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Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball – (Columbia)

Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball – (Columbia)

Fans of Bruce Springsteen have long likened his live show as an almost religious experience – They certainly always seemed to turn out that way whenever he performed at the Main Point! On his latest disc, Wrecking Ball, ‘the Boss’ has been able to translate that revival feeling to one of his studio recordings for [...]

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The Chieftains – Voice of Ages – (Hear Music)

The Chieftains – Voice of Ages – (Hear Music)

The Chieftains have never shied away from working with established contemporary artists from Pop, Rock, Folk, and Country artists on their records. Now, just in time to help celebrate the life and deeds of St. Patrick, the Celtic-music legends recruit a younger roster of stars to mark their 50th anniversary on Voice of Ages. The [...]

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Leonard Cohen – Old Ideas – (Columbia)

Leonard Cohen – Old Ideas – (Columbia)

At 77, Canadian poet Leonard Cohen (who is an ordained Buddhist) would probably liked to have been able to sit out his twilight years atop a mountain, smiling down upon us and our worldly woes. That was until one of his trusted financial advisors decided to take away Cohen’s retirement fund. Because of that, this [...]

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Chick Corea, Eddie Gomez, Paul Motian – Further Explorations – (Concord Jazz)

Chick Corea, Eddie Gomez, Paul Motian – Further Explorations – (Concord Jazz)

The contributions of pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader Bill Evans to the language and appreciation of jazz continue to have a profound influence as master pianist Chick Corea leads original Evans alumni – bassist Eddie Gomez and the drummer Paul Motian – on this new recording, a two-CD, 19-track live set that was recorded in [...]

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Tom Waits – Bad as Me – (Anti-)

Tom Waits – Bad as Me – (Anti-)

Brilliant. That’s not a word we bandy about in these reviews. But the latest work from Tom Waits is nothing short of brilliant. The most striking aspect of Bad As Me is that it is one of the most approachable records Waits has offered in ages, with wistful, end-of-the-year reflections like “Last Leaf” and “New [...]

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John Prine – The Singing Mailman Delivers – (Oh Boy)

John Prine – The Singing Mailman Delivers – (Oh Boy)

Folks around the Philadelphia-area have a special relationship with John Prine – one that began way back at the Main Point in Bryn Mawr (where Prine appeared about ten times between 1972 – 1974) and continuing on through what has become an illustrious songwriting career. But Prine was already a legend when he performed at that [...]

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Daryl Hall – Laughing Down Crying – (Verve Forecast)

Daryl Hall – Laughing Down Crying – (Verve Forecast)

  Main Pointers should be familiar with the name Daryl Hall as he and partner John Oates not only played the famous venue a number of times back in the early 1970′s, but Daryl was known to just ‘dropped in’ to the Main Point from time to time so he could check out the vibe & listen to the music. 2011 [...]

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John Hiatt – Dirty Jeans & Mudslide Hymns – (New West)

John Hiatt – Dirty Jeans & Mudslide Hymns – (New West)

John Hiatt, a man the Los Angeles Times called “one of rock’s most astute singer-songwriters of the last 40 years,” returns with a new rough-hewn rock and blues-driven album. Produced by Kevin “Caveman” Shirley (Silverchair, Aerosmith, Joe Bonamassa), Hiatt’s timeless songwriting and guitar work is paired in the studio with his regular touring combo of [...]

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America – Back Pages – (eOne Music)

America – Back Pages – (eOne Music)

The band America may be best known for tunes like “Ventura Highway” and “A Horse with No Name,” but now they are back with a new CD that features the band paying homage to some of their favorite songwriters. Titled for the Bob Dylan classic of the same name, Back Pages shows the gutsy side [...]

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Keb’ Mo’ – The Reflection – (Yolabelle/Ryko)

Keb’ Mo’ – The Reflection – (Yolabelle/Ryko)

Folks may not remember this, but Keb’ Mo’ appeared a few times at the Main Point before he began his solo blues career. Back in the day, he was part of the Papa John Creech band & they came through Bryn Mawr a couple of times back in the late 1970s. Since then, he has [...]

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