GUMBO #203 Sunday, January 1, 1995 / Midnight - 3:00am The (Mostly) Best of 1994 Special, Part One! KCRW Santa Monica, 89.9 FM KCRY Indio - Palm Springs, 89.3 FM KCRU Oxnard - Ventura County, 89.1 FM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Opening Theme: ALIAS RON KAVANA - Soweto Trembles (The Jo'burg Jig) [THINK LIKE A HERO/Chiswick Records] Played in its entirety on the first show of the year. Most of the show features some of my picks for the best of roots and gumbo music for 1994 (to be continued next week), and goes over some brand new releases from Louisiana and Ireland. But first, we start the first show of the New Year as I traditionally do (when I'm not cancelled, like last year, that is ...) MICHAEL DOUCET - Bonne Annee (Happy New Year) [CHRISTMAS BAYOU/Swallow] THE DORKESTRA - THE NEW YEAR [100 FLOWERS/Scratch] COWBOY MOUTH - How Do You Tell Someone? [IT MEANS ESCAPE/Monkey Hill] Marvelous new album from this balls-out, country/folk tinged rock band from New Orleans. One or two throwaway tracks, but stil superb. OLD BLIND DOGS - Lay Ye Doon, Love [TALL TAILS/Lochshore] Wonderful Scots band, a best pick. THE BOTHY BAND - The Morning Star/The Fisherman's Lilt/The Drunken Landlady [LIVE IN CONCERT: BBC RADIO ONE/BBC Records] Mind- bogglingly great recording, recently unearthed, of the Bothies in concert in 1978. Possibly its US radio debut! CHRISTY MOORE - Casey [CHRISTY AT THE POINT LIVE/Columbia-Newberry] Recorded at the Point Theatre in Dublin last year, brand-new. SEAMUS BEGLEY & STEPHEN COONEY - Reel: John Brosnan's [MEITHEAL/Hummingbird Music] Stellar album by Kerryman Begley on accordion, and Australian Irish transplant Cooney on guitar, and didgeridoo on this track. New SEAN TYRRELL - Blue-Green Bangle [CRY OF A DREAMER/Longwalk Music] First release by this Clare singer/songwriter, brand-new. TADHG MAC DHONNAGAIN - Tintreach agus Toirneach (Thunder and Lightning) [RAFTEIRI SAN UNDERGROUND/Clo Iar-Chonnachta] Second release from singer/songwriter who works in Irsh and English. Back to the best-of ... THE IGUANAS - Oye Isabel [NUEVO BOOGALOO/Margaritaville-MCA] THE BLAZERS - El Ano Nuevo [SHORT FUSE/Rounder] East L.A.'s own, produced by Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos CAFE TACUBA - El Aparato [RE/WEA Latina] Stunning second album from Mexican alternative/rock band, with heavy acoustic/traditional sounds on this album. MALDITA VECINDAD - Pata de Perro (live) [EN VIVO: GIRA PATA DE PERRO/BMG Ariola] Smashing live EP from this Mexico City alternative roots/punk band. Technically came out in '93, but hey, I didn't *get* to do a Best of '93 show ... (I bet Steve Gardner would really dig these guys.) GENO DELAFOSE - C'est Pas la Peine Brailler [FRENCH ROCKIN' BOOGIE/Rounder] BEAUSOLEIL - La Ville Des Manteau [L'ECHO/Forward-Rhino] BRUCE DAIGREPONT - 'Nonc Willie (Uncle Willie) [PETIT CADEAU/Rounder] FERNEST ARCENEAUX & THE ZYDECO ALL-STARS - Bernadette [ZYDECO BLUES PARTY/ Mardi Gras Records] Featuring four former members of Clifton Chenier's Red Hot Louisiana Band in its heyday. This best-of country set (part one) features these first two guys, who are playing together at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood n January 7: JOHNNY CASH - Like A Soldier [JOHNNY CASH/American Recordings] BECK - Fourteen Rivers, Fourteen Floods [ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE/K Records] THE PALACE BROTHERS - I Am A Cinematographer [THE PALACE BROTHERS/Drag City] BAD LIVERS - Where They Do Not Know My Name [HORSES IN THE MINES/Quarter Stick] TOWNES VAN ZANDT - Blazes Blue [NO DEEPER BLUE/Sugar Hill] By request. REBIRTH BRASS BAND - Whop! [ROLLIN/Rounder] Brand-new. MARCIA BALL - Red Beans [BLUE HOUSE/Rounder] THE NEW ORLEANS KLEZMER ALL-STARS - The New Year's Suite [THE NEW ORLEANS KLEZMER ALL-STARS/Stretchy] As good as this CD is, these guys REALLY need to record a live album. THE BLUERUNNERS - Burn Up the Night [THE CHATEAU CHUCK/Monkey Hill] Cajun and zydeco influenced grunge from Lafayette, and great stuff it is. BLACK 47 - Differnt Drummer [HOME OF THE BRAVE/SBK-EMI] FREEDY JOHNSTON - Two Lovers Stop [THIS PERFECT WORLD/Elektra] KITCHENS OF DISTINCTION - Here Come the Swans [COWBOYS AND ALIENS/A&M] Lots more acoustic touches on this brand-new album, due for release this month. FRANK BLACK - Headache [TEENAGER OF THE YEAR/4AD Records] CARAVANSERAI - Topadarsko Oro/The Miller's Maggot [PIG/Samizdat] Another one that slipped in from '93. Balkan/Irish fusion from Leeds! TARIKA - Ragoaika [BIBIANGO/Green Linnet-Xenophile] Marvelous acoustic roots music from Madagascar. Sammy got dumped along the way; still haven't gotten the straight dope on that. LA CUCINA - Zio Pepe [FROOTS #2 compilation] A Mustapha-oid roots outfit from Britain VICTORIA WILLIAMS - Crazy mary [LOOSE/Mammoth] LOS LOBOS - Down Where the Drunkards Roll [BEAT THE RETREAT: SONGS OF RICHARD THOMPSON/Capitol] MEAT PUPPETS - Lake of Fire [TOO HIGH TO DIE/London] To be continued next week ...