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It was a recommendation of ACT guitarist Nguyên Lê that first brought the French baritone saxophonist Céline Bonacina to the attention of label boss Siggi Loch. Once again the exchange and sense of community within the "ACT Family" has provided the impetus for an exceptional musical discovery. In this way Esbjörn Svensson, for example, played in Nils Landgren’s Funk Unit before his international career with e.s.t. whilst Korean singer, Youn Sun Nah, came to ACT through her work with Ulf Wakenius and Lars Danielsson. Nguyên Lê first met Céline Bonacina in 2008 at a festival. “She told me that my album Bakida (ACT 9275-2) had had a strong influence on her musical development. Then, two years later, she asked me to play on a few tracks of her new album Way of Life. Since then, my involvement in the album has grown continuously from guitarist to sound engineer to co-producer. That the album is now being released by ACT makes me especially happy for Céline.“

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If you can imagine the ideal soundtrack to driving through the scented country roads of France on a hot lazy summer’s daythen it would be the music of Martin Taylor’s Spirit of Django. To mark the 100th Anniversary of the birth of one of the founders of European jazz Django Reinhardt, Martin Taylor has reformed his award winning group Spirit of Django after a 15 year hiatus for the new album, ‘Last Train to Hauteville’.

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This is billed as Ralph's first collection of original material for ten years, a typically modest undersell which should not overlook his reworking and rediscovery of some classic country blues and rags, Dylan and Guthrie material during that time (check out 'National Treasure' and 'Gates of Eden') and the autobiographical 'As Far As I can Tell')And this is indeed a cracker of an album. My favourite piece is Revd. Thunder, a wonderful tribute to the great Revd Gary Davis, blues and gospel picker extraordinaire. I'd defy anyone, from the first note, not to start tapping their toes and singin' along. And, as is characteristic of Ralph's songs and indeed the rest of this album, it has a narrative - sad, poignant, human, hopeful and ultimately uplifting. Ralph McTell stands head and shoulders above other ragtime and blues acoustic players because he's not just technically proficient but hugely entertaining with it and always adds an element of feel-good.

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Zebra Ranch, named after the Coldwater, Mississippi, recording studio of Dickinson's late father Jim Dickinson, where both of the band's albums have been crafted, pushes this evolution further. Where Burnside wrote or co-wrote seven of the first album's 10 songs, here he contributes to four of 14. Instead, Dickinson has taken the primary songwriting role, writing or co-writing half the songs, and both Coburn and Smithhart take on larger roles. The band also moves further away from the North Mississippi Allstars template with the departure of bassist Chris Chew, replaced by Doc Samba. (Young Memphis music veteran David Mason is also new on drums.)

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I don’t know that Western Ballad will win new fans, but it has a number of very good songs to strengthen her repertoire. She certainly plays to her strengths, with a spacious acoustic landscape that lets the inflections in her voice be heard. I remain a fan, but admittedly hope that she finds a producer who will collaborate less and demand a bit more. And, of course, one who doesn’t advocate pedal steel. Recommended Songs: “Memory of a Ghost,” “HIgh,” “Thunderhead”

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As every woman in Cape Verde, Mayra Andrade has the sea in the soul and the art of navigation in their genes. Born in Cuba and lived in Angola, then discovered her Cape Verdean origins and went to Germany, until finally settling in France. His music bears the influence of many latitudes, notably in Africa. In this first live album, the study 105 of Radio France, sailing in a gentle sea of morna and strainer or agitated version of Funan and Batuque, depending on the wind and the thrill of 'saudade'. Listen here the theme 'Dispidida'.

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Joy Division are set to be the subject of a new box set gathering together some of their finest momentsJoy Division had a tragically short career, yet their music has an enduring influence. Only releasing two albums, both ‘Unknown Pleasures’ and ‘Closer’ have become pivotal texts in British rock music.
Now a new box set aims to bring together some of the finest moments in their back catalogue. Set to be released in December through Rhino Records, the ten disc box set will be enigmatically named ‘+ -’.
The box set contains ten seven-inch singles, moving between the distinct phases in the band’s career. Beginning as Warsaw, Joy Division took enormous steps in a short time – a fact made clear on the new box seT

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Over the course of its decades-long existence, Roomful of Blues effectively became a franchise unto itself, built more on a brand-name collective identity than on the voices of the myriad individual members who kept the band a smoothly humming machine. Describing Roomful of Blues that way, however, gives short shrift to the many accomplished musicians who have emerged from the band's ranks over the years: guitarists Duke Robillard and Ronnie Earl, organist Ron Levy, pianist Al Copley, singer Lou Ann Barton, vocalist/harmonica player Sugar Ray Norcia, and drummer Fran Christina (later of the Fabulous Thunderbirds), to name the most prominent. Plus, the band's horn section blossomed into a renowned freelancing unit, backing countless other artists both on-stage and in the studio. - AllMusicGuide

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Back in May, Over The Rhine holed up in Joe Henry’s Garfield House studio to record their latest record. The Long Surrender will be released on January 11, 2011. In October, the band hosted an online preview for fans who pre-ordered the album during the fundraising drive. It’s safe to say that the result will please fans of both OtR and JH’s production work.

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