This was a very difficult year to make a selection of so-called “favorites.” I had to narrow this list down several times, and it wasn’t easy! This list is presented in alphabetical order by artist.
I had many other albums that I liked and played on the air, but these were the ones that tickled my fancy the most. I came to these conclusions after much thought and wrangling with myself...and maybe even some chocolate.
1. Anna and Elizabeth: Anna and Elizabeth (Free Dirt)
2. Geoff Bartley: Uncle Wiggly’s Bicycle Ride (Magic Crow)
3. Boxcar Lilies: Knockout Rose (Boxcar Lilies)
4. The Burns Sisters: Looking Back: Our American-Irish Souls (Burns Sisters)
5. Andy Cohen: Road Be Kind (Earwig)
6. Caroline Cotter: Dreaming as I Do (Caroline Cotter)
7. Della Mae: Della Mae (Rounder)
8. Jonathan Edwards: Tomorrow’s Child (Rising Records)
9. Archie Fisher: A Silent Song (Red House)
10. Sam Gleaves: Ain’t We Brothers (Community)
11. Avery Hill: Dreams and Ghosts (Avery Hill)
12. Cindy Kallet and Grey Larsen: Welcome Day (Sleepy Creek)
13. Joel Mabus: A Bird in This World (Fossil)
14. Sue Massek: Precious Memories: The Songs of Sarah Ogan Gunning (Strictly Country)
15. John McCutcheon: Joe Hill’s Will (Appalsongs)
16. Gene and Gayla Mills: Walk on Solid Ground (Heart Pine)
17. Tom Paxton: Redemption Road (Pax)
18. John Roberts and Debra Cowan: Ballads Long and Short (Golden Hind)
19. Jason and Pharis Romero: A Wanderer I’ll Stay (Lula)
20. Dan Schatz: The Promise of the Sowing (Folk-Legacy)
21. Spuyten Duyvil: The Social Music Hour, Volume I (Spuyten Duyvil)
22. Hans Theesink and Terry Evans: True and Blue (Blue Groove)
23. Happy Traum: Just for the Love of It (Happy Traum)
24. Various: The Joy of Living: A Tribute to Ewan MacColl (Compass)
25. Wes Weddell Band: Nobody’s Flag (Dusty Shadows)
I would also like to mention that Larry Kaplan’s “Songs for an August Moon,” which came out in 2014, was inadvertently left off of the “Favorites of 2014” list, so I want to include it here.
Happy listening!
Wanda Fischer
