Listen (TRT 1:14): Hi-Fi mp3 | Shop

At a moment where what being a record label means is certainly in flux, Rounder Records is celebrating its 40th anniversary and, in many ways, showing what it means for artists who share a label and what that means to its customer and fans. (News on 4/14/10: Concord Records acquires Rounder Records)

Rounder Records was started in March 1970 by Ken Irwin, Marian Leighton-Levy, and Bill Nowlin (left to right). In our interview, Irwin tells us how the label came to be, and how they began with blues and bluegrass, and evolved the label to include folk, Cajun, Celtic, and reggae music.

Rounder also manages 18 subsidiary labels, including Heartbeat and Zoe Records.

As someone who knows a bit about bluegrass music, but wanted to learn more, I also ask Irwin to take us through the history of bluegrass.

Continue reading "Episode 064: Ken Irwin of Rounder Records" »

Posted by Charlie at 06:00 PM | Permalink

Listen (TRT 30:00): Lo-Fi > Higher-Fi > Quicktime | Shop | Recommendations

Jimmy Ryan just released his second solo release, an EP that goes by the name of Gospel Shirt and released by Hi-n-Dry Records. A singer, songwriter, and mandolin player, Ryan is an artist who clearly loves both the traditional bluegrass music of Bill Monroe as well as classic rock and roll like Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Rolling Stones.

As a founding member of the Blood Oranges, who released three records (Corn River, Lone Green Valley, and Crying Tree) in the early 90s, and a gifted mandolin player who has performed and toured with dozens of other artists, Ryan has amassed an impressive amount of experience that translates easily into his melding of bluegrass and rock and roll.

Continue reading "Episode 017 : Jimmy Ryan" »

Posted by Charlie at 03:58 PM | Permalink

Listen : Lo-Fi > | Shop | Recommendations

Although they are now usually known as Ellen Christenson and Irene Saletan, back in 1956 the identical twins were best known in New York's folk scene as The Kossoy Sisters--where they released "Bowling Green," their first LP of traditional music, at the ripe age of 17.

As a founding member of Bright, Mark Dwinell released four CDs before attempting a solo disc, but delivers his first on BaDaBing Records, where he's woven together his musical experimentations on piano and guitars with raw and honest lyrics.

Jacques Pardo and Boujema Razgui are two of the multi-instrumentalists that make up Atlas Soul, a band that infuses so many ethnic musics together that it defies categorization...and that seems to suit them just fine.

Continue reading "Episode 004 : Kossoy Sisters, Mark Dwinell + Atlas Soul" »

Posted by Charlie at 11:13 PM | Permalink