Mickey Clarke, WINDING HIGHWAYS
Mickey Clark knows a thing or two about the wandering minstrel's life, and he's put his insider's savvy to good use on the appropriately titled Winding Highways, an album of graceful, soothing rhythms and literate, wise storytelling that, apart from, say, the contemporary country thrust of the lilting ballad "Sarah," comes from a sprawling zone bounded by the '60s folk revival and today's alternative country and folk scenes. That is to say, this album would fit right in at pretty much any moment in the past 40-plus years of our country's history, but happens to sound right on time for the moment at hand.

Fontaine Brown, TALES FROM THE FENCE LINE
If this album doesn't enhance veteran Fontaine Brown's profile, well, let's not go there, because all the elements of a winner are firmly in place: Brown has come up with a dozen terrific songs, he's produced by Don Dixon (who sits on bass, 10-string bass and marimba), and his bandmates include guitarist Mitch Easter, keyboardist/mandolinist Peter Holsapple of the Smithereens, drummer Jim Brock and backing vocalist Kelley Ryan. Which might account for the Fence Line's bracing admixture of Motor City muscle and southern-fried soul and blues. Singing and playing ferocious guitar and heated harmonica moans and wails (and some piano), Brown is nothing less than formidable every time he steps into a song. But what makes the music so compelling is the incredible tightness of the entire band-these guys may never have played with each other before these sessions, but they demonstrate the synchronicity and seasoning one expects from musicians whose long-term communions allow them to anticipate each other's every move.