Back in the 1980s when I was working in radio at WUNC, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, there was a great folk music program on Saturday nights following Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion. I remember the host raving about the consistent recording authenticity of releases on the Rounder record label. Over the years, pretty much anything I’ve bought - and now streamed - from Rounder falls within the same praise. But now as I get deeper into audiophilia, I’m hearing more and more when considering soundstage, presence, instrumental/vocal realism, and “in-the-same-room” feel.
A colleague at work last year turned me onto a country/bluegrass singer Claire Lynch, so last night I stumbled back upon her 2009 album Watcha Gonna Do (Qobuz / Apple Music). It has a phenomenal sound to my ears, and some great thoughtful tunes and lyrics. Then I noticed it’s on Rounder and it slipped right into my usual assessment of them.
Another artist I loved for many years is Leon Redbone, for his old-style jazz work, and just cuz he’s so weird. I hadn’t thought of him for a while, then learned he passed away in 2019. I listened to some of his recordings for Rounder and they do not disappoint. I think he must have been an artist very interested in recording quality because each song seems to have an audio personality of its own.
“All the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.”
Get it right, man!
That program was so powerful - it showed the character of America brought about by small town communalism. And don’t think that it was limited to small towns - for many years the live show sold out Town Hall in New York City. Keillor is one of the greatest storytellers in American history. But I think that era is gone, swept away by prioritizing greed. And no, I’m not choosing any sides - the fear of losing what we think we’re entitled to is not left or right - it’s dominating the whole country. Sure there was money running through Lake Wobegone, but it wasn’t the entire lifeblood of existence. Even Garrison Keillor was undone by a greedy society - a woman who had been wearing an open-backed dress tried to sue him, as part of the ME TOO movement, claiming he had touched her inappropriately. He said simply, “If I had a nickel for every time a woman touched me on the ass while taking a selfie, I’d be a rich man.” Of course she might have been right, I don’t know, but to bring down a man who knew so much about how to communicate the goodness of American culture says something about who we’ve become.
Sorry for the rant. Obviously I loved that show. I was also introduced to a long list of great musicians, including Leon Redbone.
Knowing some people who worked with him, this is not a nice man. Years of sexual misconduct, abusive behaviors, and more. MPR fired him and cancelled his show. BTW he left for New York, angry the Twin Cities press published how much his house cost, etc. And there are the issues he created with his neigbors. Yuck.
Yeah, I know he had personal problems, like so many people in the arts and entertainment fields. As for sexual misconduct, I only heard the one story. I actually had the chance to meet him in 1990. Very introverted. Right in mid-sentence with me, he walked away to do something else; all I could do was shrug. But even better, at the same meeting, I got the chance to meet Bob Elliot of Bob & Ray. That was quite a treat.
I ran into Mr. Keillor talking with my neighbor on the sidewalks of St. Paul, MN. Very charming guy. If you can find it, listen to his, “Young Lutheran’s Guide to the orchestra”.
I feel Tony Furtado albums are always worthy, but this one is the standout to me (also great SQ).. This one may on a smaller independent label, but he has a bunch on Rounder and other small labels.
Just remember that everyone has bad sides, and good sides, don’t believe everything you read (especially on the internet), and there is more than one side to every story. I understand, as happened with Bill Cosby, how personal problems can totally trash a career, but Bill Cosby DID do some good things.
There is absolutely no reason to put up with this crap and apologize for his actions. Does one really buy "well she was wearing a bare back gown and therefore it is OK? Please.
There is no “other side” of the story. He behaved abdominally for years. Period.
Yes, he was a bit full of himself, and seemed to be the only one that believed the fantasy he was selling. I bought in early on with Prairie Home Companion, until I wised up. Now the music the program offered up, that was special, in a good way. The mention of Garrison gives me the creeps to this day.
