another day, another disc...

Spent a couple of days on business in Toronto last week, and I had a bit of time to do some CD shopping. Still wasn't able to locate the new JD Souther album but I did get the LIVE EP from Mudcrutch, which comes in a double wallet cardboard sleeve just like vinyl records used to! Only four songs but good stuff. I found the new Charlie Haden disc called Rambling Boy which finds the jazz bassist paying tribute to the music of his youth...bluegrass! With special guests Elvis Costello, Rosanne Cash, Vince Gill, Pat Metheny, Ricky Skaggs, Dan Tyminski, Bruce Hornsby, most of the extended Haden family, and some Nashville session guys, it's a dandy album. Beautifully recorded and played. And the songs are like a history lesson only taught by one of those really interesting teachers who loves his subject! I recommend it!
Another jazz player was on my shopping list...McCoy Tyner...who calls his new album Guitars. What? Isn't he a piano player? Indeed, but this is an album of duets with guitarists, Marc Ribot, John Scofield, Bill Frisell and Derek Trucks...and Bela Fleck on banjo! It's the surprise album of the month. And it's extraordinary. Tyner is a monster, and so are his guests!
That's about it for this edition. I'm looking forward to the new anthology from Blackie & the Rodeo Kings, the new Richie Havens (bought on eBay) and the tin box DVDs of Dr. Syn with Patrick McGoohan! Maybe it'll be under the Christmas tree for me. Can I wait that long? Hmmm.