Chekhov’s plays, like Shakespeare’s, are essential to the theater canon. His oeuvre isn’t as deep as Shakespeare’s, of course, but it is rich and thus open to multiple revivals. Lincoln Center Theater’s revival of Uncle Vanya is satisfying in every way.
Read MoreIt really has been an amazing journey for Tommy since The Who released the original double album in 1969. Hyped as the first rock opera, it did have an operatic structure – an overture, an “underture,” certain recurring musical themes – and Pete Townshend’s expansive ambitions (including borrowing the “Amazing Journey” riff from his previous “mini-opera,” “Rael,” on The Who Sell Out). With some dissenters, it did generally get critical praise and strong popular support, driven in part by “Pinball Wizard” as a hit single.
Read MoreAoife’s new release, All My Friends, is an ambitious departure, centering on songs inspired by the women’s suffrage movement, including a five-song suite that was commissioned by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra in 2021 and four others that augment the theme.
Read MoreAt the age of 83, Tom Rush’s powers are undiminished: as a singer, a guitarist, an onstage performer, and judging by his new album, Gardens Old, Flowers New, as a songwriter. Because he’s known for burnishing the careers of Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, et al, he is sometimes underrated as a writer himself.
Read MoreI’m back from Kansas City for my annual (10th? 12th?) Folk Alliance pilgrimage – both an exhausting and refreshing experience. The main objective, of course, is to hear as much music as I possibly can, but the ancillary benefits (learning from sessions, reconnecting with friends) are equally rewarding.
Read MoreThe ghost of Jack Lemmon has appeared twice on Broadway this season. First In Some Like It Hot, the adaptation of the 1959 film starring Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe which closed at the end of the year (and recently won a Grammy). Now in Days of Wine and Roses, a teleplay that became a 1962 film and earned Oscar nominations for Lemmon and Lee Remick.
Read MoreSam Robbins has created a buzz in the folk community with his appealing, James Taylor-like melodies and manner. He’s been a winner at the prestigious Kerrville and Falcon Ridge folk festivals, he’s performed on my On Your Radar series, and I declared him my top Discovery of the Year in the 2023 WFUV Listener Poll. With two solo albums behind him, he’s teamed up with Berkelee College classmate (and new fiancée) Halley Neal for a holiday album, You & Me On Christmas Eve, that’s exquisite in every way.
Read MoreLet us now praise Nanci Griffith. We lost her two years ago, a fragile creature at the time physically, because of her failing health, but spiritually strong. She was one of the country-folk pioneers of the ‘80s, along with Lyle Lovett and Mary Chapin Carpenter.
Read MoreOver the course of her three-decade career, Joan Osborne has comfortably navigated practically every genre of popular music: rock, pop, soul, R&B, blues, and country.
Read MoreLeslie Odom, Jr is now starring in “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Thru the Cotton Patch” at the Music Box Theater. Comedy written by Ossie Davis and originally produced on Broadway in 1961 w/ his wife Ruby Dee in one of the lead roles.
Read MoreWith the onset of Covid-19, Pete and Maura Kennedy found themselves stymied, while touring was precluded. Famous road warriors, The Kennedys inaugurated weekly live streams, which drew hundreds of viewers and generated a repertoire of a thousand songs. Meanwhile, the changing times inspired a wealth of original songs, which have been released on their first album of new material in five years, Headwinds, which addresses both the environment and polarization.
Read MoreLet’s put it right out there: Rhiannon Giddens is a goddess! Not just a Renaissance woman – a banjo player and a fiddler who’s won multiple Grammys, a MacArthur “Genius” grant, and a Pulitzer Prize for her opera Omar; co-founded Carolina Chocolate Drops and Our Native Daughters; succeeded Yo-Yo Ma as the Artistic Director of the Silk Road Ensemble; acted in the TV series Nashville; narrated podcasts; authored children’s books, and so much more – she’s somehow divinely ordained. On her new release, You’re the One, she channels her musical gifts into a sublimely eclectic album which may be the best of the year.
Read MoreAdam Lytle is a Cincinnati-born, Brooklyn-based artist who writes songs that explore the darker regions of the heart.
Read MoreFor more than 30 years, ever since he moved from Maine to Boston (on the strength of a track scholarship at Boston College), Ellis Paul has epitomized literate song craftsmanship. Now ensconced in Charlottesville, VA, he’s continued to release a string of high-quality albums. His 22nd and most recent release, 55, reveals a mature artist at the height of his powers.
Read MoreMaryland born and raised, but now Texas-based, Karyn Oliver will be releasing her fifth album, Cherchez La Femmex in September.
Read MoreFor 30 years Vance Gilbert has released albums that cover the musical landscape, with elements of folk, R&B, swing, pop standards, and Americana. On his new album, The Mother of Trouble, he seems to check off all those boxes. Add to that the lyrical content, which, per his description, includes “4 bullies, 3 deaths, 2 accidents, 2 moms, 2 Black people, 1 dog, and 1 ball,” and you’ve got a rich and deep album.
Read MoreChris Pierce is an Americana/blues-based singer-songwriter, educator, and wine producer who's won acclaim for his work over two decades.
Read MoreOn this first day of summer, the New Folk Initiative is pleased to premiere this video by Roger Street Friedman of "In the Summertime" from his masterful album, Love Hope Trust.
Read MoreThe Milk Carton Kids became instant hits when they showcased at the Folk Alliance conference in 2011. The supple harmonies of Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan, the interplay of their guitars, and their hilarious stage banter seemed like a cross between Simon & Garfunkel and the Smothers Brothers.
Read More
