The Plum Tree and The Rose - Sarah McQuaid

The Plum Tree and the S The Plum Tree and The Rose Sarah McQuaidI first came across Sarah Mc Quaid last year with her wonderful album ‘I Won’t Go Home’Till Morning’.

Blessed with a voice that is both moving and subtle she put her stamp on some old standards and has dipped

[...click on headline to read full story]

Vince Gill - Guitar Slinger

Vince Gill S Vince Gill Guitar SlingerFrom the early days of Boone Creek with Ricky Skaggs, and as frontman with Pure Prairie League I have always appreciated the talent of Vince Gill.

Since those early days he has earned eighteen Country Music Association Awards and twenty Grammies (the most of any country music artist) and sold

[...click on headline to read full story]

Will Banister - Turned Her On To Country

will banister S Will Banister Turned Her On To CountryThere have been times over the years when reviewing new releases or playing artists on my radio shows that something special happens after the first listen.

I remember the first time I heard Randy Travis and George Strait and thought that a brand new breath of fresh air was coming to country

[...click on headline to read full story]

Nanci Griffith at The Sage Gateshead

NANCI S Nanci Griffith at The Sage GatesheadMany years ago in the halycon days of the Peterborough Country Music Festival I had the pleasure of seeing a fairly new artist at the time called Nanci Griffith.

Nanci was new to hard core British country music audiences and it was not perhaps until the release of her album ‘Lone Star State of Mind’

[...click on headline to read full story]

Release Me - Lyle Lovett

lyle lovett release me S Release Me Lyle LovettI’ve always reckoned that country music crosses the boundaries of all other musical genres.

I’ve also always been amazed at folk who relate to the fact that they do not like ‘country’ music, and yet when artists associated with country appear at North East venues they are packed

[...click on headline to read full story]

The American Connection Country Music Show

962766967 VLExP S The American Connection Country Music ShowOn this weeks show I’ve got news of Suzy Bogguss coming back to the North East to play a date in May and a roundup of other visiting artists in our Who’s Where and When section.

The Album of the Week is an absolute cracker from Zoe Muth and The Lost High Rollers who

[...click on headline to read full story]

Prism - Beth Neilsen Chapman

prism S Prism Beth Neilsen ChapmanThis Texas singer/songwriter has enjoyed great chart success in American charts and had her poignant song “ Sand and Water” covered by Elton John. 

In a career change, although consistent with her instinctive talent for universal reflection we now have a labour of love music collection professing a heartfelt belief in

[...click on headline to read full story]

Mescalito - Ryan Bingham

Mescalito S Mescalito Ryan BinghamThis CD is a re-release of well received Lost Highway debut album from singer songwriter Ryan Bingham.

The man with T Bone Burnett who created the soundtrack for Oscar winning Jeff Bridges’ movie “Crazy Heart”, he co-wrote the award winning song “The Weary Kind”.

On the back of that Bingham was named by

[...click on headline to read full story]

Gretchen Peters - Hello Cruel World

Gretchen S Gretchen Peters Hello Cruel WorldThere’s an old saying that goes “To be able to write good songs about good and bad times in life…you have to live through them”.

On many occasions the truth proceeds, however in others like a line in Cash’s Folsom Prison Blues: “I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die”, certainly falls into the

[...click on headline to read full story]

The American Connection Country Music Show

653615206 J2Yxv S The American Connection Country Music ShowThere’s an exclusive on todays American Connection when I’ll be playing tracks from an album that is not officially released until January next year.

Singer/songwriter Gretchen Peters releases her new album ‘Hello Cruel World’ in two months time however you can here three tracks from it on todays show as it takes up our

[...click on headline to read full story]