Although country music has been called the white man’s blues, you won’t hear much of that legacy on mainstream country radio, which seems more infatuated by the windblown frivolity of the Eagles. For real insight into the country-blues connection... more info

JamBase — JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE AND BLACK OAK ARKANSASJOIN VENERABLE ROOTS ROCK PIONEERS' INTIMATE SHINDIG The Goose on the Lake Music Festival after thirteen years has never been, nor ever will be, a huge gathering of thirty bands on multiple stages jammed... more info

JamBase — By: Dennis Cook There's a dangling question mark over any artist who breaks from their main band to do a solo album. Hopefully, the music answers the question readily, announcing a vision some remove from their day job, but sometimes it takes lon... more info

Guardian Music — Multiple versions of the same re-formed act have become a problem for promoters, with different incarnations of the Beach Boys, War and Jefferson Airplane each claiming to be "authentic"Dozens of rival reunion bands are competing for gigs this summer... more info

All About Jazz — For years, James Taylor has been covering many of his favorite songs from the 1950s and 1960s during soundchecks before his concerts. This past September, he released some of them on Covers, a collection of twelve classic tracks he recorded at his Ma... more info

Pitchfork — Bandleader, producer, studio owner, and Jamaican musical icon Byron Lee passed away November 4 after a battle with cancer, according to a post on his website. [Via Tiny Mix Tapes.] He was 73. Lee formed his famed band the Dragonaires in 1957 and kept... more info

JamBase — MerleFest 2009 :: April 23-26 :: Wilkesboro, NC MerleFest 2009 is set to go down on April 23-26 on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, NC. Ready to celebrate its 22nd year, the following artists will join host Doc Watson for a wee... more info

All About Jazz — REHOBOTH BEACH -- When you consider taking in performances from Joe Piscopo, Charlie Thomas' Drifters and The Neville Brothers, you may anticipate quite a drive. But that's not the case. Every year, the Rehoboth Beach Autumn Jazz Festival, to be hel... more info

Soul Sides — I've been reading Jerry Wexler's excellent, engrossing - but alas, out of print - autobiography, Rhythm and the Blues since I wanted to learn more about his life (catalyzed to do so by his death). Wexler talks about one of his protegés, Bert Berns... more info

Reuters — DETROIT (Billboard) - Cover songs are hardly foreign to James Taylor's repertoire. In fact, the veteran troubadour's top 40 roster is populated with his distinctive versions of such songs as Marvin Gaye's "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)," the D... more info