Kevin Bryan delivers his verdict on some of this week's alternative CD releases.

Michael Bloomfield, "San Francisco Nights" (Wienerworld)-This fascinating obscurity was recorded live at the Old Waldorf in San Francisco on April 18th, 1977 and devotees of Mike Bloomfield's hugely influential brand of blues-rock guitar artistry should find it well nigh indispensable. Bloomfield's musical exploits with Bob Dylan and the great Paul Butterfield have already been well documented but this hitherto unreleased package also repays closer investigation, dividing neatly between a fine solo acoustic set and a much more muscular seven song work out featuring a star-studded band featuring the likes of Barry Goldberg, Nick Gravenites and his former Butterfield band-mate Mark Nafatalin.

The Outlaws, "Lady in Waiting", "Los Hombres Malo / In The Eye of the Storm"(Retroworld)-The great Southern Rock revival of the mid seventies which spawned classic outfits such as The Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd also propelled The Outlaws into the limelight for a while, and these splendid CD re-issues capture the Florida country-rockers at something approaching their brilliant best. 1976's "Lady in Waiting" is a particularly fine piece of work, boasting an inspired cover of Paul Revere & The Raiders' "Free Born Man" alongside self-penned gems such as "Breaker Breaker" and "Girl From Ohio."

Joshua Hedley, "Mr.Jukebox" (Third Man Records)-Florida born Joshua Hedley makes his album debut with "Mr.Jukebox," a lovingly crafted collection which channels the spirit of classic country pop with grace, melodicism and charm. The former school teacher has paid his dues in no uncertain fashion since relocating to Nashville , spending many fruitful years entertaining the denizens of the city's numerous honky-tonk venues with an approach to music-making that's heavily influenced by the creative climate of the mid sixties. "Counting All My Tears," "This Time" and "Mr.Jukbeox" capture the timeless essence of Joshua's subtly emotive sound.

Mary Chapin Carpenter, "Sometimes Just The Sky" (Thirty Tigers)- Multiple Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter celebrates her thirty year recording career here by revisiting the cream of her illustrious back catalogue. "Sometimes Just The Sky" finds Carpenter reimagining one song from each of her twelve studio albums alongside the freshly minted title track, with uniformly compelling results. "The Moon and St.Christopher," "Naked To The Eye " and "Jericho" are the best of an excellent bunch.