We start in 1970 and Mike Cooper is "Sitting Here Watching" (from Trout Steel), looking forward and feeling good. He might be hitting the road, maybe to gig, maybe to ramble, not to run. Kicks in and I think Incredible String Band and that is all right. I feel good when I listen to this, like anything is possible. Fills me with the optimism that only kids can maintain. The cancellations of the electric guitar are a welcome jab. [buy]

This joy lasts for two years and then John Hartford slowly swaggers by and reminisces forward about the past by going "Back in the Goodle Days" (from Aereo-Plain). He is up too, but different. Not so positive all the time. He longs a bit and wonders a bit. But all the time he is sure that he will still be fucking cool, you know, smoking joints and drinking wine at the city dump type of cool. Relaxed, with free and airy musicians. They recorded it all around one microphone in the old bluegrass radio show style. [buy]

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I?m Brian Michael Roff. Sean asked me to do a guest post for him while he is away. I was so glad to agree. It would be impossible for me to get close to writing as well as he does about the music he shares, so I just did my thing. Thanks to Sean for this fun opportunity to share a couple of my favorites.

Also want to plug (with Sean's blessing) my new EP called In the Analog Woods. It is out on KEEP recordings in a hand signed/numbered limited edition of 100. It is 6 songs with banjo, accordion, guitar, and voice. You can listen to an MP3 and buy it at the KEEP site.

[Ed. - Brian has a warm voice and a steady eye. And, apparently, good taste. I especially like the American Richard Thompson verve of the Mike Cooper track. Said the Gramophone previously featured Brian Michael Roff's music here.]