A small but meaty handful of releases this week offers a new album from the harmonizing Burns Sisters, a live set of stories and songs from former Nitty Gritty Dirt Band mates John McEuen and Jimmy Ibbotson, reissues of recordings by the Carter Family and an unusual project in which various bluegrass, country and Americana artists put music to lyrics left behind by the late "cosmic cowboy" Gram Parsons.

(Click here for a select list of this week's releases.

Most of the tunes recorded by the hugely influential Carter Family form the bedrock of the American folk, bluegrass and country canons. As a trio, A.P. and Sara Carter and Sara's cousin Maybelle Addington Carter (wife of A.P.'s brother Ezra, and mother of June Carter Cash) are credited, along with Jimmie Rodgers, with founding country music in the vocal-dominated form in which it's been known over the past several decades. While the women largely forged the band's sound, A.P. gathered traditional ballads, reels and hymns from throughout Appalachia and copyrighted the Carter Family's arrangements.

Can the Circle Be Unbroken (Legacy/Columbia) gathers 17 songs recorded in New York over five days in May 1935, and three others recorded in Chicago in October 1940. Three tracks — "Worried Man Blues" (RealAudio excerpt), "Sinking in the Lonesome Sea" and "Cannon Ball Blues" — were previously unreleased as 78s. Other songs include "My Clinch Mountain Home," "Wildwood Flower," "I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes" (RealAudio excerpt), "River of Jordan," "Black Jack David," the classic title tune and the family's radio-show theme song, "Keep on the Sunny Side."

The release is part of the label's American Milestones Series honoring classic recordings from America's country and folk heritage.

Once a quintet, now a trio, the resilient Burns Sisters wrap their three-part harmonies around witty lyrics and music that winds through fields of acoustic folk, Celtic and country. Out of the Blue (Philo) finds them indulging their melodic pop sensibilities as well, as mandolins and fiddles swap licks with slide guitar. On "Never Be Mine" (RealAudio excerpt), the Burns' trade vocals with gutsy Texas singer-songwriter Jimmy LaFave.

Other titles include "God Made Woman," "Two Step Recipe," "Wish I Never Met You" and "Prayer of St. Francis."

Former Nitty Gritty Dirt Band mates McEuen and Ibbotson reunited professionally after McEuen's String Wizards band opened some shows for NGDB a few years ago. In March 1999, the two added a live radio show to their brief tour itinerary and recorded the aptly named Stories & Songs (Planetary). The 20-track disc is a deftly picked grab-bag of bluegrass traditionals ("Blue Ridge Cabin Home"), NGDB hits ("Long Hard Road," "Dance Little Jean"), and wisecracking stories about folk tradition and the artists' own colorful histories.

The Gram Parsons Notebook is the result of a pet project former International Submarine Band member John Nuese has been nurturing for years. It grew out of a journal of Parsons' that was found following his death in 1973. After storing it in a drawer for 20 years, Nuese finally felt ready to read his old bandmate's scribbles; once he did, he decided that Parsons' unfinished songs deserved to be heard.

He enlisted the help of Mike

Ward, who approached artists such as Jim Lauderdale ("Blessing for Being"), California country singer/songwriter Eddie Cunningham and other bluegrass and Americana artists to put music to Parsons' lyrics.

They also revived Parsons gems like "Hickory Wind" and "A Song for You," the Louvin Brothers' "Cash on the Barrelhead," which was a key piece of Parsons' repertoire, and "Dead Flowers," the Rolling Stones tune written about Parsons.

Ricky Skaggs and Marty Stuart play and harmonize on "L.A. Customs Blues," an unfinished Parsons tune that producer Carl Jackson pulled together. Other artists joining in the unusual collaboration include the Woodys, Lonesome Standard Time singer/songwriter Larry Cordle and guitarist James Burton.