of instrumentals begins with "Black Mountain Rag" from his self-titled debut record from the following year. Foundation borrows 16 tracks from 11 albums--nearly 35 years worth of material--from his earliest recordings for Vanguard through the '70s and '80s duets with his late son Merle (who accompanies on banjo and guitar). Doc's voice serves only as an introduction to several of the collection's live numbers, letting his strings do the talking where it counts: on cap-tipping covers of songs by John D. Loudermilk, Maybelle Carter, and Molly O'Day, and on the nearly half-dozen rags that best display Doc's trademark flat-picking frenzy. --Scott Holter--  (less)

a number of disparate genres including experimental music, Americana, cabaret, circus music, Appalachian string music, bluegrass music, old-time music, Southern Gospel, and funereal music. The understatedly beautiful cover artwork and illustrations, contained within the 12 page color booklet, are by Carson Ellis, best known for her work on albums by The Decemberists.  (less)

funk, rock and gospel to create an album that shows off the wide spectrum of black music. This release contains some of the finest and most sought-after examples of Ike Turner's funk artistry, including Grammy-nominated "Thinking Black" and DJ breakbeat jewel "Funky Mule." 1969 was a banner year for Ike & The Kings of Rhythm, as well as for Tina Turner. At the Grammy Awards, "Thinking Black" was nominated in the category of Best R&B Instrumental while Tina made the list of nominees for Best Female R&B Singer. Included are all tracks from the original 1969 release, plus unreleased bonus tracks that offer a fine meal to any aficionado or an in-depth primer to those just discovering the globally reaching genius, funk, and soul of Ike Turner.  (less)

atmosphere, was an iconic cultural milestone deserving of a better recorded legacy than the two double albums that initially emerged from it, both of which were surreptitiously padded with studio tracks to enhance the roster. This three-disc, nearly four-hour-long deluxe 35th anniversary edition gets it right--or more right--by excluding the bogus material, adding a over an hour of previously unreleased music, and presenting it in an expanded package that includes a detailed essay by Stax historian Rob Bowman. The show's gospel aspect is further highlighted with plenty of Staple Singers, the amazing Rance Allen Group, and obscure blues harp player Little Sonny ripping into an instrumental version of "Wade in the Water." Comedy snippet...  (less)

bluegrass, McCoury the elder here applies his keening tenor to opening and closing cuts by British folk-rocker Richard Thompson (whose "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" was a McCoury highlight on 2001's Del and the Boys ), revives the'70s country hit "Let That Racehorse Run," and achieves harmonic convergence with gospel's Fairfield Four on the title track. Ronnie's instrumental romp, "Hillcrest Drive," shows that the band still ranks as one of bluegrass's tightest, while the soaring vocals on "I Can Hear the Angels Singing" soar with the spirit of Appalachia. Even Delbert McClinton's "Same Kind of Crazy" sounds like a bluegrass standard when Del wraps his vocal cords around it. --Don McLeese  (less)

spirit thanks to harmonies from daughters Pieta and Constie Brown as well as Brown's wife, Iris DeMent. Many of the interpretations mine the darker strains of folk tradition--Brown takes the brooding "Who Killed Cock Robin" far from the whimsy of a children's song--while his "Old Smokey" strays a long way from the familiar into a ballad of romantic faithlessness. It would be hard to imagine a lower lonesome than his "Down in the Valley" until he hits the suicidal despair of "I Never Will Marry." Yet the rousing gospel of "Samson" and "Jacob's Ladder" brings the set to a spirited finale, and the spare instrumental interplay of fiddler and mandolinist Al Murphy, banjoist Bob Black, and guitarist and co-producer Bo Ramsey is supe...  (less)

of the Fisk Gospel Choir and served a long stint as Nashville Chapter Representative for Gospel Music Workshop of America. In the late 1980's and early 90's Donald Watkins was one of the premier gospel music artist in the world after having recorded with GOSPEARL Records the hit album "He Got Up" and his sophomore project "When Jesus Comes For Me." He was tapped by the Benson Group to head the Black Gospel Music Division to which he with the help of Gentry McCreary , Butch McGhee signed Richard Smallwood and the Smallwood Singers, Thomas Whitfield, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Don Degrate Delegation, & Keith Pringle. At the height of his career seemingly God put up a huge stop sign when his beloved mother became ill. Torn between career & love for mother in his inn...  (less)

rock releases of all time. Coming off the worldwide breakthrough of the band's 1971's landmark, PARANOID, MASTER OF REALITY (released the same year) proved to be Sabbath's third classic in a row. Like all Sabbath albums of the era, not a second of filler is present--even the lesser-known material is superb. The album's opening track, ""Sweet Leaf,"" a salute to one of the band's favorite smokeable substances, contains one of metal's heaviest guitar riffs, courtesy of Tony Iommi. Another eternal band favorite is the grim, post-nuclear war tale ""Children of the Grave."" Vocalist Ozzy Osbourne is in fine voice on ""After Forever"" and ""Lord of this World,"" while the more tranquil ""Solitude"" and the instrumental Iommi compositions ""Embryo"" and ""Orchid"" offer a bit of variety. Though not quite as influential as PARANOID, MASTER OF REALITY remains one of heavy metal's founding gems.Rolling Stone (1/20/00, p.59) - 4 stars out of 5 - ""...the definitive studio relic of Sabbath's golden-hellfire era (1970-74)...Ozzy preached a gospel of light: dignity, redemption and, in the heaving stoner's hymn 'Sweet Leaf,' peace through weed..."" Q (7/01, p.86) - Included in Q's ""50 Heaviest Albums of All Time"" - ""...Malevolent....casting Black Sabbath as a Titanic-style house band on the eve of Armageddon, cranking it as the bomb drops..."" Q (1/01, p.122) - 5 out of 5 stars - ""...The most cohesive record of [their] first 3 albums..."""  (less)

rock releases of all time. Coming off the worldwide breakthrough of the band's 1971's landmark, PARANOID, MASTER OF REALITY (released the same year) proved to be Sabbath's third classic in a row. Like all Sabbath albums of the era, not a second of filler is present--even the lesser-known material is superb. The album's opening track, ""Sweet Leaf,"" a salute to one of the band's favorite smokeable substances, contains one of metal's heaviest guitar riffs, courtesy of Tony Iommi. Another eternal band favorite is the grim, post-nuclear war tale ""Children of the Grave."" Vocalist Ozzy Osbourne is in fine voice on ""After Forever"" and ""Lord of this World,"" while the more tranquil ""Solitude"" and the instrumental Iommi compositions ""Embryo"" and ""Orchid"" offer a bit of variety. Though not quite as influential as PARANOID, MASTER OF REALITY remains one of heavy metal's founding gems.Rolling Stone (1/20/00, p.59) - 4 stars out of 5 - ""...the definitive studio relic of Sabbath's golden-hellfire era (1970-74)...Ozzy preached a gospel of light: dignity, redemption and, in the heaving stoner's hymn 'Sweet Leaf,' peace through weed..."" Q (7/01, p.86) - Included in Q's ""50 Heaviest Albums of All Time"" - ""...Malevolent....casting Black Sabbath as a Titanic-style house band on the eve of Armageddon, cranking it as the bomb drops..."" Q (1/01, p.122) - 5 out of 5 stars - ""...The most cohesive record of [their] first 3 albums..."""  (less)