Top 10 Roots

by Mary Armstrong

1. Margot Leverett and the Klezmer Mountain Boys

Leverett continues to blend her klezmer clarinet with famed bluegrass instrumentalists like Barry Mitterhoff (mandolin) and Kenny Kosek (fiddle) on tunes drawn from both traditions. A surprise vocal on "Little Moses" from the queen of mountain sound, Hazel Dickens, makes this CD a surefire winner.

2. Tim O'Brien

This collection is deliciously typical O'Brien, only solo: just him and his fiddle, or guitar or mandolin. Like the creature in the title, the changes are radical and surprising, but all natural. One track bluesy, another oldtime, then a bit of the Caribbean, the songs alternately break your heart and tickle your funny bone. Take his advice: "Get Out There and Dance."

3. Kenny Neal

Kenny Neal has the quintessential blues voice, but his Louisiana roots can't help but blend soul and swamp pop into the big-city blues gumbo.

4. Charlie Haden Family & Friends

For real, jazz bassist Charlie Haden of Liberation Music Orchestra started his music career at age 2 in his family's country music act. A recent reunion had him and his kids prove that breeding will tell; with no rehearsal they harmonized perfectly on the old songs, like "Single Girl." Joined by country stars like Jerry Douglas, Ricky Skaggs and Roseanne Cash, these are true roots showing.

5. The Steeldrivers

Impressions spin by quickly: growlingly powerful lead vocals, the definition of mountain blues, drum-tight harmonies, a base of fiery fiddle and banjo. The Steeldrivers also write catchy songs — try to get the honky-tonking "Drinking Dark Whiskey (Telling White Lies)" out of your head.

6. Sol y Canto

A bit of nueva cancion, a few, just a few, dabs of jazz horn and keyboards, mariachi music done up as modern jazz — this is Sol y Canto's pan-Latin repertoire in the 21st century. As always, Rosi Amador's emotive soprano grabs the spotlight.

7. Catherine Russell

This time Russell takes on the early birds — think Bessie Smith or Alberta Hunter. It's all very precise, right down to the tuba in place of bass fiddle. Genuine hot jazz.

8. The Duhks

Gotta love a band that writes conscience-prodding lyrics and plays square dances next to sambas. Sarah Dugas' smokey lead vocals are well-adapted to world music as well as fresh-minted originals.

9. Kathy3 Mattea

Once country veteran Mattea saw An Inconvenient Truth she became a woman possessed, traveling around to present Al Gore's PowerPoint in person and adding in her Grammy-winning voice for good measure. A coal miner's granddaughter, she counts on her West Virginia birth to get the attention of country audiences. Gathering some of bluegrass's best pickers doesn't hurt, either.

10. Mozaik

Before fusing ethnic musics became almost compulsory, Andy Irvine — along with his longtime Mozaik co-conspirator, Donal Lunny — may have been the first to set English-language lyrics to Balkan rhythms with Irish instrumental breaks. Mozaik is still pushing the puree button, this time embracing Appalachian, Hungarian and Dutch traditional sounds. It's seamless.

(m_armstrong@citypaper.net)