One of American music’s most celebrated songwriters, Kris Kristofferson, continues his renewed commitment to music on “Closer To The Bone,” the follow-up to 2006’s “This Old Road,” his first album in a dozen years.

As with the previous album, Kristofferson works with veteran producer Don Was, who keeps arrangements stripped and focused on Kristofferson’s craggy voice and rudimentary yet expressive acoustic guitar.

Kristofferson states his purpose when he sings, “Nothing but the truth now,” in the title song. These are heart-laid-bare lyrics from a 73-year-old interested in mining his truths rather than entertaining. He’s still whittling on the same themes, too, with songs that continually explore freedom, love and justice for all.

He writes everything himself, with some help from longtime collaborator Stephen Bruton, who co-wrote “Let the Walls Come Down” and “From Here to Forever,” the latter about a parent’s unending love that Kristofferson directs toward his children. (The album is dedicated to Bruton, who died as the album was being finished.)

Most of the 11 tracks are new works, excepting “Good Morning John,” a tribute to his late friend Johnny Cash, and “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore,” written more than 30 years ago. Even those songs deal with the struggle for individual dignity — something Kristofferson writes about with poetry and precision throughout “Closer to the Bone.”

— Michael McCall, for the Associated Press

THE DEL MCCOURY BAND
“Family Circle” (McCoury Music)

“I got that sweet mountain soul down in my bones,” Del McCoury declares in his familiar pinched tenor on “Sweet Appalachia,” the opening number of his new album. That’s for sure. But at 70, the bluegrass master also continues to burn with a fire that shows no signs of abating.

After 2008’s multi-artist “Moneyland,” in which McCoury atypically took aim at corporate and political greed, “Family Circle” finds the singer-guitarist and his band back to offering straight-up bluegrass. While focusing on the more traditional themes of love, home, and faith, the musicians, including McCoury’s sons Rob and Ronnie, show again how vital, and expansive, bluegrass can be.

Playing with the usual passion and precision, the band touches on honky-tonk and gospel, and even ventures some border flavor (“Mexico’s Daughter”). In one moment, McCoury is headed toward pop, practically crooning Johnny Mercer’s “I Remember You,” and in the next he sounds accusatory in a haunting version of the Julie Miller folk ballad “Does My Ring Burn Your Finger.” But it all sounds of a piece, including the swinging romp through Charlie Rich’s “Break Up” that closes this invigorating set.

— Nick Cristiano, The Philadelphia Inquirer

LEONA LEWIS
“Echo” (J Records)

If you can get past the fact that Lewis is a Simon Cowell protege, you have to grant that she’s an exciting talent. Her second album confirms that.

The first single, “Happy,” follows the winning formula of her big hit, “Bleeding Love”: a quiet, churchy beginning exploding into a passionate, swelling chorus, slingshotted by kick drum. (Both songs were written with Ryan Tedder.)

Though the British singer has cited Minnie Riperton as an influence, her voice suggests a more soulful version of Paula Cole, with whom she shares vocal inflections and harmonic tendencies.

Lewis is less adept at pop songs such as “Love Letter.” But on torch songs such as “Can’t Breathe” and “My Hands,” she’s an absolute scorcher. “Echo” plays to her flaming strengths.

— David Hiltbrand, The Philadelphia Inquirer

BON JOVI
“The Circle” (Island/Universal)

Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora have, within the decade, done the pop-infused album (“Have a Nice Day”) and the country-tinged thing (“Lost Highway”). They’ve gone in and out of anthem-crafting (“It’s My Life,” “Who Says You Can’t Go Home”) and gossip headline-making and football team-owning. Wouldn’t it be nice if they made a brash, manly rocker worthy of the stadiums they play? That seems to be the goal of “The Circle,” what with its raging guitars, everyman lyrics, and rousing choruses. Go back to the days of “New Jersey,” only this time without the Aqua Net. Cool.

Bon Jovi’s arena-rocking ideal may be unclear from what might be the shrillest single in recent memory, “We Weren’t Born to Follow.” Jon’s woeful words to “Work for the Working Man” are so heavy-handed, there’s a stain where that blue collar settled in. “When We Were Beautiful” can hardly live from all its dying (“The world is cracked/the sky is torn.”) Yet every other Circle track, from swelling, rawking mini-symphonies (“Fast Cars,” “Love’s the Only Rule”) to its giddy take on the male condition (“Superman Tonight”) ladles memorable choruses upon bridges so high, it’s dizzying. Exemplary, even if it sounds a wee bit dated. So, go home already.

— A.D. Amorosi, The Philadelphia Inquirer

THE KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS
“Live/Agora Ballroom — Cleveland, Ohio, May 13, 1990” (Universal Music Group)

A bunch of long-haired country-rockers, the Kentucky Headhunters made a well-deserved splash with their 1989 debut, “Pickin’ on Nashville.” The 1990 show documented here finds the quintet at its wild and woolly best.

The Headhunters open with Hank Williams’ “Honky Tonk Blues,” showing their affection for country music even as they light a new fire under it. That’s how it goes throughout the set as they alternate supercharged covers of country (“Oh Lonesome Me”) and rock (“Dizzy Miss Lizzy”) with colorful originals like “Rag Top” and “Dumas Walker.”

They could have skipped the overdone blues-rock take on Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads,” especially with the cliched drum solo they add to it, but they get right back on track and eventually close with a “Spirit in the Sky” that offers a smart lyric change: “Never been a sinner” becomes “I’ve been a sinner.” Haven’t we all?

— N.C.

Eric Church | Courtesy photo

Eric Church plays a show at Jefferson Center tonight. Read story, get show details.

On this podcast, we talk about the recent Rolling Stone feature on Church and about how the title song from "Carolina" can help anyone fashion a little mental escape hatch to a favorite place.

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>LOCAL TALENT NEEDED FOR THE CHILI COOK-OFF!

>The 31st Annual VA State Championship Chili Cook-Off is looking for local musicians who would be willing to donate a one-hour performance at the 2010 Chili Cook-Off on Saturday, May 1, 2010!  In exchange for your generous donation of talent, your band will receive wonderful visibility at one of Roanoke’s largest and most well-loved events!

The Chili Cook-Off is the largest annual fund-raiser for Greenvale School, a local non-profit United Way partner agency.  The donation of local musical talent at the Chili Cook-Off helps Greenvale School keep our event expenses down, and that means more of the funds raised at the event  can be used to help the children and families who benefit from Greenvale’s programs.

The Chili Cookoff needs 1 hour-long morning performance at 11:00 a.m. on May 1, and we will also need 2 bands for hour-long performances at 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. (or one band could play between 3-5pm).  Stage set-up and production donated by SRO Productions.  We hope bands who donate their time and talent to us will come early or stay after your performance and enjoy the Chili Cook-Off that day!  Free admission, bowls of chili, and cold drinks for all band members!

Roanoke’s own VA State Championship Chili Cook-Off is a fun event for the whole family, and usually draws crowds of 6,000-8,000 people.  The event is the largest sanctioned Chili Cook-Off in VA, and features talented Chili Cooks from across the East Coast competing for the state title and the $1,000 cash prize; chili and salsa tastings and judging; a children's craft and entertainment area; live entertainment and music all day; a Beer Garden; the famous jalepeno eating contest; a “Chili Slurp” contest, and more!

Please contact Jenny Lee at Greenvale School if you and your band are interested in playing at the Chili Cook-Off on May 1, 2010!  Contact:  Jenny Lee, Director of Development, 540-342-4716 or jlee@greenvale-school.org.   Additional information about the VA State Championship Chili Cookoff can be found at:  www.greenvale-school.org and http://www.virginia.org/site/description.asp?AttrID=43035&MGrp=3&MCat=11.

Please share your memories, too ...

>Wayne Foutz, better known as "Tuck" to the Roanoke music community, passed away on November 3, 2009. He was an original member of the band Razzmatazz, which originated in 1973, and stayed a member of that band until 1976 when he started his own band called Dazzle, which stayed together until 1983. During that 10 year span, Tuck was an integral part of two of the most successful bands to come out of Roanoke during that era. Both bands enjoyed tremendous regional success and both opened shows for numerous national acts during their runs and both had several original songs that enjoyed regional airplay.

I had the good fortune of being a member of both of those bands during my early career. Tuck gave me my first gig in the summer of '79 with Dazzle as their lead singer. Even though I had always been a guitar player in my basement band days, he showed the faith in me to give me my start without the ol' guitar in hand. During my six month stint in the band, he taught me things about "fronting" a band that I have used extensively throughout my 30+ years in the business. When I left Dazzle to join Razz at Thanksgiving of "79, I saw where Tuck got alot of his roots through working with Brent Clinevell, who was Razz's lead singer. (He was the guy that we did the benefit for about a year ago that had Stage 4 cancer.) I'm glad to say that Brent is in  remission now and he thanks all that participated in that event for helping him get through that ordeal.

Unfortunately, Tuck wasn't so fortunate. Myself, Bruce Wall (from the Kings) and Brian Holt (from the Pop Rivets) worked hard to get a couple of Tuck's latest original songs recorded and played on the air before he died, but we missed out on our goal. The two songs are just about finished and I would love to get some airplay on a couple of the "local" radio shows after the article comes out as a tribute to Tuck and for his 21 year old daughter, Alea. She has lost both parents to cancer in the last four months.

Tad, you don't know how much this article will mean to his family and the scores of musicians, like myself, who were influenced by this man. His funeral was attended by a "who's who" of musicians from the area during that time frame. Mac Crawford, who was Tuck's business partner in Dazzle, ended up playing with Molly Hatchett for 10 years and later played with the Georgia Satellites for 3 after that. Chris Keaton, myself, Fred Lewis, Bruce Wall, Brian Wheeling and others also went on to have many successful years in the business and all remember Tuck with love and affection.

One of his students, 16-year-old Max Hiner, of Radford, last weekend won high school category at The Music Academy of North Carolina's national guitar competition. He had finished third last year, competing with young players from across the nation.

Check out some video of the young master.

Courtesy of Michael J. Media Group

Chris Knight performs on Wednesday night at Kirk Avenue Music Hall. Read story, get show details.

On this podcast, we talk with Knight about his career, his past life as a strip mine reclamation inspector and more about a long-ago honky-tonk fight. Also, we stream “Trailer II” versions of “It Ain’t Easy Being Me” and “Love and a 45.”

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Jeanna Duerscherl | The Roanoke Times

It was something seeing Old Crow come out for an encore with mostly electric instruments -- save for Gill Landry, who stuck with his dobro.

As I mentioned in the print review, it was rough going sound-wise with all those electric guitars, but after hearing how much better OCMS has gotten as a string band, I figure a rock 'n' roll act will be next for the band. There's no sense bringing Fender and Gibson guitars on the road for just two songs a night!

Overall, a tight show -- which it should be, considering the band plays most of these songs at every gig.

Photo courtesy of studio3z

When the Wading Girl broke up, Sarah Garrison had to figure out what to do next, and whether it would even be a musical thing. Quickly, she got an offer to join The Circus Band, aka Cirque Roanoke, aka The Circus Practice.

She's performing with that act on Sunday, and solo on Thursday as opening act for the latest Emerging Artists Series show at the Roanoke Main Library. On this podcast, we talk about the band's break-up and her latest projects. Plus, we stream her performance of "8th of November," an old Wading Girl tune that she'll perform on Thursday.

Look for a full story in Saturday's Extra section and at roanoke.com/entertainment.

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SEAN COSTELLO
“Sean’s Blues: A Memorial Retrospective”
(Landslide)

Sean Costello died in April 2008, one day before his 29th birthday. “Sean’s Blues” is not a complete retrospective — it ranges from 1996 to 2002 — but its mix of album selections and unreleased tracks, including some live cuts, does offer a broad sampling of Costello’s exceptional talents as a guitarist, singer, writer, and interpreter.

Costello could dig deep into the blues, but he also had a jazzman’s nimble touch with jump-blues and swing. Even when he reached back for old material, he always brought a fresh touch to it, and for all his six- string prowess, the onetime blues-rock prodigy and Susan Tedeschi sideman was less interested in flashy soloing than in crafting a taut, dynamic ensemble sound. As he matured and his voice took on a rougher edge, he also at times recalled the great Southern-soul singer and guitarist Eddie Hinton. What a loss.

— Nick Cristiano, The Philadelphia Inquirer
MELANIE FIONA
"The Bridge"
(Universal Motown)

Melanie Fiona may be eccentric. Or maybe she’s just madly in love. Either way, her debut CD is an impressive mix of tracks that presents the many sides of the woman.

"The Bridge" finds the 26-year-old newcomer begging her man to stay put on the uptempo "Please Don’t Go (Cry Baby)," leaving her lover behind on the impeccable "Monday Morning," and demanding her partner treat her the right way between the sheets on the groovy first single, "Give It to Me Right."

Though eight of the 12 tracks use samples — Fiona borrows from The Zombies, Martha & the Vandellas, the Rhine Oaks, Johnnie Taylor, Janet Kay and the Softones — she proves she can hold her own on the songs that don’t use interpolations.

"Bang, Bang" is an exceptional jam, as is "Johnny," a danceable, old school-sounding love song that finds Fiona kicked to the curb, senselessly walking around singing: "Johnny, the least you could have done was drive me home."

Fiona, like newcomer Anjulie, has provided one of the best debut albums this year. The two are also Canadian-raised, Guyanese-bred singers. Must be something in the water.

— Mesfin Fekadu, Associated Press

RANDY BRECKER
"The Music of Wlodek Pawlik: Nostalgic Journey: Tykocin Jazz Suite"
(Summit Records)

In 2005, tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker needed a bone marrow transplant from a close genetic match to forestall the leukemia that would eventually kill him. His brother, trumpeter Randy Brecker, turned to Polish composer and jazz pianist Wlodek Pawlik, who helped the Breckers trace their family to a village in eastern Poland called Tykocin. (The rabbi there was named Tecosky, the same as their mother’s maiden name, the liner notes say.)

Michael Brecker died without a match in early 2007. Pawlik went on to write this jazz suite and other tunes to honor Randy Brecker’s Tykocin "homecoming."

Fashioned from Brecker’s trumpet, Pawlik’s trio, and a symphony orchestra from nearby Bialystok, the CD is one strong and emotional recording, both beautiful and haunting. The nine pieces cover a wide stylistic range, from crystalline piano and orchestral passages to some kicking jazz solos.

The three-part suite is especially tragic with the end punctuated by bells.

The subsequent compositions broaden that tone but do not completely leave it. Randy Brecker brought his A-game to this one, creating taut solos and adding to the sophisticated proceedings. Pawlik, who has been playing jazz for 30 years, is a well-schooled cat with some things to say, and he lays them out here.

— Karl Stark, The Philadelphia Inquirer

MIKE STERN
"Big Neighborhood"
(Heads Up)

Guitarist Mike Stern doesn’t meet a style he doesn’t like in his mythic "Big Neighborhood." The Blood Sweat and Tears veteran, who parlayed that into jazz-fusion success with drummer Billy Cobham and two stints with trumpeter Miles Davis back in the 1980s, turns to industrial-strength jazz fusion here on the title track.

This polyglot recording celebrates an African vibe on "Reach" via the wordless singing of Cameroon-born bassist Richard Bona. "Coupe de Ville" is shockingly straight ahead, while "Moroccan Roll" shows a wacked Middle Eastern feel that would fit nicely amid the haze of a hookah bar.

The set is OK as far as it goes. But nothing lasts for long, even many of the guests. Stern shows a yen for bassist Esperanza Spalding’s airy singing on two cuts with drummer Terri Lyne Carrington. "Bird Blue" at least is cool. Another two tunes with groovemeisters Medeski, Martin & Wood are more successful, while trumpeter Randy Brecker appears with Monkish panache on "Hope You Don’t Mind."

— K.S.

EL PERRO DEL MAR
"Love Is Not Pop"
(The Control Group)

The plethora of internationally successful Swedish pop music acts over the years may tempt one to perceive a signature sound, a discernible influence — a result of mood, place, etc. But c’mon: Can anyone really spot the ABBA influence on Led Zeppelin’s "In Through the Out Door," their 1979 swan song LP recorded at the Swedish hitmakers’ Polar Studios in Stockholm?

For many, Stockholm’s now (indie) pop sound is Peter Bjorn and John — more rock than their 2007 breakthrough hit "Young Folks" might imply. And then there is PB&J’s current tourmate, Sarah Assbring, aka El Perro Del Mar (her moniker inspired by a Spanish beach canine encounter). You might think she’s a "Gothenburg Calling" alternative, hailing from Sweden’s second city, a big college town and music hotbed. But her beautifully brooding, deceptively lively indie pop is gorgeously borderless.

Her third album is a slight departure, more beat-pushed (even including clubby remixes), developed with studio whiz Rasmus Hagg. It’s also darker, if sparkling in its meditations on lost love, with EPDM’s measured, ethereal and unmistakable voice conveying the sadness of a "Change of Heart" or moving on to "A Better Love." And her sublime take on "Heavenly Arms" must be the Lou Reed cover of the year, a track off his own pivotal album, 1982’s "The Blue Mask."

— David R. Stampone, The Philadelphia Inquirer

JAMES MADDOCK
"Sunrise on Avenue C"
(Ascend Records)

It’s been almost a decade since James Maddock’s band Wood put out "Songs From Stamford Hill" and appeared headed for stardom. Now the New York-based British singer and songwriter is finally back. And while he may have endured a rough personal and professional stretch to get here, the music proves to be, as the cliche goes, worth the wait.

"Sunrise on Avenue C’s" impeccably crafted pop — down-to-earth yet elegant with its occasional use of strings — is full of strong melodies and subtle dynamics; the title track, for one, a vividly sketched slice of urban romanticism, comes with a trombone solo in the coda that reinforces the sense of aching longing. That’s the way it goes throughout, with the music as emotionally resonant as Maddock’s songs, from the quiet intimacy of "Stars Align" to the rock-edged urgency of "Hollow Love."

This is adult music with nothing "Dumbed Down" — to borrow the title of Maddock’s humorous poke at TV (and himself) — but my 14-year-old daughter also likes it. That’s a neat trick.

— N.C.

JAMES HAND
"Shadow on the Ground"
(Rounder)

Yes, there’s a new Tim McGraw album out there. But, you know, life’s too short, and besides, the label above does say "country." So we’ll stick with the real thing, and James Hand is certainly that.

"Shadow on the Ground" is only the second studio album for the 57-year-old Texan. As with 2006’s "The Truth Will Set You Free," also produced by Ray Benson and Lloyd Maines, Hand pours a lifetime of experience into its grooves, creating a perfectly realized honky-tonk world, whiskey-stained and neon-lit.

With the quaver in his voice, his sometimes haunted air, and the twang-fueled music, Hand bears a strong resemblance to Hank Williams Sr. But from gut-punches like "The Pain of Loving You" and "Don’t Depend on Me" to the defiant "Ain’t a Goin’ " and the gospel-flavored "Men Like Me Can Fly," Hand is clearly creating his own memorable musical legacy. As he puts it on "Ain’t a Goin’": "When you sing from the heart you know every part. ... And when I’m gone I want it wrote on the stone, ‘When he sang he sang it all the way.’ "

— N.C.