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Performer

Tarras: Joss Clapp (vocals, guitar, mandolin, acoustic & electric basses); Jon Redfern (vocals, guitar, percussion); Emma Hancock (vocals, violin, whistle); Rob Armstrong (vocals, cittern); Ben Murray (vocals, accordion). Recorded at Crimson 2 Studios, Manchester, England.Tarras is a quintet from the border country between England and Scotland who play a contemporary version of that area's rich history of folk music. In the case of this talented young band (average age at time of recording: 21), "contemporary" does not mean "purist" nor does it mean "commercialized" or watered-down. Tarras refuses to play music in a vacuum, so a charming, folk-pop tune with a jazz-tinged fiddle solo like "Whisky Town" can comfortably stand beside the very traditional Celtic Tommy Armstrong miner's protest... Less

Los Lonely Boys: Henry Garza (vocals, guitar); JoJo Garza (vocals, bass guitar); Ringo Garza (vocals, drums). Additional personnel: John Porter, Willie Nelson (acoustic guitar); Reese Wynans (piano, organ); Diego Simmons (percussion). Three Chicano brothers from Texas--Henry, Jojo, and Ringo Garza--make up the roots rock trio Los Lonely Boys. Touted as "Willie Nelson's favorite local band," the Lonely Boys accordingly spend much of their first album working their own variant on American musical traditions. Their blend of rock, blues, and soul is as full of references to their influences as it is teeming with youthful energy. Henry Garza strikes up an extremely Stevie Ray Vaughan-like guitar tone on the bluesy shuffle of "Crazy Dream" (in fact, Vaughan's keyboardist Reese Wynans is a guest... Less

Personnel: Milton Nascimento (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, background vocals); Stefano Novelli (vocals, piano, organ, acoustic bass, electric bass, percussion); Sirlan (vocals, sound effects, background vocals); Nico Borges, Telo (vocals, background vocals); Clementina de Jesus, Valdie, Malú, Renato (vocals); Nelson Angelo (guitar, acoustic guitar, viola, sound effects); Naná Vasconcelos (berimbau, percussion, sound effects, background vocals); Daudeth de Azevedo (cavaquinho); Nathercia Teixeira (violin, viola); Alberto Arnaud, Aizik Geller, Alfredo Vidal, Jose de Lana, Jerry Milewsky, Alberto Jaffe, Giancarlos Spala Pareschi (violin); Arlindo Penteado, Murillo Loures (viola); Peter Dauelsberg, Alceu de Almeida Reis (cello); Jorge Ferreira da Silva, Copinha (flute); Paulo Moura... Less

Recorded at the Annex Recording Studios, Menlo, California.This special edition includes a bonus DVD which includes music videos for"Jose Perez Leon" and "No Tiene La Culpa El Indio."Recorded at the Annex Recording Studios, Menlo, California. Recording information: The Annex Recording Studios, Menlo Park, CA.Photographer: Karla Kazorian.The grand old men of Norteno music have been around since the mid-1960s, but you'd never know it from this energetic set of expertly played and performed songs, which ranges from the irresistibly danceable "No Tiene La Culpa El Indio" to the soulful "Vales La Pena." There's an up-to-date quality to the cumbia rhythms of "Cumbia Guarija" that shows Los Tigres haven't lost their ear for newer sounds or their appeal to a contemporary audience. The two-step... Less

Personnel: Marco Antonio Solis (vocals); Manny Lopez (guitar); Joel Timm (oboe); Dan Higgins (saxophone); Ramon Flores, Charlie Davis, Larry Hall (trumpet); Alam Kaplan, Bob Payne, Steve Holtman (trombone); Bebu Silvetti (piano, synthesizers); Ezra Kliger (concertino); Julio Hernandez (bass); Orlando Hernandez (drums); Rafael Solano (percussion); Barbara Larrinaga, Michelle Martinez, Lena Perez (background vocals); George Hernandez, Hector Pineda; The VVC Symphonic Orchestra. Engineers: Alfredo Matheus, Charlie Paakkari, David Appelt.Recorded at Afterhours, Miami, Florida; O'Henry Studios, Burbank, California; Andora Studios, Hollywood, California. Includes liner notes by Marco Antonio Solis.TROZOS DE MI ALMA was nominated for the 2000 Billboard Latin Music Award for Male Pop Album Of The... Less

Gipsy Kings: Nicolas Reyes, Francois Canut Reyes (vocals); Paul Reyes, Patchai Reyes (guitar, background vocals); Tonino Baliardo, Paco Baliardo, Diego Baliardo (guitar). Although this compilation contains many of the songs featured on their 1995 release Best of the Gipsy Kings, this expanded two-CD set features many stellar tracks recorded since then. Featuring their unique style of pop-influenced flamenco, ¡Volare! The Very Best of The Gipsy Kings is a passionate and uplifting collection featuring familiar, but not exhausted, Spanish-language songs. ~ Zac Johnson

Producers: Alexandre Moreira, Marcelinho Dalua, Marcio Menescal.This is part of The Six Degrees Travel Series.Young and old bossa nova musicians meet in the middle on this engaging attempt to embrace the familiar tunes through the miracle of modern technology -- in other words, they've been doctored by three young DJs: Alexandre Moreira, DJ Marcelinho DaLua and Márcio Menescal (son of original bossa nova musician Roberto Menescal). Revisited Classics includes originals by bossa lynchpins like Carlos Lyra and Os Cariocas are given the cuca treatment, which means sampling and beats have been added or gentle new vocals, like those of Cris Delanno and Astrid, who put their spin on the old numbers. It's an interesting idea, though not always fresh as it sounds; at is worst it's like... Less

DLG: James, Huey, Fraga (vocals). Additional personnel: Chika (vocals); Cesar A. Fernandez, Bern Schoenhart (acoustic & electric guitars); Lewis Kahn (violin); Johnny Pacheco (flute); Raul Agraz (trumpet); William Cepeda, Ozzie Melendez (trombone); Sergio George (piano, keyboards, Vocoder, programming, background vocals); Ruben Fernanadez (bass); Ray Colon (bongos, percussion); Richie Flores (congas); Jeff Lopez (timbales); Samuel "Neco" Jimenez (guira); Julio Barreto, Huey Dunbar (background vocals).Recorded at Sir Sound Recordings, New York, New York.GOTCHA was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Salsa Performance. GOTHCHA won the 2000 Billboard Latin Music Award for Album Of The Year by a group.Personnel: Sergio George (vocals, piano, keyboards, vocoder, drums, drum... Less

Personnel: Ruben Gonzalez (piano); Juan De Marcos Gonzalez (conductor, vocals); Manuel "Puntillita" Licea, Antonio "Maceo" Rodriguez (vocals); Richard Egues (flute); Manuel "Guajiro" Mirabal (trumpet); Orlando "Cachaito" Lopez (bass); Roberto Garcia (bongos, guiro, cowbell); Amadito Valdes (timbales); Carlos Gonzalez (congas); Alberto "Virgilio" Valdes (maracas); Carlos Puisseaux (guiro).Recorded at Egrem Studios, Havana, Cuba, April 1996. Includes liner notes by Nigel Williamson and Ruben Gonzalez. Personnel: Rubén González (piano); Juan de Marcos González (vocals, background vocals); Antonio Rodriguez, Manuel "Puntillita" Licea (vocals); Richard Egües (flute); Manuel "El Guajiro" Mirabal (trumpet); Roberto García (congas, guiro); Carlos González (congas); Robert Garcia (bongos,... Less

A strong budget-priced introduction to the Irish Rovers' charms, Years May Come, Years May Go features many of the group's most enduring recordings, including "The Unicorn," "Goodnight Irene" and "Liverpool Lou." ~ Hank Small

Control: Jose Guadalupe Degollado (vocals, bajo sexto); Sergio Degollado (vocals, bass); Sergio Alberto Alcocer (accordion); Danny Garcia (guiro); Alex Morin (drums); Ivan De Leon.Producers: Jose G. Degollado, Sergio Degollado. Personnel: Sergio Alberto Alcocer (accordion); Danny Garcia (guiro). Recording information: Pro Sound Studio. Animation: Ivan de Leon.Unknown Contributor Role: René Trevino.

Come What May represents the acme of this Montreal-based quintet's attempts to create a new, more sophisticated folk music out of Breton roots. (The Bretons are the Celts of northern France.) Although the same whirring, wheezing combination of hurdy-gurdy, accordion, bombarde, and so forth is found on this album as on the group's earlier efforts, everything comes together more smoothly. The instruments are recorded better, so it is possible to write more complex songs for them. Some tracks achieve an almost Bach-like interplay of lines. Roughly half of the tracks are songs, and the rest are instrumentals. This makes for a nice mix. None of the musicians has a great voice, but they bring a peasant-like sincerity and sentimentality to the proceedings. On a track like "Kanouen An Dud A Vor,"... Less

Solas: Karan Casey (vocals); John Doyle (guitar); Winifred Horan (fiddle); Seamus Egan (flute); John Williams (accordion). Solas succeed where other Irish bands fail: They're lively without being frenetic; Karan Casey's vocals are high and clear without being ethereal or waifish; and they manage to add texture and complexity to the many traditionals they play. Their self-titled debut contains five songs (not enough!) and eight jigs, reels, and airs. The group know how to build an instrumental up to a fevered pitch, as on "The Yellow Tinker/Cranking Out/Master Crowley's #2," which creates fantasy swirls of accordion and fiddle before the guitar enters with its insistent rhythms. Not that all the pieces are fast: "Crested Hens" is a slow, sweet air -- a bit reminiscent of Jay Ungar or... Less

Personnel: Pat Keohane (bass guitar). Arrangers: Noel Nagle; Tom Byrne; D.L. Warfield; Wolfe Tones.The very essence of the Wolfe Tones' act is communication between artiste and audience. Throughout their 25-year career, they have sought to spread the message of peace in Ireland, and they have been successful at bridging gaps between disparate groups in their homeland through music. Seeking a stronger national bond based on Ireland's rich musical heritage, the Wolfe Tones have become favorites with Protestants and Catholics alike.LIVE ALIVE-OH! shows the power of the Wolfe Tones music. Rousing tunes such as "Botany Bay" and "The Boys of Fair Hill" have exciting, infectious choruses, where the audience joins in clapping, stomping and singing along. This is especially apparent on "On the One... Less

Performer

The Pahinui Brothers: Martin, Cyril and Bla Pahinui. Producers: Ry Cooder, Steve Siegfried, Witt Shingle.The Pahinui Brothers: Cyril Pahinui (vocals, 6- & 12-string slack-key guitar, steel guitar, ukulele), James "Bla" Pahinui (vocals, guitar, ukulele), Martin Pahinui (vocals, bass).Additional personnel: Nick DeCaro (accordion), Jim Keltner (drums, percussion), Arnold McCuller, Willie Green, Terry Evans (background vocals). Producers: Steve Siegfried, Witt Shingle (tracks 1-2, 4, 6, 8, 10); Steve Siegfried, Witt Shingle, Ry Cooder (tracks 3, 5, 7, 9, 11).Recorded at Hyperbolic Sound, Maui, Hawaii, and Alpha Studios, Burbank, California. Hawaiian standards sung in English, island takes on country & western, plus a reggoid cover of a John Lennon song, would seem to forecast a tropical... Less

Performer

Personnel: Chichi Peralta (vocals, piano, keyboards, congas, bongos, maracas, timbales, percussion, programming); Jandy Feliz (vocals, guitar); Juan Francisco Ordonez (guitar); Johnny Chocolate (tamboura, timbales); Francisco Ulloa (accordion); Luisín del Rosario (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Fermin Crúz, Luis Lopez (trumpet); Jose Fléte (trombone); Felipe Sánchez, Manuel Tejada (piano, keyboards); Guy Frometa (drums); Guarionex Aquino (percussion); Roger Zayas, San Jose, Henry Garcia, Rene Geraldino (background vocals).Audio Mixers: Chichi Peralta; John Richards; Allan Leschhorn. Recording information: Angel Studio (11/1996- 03/1997); Circle House, Miami, FL (11/1996- 03/1997); Criteria, Miami, FL (11/1996- 03/1997); Midilab, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (11/1996- 03/1997);... Less

Personnel: Isabelle Antena (vocals, clarinet, keyboards, background vocals); Nicola Conte (guitar); Pierre Coulon (flute); Hans Helewaut (saxophone); Daniele Scannapieco (tenor saxophone); Pietro Lussu, Marc Moulin (piano); Pietro Ciancaglini (double bass); Daniel Cordova, Marco DeMeersman (drums, percussion); Lorenzo Tucci (drums); Yukihiro Fukutomi (programming). Audio Mixer: Yukihiro Fukutomi.Audio Remixers: Thievery Corporation; Yukihiro Fukutomi; Buscemi. Recording information: Nature Studios, Soumont, France; Sorriso Studio, Bari, Italy.Arranger: Nicola Conte.Through a combination of DJ attention and reissues on the part of the LTM label, Isabella Antena found her profile in the U.S. and U.K. higher than ever in the mid-part of the 21st century's first decade. Easy Does It, a bossa... Less

Personnel includes: Khaled, Amar (vocals); Randy Jacobs (acoustic & electric guitars); Cyril Tarquiny, Masa Shimizu (guitar); Nabil Khalidi (oud, karkabous); Magid Serour (qanun); Mahmoud Serour (violin); Aziz Ben Salem, Dr. Reda Bedir (ney); Paul Shapiro (flute, tenor saxophone); Tim Sanders (alto saxophone); Simon Clarke (tenor & baritone saxophones); Djaffar Bensetti, Barry Dannelion, Bassy Bob Brockmann, Roddy Lorimer (trumpet); Annie Whitehead, Joshua Roseman (trombone); The Kick Horns (brass); ATN Stadwijk (accordion, Clavinet, organ); Gail Ann Dorsey (bass); Christophe Deschamps (drums, background vocals); Zachary Alford (drums); Aref Durvesh (tabla); Moshein Chentouf (tar, derbouka, bendir); Hossam Ramzy (percussion). Producers: Steve Hillage, Jean Jacques Goldman, Christophe... Less

While compilations that celebrate label anniversaries are often disjointed, Tribal: Special 20th Anniversary Collection strives to be more than a by-the-numbers look back. Earthbeat does a wonderful job of presenting their back catalog, sequencing the tracks in a way that makes Tribal a worthy journey on its own. From traditional sounds to new age tones to nearly pop songs, Earthbeat has released Native American music from many sides -- the young sounds of Native American rock being a notable exception -- and they've always balanced reverence and excitement. Their anniversary collection is no different, and while the liner notes could be meatier, it would be a challenge to present the label in a better light. A taste of the Rita Coolidge project Walela is thrown in along with Mary... Less

Johnny Clegg & Suvuka: Johnny Clegg (vocals, guitar, mouth bow); Keith Hutchinson (flute, saxophone, keyboards); Steve Mabuso (keyboards, background vocals); Jabu Mabuso (bass, background vocals); Derek De Beer (drums, percussion, background vocals); Dudu Zulu (percussion).A longtime crusader for human rights in South Africa, the British-born singer/songwriter and Zulu dancer Johnny Clegg recorded a large body of work that, among other things, brought international acclaim to South African pop music. On this 1987 EMI release, Clegg and his band perform 10 original tunes, all of which reflect the politically charged atmosphere of the time, though they're lyrically optimistic and sober-minded in their message of peace and reform. Largely an upbeat album, THIRD WORLD CHILD is marked by... Less

Revolver: Carlos Goni (vocals).

While compilations that celebrate label anniversaries are often disjointed, Tribal: Special 20th Anniversary Collection strives to be more than a by-the-numbers look back. Earthbeat does a wonderful job of presenting their back catalog, sequencing the tracks in a way that makes Tribal a worthy journey on its own. From traditional sounds to new age tones to nearly pop songs, Earthbeat has released Native American music from many sides -- the young sounds of Native American rock being a notable exception -- and they've always balanced reverence and excitement. Their anniversary collection is no different, and while the liner notes could be meatier, it would be a challenge to present the label in a better light. A taste of the Rita Coolidge project Walela is thrown in along with Mary... Less

Johnny Clegg & Suvuka: Johnny Clegg (vocals, guitar, mouth bow); Keith Hutchinson (flute, saxophone, keyboards); Steve Mabuso (keyboards, background vocals); Jabu Mabuso (bass, background vocals); Derek De Beer (drums, percussion, background vocals); Dudu Zulu (percussion).A longtime crusader for human rights in South Africa, the British-born singer/songwriter and Zulu dancer Johnny Clegg recorded a large body of work that, among other things, brought international acclaim to South African pop music. On this 1987 EMI release, Clegg and his band perform 10 original tunes, all of which reflect the politically charged atmosphere of the time, though they're lyrically optimistic and sober-minded in their message of peace and reform. Largely an upbeat album, THIRD WORLD CHILD is marked by... Less

Dirty Linen (2-3/96, p.83) - "Tanburi Cemil Bey...was one of the great Turkish composers of art music and a man whose creations are still very much alive in the Middle East.... remastered from old 78's, the primitiveness of the recordings does not mask the beauty and mastery of the performance" Cemil Bey (whom the notes compare to Mozart -- a reach, but it gives some idea of his importance) was an innovator as well as a virtuoso on the tanbur lute, primarily known for his compositions. These wax cylinder recordings from the turn of the century breathtakingly reveal his immense talent as a musician. They are a revelation as well as a treasure.~ Carl Hoyt

Personnel: Bill Miller (vocals, guitar, flute, harmonica, percussion); Mary Anne Kennedy, Pam Rose, Bob Corbin (vocals); Richard Bennett (guitar); Dan Dugmore (pedal steel guitar); John Catchings (cello); Jim Grosjean (viola); David Davidson, David Angell (violin); Robert Mirabal (flute); Dave Hoffner (keyboards); Dave Pomeroy, Joe Chemay, Mike Brignardello (bass); Sam Bacco (percussion). Includes liner notes by Bill Miller. Personnel: Bill Miller (guitar, flute, harmonica, percussion); Richard Bennett (guitar); Dan Dugmore (steel guitar); David Davidson , David Angell (violin); Jim Grosjean (viola); John Catchings (cello); Robert Mirabal (flute); David Hoffner (keyboards); Sam Bacco (percussion). Recording information: Battery; Reflections; Sanctuary. Arranger: David Hoffner.

Personnel: Antonio Carlos Jobim (vocals, piano); Edú Lobo (vocals, bass guitar); Márcio Montarroyos (flugelhorn); Sergio Barroso (bass guitar); Paulo Braga (drums).

Full performer name: Keith Lockhart/Boston Pops Orchestra. Personnel includes: Keith Lockhart (conductor); Eileen Ivers, Joannie Madden,The Boston Pops Orchestra.THE CELTIC ALBUM was nominated for the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Classical Crossover Album.Personnel: Mary Rafferty (whistling, accordion); Mary Coogan (guitar, mandolin); Jonathan Finn, Gabriel Donahue (guitar); Ann Hobson Pilot (harp); Bonnie Bewick, Bo-Youp Hwang, Gottfried Wilfinger, Kelly Barr, Brynn Albanese, Joseph McGauley, Amnon Levy, Vyacheslav Uritsky, Lucia Lin, Si Jing Huang, Ronald Knudsen, Joseph Conte, Tatiana Dimitriades, Tamara Smirnova, Aza Raykhtsaum, Catherine French, Valerie Kuchment, James Cooke, John Williams (violin); Donna Long (fiddle, piano); Siobhan Egan (fiddle, bodhran); Michael Zaretsky, Robert... Less