The Journey of Chris Strachwitz: Arhoolie Records 40th Anniversary Collection (Arhoolie). If you love roots music–downhome blues, Cajun, Tex-Mex, old-time country, zydeco, klezmer–then you owe a nod of thanks to Chris Strachwitz, who kept a lot of this music alive through his little record company in El Cerrito, California. This five-CD treasure chest, spanning four decades of Arhoolie releases, features Clifton Chenier, Flaco Jimenez, Beausoleil, Lightnin’ Hopkins, the Klezmorim, and many more legendary musicians who show there’s far more richness to American music than what you hear on pop radio. –Jay Walljasper
