CD Hwy: The Complete First & Second Seasons

This six-disc set presents two seasons of the music series from New York's WPBS, hosted by singer/songwriter Laurie Roth and showcasing independent artists—both old and new—who encompass genres ranging from doo wop to New Wave (Japan's Travelers, a swing band, represents the only non-U.S. entry). Each episode features one veteran act, like Buck Owens, Al Green, or Kinky Friedman (who performs a duet with Willie Nelson on “Sold American”), in conjunction with more obscure or regional musicians, such as Cajun fiddler Lisa Haley and yodeling barber David Jackson (some performers, including Rita Coolidge, the Tokens, and the Murmaids, appear more than once). Roth is certainly game, as evidenced by her singing along with the Temptations, Coolidge, and Jackson—who even gives her a trim during their conversation (later, during the sequence with retro-rockers Lil' Elmo and the Cosmos, she receives a matching pompadour). Roth's gushiness with some of her favorite artists, like former Stray Cats bassist Lee Rocker and band leader/keyboardist Paul Revere, just adds to the down-home feel, but describing 1980s balladeer Gino Vanelli as a “thoroughbred” and Days of Our Lives actress-turned-singer Gloria Loring as an “enormous success” seems a bit much. Although produced for public television, CD Hwy sometimes feels more like a public-access production as it has a less polished look and sound than PBS staples such as Austin City Limits and Soundstage. Presenting all 39 episodes from 1998–2000, in Dolby Digital stereo, this is a strong optional purchase. (K. Fennessy)