Roots Music: An American Journey
No independent label has surveyed a wider, deeper expanse of the American musical grain than Rounder Records has done since 1971. In celebrating the label's 30th anniversary, this budget-priced anthology presents 68 gems from the archives without duplicating a single artist. Rather than a linear progression through time or genre, the four-disc set hopscotches all over the musical map, from the blues ofMississippi Fred McDowellto the bluegrass ofAlison Krauss, from the Texas country ofJimmie Dale Gilmoreto the Celtic fiddle ofNatalie MacMaster. Some of the juxtapositions are a little jarring: the Mardi Gras chants ofBo Dollis and the Wild Magnoliasgive way to the Hawaiian guitars of theTau Moe Family, while the soulful groove ofWalter "Wolfman" Washingtonleads into theKlezmer Conservatory Band. But listeners whose tastes are as eclectic as Rounder's will find the set a treasure trove of discovery.--Don McLeese