sings "Governor O.K. Allen," the song that helped win his release from prison. One extraordinary discovery is the song "I’m Going Mother," which features Leadbelly yodeling à la Jimmie Rodgers. We always knew that Leadbelly was a great blues singer, and it turns out he could sing country music as well. (Rounder)

—Michael Simmons

RETURN TO TOP

The Hot Club of San Francisco, The Lady in Red

On their latest CD, the always inventive string swing group fronted by guitarist Paul Mehling voyages over a tropical sea of swing styles. Buoyed by effervescent performances from guest vocalists Dan Hicks, Maria Muldaur, and Barbara Dane, as well as several accomplished Bay Area instrumental soloists, the group evokes the great torch singers of the 1930s, as well as Django Reinhardt’s brilliant swing collaborations with clarinetist Hubert Rostaing. Mehling soars melodically through intricate, emotional acoustic jazz guitar solos that make the gulf between Paris in the 1930s and San Francisco in the 2000s seem as easy to bridge as stepping off a subway platform to catch the A train. (Clarity)

—David McCarty

RETURN TO TOP

Kieran Fahy and Duck Baker, The Fairy Queen

American Celtic fingerstyle guitarist Duck Baker has been playing off and on with Galway fiddler Kieran Fahy since they met in 1985. Their rapport is instantly apparent on The Fairy Queen. Letting this lovely collection of traditional tunes and airs wash over you is like eavesdropping on a conversation between two master poets. Celtic guitar fans have been copping licks from Baker for decades, and this collection offers ample new opportunities. Baker’s strengths include his way of letting a melody sing while dressing it in the simplest yet most satisfying of settings. Having Fahy’s clear and distinctive fiddle alongside just adds to the enjoyment. (Day Job)

—Danny Carnahan

RETURN TO TOP

SOURCES

Clarity, PO Box 411407, San Francisco, CA 94141-1407.

Compass, 117 30th Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37212; (615) 320-7672; fax (615) 320-7378; www.compassrecords.com.

Gary Cook, c/o Bar D Chuckwagon, 8080 County Rd. 250, Durango, CO 81301.

Day Job, 570 25th St., Richmond, CA 94804.

NorthSide, 530 N. 3rd St., Suite 230, Minneapolis, MN 55401; (612) 375-0233; www.noside.com.

Rounder, 1 Camp St., Cambridge, MA 02140; www.rounder.com.