Bluegrass Cafe

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Here it comes again...Radiothon!

There are things that one expects to happen in the month of March: windy days, blooming flowers, LOTS of basketball games, and, of course, at WHUS -- it's time for Radiothon! For the last several years, we've come to you, our listeners, and asked for a bit of financial support to do things like help finance our move to the Student Union studios or to allow us to build some shelving for the music library. This year, we're hoping for your financial support as the station would like to build a new recording studio in the WHUS suite, which could be used to accomodate larger bands for broadcasting, or to allow UCONN students to come in and make recordings. Click here to read the reasons for Radiothon on WHUS Comptroller/CEO Aaron Price's blog.

As always, we'll have several ways to say thanks to you for your kind donation to WHUS. In addition to the "usual" station items (i.e. t-shirts, sweatshirts, stainless steel travel mugs), we'll have plenty of great CDs from all sorts of genres. Our BG offerings are still coming in as I write this, but here's a sampling of what we've got to offer you so far:

Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray - "Many A Mile" (Patuxent Music)
Darin & Brooke Aldridge - "So Much In Between" (Mountain Home)
Freeman & Williams - "Freeman & Williams" (Mountain Roads Recordings)
Reno & Smiley - "Together Again" (Rebel)
Rich In Tradition - "Black Mountain Special" (Mountain Roads Recordings)
Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice - "The Heart Of A Song" (Rebel)
Spinney Brothers - "Memories" (Mountain Fever Records)

These are just a few examples of some of the fine recordings we've received for Radiothon, and we appreciate the generosity of the record labels who've donated items to us: Mountain Fever, Mountain Home, Mountain Roads Recordings, Patuxent Music, Rebel, Rounder, and Rural Rhythm Records. Be sure to tune in on Sunday from 4 to 7PM to learn more about what's available.

For every donation made to the Bluegrass Cafe during the two Sundays of Radiothon, one entry will be added to a drawing to be held at 7PM on Sunday, March 25th for a copy of The Music Of Bill Monroe by Neil Rosenberg & Charles Wolfe. This is a mighty fine book, and even if Bill Monroe's "official" 100th birthday was celebrated in 2011, it's never too late to remember the work of the Father of Bluegrass.

If you've contributed to WHUS in the past, thanks! If you've made your donation to the Bluegrass Cafe, that's really awesome! For the last couple of years during Radiothon, the Bluegrass Cafe has been the #1 listener-supported music program on the air at WHUS -- can we keep our (totally unofficial) "most popular" title for another year? Time will tell...

Jim and I will hope to hear from you this Sunday -- THANKS!!!

Amy

Sunday, March 11, 2012

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 3/11/2012

While Sunday's edition of the Bluegrass Cafe was shortened by an hour due to UCONN Baseball taking over the airwaves at 6PM, I still think the show was pretty jam-packed with a whole lot of good stuff. Hope you agree...

Today's show included songs from a couple of folks celebrating birthdays this week in March: David Peterson on March 11th, Marshall Wilborn (with the Lynn Morris Band) on March 12th, and the late Bob Paisley on March 14th. There was also brand new music from the Special Consensus ("Scratch Gravel Road" is their latest recording on Compass Records to be released on March 27th), as well as newer tunes from projects by Carolina Road, the Missy Werner Band, Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Heather Berry & Tony Mabe, and Dailey & Vincent.

Rick (banjo) & Allan (guitar) with Gary Dalrymple (mandolin)
paid an early morning visit to WHUS on May 8, 2010.

Our highlight of the day, though, was a conversation with Rick Spinney of the Spinney Brothers. Over the last several years at the Bluegrass Cafe, we've grown very fond of Nova Scotia brothers Allan and Rick and their fine brother duet-style harmonies. This week, the group will release their ninth recording, but their first on an American music label: "Memories" on the Virginia-based Mountain Fever Records. Before and after our chat with Rick, we played a few songs from the "Memories" project, and were very happy to share them with listeners. Clearly, a lot of folks were interested in hearingwhat Rick had to say, as we had more online listeners than I can remember for any edition of the radio show I've hosted. As Rick mentioned, while the CD release is a very exciting happening for the Spinneys this week, it's not really going to be the highlight of his week. On Wednesday, March 14th, Rick and his wife, Machaela, will welcome a baby Spinney to their home. I'm a little biased about that particular date, I must confess, as that's actually my birthday, too. Best to Rick and Machaela on their special delivery, and congratulations to Rick, Allan, Gary Dalrymple, and Darryl Hebb on a terrific new CD that, I'm sure, you'll really enjoy!

Of course, it should be mentioned that if you're interested in seeing the Spinneys perform live, you'll be able to see them at the Country Corner Coffee House in South Hadley Falls, MA on March 31st, and in Brandon, VT on April 1st. In August, the Spinneys will be performing even closer to our broadcasting area when they play for two days at the Podunk Bluegrass Festival in Norwich, CT. For more information on the Spinneys, and any or all of these appearances, visit them online: www.spinneybrothers.com.

Some lucky listener/donor
during Radiothon will have a copy
of this fine Monroe bio!

As mentioned on the radio show today, the next two Sundays of Bluegrass Cafe will be devoted our annual fundraising campaign at WHUS known as Radiothon. We're still in the process of gathering recordings to offer as "thank you" gifts for those who make a pledge to support WHUS and the Bluegrass Cafe, and we'll post a list of them as soon as it's completed. Among the titles we've already gathered: the aforementioned "Memories," as well as recordings from Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice, Audie Blaylock & Redline, Freeman & Williams, as well as classics from Reno & Smiley and Ralph Stanley. Each person who makes a pledge to the Bluegrass Cafe during Radiothon will also have his/her name go into a drawing that will be held on March 25th for a copy of the really excellent Bill Monroe discography/biography, The Music Of Bill Monroe by Neil Rosenberg and Charles Wolfe. Jim and I will both be in the studio for the next couple of weeks for Radiothon, and while we don't really enjoy asking for your financial support, we really LOVE hearing from you during the campaign, as we always know that folks who listen to the Bluegrass Cafe are clearly the BEST listeners of WHUS. In advance, we thank you for your support!

We hope you'll be sure to join us next week, and thanks for listening today.

Amy

SONG / ARTIST / ALBUM / LABEL

Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
Black Pony / Lynn Morris Band / The Lynn Morris Band / Rounder
Sunny Side Of The Mountain / Jimmy Martin & the Sunny Mountain Boys / High Lonesome / CMH
Colleen Malone / Hot Rize / So Long Of A Journey / Sugar Hill
The Train Song / Spinney Brothers / Memories / Mountain Fever Records
Little Cabin Home On The Hill / Tony Rice / The Bill Monroe Collection / Rounder
Lonely Ends Where Love Begins / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / So Much In Between / Mountain Home
Nineteen Forty Ford / Acoustic Blue / Timeless / Self-Produced
I Don't Know Why / Patuxent Partners / Seven Or Eleven / Patuxent Music
A Light In The Window, Again / Carolina Road / Back To My Roots / Rural Rhythm
Hold Whatcha Got / Joe Walsh with the Gibson Brothers / Sweet Loam / Skinny Elephant Records
Cruel Love / Reno & Smiley / Early Years, 1951-1959 / Gusto
Let It Go / Missy Werner Band / Three Kinds Of Lonesome / Self-Produced
Old New Straitsville Moonshine Run / Special Consensus / Scratch Gravel Road / Compass Records
Lying Ruby / Spinney Brothers / Memories / Mountain Fever Records
Nightwalk / Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray / Many A Mile / Patuxent Music
Old Kentucky Farmers / Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out / Prime Tyme / Rural Rhythm
Chilly Winds / Spinney Brothers / Memories / Mountain Fever Records
* Conversation with Rick Spinney of the Spinney Brothers *
Old Roman Soldier / Spinney Brothers / Memories / Mountain Fever Records
I Got A Letter / Bear Bridge Band / One More Ride / Open Road
I Miss You Old Friend / Heather Berry & Tony Mabe / The Heather Berry & Tony Mabe Show / Mountain Fever Records
Lord Lead Me On / Audie Blaylock & Redline / I'm Going Back To Old Kentucky / Rural Rhythm
Living In The Kingdom Of God / Dailey & Vincent / The Gospel Side Of Dailey & Vincent / Cracker Barrel
I'm Travelin' On And On / David Peterson & 1946 / David Peterson & 1946 / Self-Produced
You Better Wake Up / Volume Five / Children Of The Mountain / Mountain Fever Records
Sweeping Through The Gates / Bob Paisley & the Southern Grass / Forty Years Of Trouble / Strictly Country Records
My Lord's Been A Walkin' / Spinney Brothers / Here At The Cross / Self-Produced
Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Coming up: a shortened show with a special guest...

This Sunday, it looks like we'll have a sports-shortened broadcast of the Bluegrass Cafe, as UCONN Baseball will begin at 6PM. The plan is to fill those remaining two hours of the show with A LOT of music, and there's a pretty strong possibility that some of the music we hear will come from a soon-to-be released recording by our special guest, Rick Spinney -- the banjo-picking member of the Spinney Brothers. Rick will join us via the telephone from his Nova Scotia home sometime around 5PM. In case you've not heard, the Spinneys' new CD on Mountain Fever Records -- their debut on an American record label -- is called, "Memories" and it will be officially released this Tuesday, March 13th. If having a new CD released isn't a big-enough happening for a week, on Wednesday, Rick and his wife, Machaela, will welcome a baby into their home. Big excitement! Add these events to the Spinneys' pretty busy tour schedule (including upcoming appearances in South Hadley, MA and in August, two days at the Podunk Bluegrass Festival), and I guess it's a good idea to have Rick on the air with us before things get too, too crazy...

Hope you'll plan to join us for two hours of the Bluegrass Cafe this Sunday. Be sure to remember to Spring Forward with your clocks, too.

Amy

Sunday, March 04, 2012

"Bluegrass Cafe" Playlist - 3/4/2012

Doc Watson

Hi Folks,

It was a big day for bluegrass at WHUS because we celebrated Doc Watson's 89th birthday (March 3rd) and interviewed Ben Greene, the world class banjo picker with Carolina Road. We also had an extra hour as we filled-in for the Sunday Night Folk Festival prior to a sports event and gave it a grassy sound.

Ben Greene (Photo by Ted Lehmann)

Ben Greene has been picking the banjo with the group formerly known as "Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road" and now just "Carolina Road" for about six years. They hail from North Carolina with Lorraine near Raleigh and Ben west of there in Monroe. Ben started playing professionally with the late great Charlie Moore in 1973, so we spent some time discussing that great but marginally documented period of time (Charlie died late December 1979 at age 44), and were delighted to find that besides his distinctive voice, Charlie was a great band leader respected by his bandmates.

We played some Charlie Moore tunes with Ben's banjo picking as well as some selections from Carolina Road's latest album and Ben's latest solo album.

Doc Watson was discovered by Ralph Rinzler during the height of the Folk Boom of the early 1960s while Ralph was on a field trip to North Carolina to seek out and record Clarence (Tom) Ashley. Looking for guitar accompaniment, the locals suggested a blind guitar player who had been playing electric guitar in a rockabilly band. After putting an acoustic guitar in his hands, Doc stunned the visitors with the most amazing demonstration of flat picking ever heard. The rest is guitar history. Doc transformed the guitar from a rhythm instrument to a lead instrument. All bluegrassers who love listening to or playing like guitar greats the late Clarence White, Tony Rice, Bryan Sutton, Jim Hurst, Cody Kilby, and Josh Williams (among many others) owe a great debt to Doc Watson.

Besides that, Doc had a profound affect on me personally when I first heard him with his son, Merle, and my involvement with bluegrass music today can be traced directly to Doc & Merle. We played a cross section of Doc and Doc & Merle tunes throughout the show to celebrate Doc's birthday and his lifelong contributions to the advancement and enjoyment of great picking.

Newer music on the show included songs from The Lonesome River Band, Shannon Slaughter, Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie, The Heather Berry and Tony Mabe Show, Merl Johnson, and Freeman & Williams.

Be sure to tune in next Sunday when Amy will make the banjos and fiddles ring.

Jim Beaver

Song/Artist/Album/Label

Soppin' The Gravy / Patrick McAvinue / Rutland's Reel / Patuxent
Close The Door Lightly When You Go / Lonesome River Band / Chronology Volume One / Rural Rhythm
Johnny Gray-Rye Straw / Peter Feldmann & The Pea Patch Quintet / Grey Cat On The Tennessee Farm / Hen Cackle
The Train That Carried My Girl From Town / Doc Watson / Good Deal! Doc Watson In Nashville / Vanguard
A Light In The Window, Again / Carolina Road / Back To My Roots / Rural Rhythm
Caroline / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Day / Raincoe
Catfish John / The Reunion Band / A Work In Progress... / Self-released
Old Hickory Cane / Dan Paisley and The Southern Grass / The Tradition Continues / Brandywine
Crawdad Song / Doc Watson and Clarence Ashley / The Original Folkways Recordings: 1960-1962 / Smithsonian Folkways
Johnson Mountain Chimes / Johnson Mountain Boys / Walls Of Time / Rounder
Hooverville / Shannon Slaughter / The Sideman Steps Out / Elite Circuit
Arkansas / The Heather Berry & Tony Mabe / Self-titled / Mountain Fever
Lonesome Road Blues / Johnny Warren & Charlie Cushman / A Tribute To Fiddlin' Paul Warren vol. 2 / Self-released
I'm Ready If You're Willin' / Chris Jones & The Nightdrivers / Lost Souls & Free Spirits / Rebel
Matterhorn / Eddie & Martha Adcock / Many A Mile / Patuxent
Little Pink / Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie / The Touch Of Time / Rural Rhythm
Billy In The Low Ground / Charlie Moore / The Fiddler / Old Homestead

Ben Greene Interview

Crazy Heart / Ben Greene w. James King / Banjo Sideman / Self-released
Education From On High / Ben Greene w. Junior Sisk / Banjo Sideman / Self-released
Back To My Roots / Carolina Road / Back To My Roots / Rural Rhythm
Shady Grove / Doc Watson / Songs From Home / Capitol
Restless Working Man / Blue Highway / Sounds Of Home / Rounder
Monster Truck / Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper / Fired Up! / Rounder
Yellow Backed Fly / Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers / Rare Bird Alert / Rounder
Avery County / Charlie Moore / Avery County / Old Homestead
Streets Of Baltimore / Charlie Moore / Avery County / Old Homestead
A Better Man / Merl Johnson / Better Man / Patuxent
Black Dust Fever / Travers Chandler & Avery County / State Of Depression / Patuxent
Home Sweet Home (bed) / Doc & Merle Watson / Home Sweet Home / Sugar Hill
Russian Grass (bed) / Doc & Merle Watson / Home Sweet Home / Sugar Hill
Gone At Last / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Drive Time / Mountain Home
Ramshackle Shack / Doc Watson / Riding The Midnight Train / Sugar Hill
Wandering Boy / The Isaacs / Bluegrass Preserved / Horizon
Trolley Days / Thomas Porter & Copper River Band / Trolley Days / Self-released
Blood And Sweat / Lee Marcus / Grandpa's Pond / Self-released
Going Back To Dixie / Taylors Grove / Keep On The Sunny Side / Fishtraks
Something 'bout You / Amy Gallatin and Roger Williams / Somthing 'Bout You / Happy Appy
Prayer Bells Of Heaven / Arthel 'Doc' Watson / Portrait / Sugar Hill
Singing As We Rise / The Gibson Brothers / Help My Brother / Compass
John In The Jordan / Lou Reid & Carolina / Sounds Like Heaven To Me / Rural Rhythm
Beautiful Home / Billy Boone Smith / Live From The Moose Lodge / Muddy Sunshine
Before Judgment Day / J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers / Run Mountain - 30 Old Time Favorites / Gusto
He Will Set Your Fields On Fire / Reno & Smiley / 1959-1963 / Gusto
Who Will Sing For Me? / Carl Story / Angel Band / Gusto
That Little Old Country Church House / Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers / Hymns From The Hills / Rebel
Walking In A Dream / Fred Etheridge / Pickin' And Singin' / Self-released

Sunday Night Folk Festival fill-in follows:

Jack Of The Wood / Kruger Brothers / Between The Notes / Double Time
My House / Kathy Kallick Band / Between The Hollow and the High Rise / Live Oak
Milk Cow Blues / Doc Watson / Live at the 2009 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival / Munckmix
Song Up In Her Head / Sarah Jarosz / Song Up In Her Head / Sugar Hill
Honky Tonk Merry Go Round / Girl Howdy / Honky Tonk Hair / Self-released
Make It Out West / The Greencards / The Brick Album / Darling Street
It's You / Abbie Gardner / Hope / Self-released
I'm Moving On / Rosanne Cash / The List / Manhattan
Intoxicated Rat / Doc Watson / Self-titled / Vanguard
Toil & Shame / Ashleigh Caudill / Fruit Of The Vine / Self-released
John Wilkes Booth / Tony Rice / Night Flyer / Rounder
Memory Lane / Al Hawkes / Old Time Pickin' & Singin' / Event
Always A Day Too Late / Tiffany Hurt and Various Artists / Close Kin / Mountain Roads
Talking To Casey / Doc & Merle Watson / The Guitar Album / Flying Fish
The Sands Of Mexico / The Chieftains feat. Ry Cooder / San Patricio / Blackrock
White Freightliner Blues / Steve Earle / Townes / New West
June Apple / Freeman & Williams / Self-titled / Mountain Roads
Sixteen Cents / Steve Gulley & Tim Stafford / Dogwood Winter / Rural Rhythm
When Halley Came To Jackson / Freeman & Williams / Self-titled / Mountain Roads
Behind Those Big Closed Doors / Connie Leigh / New Cuts Of Bluegrass Vol. 4 / New Cuts

Sunday, February 26, 2012

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 2/26/2012

Today's edition of the show included the things that I'm guessing listeners have come to expect from the BG Cafe: a mixture of newer tunes, older music from classic performers, and, for good measure, birthday tributes to three country music legends.

On February 25th, the one and only Ralph Stanley celebrated his 85th birthday. We likely could have filled the whole program with the music of the Stanleys -- Ralph with Carter, as well as on his own, and with a whole passel of other performers -- but we opted for opening the show with four songs with which Ralph is connected. While the Stanley Brothers haven't yet been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, two other Hall of Famers would also have celebrated their 80th birthdays this weekend. The late Faron Young (February 25, 1932-December 10, 1996) and Johnny Cash (February 26, 1932-September 12, 2003) both left behind an amazing legacy of music, and like many other country music performers who first found fame in the 1950s, a great deal of their music has been recorded by BG performers through the years. We couldn't let the show pass without including BG covers of both Cash and Young.

Big things on the horizon for Canada's Spinney Brothers?
Time will tell...

Newer music on the show came from two forthcoming CDs from the Spinney Brothers ("Memories" will be released by Mountain Fever Records on March 13th) and Lou Reid & Carolina (whose self-produced "Callin' Me Back Home" should be out by mid-April). There seems to be a trend of some kind in BG where radio receives single releases through a downloadable service called AirPlayDirect, sometimes months before the actual CD comes out. I suppose none of this is much different than in "the old days" when individual songs were released as 45s or CD singles before a full record came out. It can be kind of a tease, I know, but I'm sure these recordings from both the Spinneys and Lou & Carolina will be top-notch when they arrive at WHUS. Can't wait!

In addition, there was new (and new-to-us) music from Maine's Maranacook String Band, fiddler/mandolin picker Merl Johnson, and a quite good, young band from Florida called Flatt Lonesome, as well as Dailey & Vincent, Laurie Lewis, Freeman & Williams, the Heather Berry & Tony Mabe Show, and Too Blue.

Not the exact LP I played from today, but the players were the
same. Brothers Fred & Earl are shown up front, and
in the back row, it's John Piela, Earleen Pike, Nita
Pike (her mom), and Dave Papuga.

Every now and then, I have a nostalgic moment where I feel the need to bring out and play some records that my brother, Dave, played frequently around the house while I was growing up. This week, that record was from Oneco's Pike Family & the Pine Hill Ranchers, and their Rebel record titled, "To Warm And Comfort You." I'm not sure what year this LP came out, but it couldn't have been too much before young Earleen Pike's death at the age of 18 in August 1972. Earleen's banjo playing uncle, Fred Pike, is kind of a legend in the world of New England BG, and I remember always being somewhat impressed that two members of the Pine Hill Ranchers were from my little hometown in eastern CT. We also included a current song from Earleen's brother, Gordon, and his band's (Gelina & Pike's Mainly Grass) CD.

Hope you enjoyed something you heard on the show today -- be sure to join Jim next Sunday for another edition of the BG Cafe.

Have a good week -

Amy O.

Requests are RED.

Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
Don't Wake Me Up / Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys / Sixteen Years / Copper Creek
Another Night / Ralph Stanley with Joe Diffie / Clinch Mountain Country / Rebel
Clinch Mountain Blues / Stanley Brothers / Selected Cuts, 1955-1956 / JSP Records
Loving You Too Well / Ralph Stanley with Dolly Parton / Clinch Mountain Sweethearts / Rebel
Down By The Rambling Waters / Maranacook String Band / Bear In The Barn / Self-Produced
How Many Times / Vern & Ray / San Francisco, 1968 / Arhoolie
Blue Skies And Teardrops / Missy Werner Band / Three Kinds Of Lonesome / Self-Produced
Fox On The Run / Tony Trischka with Tom Adams / Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular / Rounder
Don't Ease Me In / Steep Canyon Rangers / Lovin' Pretty Women / Rebel
Helen / Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray / Many A Mile / Patuxent Music
Ice Covered Birches / Cliff Waldron / 35th Anniversary Sampler / Rebel
Anywhere Is Home Again / Volume Five / Children Of The Mountain / Mountain Fever Records
Open Up Your Heart / Terry Baucom with the Gibson Brothers / In A Groove / John Boy & Billy, Inc.
Amandalyn / Merl Johnson / Better Man / Patuxent Music
Greenlight On The Southern / Tony Rice / Bluegrass Class Of 1990 / Rounder
AppleJack / Pam Gadd with Dolly Parton / Benefit Of Doubt / Home Sweet Highway Productions
Virginia Waltz / Johnson Mountain Boys / Let The Whole World Talk / Rounder
Out In The Cold World / Audie Blaylock & Redline / I'm Going Back To Old Kentucky / Rural Rhythm
I Wouldn't Change You If I Could / Ricky Skaggs / Country Hits Bluegrass Style / Skaggs Family
A Far Cry From Lester And Earl / Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice / The Heart Of A Song / Rebel
No Mother Or Dad / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / The Complete Mercury Recordings / Mercury
Close The Door Lightly When You Go / Lonesome River Band / Chronology, Volume One / Rural Rhythm
Close The Door Lightly When You Go / Lonesome River Band / Saturday Night-Sunday Morning / Rebel
Memories / Spinney Brothers / Memories / Mountain Fever Records
Sweet Blue Eyed Darlin' / Sweet Potato Pie / Brand New Day / Mountain Fever Records
You'll Get No More Of Me / Flatt Lonesome / Demo / no label
Carolina Moonshine Man / Lou Reid & Carolina / Callin' Me Back Home / Self-Produced
Folsom Prison Blues / Scott Anderson / Tales From The Swamp / Mato Records
If You Ain't Lovin', You Ain't Livin' / Red Knuckles & the Trailblazers / Shades Of The Past / Sugar Hill
Hey Porter / Lynn Morris Band / The Bramble And The Rose / Rounder
Go Back You Fool / Bear Bridge Band / Broken Hearts And Better Times / Open Road
Daddy Sang Bass / Dailey & Vincent / The Gospel Side Of Dailey & Vincent / Cracker Barrel
To Warm And Comfort You / Pike Family & the Pine Hill Ranchers / To Warm And Comfort You / Rebel
Spanish Grass / Gelina & Pike's Mainly Grass / Rustic Little Cabin / Self-Produced
Forever And Ever / Pike Family & the Pine Hill Ranchers / To Warm And Comfort You / Rebel
Uphill Climb / Chris Jones / Lost Souls & Free Spirits / Rebel
I Ain't Gonna Work Tomorrow / Laurie Lewis / Skippin' & Flyin' / Spruce & Maple Music
Always Looking Back / Freeman & Williams / Freeman & Williams / Mountain Roads Recordings
Stepping Stone / Too Blue / Trouble With The Grey / Self-Produced
I'll Ramble On / Shannon Slaughter / The Sideman Steps Out / Self-Produced
Get In Line, Brother / Marty Stuart with Johnny Cash & Alan O'Bryant / Way Down Deep In My Soul / Sugar Hill
Don't You Want To Go Home / Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers / Rambler's Call / Rebel
Wings Of Angels / Jay Armsworthy / I Couldn't Make It Without Him / Blue Circle Records
Count Your Blessings / Kathy Kallick (with Laurie Lewis) / Count Your Blessings / Live Oak Records
I Have Decided To Follow Jesus / Heather Berry & Tony Mabe Show / The Heather Berry & Tony Mabe Show / Mountain Fever Records
My Foot Is On The Rock / Randy Waller & the Country Gentlemen / One Mile East Of Hazel Green / Lendel Records
I'll Never Go Back / Louvin Brothers / Songs That Tell A Story / Rounder
I Saw The Light / Bill Monroe / Anthology / MCA
I Want To Live Like Christ My Savior / Johnson Mountain Boys / Walls Of Time / Rounder
Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder

Sunday, February 19, 2012

"Bluegrass Cafe" Playlist - 2/19/2012

Hi Folks,

This show aired as folks were returning from the Joe Val Bluegrass Festival, so the goal was to keep it interesting after a weekend of outstanding music.

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper during their hot closing set Saturday night at the Joe Val Festival

Amy Gallatin & Roger Williams

We played songs from several of the artists appearing at Joe Val, including Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, The Reunion Band, The Spinney Brothers, Blue Highway, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters, The Manic Mountain Boys, and The Steep Canyon Rangers. We also played a solo tune from Mr. Al Hawkes who was seen all over the festival in numerous jam sessions.

We had a good time mining our archives for some great classic material that included songs from Delia Bell & Bill Grant, Bill Monroe, John Duffey, Flatt & Scruggs, and The Lilly Brothers & Don Stover.

Some not-yet-classic-but-great songs on this show were from Connecticut regional band Shady Creek, California band Peter Feldmann & The Pea Patch Quintet, and Taylors Grove - a duet from Maine who performs excellent versions of old time songs.

Carolyn Hutton & Mac McHale -- Taylors Grove

One of the news items that was announced during the Joe Val Festival was the move this year of the Podunk Bluegrass Festival from East Hartford, CT, to a larger facility in Norwich, CT. It is great to see bluegrass festivals growing in the northeast!

The new Podunk festival grounds in Norwich CT

Amy will be making the banjos and fiddles ring on the next Bluegrass Cafe, so be sure to tune in.

Jim

Title / Artist / Album / Label

Going Up Dry Branch / Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper / Fired Up! / Rounder
Shady Grove / The Reunion Band / Self-titled / Self-released
Can't You Hear Me Calling / Lou Reid & Carolina / Bill Monroe 100th Year Celebration / Rural Rhythm
Maple On The Hill / The Spinney Brothers / Tailor Made / Self-released
Honky Tonk Blues / The Bluegrass Brothers / "Live" At The Coffee Pot / Self-released
Molly / Larry Cordle / Pud Marcum's Hangin' / Mighty Cord
Worried Man Blues / Tommy Brown & County Line Grass / Hard Drivin' / Lavenir
Sweet Sally Brown / Acoustic Blue / Timeless / Self-released
The Stanley Brothers / Travers Chandler & Avery County / Advance Single / Mountain Fever
Sing Me To Memphis / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Day / Raincoe
I Ain't Gonna Lay My Hammer Down / Blue Highway / Sounds Of Home / Rounder
Sounds Of Home / Blue Highway / Sounds Of Home / Rounder
He Can't Catch Fish / Rick Pardue & Timmy Massey / The Ghost Of Noah Hayes / Lizard Records
Sail Away Ladies / Peter Feldmann & The Pea Patch Quintet / Grey Cat On The Tennessee Farm / Hen Cackle
Things In Life / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / So Much In Between / Mountain Home
Daisy a Day / Al Hawkes / Old Time Pickin' & Singin' / Event
Flame In My Heart / Delia Bell & Bill Grant / Dreaming / Rounder
Just Another Broken Heart / The Johnson Mountain Boys / Walls Of Time / Rounder (LP)
Montana Cowgirl (Coyote Song) / Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters / Phoenix / Happy Appy
All The Good Times Have Past And Gone / Merl Johnson / Better Man / Patuxent
Tribulations / Carolina Native Sons / Rank Ol' Bluegrass / Patuxent
Tricky Trail Of Love / The Manic Mountain Boys feat. Jon Swift / The Manics Pick On Monahan / CCALS.org
Can't Live Life / Edgar Loudermilk / Roads Travelled / Mountain Fever
What Do You Say? / Sierra Hull / Daybreak / Rounder
Country Store / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Drive Time / Mountain Home
Tennessee Tea / Joe Diffie / Homecoming / Rounder
Want vs.Need / The Gibson Brothers / Help My Brother / Compass
Women Like To Slow Dance / Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers / Rare Bird Alert / Rounder
Goodbye Bottle Of Whiskey / The Steep Canyon Rangers / Self-titled / Rebel
Creekslide (bed) / Snyder Family Band / Stages / Mountain Roads
Pretty Woman / Larry Gillis / Swampgrass / Tinman
Steady As She Goes / Thomas Porter & Copper River Band / Trolley Days / Self-released
Sparkling Brown Eyes / Tom Mindte & Jeremy Stephens / Radio Favorites & Sacred Songs / Patuxent
Not Loving Me / Shady Creek / The Old Home / Self-released
Last Goodbye Today / The Missy Werner Band / Three Kinds Of Lonesome / Self-released
Footprints In The Snow / Bill Monroe / The Essential / Columbia
White House Blues / Bill Monroe / Blue Grass 1950-1958 / Bear Family
I Long To See The Old Folks / The Stanley Brothers / 1953-1958 & 1959 / Bear Family
Kneel At The Cross / Taylors Grove / Keep On The Sunny Side / Fishtraks
Heaven / John Duffey / The Rebel Years 1962-1977 / Rebel
Bigger Hands Than Mine / Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper / Fired Up! / Rounder
Paul And Silas / Flatt & Scruggs / Foggy Mountain Gospel / Columbia
You're Drifting Away / Tony Rice / The Bill Monroe Collection / Rounder
Trusting In My Lord / Crowe Brothers / Bridging The Gap / Rural Rhythm
His Coming Is Nigh At The Door / Jay Armsworthy / I Couldn't Make It Without Him / Blue Circle
My Reward / Freeman & Williams / Self-titled / Mountain Roads
When The Saints Go Marching In / The Lilly Brothers & Don Stover / Early Recordings / Rebel
Walking In A Dream / Fred Etheridge w. Nick Anderson, Mark Doyle / Pickin' And Singin' / Self-released

Sunday, February 12, 2012

"Bluegrass Cafe" Playlist - 2/12/2012 - Valentines?

Hi Folks.

Bluegrass music, being the sentimental art form that it is, has a wealth of songs about relationships. The problem for our pre-Valentine's Day show was finding songs celebrating those relationships. Actually we thought about that for about five seconds, and decided that songs about failed relationships are just as important to the nature of bluegrass as songs about successful relationships, so we let 'er rip with both. By the way, we think the failed relationships "won." Marti was on hand to provide color commentary on all things Valentine.... (wink).

New music included songs from Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie, The Lonesome River Band, The Manic Mountain Boys, Freeman & Williams, Janie Fricke, Nothin' Fancy, Maranacook String Band (from Maine), Gelina & Pike's Mainly Grass (also from Maine), and Dailey & Vincent.

We also brought a couple of rarities and some comedy to the mix, including a 1985 LP from Bob Paisley, an obscure 45 single from 1972 on the Zap label by Tom & Frank Rhone and the New Bluegrass Associates, some classic bits from Jerry Clower, and our feature album, The Johnson Mountain Boys' 1982 LP "Walls of Time."

Amy and I both will be at the Joe Val Bluegrass Festival in Framingham, MA, this weekend, so be sure to say howdy if you see us. I'll be racing back Sunday to bring you the next Bluegrass Cafe which you may be able to hear on your way back from Joe Val.

Jim Beaver