I had Riggy Rackin as my guest this past Saturday evening, on KWMR. (We're at 90.5 Point Reyes and 89.9 Bolinas, and we stream live at www.kwmr.org. "The Celtic Universe" airs Saturdays, 6-8 pm PT, hosted by either Loretta Farley or me, Lyons Filmer.)

Riggy's new album "Somewhere in Between" is a delight, and well produced by Jeff Martin at Studio E in Sebastopol CA (a very nice venue too). Riggy is joined by several other fine musicians, including two of my favorite'voices': Sylvia Herold and Shay Black. Riggy's singing is sweetly laid back and warm, relaxed; not a 'perfect'voice. His music choices range from the very touching "The Old Man" to the sprightly tune "Trip to Paris" which Riggy describes as "folk-meets-Baroque..." Two of my favorite genres! While the overall sound of the album is 'folk' rather than 'celtic,' it's an album I like playing on KWMR's "Celtic Universe."

I am not a musician but a keen fan of the sound of concertina and accordian. On Saturday evening, I asked Riggy to explain the distinctions and subtleties between them. It's quite complex, but I hope I grasped a few essentials. Now I know also to listen for the difference in sound between the English and the Anglo concertina. The latter, he explained, plays separate notes on the in and out, like a harmonica. I am listening to "Hole in the Wall" with the really pretty sound of Riggy's English concertina! Enjoy "Somewhere in Between" (title line from Ernie Noyes' song "Moss."