Chris Flisher Music Articles

From 1986 to 1997, Chris Flisher was a nationally-published music journalist. His articles appeared in a wide variety of periodicals including CD Review, New Country Music, Performing Songwriter, The Leak, Option and The Boston/Worcester/Providence Phoenix. His main focus was "roots" music which included folk, jazz, world, blues and other fringe musical forms. Although these articles reflect the artists at the time, they remain relevant today. Here is an archive of these articles. They are ordered alphabetically.

Mose Allison - First published August 1993 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Legendary jazz vocalist lets down his beatnik hair...
Alison Brown - First published March 1996 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Hip, sexy banjo? A nice chat with Grammy-nominated plucker...
Eric Andersen - first published January 1993 /Northshore Magazine
-> A revealing conversation with one of contemporary folk music's founders...
Aquarium Rescue Unit - first published May 1995 /Worcester Phoenix
-> To the rescue with Col. Bruce Hampton and his merry pranksters...
Battlefield Band - first published April 1994 /Worcester Phoenix
-> From the misty moors of Scotland comes the hip-pitched wail of bagpipes...
Tony Bird - first published June 1995 /Option
-> A politically-charged singer-songwriter from Malawi...
Greg Brown - first published February 1994 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Midwestern meanderings from Iowa's poet-laureate...
Junior Brown - first published October 1997 /Worcester Phoenix
-> That'll be twang, m'am. Now Junior behave, yourself...
Kate Campbell - first published April 1997 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Southern comfort from a storyteller, rich in imagery and context...
Guy Clark - first published July 1996 /Worcester Phoenix
-> A place and a purpose from the original desperado...
Rick Danko - first published September 1992 /Minuteman Chronicle
-> The late legendary bass-player from The Band opens up his scrapbook...
Ani DiFranco - first published April 1996 /Worcester Phoenix
-> The one and only righteous babe offers a kinder, gentler view of herself...
Ramblin' Jack Elliott - first published April 1997 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Ramble on Jack; a life of stories spun in song...
Fairport Convention - first published May 1995 /Worcester Phoenix
-> English folk-rock pioneers still blazing trails...
Ferron - first published June 1995 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Canadian songwriter ponders with revealing honesty, emotion, and wit...
Steve Forbert - first published April 1994 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Little Stevie Orbit spins on about life on the road and his mission - critical...
Paul Geremia - first published March 1995 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Blues baron plucks and prods his guitar with a vengence for the truth...
Jimmie Dale Gilmore - first published May 1994 /Worcester Phoenix
-> The founding member of the great Flatlanders talkin' Texas...
John Gorka - first published November 1996 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Wry, dry, and poised to cry, Gorka never fails to move...
Patty Griffin - first published May 1997 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Contemporary chanteuse waxes on poetically before fame found her doorstep...
Dan Hicks - first published August 1993 /Worcester Phoenix
-> A true original, Hicks defies all categorization and labels...
Holmes Brothers - first published August 1995 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Brotherly love and a shared gene pool, let these siblings sing...
Huun Huur Tu - first published February 1997 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Haunting, bizarre, colorful, and chaotic, the throat-singers of Tuu Va...
Jorma Kaukonen - first published December 1996 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Founding member of the Jefferson Airplane/Starship talks about bailing out...
Spider John Koerner - first published January 1995 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Before there was folk music, there was Spider John...
k.d.lang - first published December 1993 /cover story for CD Review
-> Canada's original cowgirl sets a standard hard to beat...
Patty Larkin - first published April 1994 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Sweet, sweet talkin' with Patty...
Brenda Lee - first published August 1993 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Little Miss Dynamite still a bombshell waiting to pop...
Mary McCaslin - first published April 1993 /Minuteman Chronicle
-> Her high, haunting vocals harken the open prairies and peaks of the mighty West...
Roger McGuinn - first published March 1994 /Worcester Phoenix
-> A historic interview with the founder of The Byrds...
Lynn Miles - First published December 1996 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Hands down one of the finest songwriters ever to come out of Canada. No small claim!...
Bill Morrissey - first published March 1992 /Minuteman Chronicle
-> A Faulknerian glimpse of New England with a sly twist...
Mountain Stage - first published June 1995 /CD Review
-> Roots music at its finest...live from NPRs Mountain Stage...
New Riders of the Purple Sage - first published October 1994 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Grateful Dead cousins and partners open up the closet for a few skeletons...
Odetta - first published March 1997 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Folk-music matron talks about her long journey home...
Kristina Olsen - first published December 1993 /Performing Songwriter
-> Multi-instrumentalist talks about songwriting, sax solos and accordions...
Tom Rush - first published October 1993 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Legendary Club 47 alum looks back at a time and place when history was made...
Tarika Sammy - first published October 1993 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Madagascar's first and only pop-stars offer up another rare breed...
Martin Sexton - first published December 1994 /Worcester Phoenix
-> With a soulful wail borne deep in his belly, Sexton's passion is found in song...
Chris Smither - first published June 1993 /Worcester Phoenix
-> A toe-tappin' conversation with folk-blues journeyman on Bonnie Raitt and loving like a man...
Sweet Honey in the Rock - first published March 1994 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon on her sweet honeys and why they rock...
Ian Tyson - first published October 1995 /Worcester Phoenix
-> A rare glimpse at one of folk's early influences. His songs are the stuff of history...
Dave Van Ronk - first published August 1993/Worcester Phoenix
-> A rough, gruff barker; the late baron of Bleecker Street growls his way to your heart...
Townes Van Zandt - first published February 1995 /Worcester Phoenix
-> A rare, open glimpse of the late songwriter and his creative process...
Suzanne Vega - first published September 1996/Worcester Phoenix
-> Taking the temperature of a folk-pop crossover...
Loudon Wainwright III - first published February 1995 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Never a dull moment...dead skunks and lesbians...
Cheryl Wheeler - first published September 1993 /Boston Phoenix
-> One minute side-splitting; one minute sad, Wheelers' special talent lies in contrast...
Dar Williams - first published November 1994 /Worcester Phoenix
-> Contemorary singer-songwriter opens up on impending attention...


	Chris Flisher Archives ~ Musicians From 1986 to 1997, Chris Flisher was a nationally-published music journalist. His articles appeared in a wide variety of periodicals including CD Review, New Country Music, Performing Songwriter, The Leak, Option and The Boston/Worcester/Providence Phoenix. His main focus was "roots" music which included folk, jazz, world, blues and other fringe musical forms. Although these articles reflect the artists at the time, they remain relevant today. Here is an archive of these articles. They are ordered alphabetically. Mose Allison - First published August 1993 /Worcester Phoenix -> Legendary jazz vocalist lets down his beatnik hair... Alison Brown - First published March 1996 /Worcester Phoenix -> Hip, sexy banjo? A nice chat with Grammy-nominated plucker... Eric Andersen - first published January 1993 /Northshore Magazine -> A revealing conversation with one of contemporary folk music's founders... Aquarium Rescue Unit - first published May 1995 /Worcester Phoenix -> To the rescue with Col. Bruce Hampton and his merry pranksters... Battlefield Band - first published April 1994 /Worcester Phoenix -> From the misty moors of Scotland comes the hip-pitched wail of bagpipes... Tony Bird - first published June 1995 /Option -> A politically-charged singer-songwriter from Malawi... Greg Brown - first published February 1994 /Worcester Phoenix -> Midwestern meanderings from Iowa's poet-laureate... Junior Brown - first published October 1997 /Worcester Phoenix -> That'll be twang, m'am. Now Junior behave, yourself... Kate Campbell - first published April 1997 /Worcester Phoenix -> Southern comfort from a storyteller, rich in imagery and context... Guy Clark - first published July 1996 /Worcester Phoenix -> A place and a purpose from the original desperado... Rick Danko - first published September 1992 /Minuteman Chronicle -> The late legendary bass-player from The Band opens up his scrapbook... Ani DiFranco - first published April 1996 /Worcester Phoenix -> The one and only righteous babe offers a kinder, gentler view of herself... Ramblin' Jack Elliott - first published April 1997 /Worcester Phoenix -> Ramble on Jack; a life of stories spun in song... Fairport Convention - first published May 1995 /Worcester Phoenix -> English folk-rock pioneers still blazing trails... Ferron - first published June 1995 /Worcester Phoenix -> Canadian songwriter ponders with revealing honesty, emotion, and wit... Steve Forbert - first published April 1994 /Worcester Phoenix -> Little Stevie Orbit spins on about life on the road and his mission - critical... Paul Geremia - first published March 1995 /Worcester Phoenix -> Blues baron plucks and prods his guitar with a vengence for the truth... Jimmie Dale Gilmore - first published May 1994 /Worcester Phoenix -> The founding member of the great Flatlanders talkin' Texas... John Gorka - first published November 1996 /Worcester Phoenix -> Wry, dry, and poised to cry, Gorka never fails to move... Patty Griffin - first published May 1997 /Worcester Phoenix -> Contemporary chanteuse waxes on poetically before fame found her doorstep... Dan Hicks - first published August 1993 /Worcester Phoenix -> A true original, Hicks defies all categorization and labels... Holmes Brothers - first published August 1995 /Worcester Phoenix -> Brotherly love and a shared gene pool, let these siblings sing... Huun Huur Tu - first published February 1997 /Worcester Phoenix -> Haunting, bizarre, colorful, and chaotic, the throat-singers of Tuu Va... Jorma Kaukonen - first published December 1996 /Worcester Phoenix -> Founding member of the Jefferson Airplane/Starship talks about bailing out... Spider John Koerner - first published January 1995 /Worcester Phoenix -> Before there was folk music, there was Spider John... k.d.lang - first published December 1993 /cover story for CD Review -> Canada's original cowgirl sets a standard hard to beat... Patty Larkin - first published April 1994 /Worcester Phoenix -> Sweet, sweet talkin' with Patty... Brenda Lee - first published August 1993 /Worcester Phoenix -> Little Miss Dynamite still a bombshell waiting to pop... Mary McCaslin - first published April 1993 /Minuteman Chronicle -> Her high, haunting vocals harken the open prairies and peaks of the mighty West... Roger McGuinn - first published March 1994 /Worcester Phoenix -> A historic interview with the founder of The Byrds... Lynn Miles - First published December 1996 /Worcester Phoenix -> Hands down one of the finest songwriters ever to come out of Canada. No small claim!... Bill Morrissey - first published March 1992 /Minuteman Chronicle -> A Faulknerian glimpse of New England with a sly twist... Mountain Stage - first published June 1995 /CD Review -> Roots music at its finest...live from NPRs Mountain Stage... New Riders of the Purple Sage - first published October 1994 /Worcester Phoenix -> Grateful Dead cousins and partners open up the closet for a few skeletons... Odetta - first published March 1997 /Worcester Phoenix -> Folk-music matron talks about her long journey home... Kristina Olsen - first published December 1993 /Performing Songwriter -> Multi-instrumentalist talks about songwriting, sax solos and accordions... Tom Rush - first published October 1993 /Worcester Phoenix -> Legendary Club 47 alum looks back at a time and place when history was made... Tarika Sammy - first published October 1993 /Worcester Phoenix -> Madagascar's first and only pop-stars offer up another rare breed... Martin Sexton - first published December 1994 /Worcester Phoenix -> With a soulful wail borne deep in his belly, Sexton's passion is found in song... Chris Smither - first published June 1993 /Worcester Phoenix -> A toe-tappin' conversation with folk-blues journeyman on Bonnie Raitt and loving like a man... Sweet Honey in the Rock - first published March 1994 /Worcester Phoenix -> Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon on her sweet honeys and why they rock... Ian Tyson - first published October 1995 /Worcester Phoenix -> A rare glimpse at one of folk's early influences. His songs are the stuff of history... Dave Van Ronk - first published August 1993/Worcester Phoenix -> A rough, gruff barker; the late baron of Bleecker Street growls his way to your heart... Townes Van Zandt - first published February 1995 /Worcester Phoenix -> A rare, open glimpse of the late songwriter and his creative process... Suzanne Vega - first published September 1996/Worcester Phoenix -> Taking the temperature of a folk-pop crossover... Loudon Wainwright III - first published February 1995 /Worcester Phoenix -> Never a dull moment...dead skunks and lesbians... Cheryl Wheeler - first published September 1993 /Boston Phoenix -> One minute side-splitting; one minute sad, Wheelers' special talent lies in contrast... Dar Williams - first published November 1994 /Worcester Phoenix -> Contemorary singer-songwriter opens up on impending attention...