World/Roots

Various Artists: River of Song (Smithsonian Folkways)

Subtitled "A musical journey down the Mississippi", this double-CD is part of a fascinating multimedia project featuring a TV series, a book and a website, www.pbs.org/riverofsong. The music moves from the river's headwaters in Northern Minnesota, hustled along by the dramatic opening pow-wow drumming song from the Chippewa Nation, before settling into the more sedate folk of John Koerner. As the mighty river courses through the various regions down to New Orleans, the music changes shape from Creole to blues, from Gospel to country with a little Scandinavian folk thrown in for spice. It is local and lo-fi, with the love of music, not marketing, its driving force. In short, this 36-track collection is that rare thing: an idea that sounded good on paper and is even better in reality.

By Joe Breen

Asleep at the Wheel: 23 Country Classics (Capitol)

With a name like that, who could resist? This collection provides a welcome opportunity to get acquainted, or reacquainted, with the infectious Western swing of this late, great west coast band. Formed in the late 1960s, they always leaned to the more ironic side of country. There was no shortage of affection for the music, particularly when they covered the songs of the revered Bob Wills who, along with his Texas Playboys, created this oddball marriage of country and jazz. Three of Wills' tunes are included here, as is Asleep at the Wheel's biggest hit The Letter That Johnny Walker Read. There is fun and laughter aplenty as well as music to set the feet tapping, although the poverty of sleeve note information leaves a lot to be desired.

By Joe Breen