Rattled by the 2016 election and its aftermath, singer-songwriter Iris DeMent did what folk singers are supposed to do: She picked up her pen. But it took until February 2023 for Workinâ on a World, her seventh album, to reach listeners â and it might not have happened at all if her stepdaughter Pieta Brown…
Sunny Warâs stunning new album, Anarchist Gospel, is never preachy, because it doesnât need to be. Warâs evocation of both anarchy and gospel in this context is strikingly grounded, blossoming from everyday understandings and interactions with each concept. And deeper still, in these sweeping, grand arrangements built on sturdy bones of fingerstyle, folk-informed right-hand guitar…
Such words as eclectic, diverse or versatile are hardly adequate to describe the scope and mastery of singer-songwriter Jessy Wilson's talents. Her career background ranges from singing in Off-Broadway productions and being a backup vocalist for John Legend and Alicia Keys, to receiving her first-ever Grammy nomination in late 2022 for co-writing âKeep Rising (The…
Sam Bush is well-known for his innovative style, virtuosic playing, and exciting performances that have made him pivotal to bluegrass music. Yet he is quick to point to John Hartford as the pioneer of so-called newgrass. Bush has covered many of Hartfordâs songs throughout his career (such as New Grass Revivalâs rendition of âVamp in…
The talented and resilient Ruthie Foster, whose voice is often compared to Aretha Franklinâs, used the pandemic to reconnect to the music, friends and emotions that have shaped her life. She called on her touring ensemble, The Family Band, as well as producers, co-writers and musicians she knows well to create her ninth album, Healing…