Buff's Picks for the Week

 These are the ten most often played CD’s around the office for this week. Please note that we include new releases, soon to be releases, older CD’s MP3’s and vinyl. Consider this a blatant attempt at influencing your musical diet.

1.      Somewhere South of Eden    Tommy Talton

The brand spanking new release from founding Cowboy member and solo superstar Tommy Talton is one of his best yet! (Review coming as soon as I can come up with enough adjectives to describe how much I love it!)

2.      Got Soul   Robert Randolph & The Family Band

Smoldering hot rocking soul infused magic from a man who has mastered his own unique sacred-steel style of pedal steel guitar. Sliding toward number one!

3.     Red Hot    Paul Hornsby

After many decades on the other side of the microphone as producer, long time Capricorn Records producer and musician Hornsby delivers his first solo CD, filled with covers of classic blues, Nuawlins funk and hot rockin’ oldies. Surely one of the best releases of 2016.

4.     Tea Surfing   The Boxmasters

The Boxmasters are one of the most prolific bands I know. They have a bunch of great albums, almost every one a double disc set, but they also have a stash of yet to be released material. The team of J.D. Andrew and Bud Thornton may well be the new Lennon and McCartney in terms of the sheer volume of great songs they churn out. Review coming next issue!

5.     Windy City   Alison Krauss

It’s been a bunch of years since Alison stepped out solo, but it was worth the wait. I have described her voice many, many times as “angelic.” Of course, thousands of other writers have done the same I am sure. Pretty much anything she sings sounds heavenly.

6.      The Marcus King Band (self titled)

My Greenville, SC home boy is on his way to the very top, with more than a little help from Warren Haynes. Like his daddy Marvin, young Marcus is a guitar monster, and this album has more soul that Shaq’s basketball shoes. Horns and guitar, and Marcus has a great voice.

7.      Highway Call   Richard Betts

Although it came out in 1974, I have to listen to this one at least once or twice a month. 

One of my all time Top Ten albums.

8.      Don’t Try to Fight it     David Olney

I listened to this yesterday for the first time. . . and second, and third. Very unique style that grabbed my attention and would not let go. Review coming soon. Check it out!

9.      X & Y     Coldplay  2005

Somehow, I missed the Coldplay invasion. I read about them and heard about them a lot in the early part of the century, and I had heard some of their music and enjoyed it. Then my stepson Ben gave me this album on vinyl for Christmas, and I have played it dozens of times. In fact, I went to iTunes and downloaded a few of their other albums. Good stuff.

10.   57^th & 9^th     Sting

Sting is back! Although his voice is not quite as high, it has aged like fine wine, and you can hear the raw emotion coming through now, perhaps more than ever before. Just a great album.