FOLK MUSIC FOLKS. . . THE NON-POP PERFORMERS

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Petric's wonderful album, which is appropriately titled Faith Petric, is available — for $6.00 postpaid — from Bay Records, Dept. TMEN, 1516 Oak Street, Alameda, California 94501.

JIM POST

As a youth, Jim Post was a congregation-leading singer in a church in Texas . . . and today — perhaps partly as a result of that background — his voice and stage charisma are so powerful that only a concert, or (to a lesser extent) a "live" album, can convey what he's all about.

Fortunately, both of his albums on the Flying Fish label were recorded live. Magic. . . in Concert captures Jim's performances at an antinuclear benefit and an anti-draft-registration rally . . . and tends to reflect the political side of the artist's work, However, Post can be a humorist, too, and the collection includes some hilarious stories and songs. Still other selections are more serious and feature Jim's pure voice and acoustic guitar in an awesome display of his ability to express love and passion.

In the second album, Shipshape (which Jim tells me he considers his best), Post is accompanied by Randy Sabien on violin and Corky Siegel on harmonica. The recording doesn't include any storytelling, however, so — because yarn spinning is such an important part of a typical Post performance — I suggest that you listen to Magic . . . in Concert first. (Once you do, you'll definitely want to hear Shipshape, too!) Both albums are available — for $8.98 each postpaid — from flying Fish Records, Dept. TMEN, 1304 West Schubert, Chicago, Illinois 60614. And by the way, Flying Fish offers recorded folk music of all types, so you'd do well to request the firm's catalog when you send your order.

BRYAN BOWERS

It'd be all but unthinkable to mention the Flying Fish label without introducing Bryan Bowers, autoharpist extraordinaire. Bryan's material includes compositions of his own making, and is a delightful mix of absolutely astonishing instrumentals and superb vocal numbers.

Anyone who plays an autoharp — or who simply enjoys mellow, imaginative acoustic music — will want both of Bowers's albums. His first collection is titled The View From Home and focuses mostly on fine old traditional tunes. Home, Home on the Road, his most recent work, contains — typically for Bowers — sensitive numbers (listen to "This Age That We Live In" and "Berkeley Woman") plus some rather rambunctious humor, such as "The Scotsman" (in which the longstanding question, "What do they wear under their kilts?" is unabashedly answered).

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