Richland Woman Blues
In so many ways, this offering from Maria Muldaur--her 25th--is a surprise. To begin with, there's the overall rootsy feel, with a very classic, traditional aesthetic governing most of the material--unusual indeed for a vocalist whoseMeet Me Where They Play the BluesandMusic for Loverswere rooted in much more of a pop sensibility. Then again, since Muldaur started out with folksy jug bands, often in the company of ex-husband and modern folksterGeoff Muldaur, maybe this return to the roots isn'ttoosurprising.But then, there's her choice of guest stars;Richland Woman Bluesis as much about Muldaur's collaborators as it is about her own voice. Some of them are obvious, given the album's bent: there are two excellent duets withAlvin Youngblood Hart, one withTaj Mahal, and a couple of tracks featuring Californian blues guitaristRoy Rogers(no, not that one!). But there's also keyboard work from Dave Mathews on two tracks, a devotional duet withBonnie Raitt, and a rich, throaty duet withTracy Nelson, in which both women acquit themselves admirably. While a departure from her usual idiom, this is a sound, solid entry in Muldaur's body of work, where she holds her own with a cast of distinguished guests.--Genevieve Williams