Neil Young – Comes a Time
Country-tinged love songs that feel like a continuation of Harvest
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Acoustic Guitar
John Fahey – Volume 1: Blind Joe Death
Album Information: Released in 1967 on Takoma Records This album was originally released on 100 copies in 1959, but was re-recorded in 1967 for this issue This album is included in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry for being considered culturally significant.
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Shakti – Shakti with John McLaughlin
Shakti means “Creative Intelligence, Beauty & Power” and trust me, these are all in abundance on these devotional jazz ragas. Featuring John McLaughlin joined by a quartet of Indian master musicians, this album is a blissfully uplifting and meditative release.
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Shakti – Natural Elements
In this energizing exploration of Hindustani classical music from a jazz perspective, John McLaughlin joins a virtuosic trio of Indian musicians who inspire some of the most impassioned and impressive playing of his career. His acoustic guitar shredding veers close to the bendy sounds of the sitar and fits nicely with the dense web of percussion created by Vikku Vinayakram and Zakir Hussain. Violinist Lakshiminarayana Shankar’s emotive themes and fiery solos make him a perfect foil to McLaughlin.
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Mdou Moctar – Sousoume Tamache
Guitar-genius Mdou Moctar visits Portland, Oregon from his home country of Niger to record a hypnotic solo album of desert folk sung in Tamasheq. Most songs consist of intricate fingerstyle acoustic guitar with occasional electric guitar overdubs to accent the melodies.
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Jim O’Rourke – The Visitor
A fingerpicking folk odyssey that traverses through passages of delicate piano motifs, tribal drum circles, meditative ambience, celebratory horn arrangements, reverent organ drones, and even a cathartic drum solo, all within a single 40 minute track.
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Tim Buckley – Blue Afternoon [4menwithbeards]
Blue Afternoon continues the flowing jazz-folk of Tim’s previous release (Happy Sad) while starting to detour into the avant-garde atmospheres that would manifest more fully on his next two albums, Lorca and Starsailor. The songs and lyrics refuse to be boxed into one category as “joyful” or “lonely” or “sad” and instead reflect the intangible multi-dimensionality of feeling.
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Nick Drake – Five Leaves Left
Style: Chamber Folk, Singer-Songwriter, Brit-Folk
Moods: Rainy, Melancholy, Sombre, Intimate, Peaceful, Lonely, Contemplative, Pastoral, Mellow
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Western Skies Motel – Settlers
Somber ambient-folk with layers of delicate, circular fingerpicking and sparse arrangements of droning harmonium, piano, guitar feedback and the occasional chirping crickets. The soft reverb dampens everything like a light drizzle over the American prairie
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Bob Dylan – Live 1966: The “Royal Albert Hall” Concert (Bootleg Series Vol. 4)
Recorded at Royal Albert Hall in 1966
Format: 2xLP Box Set, 200g, Includes 12″ 20-page booklet of photos and essays
Style: Singer/Songwriter, Folk-Rock
Mood: Cryptic, Poetic, Reflective, Bittersweet, Rebellious, Romantic, Surreal, Intimate
Musical Qualities: Lyrical, Live, Melodic, Simple, Raw, Solo (LP1), Acoustic (LP1)
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Leo Kottke – 6 & 12-String Guitar
Style: American Primitive Guitar, Folk
Moods: Joyful, Warm, Playful, Summer, Contemplative, Rootsy, Pastoral, Nature, Loner
Musical Qualities: Solo, Acoustic, Fingerstyle, Instrumental, Technical
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Jack Rose – Opium Musick
Primitivist acoustic guitar instrumentals in the form of droney ragas, jovial ragtime, and pastoral fingerpicking
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Ryley Walker – Primrose Green
Jazzy Folk-Rock with dynamic songwriting, passionate vocals, and acoustic shredding accompanied by fluid drums, watery vibraphones, distorted keys and groovy upright bass. FFO Astral Weeks, Joni Mitchell, John Martyn, and Tim Buckley
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