Phil Alvin County Fair 2000

Never before available on vinyl, the former Blasters frontman's second solo album is a bluesy-rootsy set that has, in the words of NPR, room in [its] melting pot for ragtime, doo-wop, country music, the blues, and lots more. More than just an engaging document of full-spectrum Americana, the album (which Alvin characterized as American minstrel music) features guests including Los Lobos' Cesar Rosas, Billy Boy Arnold, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, the second incarnation of the Blasters (after brother Dave Alvin went to pursue his own solo career), local LA blues rock legend Top Jimmy Koncek, and members of Phil's jazz side project, the Faultline Syncopators. Veteran rock journalist Chris Morris has penned in-depth new liner notes that include observations from the Blasters' James Intveld and John Bazz, plus the original album's art director, Ed Boswell. The album received a warm critical reception on its release, even if it struggled to find commercial success to match it. Trouser Press wrote that it's a marvel to hear such musty chapters from music's history books brought to robust modern life in the hands of such a well-versed scholar. The St. Petersburg Times weighed in with, while there is an understated attempt to preserve the musical forms, these fun-loving performances extend beyond the usual archivist or traditionalist boundaries. And AllMusic says that County Fair 2000 leaves no doubt that Phil Alvin is a premier musicologist, preserving and staying true to what he loves. This release comes on the heels of Liberation Hall's releases of Alvin's debut album, Un Sung Stories, and Mandatory: The Best of the Blasters, a definitive 20-song collection of the band's hits and deep cuts. Liberation Hall plans further releases throughout the next year in celebration of the Blasters' 45th anniversary.