Music

While the most tried-and-true way to say "I'm a serious American roots artist" is to book Emmylou Harris to sing backup, a close second is to get T-Bone Burnett to be your producer.

While Say Goodbye is no straightforward salute to Mem­phis, soul is as good a word as any for this quiet, strange but above all groovy little record.

It's fine to eschew traditional bluegrass for intricate pop, but playing the latter with strict string-band instrumentation just sounds kind of gimmicky.

Lonely Avenue recalls beautiful-mess collaborations along the lines of Van Dyke Parks and Brian Wilson.

The hymn "Tuku­tendereza Yesu" is a staple of Kenya's booming Christian music industry. Across modern East Africa, the song is hard to avoid. But just why is it so successful?

Early Christian writers recognized music's emotional power. Just as often, however, they commended it for its powers of harmony--in both the musical and extramusical sense.

A special Christmas review of noteworthy books, movies and music.

A special Christmas review of noteworthy books, movies and music.

The struggle to choose the hymns for the small rural congregation I serve is a microcosm of the challenges faced by members of the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song (PCOCS) as it decides what hymns and songs to include in the next Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) hymnal and electronic resources.