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Introducing the first in an ambitious 4-part album series from Susan & Derek and co., each with an accompanying film. The series reimagines Layla and Majnun, the mythic Persian tale of star-crossed lovers through a modern-day lens: grappling with grief, fate, and romance as a way to process the emotional and isolating effects of the era. There will be one album released each month, with the culmination of all four released on September 9th.

What a blessing it is to still have Willie Nelson in our lives, and making great music. He’s 89 now, and celebrating life with this touching album of co-writes with Buddy Cannon and covers from the likes of Leonard Cohen, Lennon/McCartney, and even Asheville’s own Charles Humphrey III!

There have been a lot of recordings over the years that center around Memphis, Tennessee (not to mention the countless ones made IN Memphis.) This is a modern, unique one: a vision quest of sorts, of ghosts from the past, and characters still with us, from Kevin Morby, on his 7th, and arguably strongest, album to date. A native of Kansas, it also paints a picture (or snaps a photograph) of Middle America in general.

It’s the third in a trilogy of song collections mostly based on film music the pianist/singer/songwriter wrote for Spike Lee over the past few years. This one is a bit more on the upbeat side, despite a few of the songs relating to Covid, and the title track being about “this strange time in which we live, when the world is basically, well, ‘flicted!”

It’s her 21st album, and she’s sounding as strong as ever on this collection of soulful blues and rock that includes covers from Toots & the Maytals, Brothers Landreth, and NRBQ’s Al Anderson. She says she’s also grateful as ever to be making music, contributing to causes, keeping her crew working, and connecting with her audience. “I’m really aware of how lucky I am,” she says, “and I feel like it’s my responsibility to get out there and say something fresh and new for me and for the fans. But I need to have something to say or I won’t put out a record.”

She had all but given up on the music business during the pandemic, but fortunately her producer Dave Darling convinced her to give it another go, and now we have this strong 16th album from the Blues/Americana singer/songwriter. And it’s on her own label, Fathead Records. Magness is only the second woman to receive the Blues Foundation’s B.B. King Entertainer of the Year award.

We received and enjoyed the R&B/Soul singer’s last album, “True Story”, just 6 or so months ago. Not one to rest, Warson is back with this one, destined to live up to its name. Listen for bits of New Wave, surf-rock, and Afro-Cuban sounds on this one.

These two former members of the traditional Irish supergroup Solas have gotten together for this album of both original and traditional tunes. They each sing lead, plus there are some terrific instrumental jigs & reels. Sure to be a favorite on our Sunday afternoon “Celtic Winds”!

He’s clearly one of the most intelligent and insightful musicians on the scene these days, and he’s back with an exploration of the complex thoughts, questions and middle-of-the-night obsessions swirling around in each of us. His tour for “Inside Problems” takes him to Asheville on July 23rd (with Iron & Wine and Meshell Ndegeocello!)

For 13 years now, The Waybacks have hosted arguably the most exciting tradition at MerleFest: they play a classic album in its entirety with a variety of guests, with assorted snippets of tributes to other singers and songs woven in. Most exciting (and impressive) of all: no one but them knows what it’s going to be until they launch in to Track 1! They’ve released most of their previous Hillside Album Hours on CD, including this latest one just in time for last month’s festival. This one includes Sam Bush, Jim Lauderdale, Kevin Russell, and others, and starts with an illegal smile for the beloved singer/songwriter who died in April of 2020; he’d been scheduled to play MerleFest that year.