There's something about the sound of the tin whistle, beyond those blasted old Irish Spring ads, that truly speaks to the soul. There's a spiritual feel to the sound, a feel that holds within it a medieval sense of place, a place where troubadours and madrigals provide the only musical expression and where people were more intimate with their primal, inner selves. That may sound like a bunch of BS to those of you who spend time reading reviews of pop music in Blender and Rolling Stone, but when was the last time you listened to an album of Irish whistles and acoustic guitar?

Anyway, Phil Edmonds, an artist who has spent much of his musical career in the fold of the talented Pendragon, has certainly neared mastering whistles. He presents a fine demonstration of them on Under the Arch, a new album that deserves the attention of genuine fans of folk and acoustic music. Edmonds, with the major accompaniment of Otis Read on acoustic guitar, as well as Johnny Juxo on accordion, Dan Edinburg on bass, and Cathy Clasper-Torch on violin, sinks his teeth into 11 compositions, 10 of which are written by the very talented Read and one by Edmonds himself. Edmonds's whistle dominates all of the compositions, providing the melody line -- soaring, spiritual flights across the upper reaches of the tonal scale -- while Read's acoustic guitar establishes a solid base with which to keep the tunes, and Edmonds' soaring, closer to the ground. Songs like the opening "Along the Stone Walls" and the beautiful "Climate Change," feature Edmonds front and center, dancing across the acoustic foundation like a spry leprechaun on a soft bed of clover.

But a few songs on the record give the other musicians at the sessions a chance to step forward. All-around local music stud Johnny Juxo leads the way on accordion on the romantic closer, "Maura's Journey," the only Edmonds tune on the record. Elsewhere, Read's mandolin serves up a nice change of pace -- the dynamic of the plucked mandolin string is decidedly different from the strummed sound of Read's guitar. All of these additions help to add slightly more subtle shades of color to the pieces, a real plus when you're talking about an entire album's worth of acoustic instrumentals.

Recorded at Sleeping Dog Studios and produced by Read and Steve Copel, the recording sounds pristine. The quality is excellent, with enough resonance on Edmonds's flute and enough bass on Read's guitar to provide an excellent range of tone. There's a lot to be impressed with on Under the Arch. But the best thing you can do, aside from picking this disc up for your lazy Sunday morning listening sessions, would be to see them live next week.

Otis Read, Johnny Juxo, and Phil Edmonds will perform at the Tinker's Nest on Metacom Avenue in Warren next Thursday, January 23 at 8 p.m. There is no cover.

WANDERING EYE. The splendid Quiet Music Series continues upstairs at AS220. Tonight (the 16th) at 9:30 p.m., QMS #7 (immediately following Gallery Night), presents Atavistic/ Kimchee recording artist Chris Brokaw and the exhilarating Barn Burning. Brokaw, formerly of Codeine and Come, of course, will be presenting a set of solo guitar and voice pieces. Barn Burning will keep with the spirit of the night and share a special quiet, acoustic-oriented set put together just for the QMS. Check back for additional information and updates (http://members.cox.net/iditarod/menu2.html). Anyone interested in contributing their own quiet performance should e-mail iditarod@email.com.

Up-and-comers Object Permanence rock AS220 this Friday (the 17th). People were drawn to look inside the club the last time they played. Go to www.as220.org for details and directions.

Also on Friday, there's a big show at the Met featuring a handful of worthwhile bands. The Haymakers are headlining with Ellison, the Young Ones, and Secret Channel. This is the Haymakers' last show around town before they start making their new record, a follow-up to one of last year's musical bright spots, the passionate and rootsy O-Kay Plus. There are a few reasons you should go down to the Met for this one. Other than the fact that both Ellison and the Young Ones will provide excellent warm-up tunes (not sure about Secret Channel), the Haymakers need your green. Ya see, they're going into this real top-notch studio, with top-of-the-line equipment and pricey rates, and without much money of their own . . . well, they're gonna need someone's cash. So why not make the Met? It's for a good cause, without question. The Haymakers'll have new T-shirts for and it may be your last chance to pick up a copy of O-Kay Plus, which is destined to become a collector's item (at least among family and friends).

This Saturday (the 18th) at 8 p.m., FolksTogether, consisting of Rick Bellaire, John Dunn, Donna Olson, Jeff Olson, and Vincent Pasternak, will perform at the Coffee Depot on Main Street (Route 114) in Warren. It's their second appearance at the Depot. Although the venue's on the new side, the Depot has already developed into a really decent place to hear acoustic music. According to FT, the sound system is first-rate. Why not join 'em and listen for yourself? For more info on this or any FolksTogether gigs, visit their Website at members.aol.com/folks2gethr.

Next Thursday (the 23rd), there's a good and free show at the Blackstone in Cumberland. Holiday will be headlining and Reverser and Failed Attempts at Flying will be setting the stage. We're told that Reverser is a good rock band with a reggae tinge, while FAAF is acoustic rock. You can check 'em out at www.reversermusic.com and www.faafband.com.

If you're staying in this Thursday you can catch a cool documentary at 7 p.m. on Channel 10 on the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. The 30-minute program boasts a stellar soundtrack, which features music selections from the excellent 1 of 52 Artist Hunger Network compilation The Time Is Now. Listen for songs from Ed McGuirl, John Cafferty, and Chakulla "Chuck" Smith. If you don't have it already, the disc's profits benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank and the Feinstein End Hunger Fund. Pick it up. Check their Website, too: members.aol.com/hungerzero/index.html.

Finally, I'd like to extend a belated, personal sayonara to Manny and the bunch from Holy Cow. As many of you know the band -- after 20 long years of pushing the limits of heaviness and providing an extreme boundary for local music -- have decided to call it quits. No matter what you thought of the band -- they made lots of friends along the way -- they were true to themselves, true to their sound, and a real positive on the local scene for a really long time. We'll miss 'em, no doubt. Good luck in the Afterlife, guys.

E-mail me your music news at big.daddy1@cox.net.

Issue Date: January 17 - 23, 2003