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Singer/songwriter Vance Gilbert will be this week's Featured Artist of the Week on the Online Folk Festival. Vance's new CD, Unfamiliar Moon is a nice blend of folk and jazz stylings, all highlighting Vance's big voice and his under-rated songwriting skills. Standout cuts include the title cut, which he has finally recorded after doing in concert for a long time, "Unforgivable," a jazzy standard-like song of infidelity, and "The Front Porch Song," which has a gospel feel to it.

Recent adds with some comments:

• Various Artists : Signature Sounds 10th Anniversary Collection -Two disc collection featuring highlights from the first ten years of Signature Sounds Records. The coolest stuff is on the second disk, which features unreleased tracks from their core artists, including tracks from Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer, Mark Erelli, Lori McKenna, Erin McKeown and others
• Kate McDonnell : Where The Mangoes Are - This is a strong collection of outstanding songs, mostly original with a couple well-chosen covers, especially once you get past the really weak opening track. Highlights include the smoldering sensuality of "Lemon Marmalade" , the anti-Bush song "Mercy" and "Mayday", a coming of age story: "If you take me like a river/then what will be left of me?/Will I slip and lose my footing/And be washed out to the sea?"
• Simon and Garfunkel: Old Friends: Live on Stage - A Simon and Garfunkel live album is cause for celebration, and this one is no exception. The arrangements are often a little too slick for my liking, but it mostly works. Garfunkel has clearly lost some of his range, and it's clear that they have rearranged some of the vocal parts to compensate. However, it's nice to have a full-out rocking version of "Baby Driver", a goofy song but one of my favorites, and the bonus track is pretty good, though not in the top rank of their tunes.
• Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum: Guest House - Great bluegrass from a couple master players at the top of their game
• Paul Brady: Say What You Feel - This is Brady's first collection of new pop tunes in a couple years and it's been worth the wait. With a couple exceptions (particularly the unfortunate "Love in a Bubble"), Brady displays the songwriting skill that have made so many hits for other artists. This CD is a lot less slickly produced than some of his recent efforts, and the songs breathe a little better as a result.
• The Waifs : A Brief History - This two-CD live set from Aussie folk festival favorite The Waifs displays just what a great live act they are. If you've not heard this group, this is a great CD to start with it, since it includes most of their best songs from their first four CDs.

Also added:

• Various Artists: Oasis World Sampler #9 .
• Arranmore: The Collection
• Rich Simmons : Flesh, Blood & Bone
• Mark Geary: Ghosts
• Various Artists : The Independence Suite: Traditional Music from Ireland, Scotland and Cape Breton
• Christopher Williams: When I Was Everything

Added to the Review Queue:

• Oasis Acoustic Sampler #51
• Cynthia Summers: Big World/Small House
• Pink Martini: Hang on Little Tomato
• John Minton: Going Back to Vicksburg
• Kim and Reggie Harris & Rabbi Jonathan Krigler: Let My People Go - A Jewish & African Celebration of Freedom