This is the Art Menius article and review collection from 1996 to 2002. The couple of dozen pieces posted range from bluegrass to blues and country music to country clubs. I have organized them under three rubrics, Articles, Recording Review Columns, and Recording Reviews. They come from my last period of sustained effort as a freelance writer while working for MerleFest as an independent contractor.
Besides contributing all sorts of short pieces, almost weekly, to the Independent Weekly in Durham, one of the foremost and earliest weekly free newspapers that emerged during the 1980s, and reviews and the occasional article to Bluegrass Unlimited, this time includes the wonderful Music Boulevard period. Music Boulevard was a product of the very first web boom as an early music eTailer. Being before eTailers discovered that their customers would provide plenty of free reviews, Music Boulevard hired experienced print magazine reviewers and paid us $35 a record to review whatever new recording we could convince the editor to let us. This was during the golden age of CD reissues and box sets, and I took full advantage. Much of the “Art Menius History of Country Music” appears in these articles.
I am really pleased to get the Music Boulevard reviews back in circulation after the site failed with the collapse of the 1990s Internet Boom. I have only a small portion of them so far, so keep coming back. Sixteen of the eighty Music Boulevard reviews appeared in 1995. I am posting them here.
Articles
Doc Watson Roots of Mastery BU Nov 1997
Groovegrass Paradox BU Nov 1997
Country Clubs in North Carolina, NC Handbook 
Doobie Shea Records BU Jan 1999
Fall Folk Preview, The Independent, September 1998
Lynwood Lunsford Bluegrass Unlimited 2001
Kevin and Debbie Williamson BU Feb 1997 
No Depression, The Independent, January 27, 1998
Newport Folk Festival On Tour, The Independent, July 1998
IBMA: A Personal Memoir International Bluegrass 1995
Les Leverett (Bluegrass Unlimited 2002)
Short Piece Collections
Brief Reviews for The Independent 1996
Brief Reviews for The Independent 1997
Brief Reviews for the Independent 1998
Brief Reviews for The Independent 1999-2004
Music to Give, The Independent, December 1998
Pinch Hits, The Independent, December 1997
Pinch Hits, The Independent, December 1998
Best Bets, The Independent (various years)
Recording Review Columns
African-American Country Music, The Independent, July 1999
Arhoolie Records The Independent February 1998
Arhoolie Records, Music Boulevard 1996
Cajun & Zydeco, The Independent August 1998
County Records, The Independent, October 1998
ellipsis arts… The Independent June 1999
Homebrew, The Independent, December 1998
Louisiana French Music The Independent August 1998
Individual Recording Reviews
Grupo AfroCuba, Music Boulevard 1998
Dave Alvin, Music Boulevard August 1996
American Roots, Music Boulevard 1996
Bob Applebaum, Bluegrass Unlimited
BoisSec Ardoin, Music Boulevard May 1996
Bayaka: The Extraordinary Music of the Babenzélé Pygmies, Music Boulevard January 1996
Balfa Toujours, Music Boulevard 1998
David Ball, Music Boulevard September 1996
Beleza Tropical 2, Music Boulevard March 1999
Norman & Nancy Blake, Music Boulevard, October 1996
Bluegrass Mountaineers, Bluegrass Unlimited February 1998
2 Blue Highway reviews, Music Boulevard, 1995-1996
Laura Boosinger, Bluegrass Unlimited January 1999
Marty Brown, Music Boulevard October 1996
BR Boys, Bluegrass Unlimited 1999
Buckwheat Zydeco, Music Boulevard Feb 1999
Mary Chapin Carpenter Music Boulevard December 1996
Celtic Lullaby, Music Boulevard December 1996
Cephas & Wiggins, Music Boulevard March 1999
Cherish the Ladies, Music Boulevard October 1996
Thad Cockrell, The Independent November 26, 2003
Wilma Lee Cooper, Music Boulevard October 1996
Walden Dahl, Bluegrass Unlimited April 1999
Iris Dement, Music Boulevard November 1996
Dave Evans Bluegrass Unlimited January 1999
Judith Edelman, Music Boulevard June 1996
Peter Feldman, Bluegrass Unlimited 1998
Ferron, Music Boulevard August 1996
Lester Flatt, Bluegrass Unlimited, January 2001
Gibson Brothers, Bluegrass Unlimited 1997
Gibson Brothers, Bluegrass Unlimited 1998
Clarence Greene, Bluegrass Unlimited 1997
Grogan & Company, Bluegrass Unlimited 1996
Merle Haggard Box Set, Music Boulevard, 1996
Hickory Hill, Bluegrass Unlimited 1997
How Can I Keep From Singing, Music Boulevard August 1996
James King, Music Boulevard, 1998
Jack Lawrence, Bluegrass Unlimited, 2002
Phil Ledbetter, Bluegrass Unlimited 1997
Louvin Brothers Music Boulevard September 1996
Maudlin Brothers, Bluegrass Unlimited 1998
Mountain Heart, The Independent December 5, 2001
Nickel Creek, The Independent July 24, 2002
The Nobles, Bluegrass Unlimited 1998
North Mississippi All-Stars, The Independent, October 2000
Nugget, Bluegrass Unlimited January 2000
One Riot, One Ranger, Bluegrass Unlimited March 1999
Osborne Brothers boxed set review, Bluegrass Unlimited, 1995
Dolly Parton, The Independent February 7, 2001
Pacific Crest, Bluegrass Unlimited 1996
Gram Parsons The Independent August 1, 2001
Reno Brothers, Bluegrass Unlimited 1998
Reno & Smiley for Music Boulevard 1996
Savannah, Bluegrass Unlimited January 2000
Larry Sparks, The Independent, November 22, 2000
The Stanley Brothers, Music Boulevard 1996
Ralph Stanley, Live at McCabes Guitar Shop, The Independent April 3, 2002
The Late and Great Carl Story, Music Boulevard 1996
Surefire, Bluegrass Unlimited 1997
Chris Thile, The Independent November 7, 2001
Jimmy Trivette, Bluegrass Unlimited February 2000
Ernest Tubb reissues, Music Boulevard 1996
Various Artists, Mississippi String Bands Bluegrass Unlimited 1998
Various artists, A Tribute to John Hartford for Bluegrass Unlimited (December 2001)
Various Artists, Just Because I’m A Woman, The Independent November 26, 2003
Tom Waits, Used Songs: 1973-1980, The Independent January 9, 2002
Doc Watson At Gerdes Folk City, The Independent August 29, 2001
Gillian Welch, Music Boulevard May 1996
Art Menius 
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