what are you listening to lately?

I've got to chime in again, after listening to the new EmmyLou Harris CD today. It's really good, with that shimmery Lanois-like texture that her last CDs had. Different producer this time, not Lanois, but a friend of his. Also, I picked up the new Joan Baez CD and it's one of her best. She doesn't use her operatic voice that some didn't like (including Dylan). Maybe age has taken a toll on her instrument, but the mellow smoky voice on this CD, and her selection of other people's songs (esp. Greg Brown's Sleeper and Ryan Adams' If I Needed You) make this CD one of my very favorite recent purchases. By the way--both these discs sounded great on my ARC tube integrated. Very warm and detailed.

Emmylou's new CD just arrived, but haven't listened to it yet. Glad that Sc53 liked it!

Been mostly listening to the Dylan SACD remasters (when not rooting on the Cubs!)

Have y'all heard Gus Black's Uncivilized Love? Wow !!! Very fine writing, melody and audio quality.

Also Sue Foley (several, incl. Big City Blues), Lori Lieberman (Home of Whispers), Train (Drops of Jupiter), Jane's Addiction (Strays), Eva Cassidy (imagine) plus various Cowboy Junkies and Steve Earles. Good thread -- I'll have to check into some of these recommendations.

Cheap (3/12.77L($20)) HMV compilations of jazz standards compiled under "Diva", "Batterie" (Drums), "Violon", "Sax", that I picked up at HMV at Heathrow this summer. Only good deal there.

Tom Ovans has got my attention. He's a singer/songwriter from Boston who now lives in Austin. He's got an incredible and strange voice, which has been compared to Dylan, Joe Ely, Tom Waites, et al. Sounds like rusted barbed wire and has a clamp on his nuts. Really, really strangely beautiful. His lyrics are biting, cutting, from the fire in his belly. Can't get enough of him.