Strange Wonders, The Wexford Carols, Vol. II is the follow-up to the #1 Billboard and Amazon charting The Wexford Carols (2014), hailed by The Irish Times as "The Wexford Carols as they have never been heard before." Produced by celebrated Grammy-winning producer Ethan Johns (Paul McCartney, Kings of Leon, Ray LaMontagne) and led by renowned Irish singer/arranger Caitriona O'Leary, this new recording offers an intimate, spiritual, and mystical journey through eleven rarely-heard carols from Ireland's cherished Christmas tradition. The album features a world-class ensemble, including Alison Balsom (trumpet), Stile Antico (choir), Seth Lakeman, Clara Sanabras, John Smith, Olov Johansson, Simone Collavechi, Deirdre O'Leary, Mel Mercier, John Hearne, and Ethan Johns himself. Drawing on 17th-18th century Wexford carol traditions and blending early music, folk, and classical styles, Strange Wonders illuminates familiar moments of the Christmas story alongside rarely sung carols to saints of the Twelve Days. This moving collection brings Ireland's greatest Christmas music to life for today's audiences in a timeless new way.
The inspiration for this musical shindig springs from the foggy mists of mid-nineteenth century Appalachia. With tunes hailing from Kentucky to Mississippi, McCamy's Old-Time Rendez-vous resurrects the shadows of dueling gentlemen, lovers lost and cash on the barrel-head, taking US to the very heart of a musical culture steeped in old Europe and an enslaved African past. Vintage Americana is an invitation to a country hoedown and a journey to the heart of popular American music. Coming from a Scots/American background Ian McCamy's roots are deeply anchored in musical traditions from both sides of the Atlantic: From Scotland to Tennessee's Smoky Mountains, these ancestral paths are the core of his inspiration and are directly reflected in his personal style of fiddling.
The Working In Corners boxset includes Nanci Griffith's first four albums: There's A Light Beyond These Woods, Poet In My Window, Once In A Very Blue Moon, and GRAMMY-nominated The Last Of The True Believers. The set includes expansive liner notes by producer Jim Rooney and writer Holly Gleason, along with rare photographs. Her trailblazing career caused Rolling Stone to dub Nanci Griffith as "one of the most critically acclaimed and beloved veterans of the country-folk-pop scene." 4 CD Boxset.
