It has long been noted that unfortunate circumstances or adversity can be a spur to artistic achievement (just think of the blues). For Levon Helm, drummer and songwriter for The Band, such adversity was his recent bout with throat cancer. Post-recovery, and spurred on by the urgings of his daughter, Helm released Dirt Farmer in 2007, his first solo album in 25 years, and it was magnificent. Now, two years on, comes Electric Dirt, which, from its title, tells you that it shares its sound and themes with its predecessor, but is more amped-up and, well, electric. And it is also magnificent. Filled with the sound of country, blues, gospel, New Orleans, and pop, Electric Dirt provides us with Helm originals as well as covers of songs by Muddy Waters (twice!), the Stanley Brothers, the Grateful Dead, Randy Newman, Nina Simone, and the Staples Singers. The Dead's "Tennessee Jed" opens the proceedings, punctuated with understated guitar, a slinky country beat, soulful horns, and Helm's unmistakably weathered voice. It definitely recalls the heyday of The Band, combining a deep South feel ("Tennessee, Tennessee, there ain't no place I'd rather be") with pop smarts. "Move Along Train" is a slow gospel groover with great female backing vocals, and its dueling electric guitars put it in a different category than most gospel tunes. "Growin' Trade," a Helm original co-written with guitarist and producer Larry Campbell, is Helm's unusual ode to the dying family farm. In this case, the farmer decides the only way to survive and stay on the land is to grow marijuana. Helm's fine lyrics underscore the theme: "I'm half the size I used to be/And half of that is gone/I know the law won't be forgiving/But that's the choice I make/I used to farm for a living/But now I'm in the growing trade". Happy Traum's "Golden Bird" follows from this, a mournful country-gospel number embellished with harmonium, autoharp, dulcimer, and Campbell's fantastic violin playing. Waters' "Stuff You Gotta Watch" changes the feel with its jaunty blues outlook, contrasting nicely with the Stanley Brothers "White Dove," which proceeds as a slow country waltz. The most upbeat tune on the disc is Randy Newman's ode to Huey Long, "Kingfish," with its New Orleans strut punctuated by a brilliant horn arrangement by famed composer Allen Toussaint. In sum, this is a remarkable album by a remarkable artist, with every song on Electric Dirt contributing to its well-rounded aural portrait of the south. And with Helm's unmistakable voice always at the center, this is as close to the sound and feel of The Band as we are ever likely to get in the new millennium.

Greeson and Ludwig are well-established local artists, and Wabash Gypsies is a stunning work, also informed by adversity. Conceived as a tribute to Greeson's first wife, who, after a long bout, died of congenital heart disease a few years back, the album has been almost a decade in the making and, as Greeson says, was part of his healing process. One song, "The Prophet," was used in the recently aired PBS documentary, "Wabash: Life On The Bright White River," and it is from this that the album takes its title. But nothing can truly prepare you for the beautiful instrumental work that lies within. The intertwining of Greeson and Ludwig's acoustic guitars is gorgeous, almost mystical, but nevertheless is rooted in fine pop hooks and excellent songwriting. Opener "Awakening" lays out the template with the double picking of the acoustics sending forth a crystal clear sound and, if I'm not mistaken, also contains the occasional nod to the Moody Blues. "Llama Dance" has one guitar strumming and the other picking, with signature hooks dotting the landscape. "Winter Banks" has a stunning "chiming" sound, while "Gypsies On The Wabash" starts with a mellow sound but evolves into a blues-jazz hybrid of great originality. "Tunnel Of Trees' provides more of an edge to the proceedings than the other tunes, underscored by some Mellencamp-like chord changes, while "Prayer Without Words" is almost classical in its elegance. For this listener, acoustic guitar discs sometimes induce drowsiness and inattention, but that is never the case with Wabash Gypsies, as the top-notch songwriting and playing commands, indeed, demands, your attention throughout. While Greeson has put out laudable works before this, his partnership with Ludwig has yielded something even finer. Highly recommended!