Kevin Bryan delivers his verdict on some of this week's CD releases. Reg Meuross,"Raw" (Hatsongs)- "Raw" represents the final collection in a trilogy of essentially solo recordings from an artist who is unquestionably one of the finest singer-songwriters that this country has spawned during the past four decades. If there was any justice left in this benighted world Reg Meuross' unashamedly poetic musings on contemporary life and the human condition in general would be required listening for roots music enthusiasts everywhere, with tracks such as "Broken," "The Chainmakers " and the sadly all too timely "We Looked Away" capturing the essence of his intimate and affecting approach to music making.

Buster Bailey, "Memphis Blues"(Retrospective)-This interesting archive anthology focusses attention on the recorded output of Memphis born jazz clarinettist William "Buster" Bailey,whose musical education was masterminded by Benny Goodman's clarinet teacher, the classically trained Franz Schoepp. This highly regarded sideman worked with a whole host of jazz luminaries during the course of his lengthy career and the 2 CD set boasts contributions from the likes of Billie Holiday, Fletcher Handerson and the rumbustious Bessie Smith, who chips in with her 1926 performance of "Jazzbo Brown From Memphis Town."

Le Cygne Noir,"Shadow of a Wrecking Ball" (Anger Management Records)- This darkly memorable offering is a concept album which takes as its rather unlikely premise the possibility that life on Earth as we know it could end and be supplanted by a zombie apocalypse. The enigmatic Le Cygne Noir's ambitious musical exploits are aided and abetted by a star studded array of gothic rock stalwarts including The Mission's Wayne Hussey and Simon Hinkler and All About Eve vocalist Julianne Regan as he indulges his passion for the collected works of Pink Floyd, Rush and veteran American filmmaker John Carpenter.Fascinating stuff.

Natalie MacMaster,"Sketches"(Linus Entertainment)-This invigorating vehicle for Natalie MacMasters's instrumental artistry marks the acclaimed Canadian violinist 's return to the recording studio for her first solo release since 2011. It's a measure of her innate versatility that the Cape Breton folk fiddler has been recruited to work with such unlikely bedfellows as Carlos Santana, Faith Hill and classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma over the years, and Natalie is in typically sparkling form here as she tackles an attractive assortment of jigs, reels and strathspeys alongside a heartfelt cover of Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me."