I just want to pass on some information that may be of interest. First, I would like to say that I have no connection with this company - but I admire what they are doing.

I came across a record label - Empire MusicWerks - that has started re-issuing the old Tradition Records catalog. They are remastering these classic albums, using the best sources available, and they sound superb!

The first CD that I came across was a John Jacob Niles CD, but I quickly discovered several other recordings that the label has issued, and when I contacted them they told me that they have plans to issue many more.

Some of the CD's have been reissued in the past by another company, but many are becoming available for the first time since their original release in the 1950's. Already available are Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger's "Classic Scotch Ballads", Odetta's "Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues", Paul Clayton's "Whaling and Sailing Songs from the Days of Moby Dick" plus a collection of banjo tunes, recordings from Etta Baker, the Clancy Brothers, and Diane Hamilton's collection - "Lark in the Morning" - recorded in the field in 1955 featuring Sarah Makem, Liam Clancy and many others.

In April they will release Ed McCurdy's "A Ballad Singer's Choice". For years I have been hopeing that someone would re-issue Ed's recordings, and to discover this among the fine re-issues that Empire Musicwerks has already release is really good news.

The recordings that I've heard sound wonderful. They preserve the original liner notes and artwork, and the remastering is very respectful of the original work.   I hope that they are successful and we might find other gems being re-issued.

There website is under development - but you can find out a bit more by going to www.musicwerks.com. There CD's should be available in better record stores (can we still call them that?) here in the U.S.

Check it out!!