Tempus Fugit/SPV/InsideOut
RPWL’s latest release contains “This Is Not a Prog Song,” a title easily tweaked to “This Is Not (Your Grandfather’s) Prog Band.” Drummer Manni Muller (who took over for Phil Paul Rissettio), bassist Chris Postl, guitarist Karlheinz Wallner and singer/keyboardist Jurgen “Yogi” Lang make music that lacks bombast yet retains the ethereal synthesizer and cosmic guitar playing normally associated with traditional prog outfits.
Delta Groove
It’s nice to watch Gen-X prodigies morph into world-class blues guitarists for the new millennium. Costello, 16 when his debut was released in 1996, possesses the same caliber musicianship as Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jonny Lang, Derek Trucks and Joe Bonamassa.
New West/Via
Yoakam, who rekindled the Bakersfield sound in the late 1980s to early ’90s, pays tribute to recently departed mentor and friend Buck Owens with a thoughtful song selection, bolstered by young-gun players and just enough twists to ensure that fans of both country icons will be grinnin’ when they hear the pickin’ and especially the singin’.
Dirt Farmer/Vanguard
Four albums from 1977 to 1982 — that was the extent of Helm’s solo studio output until now. Twenty-five years is a long time, but in the former Band drummer’s case, it was worth the wait.
Blue Bella
Not since Taj Mahal put out his “Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home” double LP in 1968 has there been a double blues album with one disc electric, one acoustic. In fact, he and Moss may be the genre’s only two artists to hold that distinction.
