Remember the sort of records Ry Cooder made before he set out for Havana? Cooder used to tackle American musical forms with just the right mix of familiar touchstones and new ideas. Howard Markman’s new CD does much the same thing, as Markman and an impressive supporting cast infuse rootsy bar band rock with lyric sensitivities and insights more commonly associated with folk and jazz. It’s an engaging mix that’s both rousing and reverent. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.