The Best Folk & World Instruments 2025

1. Personnel: John McCutcheon (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, hammered dulcimers, autoharp); Pete Kennedy (acoustic & electric guitars); Howard Levy (harmonica, piano, organ); Tom Jones (drums, percussion); Leah Kunkel, Toshi Reagan, Michelle Lanchester, Pam Rogers, Vicky Pratt, Debbi MacFarlan (background vocals).

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Personnel: John McCutcheon (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, hammered dulcimers, autoharp); Pete Kennedy (acoustic & electric guitars); Howard Levy (harmonica, piano, organ); Tom Jones (drums, percussion); Leah Kunkel, Toshi Reagan, Michelle Lanchester, Pam Rogers, Vicky Pratt, Debbi MacFarlan (background vocals).

2. Solo performer: Mike Seeger (guitar, banjo, banjo ukelele, mandola, dulcimer, autoharp, fiddle, harmonica).

Eighteen true traditional-style southern rural ballads, songs, and instrumentals plus two newly-made tunes. Sung and played with banjo, gourd banjer, fiddle, guitar, autoharp, lap dulcimer, mandola, banjo ukelele, trump (jawharp), quills and harmonica. 100% natural home-recorded solo music; no overdubs, splices, or electronic effects.

Solo -- Oldtime Country Music

3. Fuzzy Mountain String Band: Bobbie Thompson, Sharon Sandormirsky (guitar); Tom Carter (banjo, mandolin); Eric Olson, Blanton owen (banjo); Bill Hicks, Malcolm Owen (fiddle); Vicky Owen (dulcimer).

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Fuzzy Mountain String Band: Bobbie Thompson, Sharon Sandormirsky (guitar); Tom Carter (banjo, mandolin); Eric Olson, Blanton owen (banjo); Bill Hicks, Malcolm Owen (fiddle); Vicky Owen (dulcimer).

4. Personnel: Pierre Bensusan (vocals, guitar, mandolin); Calude Lefebvre (guitar, dulcimer); Bill Keith (banjo); Phil Fromont (violin, alto); Jean-Francois Sandoz (tin whistle); Herve De Sainte-Foy (double bass); Gerard Lavigne (bass); Andre Thomas (bodhran); Emmanuelle Parrenin (hurdy-gurdy);

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Personnel: Pierre Bensusan (vocals, guitar, mandolin); Calude Lefebvre (guitar, dulcimer); Bill Keith (banjo); Phil Fromont (violin, alto); Jean-Francois Sandoz (tin whistle); Herve De Sainte-Foy (double bass); Gerard Lavigne (bass); Andre Thomas (bodhran); Emmanuelle Parrenin (hurdy-gurdy);

5. Personnel: Bruce Cockburn (vocals, guitar, dulcimer); Eugene Martynec (guitar); Eric Nagler (banjo, mandolin); Michael Craydon, John Wyre (percussion). Recorded at Thunder Sound Studios and Eastern Sound, Toronto, Canada.

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Personnel: Bruce Cockburn (vocals, guitar, dulcimer); Eugene Martynec (guitar); Eric Nagler (banjo, mandolin); Michael Craydon, John Wyre (percussion). Recorded at Thunder Sound Studios and Eastern Sound, Toronto, Canada.

6. Personnel: Fred Small (vocals, guitar); John Curtis (6- & 12-string guitars); Alison Brown (banjo); Miguel Picker (charango, zampona); Leo Kretzner (dulcimer); Howie Tarnower (mandolin); Matt Glaser (fiddle); Cameron Sawzin (cello); Richard Rosenblatt (harmonica); Neil MacMillan (concertina); Betsy Rose (piano); John Daniel (bass); Sa Davis (conga).

NEW

Fred Small: The Heart of the Appaloosa - CD

7. Personnel: John Renbourn (vocals, guitar); Jacqui McShee (vocals); Tony Roberts (vocals, flute, crumhorn, Northumbrian small pipes); John Molineaux (vocals, dulcimer, mandolin, fiddle); Keshav Sathe (tabla). An after-the-fact live album by the short-lived but prodigiously talented John Renbourn Group, LIVE IN AMERICA has enough moments of sheer musical delight to make you wish that the foursome had stuck around a bit longer. Despite the billing, the real star of the John Renbourn Group is singer Jacqui McShee. McShee, whose angelic voice enlivened albums by Renbourn's previous band Pentangle, is a tremendous, though largely unrecognized talent. Her angelic mezzo-soprano meshes beautifully with Renbourn's harmonies and his virtuoso guitar playing. "Lindsay," the gorgeous "Fair Flower," and a moving rendition of the temperance ballad "John Barleycorn is Dead" are among the highlights. Reeds and woodwinds player Tony Roberts is showcased to great effect on the Indian-influenced "Sidi Brahim," one of the many songs enhanced through the subtle addition of tablas as a percussive element.

Recorded live at the Great Music Hall in San Francisco and at McCabe's Concert Hall in April of 1981, and issued the following year as a double album set. With John Renbourne, guitar, vocals; Jacqui McShee, vocals; Tony Roberts, flute, krumhorn, Northumbrian small pipes, harmony vocals; John Molineaux, dulcimer, mandolin, fiddle, harmony vocals; Keshav Sathe, tabla.

Live in America

8. Personnel: Eric Bogle (vocals, acoustic guitar), Graham Lee, Chris Nicholson (guitars), Doug Balmanno (bass), Lorraine Cook (cello), George Walpole (flute, recorder), Don Lebler (percussion), Peter Wragg (keyboards), John Munro (vocals, guitars, mandolin, autoharp, dulcimer), Brent Miller (vocals, bass), Phil Cunneen (keyboards, string arrangements), Dean Biebeck (drums), Trev Warner (fiddle), Dennis Siddall (pedal steel guitar) and Dean Bland (harmonica). All compositions by Eric Bogle.

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Personnel: Eric Bogle (vocals, acoustic guitar), Graham Lee, Chris Nicholson (guitars), Doug Balmanno (bass), Lorraine Cook (cello), George Walpole (flute, recorder), Don Lebler (percussion), Peter Wragg (keyboards), John Munro (vocals, guitars, mandolin, autoharp, dulcimer), Brent Miller (vocals, bass), Phil Cunneen (keyboards, string arrangements), Dean Biebeck (drums), Trev Warner (fiddle), Dennis Siddall (pedal steel guitar) and Dean Bland (harmonica). All compositions by Eric Bogle.

9. Randy Wilkinson – Elizabethan Music For Dulcimer / Kicking Mule Records Audio CD 1997 / KMCD-3907-2

Randy Wilkinson – Elizabethan Music For Dulcimer / Kicking Mule Records Audio CD 1997 / KMCD-3907-2 UPC 025218390729 Label: Kicking Mule Records – KMCD-3907-2 Format: CD, Album Country: US Released: 1997 Genre: Classical Style: Renaissance Tracklist: 1 Hit And Take It Alman/Untitled Alman 2:55 2 The Flatt Pavan 2:48 3 Fortune My Foe 2:45 4 The Woods Soe Wylde 2:56 5 Goe From My Window 1:42 6 Lord Willoughby's Welcome Home 3:32 7 The Earle Of Salisbury Pavan 2:25 8 Bonnie Sweet Robin 3:22 9 Untitled Air/Lady Hammond's Alman 3:00 10 Lesson For Two Lutes 3:05 11 Pakington's Pownde 3:24 12 Tarleton's Ressurection/The Parlement 3:05

Randy Wilkinson – Elizabethan Music For Dulcimer / Kicking Mule Records Audio CD 1997 / KMCD-3907-2

10. Full title: Born On The Bauou: The Bluegrass Tribute To Creedence Clearwater Revival. BORN ON THE BAYOU: THE BLUEGRASS TRIBUTE TO CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL was originally released in 1999 as PICKIN' ON CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL. This version of the album has different cover art and more tracks. Performers: David West (acoustic & electric guitars, 5-string banjo, hammered dulcimer, mandolin, bass); Tom Corbett (guitar, mandolin); Jay Dee Maness (pedal steel guitar); Richard Greene (fiddle); Tom Ball (harmonica); Al Di Marco (piano, bass); Bo Fox (drums).

short description is not available

Full title: Born On The Bauou: The Bluegrass Tribute To Creedence Clearwater Revival. BORN ON THE BAYOU: THE BLUEGRASS TRIBUTE TO CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL was originally released in 1999 as PICKIN' ON CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL. This version of the album has different cover art and more tracks. Performers: David West (acoustic & electric guitars, 5-string banjo, hammered dulcimer, mandolin, bass); Tom Corbett (guitar, mandolin); Jay Dee Maness (pedal steel guitar); Richard Greene (fiddle); Tom Ball (harmonica); Al Di Marco (piano, bass); Bo Fox (drums).