(Audiophile) americana and country music? Who likes it? Recommendations?

[MoreWatts]

Allmusic: “Charlie Musselwhite plays harmonica and sings, but for the first time since 2006 he plays guitar throughout… He leads a trio with drummer Ricky Martin and upright bassist Barry Bays on several tunes, while the rest is performed solo. It features 8 originals and 6 covers offering a portrait of life as a bluesman. Mississippi Son is humid and swampy, it rolls rather than rocks… It's a late-period masterpiece.”

This is Charlie’s ~37th album since 1967. This was nominated for a Grammy Award For Best Traditional Blues Album. He’s been nominated for Grammys 15 times with one win.

Charlie Musselwhite, Mississippi Son, full album: YouTube link ; Spotify link

 

[MRC01]

DR10 actually shows that dynamic compression has been applied. Acoustic music recordings I have made without compression are around DR14 and that's a noticeable difference. The oversaturation distortion of the vocals in track 7 is not subtle.

That said, DR10 indicates only moderate squashing, which is only a minor complaint. The biggest issue is the album sounds like they recorded at levels a bit too hot. Maybe they think that oversaturation/compression/distortion is an artistic effect. I don't. I do like the music and think it deserved a better recording. Heavy-handed compression and processing might work well for electronic music, but this kind of natural acoustic music just sounds "off" when it is overprocessed like that.

 

[spiral scratch]

Yeh, they recorded her voice close mic'ed on the quieter tracks and it comes across pretty strong, maybe what you describe as 'hot'. I think the CD sounds fine and you singled out the track with the lowest DR. The others are mostly in the the 10-11 range, but maybe it's not to your taste.

I'm not an audio engineer and my understanding of DR levels is fairly basic (as is my 20+ year old DR software). From what I've seen of my own analysis while some individual tracks can be pretty dynamic, an average album DR 14 recording is pretty rare.

I'd agree with On7green that it is well recorded, but I'm not so crazy about the loud up front mixing/mastering style. I'm still somewhat muddled where one ends and the other begins. It sounds fine to me, but I don't love it. I'll check that track again for distortion.

 

[MoreWatts]

Allmusic: “With an incredible lineup of Nashville's very best musicians, this package covers a wide range of musical territory, from bluegrass to the blues, with plenty of stellar pickin'. Ironically, this mostly instrumental album won a vocal Grammy when Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, and Steve Wariner teamed with Mark O'Connor on ‘Restless.’” From 1991. Mostly energetic, electrified newgrass, with acoupla acoustic bluegrass tunes.

O'Connor has released 45 albums over a 45-year career. He has appeared on 450 albums, composed nine concertos and has put together groundbreaking ensembles. This was his ~13th album, and 1st of 3 Grammys. The video is an album tune, performed on a television show 'American Music Shop' (more vids) which ran from 1990-93 on The Nashville Network TNN, and was hosted by Mark.

Mark’s Stephane Grapelli tribute album Hot Swing! was recommended in the Jazz Music thread, with a video.

Mark O’Connor, New Nashville Cats, full album: YouTube link ; Spotify link

 

[MRC01]

Mark O'Connor is great, and played with YoYo Ma on several very nice albums where Ma branched out into folk & Americana music. Other musician collaborators in these albums include Edger Meyer on bass and Chris Thile on mandolin.

 

[MoreWatts]

Allmusic: “Sam Bush's newgrass mandolin playing is at its peak on the appropriately titled Glamour & Grits -- solidly rooted with the traditional feel of the best contemporary bluegrass, but constantly pushing at the edges of composition and performance, giving each song a decidedly progressive feel… Fans of his work with New Grass Revival (NGR) would be remiss in not picking this one up.”

NGR mates John Cowan on harmony vocals and bass, and Bela Fleck on banjo help, along with guitarist Jerry Douglas and organist Al Kooper.

From 1996. This was his ~3rd of 11 solo albums since 1977, along with 9 studio albums with New Grass Revival from 1972-'89. He’s won 3 Grammys with 13 more nominations.

Recommended upthread: John Cowan The Massenburg Sessions, with some neat recording info; Bela Fleck My Bluegrass Heart & The Bluegrass Sessions, with a video that features Sam also.

Sam Bush, Glamour & Grits, full album: YouTube link ; Spotify link

 

[mglobe]

This album piqued my interest in acoustic music (and early Rod Stewart) and Americana back in 1977, and still sounds fresh today.

Allmusic: “Mandolinist David Grisman Quintet's eponymous debut was a stunning achievement, capturing a pivotal point in newgrass history. It was a record that opened up new rhythmic textures and instrumental textures, specifically new, jazzier ways to solo… It was a thrilling new variation on the form that broke down countless doors for the genre.”

The band: Tony Rice/guitars; Darol Anger/fiddle; Todd Phillips/mandolin; Bill Amatneek/bass. This was David’s 3rd album of >40.

David Grisman, Quintet, full album: YouTube link ; Spotify link

View attachment 311121

I still have my copy of that album and it is on regular rotation on my TT.

 

[Anton D]

Willie Nelson's "Across the Bordeline" is superlative.

Lyle Lovett's "Joshusa Judges Ruth" remains high.

Pretty much any John Prine album.

Daniel Tashian's out of the blue "Night After Night" knocked me out!

Parker Millsap gets called country, but it's a display of everything, even the Stone...

Plenty more to mention later!

 

[MoreWatts]

Posts upthread for albums by bassist/vocalist John Cowan, banjoist Bela Fleck and mandolinist/vocalist Sam Bush can only lead to a New Grass Revival post. The 1st album that featured this trio, along with guitarist Pat Flynn, was 1984s On The Boulevard. Allmusic is succinct: “An overlooked CD with a couple of standout tracks. Played beginning to end, this one will leave you fulfilled.”

This was their 6th of 9 studio albums from 1972-’89. They earned 2 Grammy nominations with this configuration.

New Grass Revival, On The Boulevard, full album: YouTube link ; Spotify link

 

[MoreWatts]

Upthread posts have addressed New Grass Revival (NGR) version 2, the more well-known version with Bela Fleck on banjo, Pat Flynn on guitar and John Cowan on bass/vocals, together from 1984 to 1989. Mandolinist/vocalist Sam Bush began NGR in 1972, and Cowan joined for the 2nd album, with guitarist/dobroist Curtis Burch and banjoist Courtney Johnson. This outfit released 6 albums from 1973 to 1981.

Allmusic: “By 1979, the New Grass Revival's name defined the progressive branch of the bluegrass tree. Furthermore, they had developed into a crack unit, with a good reputation as live performers and polished studio players… The band's eclectic song choices, acoustic/electric arrangements, and professionalism are all on display on its fifth album, Barren County.”

New Grass Revival, Barren County, full album: YouTube link ; Spotify link

 

[MoreWatts]

Allmusic: “Veteran folkie vocalist/guitarist Peter Rowan joins Czech bluegrass band Druha Trava (DT) to form an interesting second grass fusion. Certainly Rowan is the focal point for all the tunes, singing in English, but the Czech's, especially banjo virtuoso Lubos Malina and exceptional lap steel and dobro player Lubos Novotny, mesh well musically as if they had been playing together for decades. Electric bass guitarist Jiri Meisner, second guitarist/mandolinist Martin Ledvina are the other instrumentalists, with guest drummer and background vocals added on select tracks… This was a great idea, once again proving that American music traditions are all encompassing, and crop up in unlikely places around the world.”

From 1999. This was Rowan’s ~15th of >25 solo/collaboration albums, with ~25 in other combos, since 1965. This was DTs ~6th of ~13 studio albums since 1991. The video is a live album tune. Peter played on Steve Earle’s Train A Comin’, recommended upthread.

Druha Trava and Peter Rowan, New Freedom Bell, full album: Spotify

 

[spiral scratch]

This new Waxahatchee single is pretty great. If there's an album of this quality coming that'll be fantastic.

 

[Barrelhouse Solly]

I love this group. They have a more African sound than the typical pre-WWII mail gospel quartet.

 

[Count Arthur]

quartet

There's five of them.

 

[Barrelhouse Solly]

There's five of them.

True.

 

[mhardy6647]

True.

quartet +/- 1
B)

 

[Freeway]

Ray Bonneville - Cool Cool Rain

 

[Sgt. Ear Ache]

This whole album is pretty great...

 

[krumpol]

German composer, guitar player and singer Richard Bargel:

 

[Timcognito]

One more from this album: https://soundcloud.com/tompkinssquare%2Fkendra-amalie-boat-ride