Latest releases reviewed

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Beautiful Dreamer - The Songs of Stephen Foster
American Roots ****

When he died in 1864 at the age of 37 after an accident in New York's infamous Bowery, where he spent his last years after a life of excess, misery and disappointment, Stephen Foster had just 38 cents in his wallet. But America's first great songwriter left behind a wealth of songs that have been passed down from generation to generation. Songs such as the title track, Camptown Races, Oh Susanna and a song which that has undergone a revival in recent years, Hard Times Come Again No More, have been sung in countless homes and halls, losing their identity in the process. This remarkable 18-track collection, featuring wonderful voices from Raul Malo and Alison Krauss to Mavis Staples and Ron Sexsmith, returns dignity and meaning to them, aided by a fascinating sleeve-note that sketches the outline of the life that inspired them. An oddball idea but a mostly inspired one as well.

www.americanrootspublishing.org

LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO
Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain - The Very Best of Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Wrasse Records ***

Ngiyabathanda labafana: that, according to LBM's website, is Zulu for "I love these guys". Apt, because this 32-track double CD is full of the kind of haunting tunes, sinewy singing and warm, complex harmonies that makes exploring world music such a joy. Formed by Joseph Shabalala near Durban in 1964, the group was relatively unknown outside South Africa before Paul Simon used them on his famous Graceland album. Since then they have travelled widely (including in Ireland, where they start a short tour next week; this collection will whet the appetite for the shows in Dublin, Ennis, Cork and Castlebar). There are some bastardised collaborations (Swing Low Sweet Chariot for one) but when they stick to the traditional style of "isicathamiya" their sound is simply captivating. www.mambazo.com