Bluegrass Cafe

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

2012-02-12T21:38:00.000-05:00

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' 1983 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

Title / Artist / Album/ Label

Fire On The Mountain / Michael Cleveland / Sawing On The"C" String / Self-released
Too Late To Say Goodbye / The Johnson Mountain Boys / WallsOf Time / Rounder (LP)
Love Gone Cold / Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie / The TouchOf Time / Rural Rhythm
I'm Afraid To Love You Anymore / The Lonesome River Band / ChronologyVolume One / Rural Rhythm
If It Takes More Than Love To Hold You / The Crowe Brothers/ Bridging The Gap / Rural Rhythm
Used To Be / Del McCoury / Old Memories / McCoury Music
Without Any Heart / Manic Mountain Boys feat. Mary Maguire /The Manics Pick On Monahan / CCALS
I Love No One But You / The Stanley Brothers / 1949-1952 / BearFamily
The Nights Are So Long / Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper/ Fired Up / Rounder
I Believe In You Darling / Tony Rice / The Bill MonroeCollection / Rounder
If I Fall / The Missy Werner Band / Three Kinds Of Lonesome/ Self-released
Gold Watch And Chain / Taylors Grove / Keep On The SunnySide / Fishtraks
Wrong Road Again / Freeman & Williams / self-titled / MountainRoads
Goodbye Broken Heart / Janie Fricke / Country Side ofBluegrass / New Music Deals
I'm The Boss / Jim & Valerie Gabehart / It's My Turn / Self-released
The Working Man / Shannon Slaughter / The Sideman Steps Out/ Elite Circuit
A New Bull / Jerry Clower / Jerry Clower's Greatest Hits / MCA
Caroline / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be ABeautiful Day / Raincoe
A Good Woman's Love / Bill Monroe / 1950-1958 / Bear Family
Lonely Ends Where Love Begins / Darin & Brooke Aldridge/ So Much In Between / Mountain Home
I'll Be All Smiles Tonight / Mac Wiseman / The Mac WisemanStory / CMH
Old Joe / Johnny Warren & Charlie Cushman / A Tribute ToFiddlin' Paul Warren Vol. 2 / Self-released
Sweetheart Mountain Rose / The Blue Sky Boys / In Concert1964 / Rounder
Darlin' I'm Coming Home / The Johnson Mountain Boys / WallsOf Time / Rounder (LP)
White Rose / The High Rollers / Welcome / Self-released
You Are On My Mind Darling / The Lilly Brothers & TheLilly Mountaineers / West Virginia, Oh How I Miss You / Self-released
That's Why You Left Me So Blue / Mac Martin and the DixieTravelers / Travelin' On / Copper Creek
I Still Love You Yet / Bob Paisley and the Southern Grass / IStill Love You Yet / Mountain Laurel
Still Falling / Nothin' Fancy / self-titled / VirginiaDreams
Your Love Is Like A Flower / Tom & Frank Rhone and theNew Bluegrass Associates / 45 RPM single / Zap (45)
Letter From My Darling / Frank Wakefield / A Tribute To BillMonroe / Patuxent
Consider Me Gone / John Reischman & The Jaybirds / Vintage& Unique / Corvus
Blue Eyed Blonde / Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad/ self-titled / SteelTown
Do You Wrong Kind of Girl / Terry Baucom w. Jamie Dailey,Lou Reed / In A Groove / John Boy & Billy
A Lonesome Night / The Gillis Brothers / Best of the GillisBrothers / Hay Holler
Tragic Romance / The Lilly Brothers & Don Stover / EarlyRecordings / Rebel
Down By The Rambling Waters / Maranacook String Band / BearIn The Barn / Self-released
I'm The Boss (Of This Here House) / Jimmy Martin & TheSunny Mountain Boys / self-titled / Bear Family
That's When I Miss Her (Him) Most Of All / Gelina &Pike's Mainly Grass / Rustic Little Cabin / Blinnhill Productions
Cumberland Gap (bed) / Kenny Smith / Return / Gat Three
Getaway (bed) / Kenny Smith / Return / Gat Three
Little Bird / Becky Buller / Little Bird / Bell Buckle
Darling Why Can't You Be True / The McCormick Brothers / TheVery Best Of... / Varese Sarabande
Helen / Eddie & Martha Adcock / Many A Mile / Patuxent
Other Woman's Blues / Nu-Blu / The Blu-Disc / Pinecastle
Wanna Buy A Possum? / Jerry Clower / Jerry Clower's GreatestHits / MCA
Don't Fall In Love / Cherryholmes / self-titled / SkaggsFamily
Don't Act / Rhonda Vincent / All American Bluegrass Girl / Rounder
Lord Lead Me On / Audie Blaylock and Redline / I'm GoingBack To Old Kentucky / Rural Rhythm
The Perfect Sacrifice / Snyder Family Band / Stages / MountainRoads
I Hear My Savior Calling / The Stanley Brothers / 1953-1958& 1959 / Bear Family
Mansion God Is Building / Jay Armsworthy / I Couldn't MakeIt Without Him / Blue Circle
Life's Railway To Heaven / Lee Marcus / Grandpa's Pond / Self-released
Cast Aside / Dailey & Vincent / The Gospel Side Of... / CrackerBarrel
I'll Meet You In Church Sunday Morning / Larry Richardson / LetThe Light Shine Down (collection) / Rebel
I Shall Not Be Moved / The Lewis Family / Born Of The Spirit/ Starday
I'll Sail For Higher Ground / John Bowman / Family Chain / Pisgah
Tell Me What You Think Of My Lord / The Johnson MountainBoys / Walls Of Time / Rounder (LP)
Walking In A Dream / Fred Etheridge w. Nick Anderson, MarkDoyle / Pickin' and Singin' / Self-released

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 2/5/2012

2012-02-05T23:47:00.001-05:00

To go along with the football "vibe" for the day, we tried to make Sunday's BG Cafe pretty "super," too. Hopefully, we were able to come at least a little bit close...

The main "theme" of the show today was the upcoming 27th Joe Val Bluegrass Festival, to be held February 17-19 at the Sheraton Framingham in Framingham, MA. Every year, the hardworking volunteers of the Boston Bluegrass Union spend 6-8 months putting together this winter event that has come to be known as a "family reunion" of sorts for those who attend. In addition, there is a terrific lineup on the Main Stage with some top-notch performers, including Blue Highway, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, the Whites, Special Consensus, Sierra Hull & Highway 111, Claire Lynch, Della Mae, the Steep Canyon Rangers, the Spinney Brothers, Jimmy Gaudreau & Moondi Klein with Jonathan Edwards, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, and the Josh Williams Band. Also on the Main Stage, you'll be able to hear regional favorites like Boston's Reunion Band, Maine's Evergreen, and Connecticut's very own, Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters. There are other bands, playing, too, that you won't want to miss. For more information on all of them, as well as the many Showcase bands, workshop offerings, and Heritage Award winners, click here.

In addition to playing music from a lot of the performers who'll be playing at Joe Val, we got a nice inside look at the festival from long-time organizer, Gerry Katz. Gerry spent several minutes telling us about the lineup and all of the fabulous offerings at Joe Val, and then, allowed us to give away some day passes to the festival (which was really quite easy to do -- no surprise). Many thanks to all of the fine Boston Bluegrass Union organizers and volunteers, and thanks again to Gerry for coming on the air to talk with us. If you didn't win festival tickets today, be sure to join Jim next Sunday, as he'll have more day passes to give away.

If talk about Joe Val and its lineup wasn't enough for you, we also shared some brand new music from the mighty fine recording by Virginia songbird, Heather Berry, and her husband, Tony Mabe. Together, they're calling their act "The Heather Berry & Tony Mabe Show," and their new CD on Mountain Fever Records is really very excellent. If you're a fan of the music of early performers like the Carter Family, or just enjoy female vocalists with very pure voices, you're sure to enjoy the music of these two talented performers.

Other new music or newer music hit the air, as well, from folks like Marty Raybon, Lee Marcus, Carolina Road, Shannon Slaughter, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Carolina Road, Nothin' Fancy, and a brand new Rounder compilation from Tony Rice. Hope you liked it.

Be sure to join Jim in the BG Cafe next Sunday afternoon -- he'll have a whole lot of great music to share, and you'll not want to miss hearing it!

Have a fine week!

Amy

REQUESTS ARE RED; JOE VAL PERFORMERS ARE BROWN.

Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
Dixie Special / Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper / Fired Up / Rounder
Bluebird Days / Blue Highway / Sounds Of Home / Rounder
Montana Cowboy (Coyote Song) / Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters / Phoenix / Happy Appy Records
Bluegrass Blues / Steep Canyon Rangers / The Steep Canyon Rangers / Rebel
Walk Slow / Heather Berry & Tony Mabe Show / The Heather Berry & Tony Mabe Show / Mountain Fever Records
Eating Out Of Your Hand / Longview / Deep In The Mountains / Rounder
B Natural / David Grisman with Ronnie McCoury / Dawg Plays Big Mon: Happy Birthday Bill Monroe / Acoustic Disc
Three Ways Of Knowing / Allerton & Alton / Black, White & Bluegrass / Bear Family
Some Old Day / J.D. Crowe & the New South / J.D. Crowe & the New South / Cracker Barrel
Tears And Roses / Heather Berry & Tony Mabe Show / The Heather Berry & Tony Mabe Show / Mountain Fever Records
I've Lived A Lot In My Time / Dry Branch Fire Squad / Just For The Record / Rounder
One / Lee Marcus / Grandpa's Pond / Self-Produced
Black Mountain Special / Rich In Tradition / Black Mountain Special / Mountain Roads Recordings
Sourwood Mountain / Bob Paisley & the Southern Grass / Heritage / Brandywine
Sing Me A Bluegrass Song / Carolina Road / Back To My Roots / Rural Rhythm
Two Hours Down / Rick Hayes / Fly By Night / Self-Produced
Memory Of You / Balsam Range / Trains I Missed / Mountain Home
Teardrops Falling In The Snow / Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum / The Oak And The Laurel / Rounder
Feast Here Tonight / David Grisman with Doc Watson & Ricky Skaggs / Home Is Where The Heart Is / Rounder
Hooverville / Shannon Slaughter / The Sideman Steps Out / Self-Produced
My Florida Sunshine / Claire Lynch / Bill Monroe Centennial Celebration: A Classic Bluegrass Tribute / Rounder
Turnpike Reel / Too Blue / Trouble With The Grey / Self-Produced
Dirt Road Heartache / Marty Raybon / Southern Roads & Branches / Rural Rhythm
Bowling Green / Della Mae / I Built This Heart / Self-Produced
Polka On The Banjo / Josh Williams / Down Home / Rounder
Signs / Special Consensus / Signs / Pinecastle
The Cowboy Lives Forever / The Whites / A Lifetime In The Making / Ceili Music
Bombshell / Sierra Hull / Daybreak / Rounder
***Conversation with Boston Bluegrass Union's Gerry Katz***
A Cowboy's Sweetheart / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / So Much In Between / Mountain Home
Age / Bluegrass Gospel Project / The Blue Morpho / Vital Records
Footprints In The Snow / Monadnock / House Upon The Hill / Self-Produced
Going To Georgia / Charlie Sizemore / Heartache Looking For A Home / Rounder
Five Speed / Johnson Mountain Boys / Favorites / Rounder
Going Home / Spinney Brothers / Going Home / Self-Produced
Sparkling Brown Eyes / Joe Val / Diamond Joe / Rounder
Remembrance Is A Golden Chain / Heather Berry & Tony Mabe Show with Darrin Vincent / The Heather Berry & Tony Mabe Show / Mountain Fever Records
Pretty Little Girl From Galax / Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out / Prime Tyme / Rural Rhythm
Let Us Travel, Travel On / Louvin Brothers / My Baby's Gone, 1955-1964 / Raven Records
He Can Be Found / Gibson Brothers / Help My Brother / Compass Records
Get In Line, Brother / David Parmley & Continental Divide / Church House Hymns, Volume II / Self-Produced
Fifty Miles Of Elbow Room / Bear Bridge Band / Broken Hearts & Better Times / Open Road
River Of Death / Tony Rice / The Bill Monroe Collection / Rounder
It's Gonna Rain / Kathy Kallick [Good Ol' Persons] / Count Your Blessings / Live Oak Records
It Gets Better All The Time / Nothin' Fancy / Nothin' Fancy / Virginia Dreams Records
I'm Getting Ready To Leave This World / Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad / Pickin', Praisin' & Singin': Hymns From The Mountain / Rural Rhythm
Blue Grass Twist / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder

Joe Val tix -- will you win some today?

2012-02-05T13:27:00.002-05:00

On the BG Cafe today, we'll take some time in the middle of the program -- about 5:30PM -- to chat with the Boston Bluegrass Union's Gerry Katz, one of the organizers of the upcoming 27th Joe Val Bluegrass Festival. As always, there are A LOT of great things going on at Joe Val, including, a whole bunch of terrific music on the Main Stage from folks like Blue Highway, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, the Whites, Special Consensus, Sierra Hull & Highway 111, the Steep Canyon Rangers, Claire Lynch, Jimmy Gaudreau & Moondi Klein, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, the Spinney Brothers, and a few more. If that lineup isn't enough, there are many very fine regional bands performing on the Showcase Stage, tons of workshops, and plenty of socializing and picking. This all happens at the Sheraton Framingham in Framingham, MA on February 17, 18, and 19, and, as always, the hotel is sold out. However, you'll have an opportunity to pick up some day passes today after our conversation with Gerry.

More information on the festival can be found by clicking here.

Hope you can find the time time today to listen in to the BG Cafe -- 4PM-7PM.

Talk to you then...

Amy

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 1/29/2012

2012-01-29T23:26:00.000-05:00

Our standard playlist "recipe" for the BG Cafe is a mix of old with new. When we use the term "old," though, we don't always mean going back to music from the first generation and the 1940s and 1950s. In doing a bit of cleaning at home, I recently unearthed a couple of cassettes from around 1989/1990, and since neither of these tapes had ever been issued on LP or CD (to my knowledge, anyway), I couldn't resist the opportunity to share them on the airwaves on Sunday. The sound quality is definitely lacking, but we like to think that mixture is all part of the "charm" of a live radio show. Let's go with that reasoning, anyway...

Under the "new" category, we shared music from two super CDs: one from a NYC-area band called Too Blue, and the other a soon-to-be released project from the trio of Freeman & Williams. It so happens that Too Blue was performing today at the Firebox Restaurant in Hartford, so perhaps folks listening to the radio on their way to the Firebox got to hear some great music from their CD called, "Trouble With The Grey." It's a mighty fine record.

The Freeman & Williams trio is North Carolina musician Scott Freeman, joined by Virginia BG veterans, Johnny & Jeanette Williams. Their new self-titled project will be released on February 7th on Mountain Roads Recordings, and it is quite delightful. Doubtless, you'll be hearing more from this talented trio, as well as Too Blue, in future editions of the BG Cafe.

Other newer music on today's show came from the likes of Rickey Wasson & Dwight McCall, Nu-Blu, Merl Johnson, Chris Jones & the Night Drivers, Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice, Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray, Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie, and the Missy Werner Band.

The things you find in a closet!

For the "old," we returned to the 1990 Winterhawk Bluegrass Festival in Ancramdale, NY with the "3rd Winterhawk Scholarship Album." There are several great live performances on this tape, and they run the gamut from traditional BG to the more "out there," fringy styles of acoustic music. That's kind of the brand for Winterhawk (now known as Grey Fox) -- the festival is neither fully a traditional festival nor a completely "jamgrass" festival. There's really something there for every BG musical taste, and this tape really showcased that.

The Spinneys' record debut - 1993.

We also revisited some of the first recorded music from a Canadian band then known as the Spinney Brothers & Close Company. The Spinneys have come a long way since their earliest musical days, but it's fun to hear how they sounded on their first two recordings from 1993 and 1996. We'll be sharing a brand new recording from the Spinney Brothers sometime in the next couple of months, when they make their debut on Mountain Fever Records with a CD called, "Memories."

Hope you enjoyed something you heard on today's show, and that you'll be sure to join me once again next Sunday on the BG Cafe.

Enjoy the week!

Amy O.

Requests are RED.

Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
That High Lonesome Sound / Peter Rowan & the Nashville Bluegrass Band / New Moon Rising / Sugar Hill
The Court Of Love / Rhonda Vincent / Taken / Upper Management Music
Baby Girl / Stanley Brothers / 20th Century Masters / Mercury
Tennessee Tea / Joe Diffie / Homecoming / Rounder
Trouble With The Grey / Too Blue / Trouble With The Grey / Self-Produced
Molly And Tenbrooks / Rickey Wasson & Dwight McCall / Rural Rhythm Records Salutes Bill Monroe / Rural Rhythm
Sparta Flash / The Expedition Show / The Expedition Show / Mountain Fever Records
Got Leavin' On Her Mind / Mark Newton Band / Charlie Lawson's Still / Rebel
I Fall To Pieces / Too Blue / Trouble With The Grey / Self-Produced
Truck Driving Man / Karl Shiflett & Big Country Show / Worries On My Mind / Rebel
Cotton Farmer / Travers Chandler & Avery County / State Of Depression / Patuxent Music
Love Of The Mountains / Lost & Found / Classic Bluegrass / Rebel
The Memory Of Your Smile / Dede Wyland / Keep The Light On / Patuxent Music
Every Shade Of Blue / Nu-Blu / The Blu-Disc / Pinecastle
Face The Music / Too Blue / Trouble With The Grey / Self-Produced
The Nights Are So Long / Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper / Fired Up / Rounder
You'll Find Monroe Written There / Merl Johnson / Better Man / Patuxent Music
Say You Lied / Neon Valley Boys / Bluegrass / Sudden Comfort Records
Safe Passage / Gibson Brothers / Help My Brother / Compass Records
Winterhawk / Northern Lights with Matt Glaser / The 3rd Winterhawk Scholarship Album / Gordo
West Texas Wind / Seldom Scene / The 3rd Winterhawk Scholarship Album / Gordo
John Henry / Weary Hearts / Weary Hearts Live / no label
A Hero In Harlan / Chris Jones & the Night Drivers / Lost Souls & Free Spirits / Rebel
When Halley Came To Jackson / Freeman & Williams / Freeman & Williams / Mountain Roads Recordings
There's No Place Like Home / Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice / The Heart Of A Song / Rebel
In Half The Time It Takes To Cry / Freeman & Williams / Freeman & Williams / Mountain Roads Recordings
Why Ask Why? / Steve Gulley & Tim Stafford / Dogwood Winter / Rural Rhythm
Boston Boy / Jessie Baker / Yessir! / Patuxent Music
D-18 Song (Thank You, Mr. Martin) / Norman Blake & Tony Rice / Norman Blake & Tony Rice 2 / Rounder
Home Run Man / Parmley & McCoury / Families Of Tradition / BGC
Nightwalk / Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray / Many A Mile / Patuxent Music
Nobody Knows Who You Are / Spinney Brothers & Close Company / The Old Fundy Shore / Self-Produced
You're The Highlight Of My Life / Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie / The Touch Of Time / Rural Rhythm
I'll Never See My Home Again / Bear Bridge Band / Broken Hearts & Better Times / Open Road
I'd Rather Love A Memory / Missy Werner Band / Three Kinds Of Lonesome / Self-Produced
Amelia Earhart's Last Flight / Country Gentlemen / Can't You Hear Me Callin': Early Classics, 1963-1969 / Rebel
There Ain't No Easy Street / Steep Canyon Rangers / Deep In The Shade / Rebel
Ground Hog / The Dillards / Bluegrass Breakdown / Vanguard
Joy Of Revelation / McCoury Brothers / The McCoury Brothers / Rounder
The Power Up Above / Edgar Loudermilk / Roads Travelled / Mountain Fever Records
I Hear A Sweet Voice Calling / Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder / Soldier Of The Cross / Skaggs Family Records
He Set Me Free / Statement / Around The Corner / Mountain Fever Records
My Rock / Spinney Brothers & Close Company / Spinney Brothers & Close Company / Self-Produced
Mansions For Me / Bobby Osborne & the Rocky Top X-Press / Bill Monroe Centennial Celebration: A Classic Bluegrass Tribute / Rounder
Over In The Gloryland / Reno & Smiley with the Stanley Brothers / Bluegrass, 1963 / Rural Rhythm
I'll Live With God (To Die No More) / Louvin Brothers / The Family Who Prays: 26 Classic Tracks / Country Stars
Satisfied / Paul Williams & the Victory Trio / Satisfied / Rebel
Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder

"Bluegrass Cafe" Playlist - 1/22/2012

2012-01-22T21:02:00.001-05:00

Hi Folks.

We had an interesting show this day with special focus on a new CD project titled "The Manics Pick On Monahan." This is a fantastic tribute to a great friend of many bluegrass and folk music fans in New England, Tom Monahan, who passed away from ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) a year ago. The long-lasting bluegrass-festival-camping social group that was instigated and inspired by Tom was informally called "The Manic Mountain Boys."

Many of the Manics got together to perform songs written by Tom, and this CD is the result. Since the Manics self-produced the CD, 100% of the proceeds will go to Compassionate Care ALS, an organization that helped Tom during his ultimate trial with the condition. Well-known New England musician and fellow Manic Mountain Boy, Jon Swift, joined us on the air to discuss the project. You can get a copy directly from Compassionate Care ALS on their web site: http://ccals.org/monahan-manic.php

Other new music on this show was from The Missy Werner Band, Nu-Blu, Frank Wakefield, Suzy Bogguss, Randy Waller & The Country Gentlemen, Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa, Lee Marcus, Crowe Brothers, The VW Boys, Nothin' Fancy, and the new Cracker Barrel gospel album from Dailey & Vincent.

We raided the Heritage Corner archives for a couple of oldies from The Chuck Wagon Gang (1940) and J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers (1950) featuring J.E. Mainer, Jr.

Counterclockwise from lower left: J.E. Mainer, J.E. Mainer Jr., Glenn Mainer, Earnest Harwood

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

Jim Beaver

Requests highlighted

Title / Artist / Album/ Label

Rare Bird Alert / Steve Martin andthe Steep Canyon Rangers / Rare Bird Alert / Rounder
Body & Soul / Blue Moon Rising / Bill Monroe 100th YearCelebration / Rural Rhythm
Blue Moon Of Kentucky / Bobby Osborne & The Rocky TopXpress / Bill Monroe 100th Year Celebration / Rural Rhythm
Sugar Hill / Various Artists / Close Kin / Mountain Roads
Rabbit In The Log / Taylors Grove / Keep On The Sunny Side /Fishtraks
Last Goodbye Today / The Missy Werner Band / Three Kinds OfLonesome / Self-released
Wilson County Line / Shannon Slaughter / The Sideman StepsOut / Elite Circuit
Ol' Dan Tucker / Suzy Bogguss / American Folk Songbook / LoyalDutchess
John Henry / Del McCoury / Old Memories / McCoury Music
Almost Hear The Blues / James Reams & The Barnstormers /One Foot In The Honky Tonk / Mountain Redbird
Every Shade Of Blue / Nu-Blu / The Blu-Disc / Pinecastle
Rawhide / Frank Wakefield / A Tribute To Bill Monroe / Patuxent
New Shoes / Dale Ann Bradley / Somewhere South Of Crazy / Compass
Applejack / Pam Gadd with Dolly Parton / Benefit Of Doubt / HomeSweet Highway
Old Kentucky Hillside / Randy Waller & The CountryGentlemen / One Mile East Of Hazel Green / Lendel
Just Someone I Used To Know / Daryl Mosely - Stacy Scruggs /Bluegrass Tribute To Studio B / Farm Country
Fly Off That Hill / Nothin' Fancy / Nothin' Fancy / VirginiaDreams
Old Paint / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be ABeautiful Day / Raincoe
Cruel Wind And Rain / Jim Lauderdale / Reason and Rhyme / SugarHill
Your Love Died Like The Rose / The Johnson Mountain Boys / WorkingClose / Rounder
Pud Marcum's Hangin' / Larry Cordle / Pud Marcum's Hangin' /Mighty Cord
Jon Swift Interview
Tricky Trail Of Love / Jon Swift / The Manics Pick OnMonahan / CCALS.org
Freight Train Boogie / Blues Grass / Self-titled / Self-released
I Can't Remember You / Jeff Horton / The Manics Pick OnMonahan / CCALS.org
North Carolina Breakdown / Johnny Warren & CharlieCushman / A Tribute To Fiddlin' Paul Warren Vol. 2 / Self-released
I Don't Care / Laurie Lewis / Skippin' and Flyin' / SpruceAnd Maple
The Year That Clayton Delaney Died / The Grascals with TomT. Hall / Grascals and Friends / Cracker Barrel
Ugly Girl Blues / VW Boys / Retroactive / Mountain Roads
There's No Place Like Home / Junior Sisk & Rambler'sChoice / The Heart Of A Song / Rebel
They Don't Name Girls Beulah Anymore / Rick Pardue &Timmy Massey / The Ghost Of Noah Hayes / Lizard Records
Time Stands Still / Tommy Webb / From Rock-N-Roll To BillMonroe / Self-released
Still On The Hill (bed) / Howdy Forrester / 16 Fiddler'sGreatest Hits / Hollywood
Peacock Rag (bed) / Chubby Wise / 16 Fiddler's Greatest Hits/ Hollywood
Without Any Heart / Mary Maguire / The Manics Pick On Monahan/ CCALS.org
Windmills / Acoustic Blue / Timeless / Self-released
Blue Tail Fly / Hylo Brown & Timberliners / Roots Musicof Rural America / Rural Rhythm
What It Means To Be Lonesome / Carolina Road / Back To TheRoots / Rural Rhythm
Honey (Open That Door) / Ricky Skaggs / Country HitsBluegrass Style / Skaggs Family
Going Down To Charleston / The Spinney Brothers / Side BySide / Mastertone
The Story In Your Eyes / Ronnie Bowman and various / MoodyBluegrass Two Much Love / Bunny Rae
He Could Pick The Hound / Crowe Brothers / Bridging The Gap/ Rural Rhythm
Living In The Kingdom Of God / Dailey & Vincent / TheGospel Side of Dailey & Vincent / Cracker Barrel
When Daddy Sang / Sweet Potato Pie / Journey Called Life / MountainFever
We Are Climbing / The Chuck Wagon Gang / Higher - 1940Dallas Sessions / Copper Creek
Walking For The Lord / J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers / Run Mountain 30 Old Time Favorites /Gusto
The Stone Was Rolled Away / NewTown / Self-titled / Self-released
Will The Circle Be Unbroken / Lee Marcus / Grandpa's Pond / Self-released
When I Wake Up To Sleep No More / Nick Anderson & TheGospel Friends / Self-titled / Self-released
That Wonderful Place / Ralph Stanley / A Mother's Prayer / Rebel
The Fourth Man / Dailey & Vincent / The Gospel Side ofDailey & Vincent / Cracker Barrel
Walking In A Dream / Fred Etheridge w. Nick Anderson &Mark Doyle / Pickin' and Singin' / Self-released

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 1/15/2012

2012-01-15T23:28:00.001-05:00

Although the year is pretty young, today was the coldest day of 2012 in eastern CT. To that end, it seemed like one of the proverbial "no-brainers" to kick off today's Bluegrass Cafe with a few tunes that echoed the cold outside the studios. Maybe some songs with hot, sunny, balmy titles would have been better, but today, we stuck with the cold...

Happy 86th, Ray Price!

Following that, we jumped right into a tribute set to a Country Music Hall of Famer who probably ranks as my #1 favorite country singer of the 1950s -- Ray Price, who celebrated his 86th birthday on January 12th. As with many classic country singers, a lot of Ray Price's music has been reinterpreted through the years and translated to BG, so it was very, very easy to choose five BG covers of Ray Price tunes, plus two more songs featuring the man himself. If more of today's country music sounded like the classic 4/4 Ray Price shuffles of the 1950s, wouldn't country music be so much more "listenable?"

The last time I was on the air (on New Year's Day), I filled the 3 hours of airtime with music released in 2011 that I'd really enjoyed. Naturally, there were more than a couple of CDs I'd pulled before that show to play, but never got around to it over the course of the program. Today, I got a second chance to play some of these favorites from 2011 that have been neglected on New Year's Day, so I didn't hesitate to play music by Shannon Slaughter, Eddie & Martha Adcock, the Expedition Show, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Larry Sparks, and Blue Highway.

Merl Johnson can play both the
mandolin & fiddle quite well.

It's great to play music from earlier years, but it is a new year, and that means, there will likely be a bit of new BG music to play and share on the radio each week. This time around, we played a song from a forthcoming 30-year anniversary CD from the Lonesome River Band and a mandolin instrumental from a Patuxent Music CD by Merl Johnson called, "Better Man." Merl Johnson also plays the fiddle quite well, and currently, he's a featured member of Travers Chandler & Avery County.

The record title doesn't say "Statler
Brothers," but the connection is still
there -- Statler Jimmy Fortune makes
an appearance on this CD.

There's also a brand-new CD this week from Dailey & Vincent -- "The Gospel Side Of Dailey & Vincent." This CD (like D&V's last recording called, "Dailey & Vincent Sing The Statler Brothers") is only available through Cracker Barrel Old Country Store outlets throughout the country, and is not 100% straight-ahead BG music. Instead, while there are some songs that are fairly Bluegrass-ish on the CD, there are also a few numbers which are definitely more country-sounding with lots of strings and percussion and different arrangements. Throughout, though, the harmonies are pretty terrific with some duet vocals and a bunch of fine quartets (with Jeff Parker and Christian Davis rounding out the sound, just as they do in a live set from D&V).

Hope you're having a fine 2012 so far. Keep your resolution to listen to great BG on the radio next Sunday when Jim joins you in the BG Cafe, won't you?

Have a good week -
Amy

REQUESTS ARE RED.

Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
Cold Wind / Joe Val & the New England Bluegrass Boys / Diamond Joe / Rounder
Cold, Cold Love / Karl Shiflett & Big Country Show / In Full Color / Rebel
Chilly Winds / Johnny Williams / Close Kin / Mountain Roads Recordings
Cold, Icy Fingers / Lost & Found / It's About Time / Rebel
Sweet Little Miss Blue Eyes / Ray Price / Collector's Choice / Harmony [Ray Price born, 1/12/1926]
I'll Be There / Del McCoury Band / The Cold Hard Facts / Rounder
Wasted Words / Johnson Mountain Boys / Live At The Birchmere / Rounder
Move On In And Stay / Mickey Harris / Dog House Blues / MJH Records
Crazy Arms / IIIrd Tyme Out / Puttin' New Roots Down / Rebel
Heartaches By The Number / Jim & Jesse / Our Kind Of Country / Pinecastle
I Can't Go Home Like This / Ray Price / The Essential Ray Price / Columbia
The Working Man / Shannon Slaughter / The Sideman Steps Out / Self-Produced
This Morning At Nine / Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray / Many A Mile / Patuxent Music
I'm Yours / Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper / Fired Up / Rounder
If You've Got Something To Say / Blue Highway / Sounds Like Home / Rounder
Let It Go / Missy Werner Band / Three Kinds Of Lonesome / Self-Produced
Carolina Dreams / Lee Marcus / Grandpa's Pond / Self-Produced
Let It Go / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Day! / Self-Produced
Carolina Dreams / Edgar Loudermilk / Roads Travelled / Mountain Fever Records
I'll Stay Around / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Selected Sides, 1950-1952 / JSP Records
If That's The Way You Feel / Stanley Brothers / Selected Cuts, 1956-1959 / JSP Records
Saints Go Marching In / Lilly Brothers & Don Stover / Bluegrass At The Roots, 1961 / Smithsonian Folkways
Rocky Top / Osborne Brothers / High Lonesome / CMH
You're Not A Drop In The Bucket / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Selected Cuts, 1955-1959 / JSP Records
There's Another Baby Waiting For Me Down The Line / Reno & Smiley / Early Years, 1951-1959 / Gusto [recorded 1/15/1952 for King Records]
My Dixie Darlin' / Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum / The Oak And The Laurel / Rounder [Tom Rozum birthday, 1/21/1951]
Hickory Holler's Tramp / Country Gentlemen / The Award Winning Country Gentlemen / Rebel [Charlie Waller birthday, 1/19/1935]
Coat Of Many Colors / Lynn Morris Band / The Bramble And The Rose / Rounder [songwriter Dolly Parton born, 1/16/1946]
Whippoorwill / Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out / Prime Tyme / Rural Rhythm
Backroads And Little Towns / The Expedition Show / The Expedition Show / Mountain Fever Records
Devil Woman / Spinney Brothers / Side By Side / Self-Produced
Bring 'Em On Back / Larry Sparks / Almost Home / Rounder
The Stanley Brothers / Travers Chandler & Avery Country / forthcoming CD / Mountain Fever Records
Close The Door Lightly When You Go / Lonesome River Band / forthcoming CD / Rural Rhythm
Arthur's March [music bed] / Tim Martin / Bluegrass Fiddle / Patuxent Music
Tune For Leonard [music bed] / Tim Martin / Bluegrass Fiddle / Patuxent Music
Lights Along The Riverside [music bed] / Tim Martin / Bluegrass Fiddle / Patuxent Music
Farm Of Yesterday / Gibson Brothers / Ring The Bell / Compass Records
Final Farewell / Chris Jones & the Night Drivers / New Cuts Of Bluegrass, Volume 4 / no label
Things In Life / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / So Much In Between / Mountain Home
Me And The Jukebox / Leon Morris / Thinking Today Of My Home / Patuxent Music
Don't Throw Mama's Flowers Away / Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass / The Room Over Mine / Rounder
Amandalyn / Merl Johnson / Better Man / Patuxent Music
Living In The Kingdom Of God / Dailey & Vincent / The Gospel Side Of Dailey & Vincent / Cracker Barrel
God's Coloring Book / Country Gentlemen / Way Down Deep In My Soul / Sugar Hill
Thankful For Each Day / Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice / The Heart of A Song / Rebel
Love Lifted Me / Mountain Faith / Save Me / Mountain Home
The Stone Was Rolled Away / NewTown / NewTown / Self-Produced
It's So Hard To Stumble (When You're Down On Your Knees) / Lou Reid & Carolina / My Own Set Of Rules / Rural Rhythm
You Must Come In At The Door / Doc Watson / The Best Of The Sugar Hill Years / Sugar Hill
The Lighthouse / Gibson Brothers / Bona Fide / Sugar Hill
Daddy Sang Bass / Dailey & Vincent / The Gospel Side Of Dailey & Vincent / Cracker Barrel
Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder

"Bluegrass Cafe" Playlist - 1/8/2012

2012-01-08T22:39:00.000-05:00

Hi Folks.

This show occurred on the "Eighth of January" which happens to be the title of an old American fiddle tune. Marti and I celebrated with Rhonda Vincent's instrumental version as well as Jimmie Driftwood's version with lyrics known as "The Battle Of New Orleans."

January 8th is also Elvis Presley's birthday, so we took advantage of that to explore one of the songs that helped launch his career -- a song he borrowed from the one and only Bill Monroe -- "Blue Moon of Kentucky." We played Monroe's original 1946 recording followed by Elvis', then the Stanley Brothers', and then Monroe's re-recording that included the 4/4 section halfway through. All of the last three versions were recorded within about a three-month period in 1954. We also played a few more current versions of the song recently released by Laurie Lewis, Frank Wakefield, and Bobby Osborne. The history of this song and its influence is one of the reasons Bill Monroe is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

We also acknowledged Randall Hylton's, Curly Ray Cline's, and of course Earl Scruggs' birthdays, all of which occur near or on this date, and Jimmy Martin's recording of "You Don't Know My Mind" that he recorded January 13, 1960.

To top off Bluegrass Cafe this day, we had an interview with Brandon Rickman who will be performing a solo show at The Outer Space in Hamden, CT, Saturday January 21, 2012. You can find more information about the show and buy tickets in advance at http://guitartownct.com

Be sure to tune in next Sunday for another great afternoon of the best in bluegrass music.

Jim Beaver

requests are red

Title / Artist / Album/ Label

Fire On The Mountain / Michael Cleveland / Sawing On The"C" String / Self-released
I'm Going Back To Old Kentucky / Audie Blaylock and Redline/ I'm Going Back To Old Kentucky / Rural Rhythm
Chilly Winds / Johnny Williams et al / Close Kin / MountainRoads
Eighth Of January / Rhonda Vincent / Destination Life / Rounder
The Battle Of New Orleans / Jimmie Driftwood / Americana / BearFamily
Don't Act / Rhonda Vincent / All American Bluegrass Girl / Rounder
You Won't Be Satisfied That Way / Dave Evans / Goin' RoundThis World / Rebel
Jimmie Brown, The Newsboy / Flatt & Scruggs / FoggyMountain Jamboree / Columbia
Flint Hill Special / Flatt & Scruggs / Foggy MountainJamboree / Columbia
Blue Moon of Kentucky (1946) / Bill Monroe and His BlueGrass Boys / The Essential / Columbia
Blue Moon of Kentucky / Elvis Presley / Elvis At Sun / BMG
Blue Moon of Kentucky / The Stanley Brothers / 1953-1958& 1959 / Bear Family
Blue Moon of Kentucky (1954) / Bill Monroe and His BlueGrass Boys / Blue Grass 1950-1958 / Bear Family
Heart And Soul / The Gillis Brothers / Heart And Soul / Rebel
Brand New Tennessee Waltz / Ralph Stanley & The ClinchMountain Boys / 1971-1973 / Rebel
Old Richmond Prison / Ralph Stanley & The ClinchMountain Boys / Classic Bluegrass / Rebel
You Don't Know My Mind / Jimmy Martin / You Don't Know MyMind / Rounder
Deep River / Ashley Blankenship and Blades of Blue / Bladesof Blue / Mountain Fever
Frozen In Time / The Gibson Brothers / Help My Brother / Compass
Blue Moon of Kentucky / Laurie Lewis / Skippin' and Flyin' /Spruce and Maple
The Working Man / Shannon Slaughter / The Sideman Steps Out/ Elite Circuit
Brakeman's Blues / The Del McCoury Band / Old Memories / McCouryMusic
Eighteen Wheels / Crowe Brothers / Bridging The Gap / RuralRhythm
Going Back To Old Virginia / Michael Cleveland &Flamekeeper / Fired Up / Rounder
Mississippi Sawyer / George Pegram / Self-titled / Rounder
Bring Back My Blue Eyed Boy To Me / Lilly Brothers & DonStover / Early Recordings / Rebel
When The Snow Falls On The Bluegrass / Cody Shuler &Pine Mountain Railroad / Self-titled / SteelTown
Pretty Polly / NewTown / NewTown / Self-released
My Time / Lee Marcus / Grandpa's Pond / Self-released
Just As Soon As I Get Over You / Junior Sisk and RamblersChoice / The Heart Of A Song / Rebel
Put Me In Your Pocket / Taylors Grove / Keep On The SunnySide / Fishtraks
Rabbit In The Pea Patch / Peter Feldman & The Pea PatchQuintet / Grey Cat On The Tennessee Farm / Self-released
Blue Moon of Kentucky / Frank Wakefield w. Audie Blaylock / ATribute To Bill Monroe / Patuxent
Cry Lonesome Dove / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / It'sGonna Be A Beautiful Day / Raincoe
Flint Hill Special (bed) / Rick Spinney / Off The Cuff / Self-released
Nine Pound Hammer (bed) / Rick Spinney / Off The Cuff / Self-released
That's Just Me Lovin' You / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / SoMuch In Between / Mountain Home
Sharecropper's Son / Carolina Road / Back To My Roots / RuralRhythm
I Wouldn't Change You If I Could / Ricky Skaggs / CountryHits Bluegrass Style / Skaggs Family
The Old Home Place / The Dillards / There Is A Time(1963-70) / Vanguard
Blue Moon of Kentucky / Bobby Osborne & Rocky TopX-Press / Bill Monroe 100th Year Celebration at Bean Blossom / Rural Rhythm
Brown Check / Larry Cordle / Pud Marcum's Hangin' / MightyCord
Record Time Machine / Lonesome River Band / Still Learning /Rural Rhythm
Always Have, Always Will / Brandon Rickman / Young Man, OldSoul / Rural Rhythm
Interview with Brandon Rickman
Meanwhile / Balsam Range / Trains I Missed / Mountain Home
Before Judgement [sic]Day / J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers / 30 Old Time Favorites / Gusto
Wings Of Angels / Jay Armsworthy / I Couldn't Make ItWithout Him / Blue Circle
Give Me Just A Little More Time / The Bluegrass GospelProject / The Blue Morpho / Vital
Walking In A Dream / Fred Etheridge / Pickin' and Singin' / Self-released

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 1/1/2012

2012-01-02T00:41:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!

The most-played CD at the "BG Cafe"
in 2011 was by the Gibsons.
No big surprise there...

Today's radio show was pretty much devoted to playing music that we received at WHUS during 2011. While I was able to play many songs today that I've really enjoyed over the past year, I just wasn't able to get to everything. That became even more evident to me after the show was over and I was putting away CDs in our station library. Some of those discs I'd intended to play, but just didn't have time today came from folks like Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers, Blue Highway, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Shannon Slaughter, and others. Good thing we don't really "retire" CDs that are not brand-spanking-new from our airwaves, that's for sure.

While we're (sort of) talking about some of my favorite CDs of 2011, I'm sure you're aware that there are many, many lists on the Internet of "The Best" BG recordings of 2011. Most all of these rankings are pretty subjective, when it comes right down to it -- what one person likes may be totally opposite of what another likes. It is kind of fun to see what others really enjoy, though, and why they like it so much. I couldn't resist the urge to join in, so I've also made a list of favorites that has been posted on the WHUS website. In my list, though, there are no rankings. If you'd care to take a look at the list of CDs I've put together, feel free to visit the WHUS website by clicking here.

The harmonies sung by Charlie (R) &
Ira Louvin (L) are considered to be
just about the best in the history of
country music.

On the show today, we also reserved a bit of time for brand new music from Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie ("The Touch Of Time" on Rural Rhythm), and took a few moments to honor and remember some of the BG (and BG-friendly) performers who died in 2011. Among those: Charlie Louvin, Wilma Lee Cooper, Hazel Dickens, Johnnie Wright, and banjo picker, Jake Jenkins.

And though it might seem kind of maudlin to fixate on those who died, it's really difficult (for me, at least) to think of putting together a radio show on a New Year's Day and NOT play at least a little bit of music from the pen of Hank Williams. It's amazing to me to think of the number of classic songs that were written by a man who never even reached his 30th birthday. Hank's life of abusing his body with alcohol came to an end on New Year's Day 1953, as he died in the back of a limousine while on his way to play a concert in Canton, Ohio. Hank Williams has to be one of the most interesting characters in the history of country music. If you haven't read anything about the man whose impact continues to be felt in all types of music 59 years after his death, perhaps you can add one of these biographies to your reading list in 2012: Hank Williams: The Biography by Colin Escott or Lovesick Blues: The Life Of Hank Williams by Paul Hemphill.

Best wishes to everyone for lots of health and happiness in 2012! Be sure to join Jim in next week's BG Cafe for lots more of the best in BG, won't you?

Amy

MOST MUSIC COMES FROM 2011 RELEASES (OR COMPILATIONS) - REQUESTS WERE NOT REALLY TAKEN. HOWEVER, ONE REQUEST IS RED.

Auld Lang Syne / Kentucky Colonels with Bill Keith / Long Journey Home / Vanguard
Watermelon On The Vine / Del McCoury Band / Old Memories: The Songs Of Bill Monroe / McCoury Music
Live And Let Live / Del McCoury Band / Old Memories: The Songs Of Bill Monroe / McCoury Music
I Was Left On The Street / Audie Blaylock & Redline / I'm Going Back To Old Kentucky / Rural Rhythm
Pike County Breakdown / Frank Wakefield / A Tribute To Bill Monroe / Patuxent Music
Six Feet Under The Ground / Acoustic Blue / Timeless / Self-Produced
Walls Of Time / Johnson Mountain Boys / Bill Monroe Centennial Celebration: A Classic Bluegrass Tribute / Rounder
Rare Bird Alert / Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers / Rare Bird Alert / Rounder
I Knew It Wasn't You (The Telephone Song) / Crowe Brothers / Bridging The Gap / Rural Rhythm
Leaving The Lonely Behind / Ashlee Blankenship & Blades Of Blue / Ashlee Blankenship & Blades Of Blue / Mountain Fever Records
Redwood Hill / Russ Nixon with Brandon Rickman & Jeff Parker / Last Chance / Patuxent Music
One Mile East Of Hazel Green / Randy Waller & the Country Gentlemen / One Mile East Of Hazel Green / Lendel Records
Dooley / The Grascals / Dance 'Til Your Stockings Are Hot And Ravelin' / BluGrascal Records
My Time / Lee Marcus / Grandpa's Pond / Self-Produced
Gettin' Outta Here Alive / Steve Spurgin / Past Perfect / Self-Produced
I'll Take Love / Dale Ann Bradley with Alison Krauss & Steve Gulley / I'll Take Love: From The Pen Of Louisa Branscomb / Compass Records
Cold Virginia Night / Rick Pardue & Timmy Massey / The Ghost Of Noah Hayes / Lizard Records
Trolley Days / Thomas Porter & Copper River Band / Trolley Days / Self-Produced
Gone At Last / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Drive Time / Mountain Home
What Do You Say? / Sierra Hull / Daybreak / Rounder
Wishing Well Blues / Russell Johnson with Emily Kirsch / Anytime Anyplace But Only You / New Time Records
Be Proud Of The Gray In Your Hair / Scott Anderson / Tales From The Swamp / Self-Produced
My Baby Thinks He's A Train / Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie / The Touch Of Time / Rural Rhythm
I've Lived A Lot In My Time / Dry Branch Fire Squad / Just For The Record / Rounder
Love Gone Cold / Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie / The Touch Of Time / Rural Rhythm
Don't Laugh / Louvin Brothers / The Essential Louvin Brothers: My Baby's Gone, 1955-1964 / Raven Records
You Tried To Ruin My Name / Wilma Lee Cooper / O Sister! / Rounder
Jakebrakes / Karl Shiflett & Big Country Show / In Full Color / Rebel
Here Today And Gone Tomorrow / Hazel Dickens with the Johnson Mountain Boys / Songs Of The Louvin Brothers / Rounder
Cryin' Heart Blues / Johnnie & Jack / For Old Times Sake / Bear Family
Frozen In Time / Gibson Brothers / Help My Brother / Compass Records
I've Got Nothin' / Donna Ulisse / An Easy Climb / Hadley Music Group
Baby We're Really In Love / Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters / Phoenix / Happy Appy Records
Cold Cold Heart / Spinney Brothers / Going Home / Self-Produced
There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight / Jim Mills with Alan O'Bryant / Bound To Ride / Sugar Hill
You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave) / Red Knuckles & the Trailblazers / Red Knuckles & the Trailblazers/Hot Rize / Flying Fish
Walking The Floor Over Me / Charlie Sizemore / Heartache Looking For A Home / Rounder
Carolina Dreams / Edgar Loudermilk / Roads Travelled / Mountain Fever Records
A Far Cry From Lester And Earl / Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice / The Heart Of A Song / Rebel
Mash Your Finger / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Day! / Self-Produced
Mandolin Tango / Travers Chandler & Avery County / State Of Depression / Patuxent Music
I Saw The Light / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Anthology / MCA
Lord Protect My Soul / Kathy Kallick Band / Count Your Blessings: A Bluegrass Gospel Collection / Live Oak Records
You Better Wake Up / Volume Five / Children Of The Mountain / Mountain Fever Records
My Eyes Shall Be On Canaan's Land / Terry Baucom with Doyle Lawson, Jimmy Haley, & Lou Reid / In A Groove / John Boy & Billy, Inc.
Lord Lift Me Up / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / So Much In Between / Mountain Home
Journey To My Savior's Side / Missy Werner Band / Three Kinds Of Lonesome / Self-Produced
Give Me Just A Little More Time / Paul Williams & the Victory Trio / Satisfied / Rebel
On The Jericho Road / Tom Mindte & Jeremy Stephens / Radio Favorites & Sacred Songs / Patuxent Music
Wheel Hoss / Bluegrass Album Band / Bill Monroe Centennial Celebration: A Classic Bluegrass Tribute / Rounder

"Bluegrass Cafe" Playlist - 12/25/2011 Christmas Day

2011-12-25T21:44:00.001-05:00

Hi Folks, and Merry Christmas.

At the start of this show Marti and I knew we would be playing a good number of Christmas-themed bluegrassy songs with our usual mix, but as the show progressed we found that it was easy to make the whole show Christmas-themed because of all the great Christmas bluegrass music available. In a nod to our old roots music show, Red Rooster Party, we started with the theme song from that show titled "Breaking Up Christmas" by Tommy Jarrell and Fred Cockerham.

Probably the song I'm most proud of playing is a rare single recorded in the early 1970s by Doc Watson called "New Born King." I first heard this song played on the radio nearly 20 years ago when I lived under the radio umbrella of WAMU in Washington DC. That was one of those pull-off-the-road-and-listen moments that comes along once in a rare while.

Other newer songs include singles from Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Valerie Smith, Donna Ulisse, and Wayne Taylor and Appaloosa.

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

Jim Beaver

Title / Artist / Album/ Label

Breaking Up Chrismas / Tommy Jarrell & Fred Cockerham / Tommy& Fred / County
Bluegrass, White Snow / Patty Loveless / Bluegrass, WhiteSnow / Epic
The Friendly Beasts / The Johnson Mountain Boys / ChristmasTime's A-Comin' (collection) / Time-Life
Christmas Time Back Home / The Country Gentlemen / ChristmasTime's A-Comin' (collection) / Time-Life
Christmas In Dixie / Nu-Blu with Greg Luck / Christmas InCarolina (collection) / Blue Circle
Home Is Where The Heart Is / Pine Creek / Recorded Live atWHUS 8/20/2008
New Born King / Doc Watson / Lonesome Road/Look Away / EMI
Christmas Time's A-Comin' / Rhonda Vincent / Beautiful Star:A Christmas Collection / Rounder
Christmas Time Will Soon Be Over / Fiddlin' John Carson / CompleteRecorded Works Volume 5 / Document
On Christmas Eve / John Hartford / Me Oh My, How The TimeDoes Fly / Flying Fish
Corn, Water and Wood / Riders In The Sky / Christmas TheCowboy Way / Rounder
Pretty Paper / Willie Nelson / Pretty Paper / Sony
The Reindeer Boogie / Hank Snow / Country's Best Christmas(collection) / Vintage Masters
Christmas Time On Rocky Top / Osborne Brothers / ChristmasOn The Mountain (collection) / Universal South
When It's Snowin' In The Mountains / Wildwood Valley Boys / ChristmasIn The Mountains (collection) / Rebel
Mary's Little Lamb / Balsam Range / A Mountain HomeChristmas (collection) / Crossroads
Send Yourself Home For Christmas / Valerie Smith / Single / BellBuckle
My Little Silver Bells / Bill Grant and Delia Bell / OChristmas Tree (collection) / Rounder
All I Want Is Mary For Christmas / The Lonesome River Band /Tinsel Tunes (collection) / Sugar Hill
Christmas Time Back Home / Darin & Brook Aldridge / Single/ Crossroads
Mary, Merry Christmas / Ralph Stanley II / Listen To MyHammer Ring / Rebel
Christmas In The Mountains / Larry Sparks / Christmas In TheHills (collection) / Rebel
Your Christmas Gift / Steve Ivey / Mountain Top BluegrassChristmas (coll.) / Madacy Christian
You Cannot Stay Here / Donna Ulisse / Single / Hadley MusicGroup
The Christmas Letter / Tommy Edwards / Christmas In TheMountains (collection) / Rebel
The Carpenter Shop / The Bluegrass Cardinals / Sugar Plums(collection) / Sugar Hill
Grandpa In The Santa Suit Show / Dr Elmo Shropshire / Dr.Elmo Bluegrass Christmas / Time-Life
Christmas In the Hills / Hylo Brown / Christmas Jamboree(collection) / Hollywood
It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Day / Wayne Taylor and Appaloosa /It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Day / Raincoe
It Won't Seem Like Christmas / Jim Eanes / ChristmasJamboree (collection) / Hollywood
Ring The Bells At Midnight / Kathy Kallick & the LittleBig Band / Tinsel Tunes (Collection) / Sugar Hill
Christmas On The Line / Michael Martin Murphey / CowboyChristmas / Warner Brothers
Old Fashioned Christmas / Jimmy Martin / Christmas Jamboree(collection) / Hollywood
Up On The House Top / Raymond Fairchild / Smoky MountainChristmas / Rural Rhythm
Santa Claus Is From The South / Benny Martin / ChristmasJamboree (collection) / Hollywood
The Christmas Guest / Andy Griffith / The Christmas Guest / SparrowRecords
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear (bed) / Various Artists / ChristmasGrass vol. 2 (collection) / Koch
Bluegrass Christmas / The Del McCoury Band feat. RonnieMcCoury / Christmas On The Mountain (collection) / Universal South
Riding Home On Christmas Eve / Riders In The Sky / AcousticHolidays (collection) / Rounder
Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem / The Stanley Brothers / ChristmasJamboree (collection) / Hollywood
When The Time Had Fully Come / Northern Lights / AcousticHolidays (collection) / Rounder
Christmas Reunion / Reno & Smiley / The True Meaning OfChristmas / Gusto
That's Christmas Time To Me / Bill Monroe and His Blue GrassBoys / Christmas Time's A-Comin' (collection) / Time-Life
Don't Make Us Cry On Christmas Day / Ralph Stanley / ChristmasTime with Ralph Stanley / CR Freeland
Cherry Tree Carol / Emmylou Harris / Light Of The Stable / WarnerBrothers
Something You Can't Buy / The Statler Brothers / The StatlerBrothers Christmas Collection / Mercury
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring / Dr Elmo Shropshire / Dr. ElmoBluegrass Christmas / Time-Life
Christ Was Born In Bethlehem / Tim & Mollie O'Brien / SugarPlums (collection) / Sugar Hill
Children Go / Ricky Skaggs / A Skaggs Family Christmas Vol.Two / Skaggs Family
Will We Have Room For Jesus / Jimmy Martin / To Mother AtChristmas / Gusto
Silent Night / Raymond Fairchild / Smoky Mountain Christmas/ Rural Rhythm
I Can Hear The Angels Singing / Reno & Smiley / ChristmasJamboree (collection) / Hollywood
Mary, Did You Know / Sonya Issacs / Christmas Grass vol. 2(collection) / Koch
What Child Is This / David Grisman / The Rounder ChristmasAlbum (collection) / Rounder
The First Noel/It Came Upon A Midnight Clear/Joy To TheWorld / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / O Christmas Tree (collection) / Rounder
Auld Lang Syne / Bill Keith / O Christmas Tree (collection)/ Rounder

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 12/18/2011

2011-12-18T22:29:00.000-05:00

'Tis the week before Christmas, and you can bet that a pretty healthy dosage of BG Christmas music made it to the airwaves at WHUS today. We didn't totally forsake the non-Christmas music, though, so I'm hopeful the mix was enjoyable for our listeners.

It's pretty safe to say that 2011 has been a pretty decent year for BG. In addition to the music gaining a whole bunch of exposure through Steve Martin's super-successful Rounder release (and concert tour) with the Steep Canyon Rangers, there has been a BG star born on YouTube: a now 9-year-old banjo picker named Jonny Mizzone. With his two older brothers, Robbie and Tommy (ages 12 and 14), the three have performed as the Sleepy Man Banjo Boys on several national TV shows this year, including "Late Show With David Letterman" and "The Mike Huckabee Show." These young men are pretty amazing, and the fact that they're from the BG hamlet of New Jersey gives them even more notoriety, I suppose. The Sleepy Man Banjo Boys have a new CD available now called, "America's Music," and we played a couple of songs from the recording on today's show. Doubtless, we'll be hearing a lot from these talented kids in the months (and perhaps years) to come. If you've not seen these boys in action, check out their website. There, you can see video clips of some of their TV and YouTube appearances, and read more about the Mizzone brothers.

Monadnock's debut CD is called "House Upon The Hill"

We also shared a couple of songs from the debut CD of a mostly New Hampshire-based band called Monadnock. Their new recording is called "House Upon The Hill," and it includes some band originals, as well as some BG standards. I look forward to hearing more from the disc in future weeks at WHUS. You can learn more about this band, and see some video clips, by clicking here.

So, if Christmas is just a week away, that means 2012 is only two weeks away. Where the heck did the year go? Already, I've seen a couple of different listings of the "Top 10" BG CDs released in 2011, and for the most part, I can't argue with the choices I've seen on either list. Of course, all of these Top 10 lists are so subjective that it's almost pointless to put them together. The fact is that each person likes something different. Still, when I join you again on the airwaves at WHUS on January 1st, I'll be sure to play music from some of my favorite BG recordings received at WHUS over the past 12 months. I don't think I'll be making any ranked lists of favorites, but I'm sure I'll have no problem finding plenty of great music to share when I'm next on the air.

Thanks to all of you for your continued support of our programming at WHUS. Best wishes to you for a Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year!

Amy

REQUESTS ARE RED.

Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
Christmas Time Back Home / Country Gentlemen / Christmas Time Back Home / Rebel
Christmas Doll / Reno & Smiley / The True Meaning Of Christmas / Gusto
Frosty The Snowman / Raymond Fairchild / Smoky Mountain Christmas / Rural Rhythm
Bluegrass Christmas / Ronnie & Rob McCoury / Christmas Time's A-Comin' / Time Life
That White Christmas Song / Red Knuckles & the Trailblazers / Sugar Plums / Sugar Hill
Age / Bluegrass Gospel Project / The Blue Morpho / Self-Produced
Blame It On The Bluegrass / Valerie Smith / Blame It On The Bluegrass / Bell Buckle Records
To Warm And Comfort You / Gail & Gordon Pike / Hard Words / Self-Produced
Tidwell Pike / Jimmy Gaudreau / Pieces & Bits / Goose Creek Music
Stonewall / Hylo Brown / In Concert / Copper Creek
You Better Wake Up / Volume Five / Children Of The Mountain / Mountain Fever Records
White Christmas / Heather Berry / Have A Merry Berry Christmas / Mountain Fever Records
Crying My Heart Out Over You / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Selected Cuts, 1955-1959 / JSP Records
Used To These Old Blues / Special Consensus / 35 / Compass Records
I Wouldn't Change You If I Could / Ricky Skaggs / Country Hits Bluegrass Style / Skaggs Family Records
My Little Silver Bells / Bill Grant & Delia Bell / O Christmas Tree / Rounder
The Story Of The Lawson Family / Stanley Brothers / An Evening Long Ago / Copper Creek
Footprints In The Snow / Lonesome River Band / Rural Rhythm Records Salutes Bill Monroe: Live At Bean Blossom / Rural Rhythm
Molly / Larry Cordle / Pud Marcum's Hangin' / Mighty Cord Records
It Gets Better All The Time / Nothin' Fancy / Nothin' Fancy / Virginia Dreams Records
Six Feet Under The Ground / Audie Blaylock & Redline / Rural Rhythm Records Salutes Bill Monroe: Live At Bean Blossom / Rural Rhythm
Dark Hollow / Monadnock / House Upon The Hill / Self-Produced
Home In The Heart Of Maine / Maranacook String Band / Bear In The Barn / Self-Produced
Back Up And Push / Monadnock / House Upon The Hill / Self-Produced
Bugle Call Rag / Sleepy Man Banjo Boys / America's Bluegrass / Self-Produced
Jingle Bells / Sleepy Man Banjo Boys / America's Bluegrass / Self-Produced
Carolina Dreams / Edgar Loudermilk / Roads Travelled / Mountain Fever Records
String, Eraser And Blotter / Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice / The Heart Of A Song / Rebel
Many A Mile / Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray / Many A Mile / Patuxent Music
Red Wicked Wine / Charlie Sizemore with Ralph Stanley / Heartache Looking For A Home / Rounder
Walking West To Memphis / Gibson Brothers / Help My Brother / Compass Records
Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven / Bluegrass Gospel Project / The Blue Morpho / Self-Produced
Gitup The Banjo Man / Spinney Brothers / Side By Side / Self-Produced
Lake Champlain / BearTracks / Rough Edges / Self-Produced
This Morning At Nine / Gelina & Pike's Mainly Grass / Rustic Little Cabin / Self-Produced
AppleJack / Pam Gadd with Dolly Parton / Benefit Of Doubt / Home Sweet Highway Productions
Christmas Time's A-Comin' / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Christmas Time's A-Comin' / Time Life
Christmas In Virginia / Lost & Found / Christmas In The Mountains / Rebel
Christmas At The Old Home Place / David Parmley & Continental Divide / A Pinecastle Christmas Gatherin' / Pinecastle
Precious Child / Tony Trischka with Dudley Connell & James King / Glory Shone Around / Rounder
You Cannot Stay Here / Donna Ulisse / single / Hadley Music Group
Christmas Lullaby / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Merry Christmas From Our House To Your House / SSK
Light Of The Stable / The Whites / A Skaggs Family Christmas, Volume Two / Skaggs Family Records
Christmas Story / Nashville Bluegrass Band / Tinsel Tunes / Sugar Hill
Follow The Star / Rick Lang & Friends / The Season Of My Heart / Haley Anna Music
Silent Night / Seldom Scene / Sugar Plums / Sugar Hill
Joy To The World / Reno & Smiley / The True Meaning Of Christmas / Gusto
Jingle Bells / Reno & Smiley / The True Meaning Of Christmas / Gusto

"Bluegrass Cafe" Playlist - 12/11/2011

2011-12-11T22:03:00.001-05:00

J.E. Mainer (L) and Morris Herbert (R)

Hi Folks,

We honored two musicians who have left us: Morris Herbert from Kannapolis, North Carolina, who was a well-known Piedmont North Carolina banjo picker and singer who was most known for his leading role in a series of 20 albums recorded by J. E. Mainer on the Rural Rhythm label in the 1960s; and Beecher Ray (Pete) Kirby, more popularly known as (Bashful Brother) Oswald. Morris Herbert passed away October 17 at age 81, and this year is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Oswald (Dec. 26). Oswald, who died in 2002, was a pioneer of the resophonic guitar in country music and had his greatest impact during his long tenure with Roy Acuff.

Oswald autographed this copy of his last CD - 1995

We also played several seasonal songs of Christmas and winter, including songs from Chris Jones, Ronnie Bowman, Alecia Nugent, Earl Scruggs, Tim O'Brien, Patty Loveless, Ralph Stanley, and Jimmy Martin.

We also included new releases from Laurie Lewis, Eddie & Martha Adcock, Lee Marcus, Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa, IIIrd Tyme Out, Missy Werner, Nu-Blu, NewTown, Gelina & Pike's Mainly Grass, and Maranacook String Band -- the latter two from Maine.

Our Heritage Corner reached back to The Brown's Ferry Four, The Country Gentlemen Live in Japan, and a rare LP from Al Hawkes' Event label of Tiny Martin and the Countrysiders.

Amy will make the banjos, fiddles, and sleigh bells ring next Sunday, so be sure to tune in.

Jim Beaver

Tributes to Morris Herbert and Oswald in red

Title / Artist / Album / Label

MerryChristmas Ho Ho Ho / Ronnie Bowman / Christmas Grass vol. 2 / Koch
Wild Horses/ Johnny Warren & Charlie Cushman / A Tribute To Fiddlin' Paul Warren Vol.2 / Self-released
I Ain'tGonna Work Tomorrow / Laurie Lewis / Skippin' and Flyin' / Spruce And Maple
Sing Me ToMemphis / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Day! / Raincoe
AmeliaEarhart's Last Flight / Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray / Many A Mile /Patuxent
That's WhenI Miss Him (Her) Most Of All / Gelina & Pike's Mainly Grass / Rustic LittleCabin / Self-released
HeartbreakExpress / Delia Bell & Bill Grant / Dreaming / Rounder
Let It Snow!Let It Snow! Let It Snow! / Sam Bush / A Very Special Acoustic Christmas / LostHighway
CarolinaDreams / Lee Marcus / Grandpa's Pond / Self-released
Must Be TheWind / Nu-Blu / The Blu-Disc / Pinecastle
My FirstMistake / The Missy Werner Band / Three Kinds Of Lonesome / Self-released
Jingle Bells/ Earl Scruggs / A Very Special Acoustic Christmas / Lost Highway
Bread AndGravy / J.E. Mainer with Morris Herbert / The Legendary J.E. Mainer: Vol. 9 / RuralRhythm (LP)
Coal Miner'sGrave / J.E. Mainer with Morris Herbert / The Legendary J.E. Mainer: Vol. 9 / RuralRhythm (LP)
The WorkingMan / Shannon Slaughter / The Sideman Steps Out / Self-released
Cold IronDoor / NewTown / NewTown / Self-released
Bear In TheBarn / Maranacook String Band / Bear In The Barn / Self-released
Bluegrass,White Snow / Patty Loveless / Bluegrass & White Snow / Epic
Whippoorwill/ Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out / Prime Tyme / Rural Rhythm
Uncle Pen / RussellMoore & IIIrd Tyme Out / Bill Monroe 100th Year Celebration / Rural Rhythm
Close By / Dailey& Vincent / Bill Monroe Centennial Celebration / Rounder
Molly / LarryCordle / Pud Marcum's Hangin' / Mighty Cord
When You'reHolding Me / Rhonda Vincent / Single / Upper Management
Next Time'sA Charm / Thomas Porter & Copper River Band / Trolley Days / Self-released
Kicking UpDust / Grasstowne / Kickin Up Dust / Rural Rhythm
Bah Humbug /Tim O'Brien / Christmas On The Mountain / Universal South
WabashCannonball / Roy Acuff / Great Train Songs / Varese Sarabande
ColumbusStockade Blues / Oswald / Carry Me Back / RME
The PreciousJewel / Oswald with George Jones / Carry Me Back / RME
Stuck UpBlues / Oswald / Carry Me Back / RME
Eunita / Oswald/ Carry Me Back / RME
FinalFarewell / Chris Jones & The Nightdrivers / Single / Self-released
Whitewater /Bela Fleck / Drive / Rounder
ChristmasTime's A Coming (bed) / Various Artists / Christmas Grass / Koch
What ChildIs This (bed) / Various Artists / Christmas Grass / Koch
Silver Bells(bed) / Various Artists / Christmas Grass / Koch
KentuckyNoel / Chris Jones & The Nightdrivers / Single / Self-released
Home In TheHeart Of Maine / Maranacook String Band / Bear In The Barn / Self-released
TrustyLariat / Michael Marin Murphey / Tall Grass & Cool Water / Rural Rhythm
Christmas IsNear / Ralph Stanley / A Very Special Acoustic Christmas / Lost Highway
SeeingNellie Home / The Country Gentlemen / Live In Japan / Rebel
Old CountryChurch / Tiny Martin & the Countrysiders / Singing Bluegrass Gospel / Event(LP)
Count YourBlessings / Tiny Martin & the Countrysiders / Singing Bluegrass Gospel / Event(LP)
Battle / MickeyHarris / A Gospel Collection / MJH
Jingle Bells/ Rhonda Vincent / Beautiful Star / Rounder
It'sChristmas Time / Ralph Stanley / Christmas Time With Ralph Stanley / CRFreeland
Will We HaveRoom For Jesus? / Jimmy Martin / To Mother At Christmas / Gusto
Rock Of AgesHide Thou Me / Brown's Ferry Four / 16 Greatest Hits / Starday
The Lord IsWatching Over Me / Brown's Ferry / Four 16 Greatest Hits / Starday
God GaveNoah The Rainbow Sign / Kathy Kallick / Count Your Blessings / Live Oak
BeautifulStar Of Bethlehem / Alecia Nugent / O Christmas Tree / Rounder
CrippleCreek / Maranacook String Band / Bear In The Barn / Self-released

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 12/4/2011

2011-12-04T21:31:00.001-05:00

It's a new month at the BG Cafe, and since it's December, that means it's really time to break out the Christmas music. Many moons ago, when I first began broadcasting BG music on the radio, there was maybe one or two BG Christmas LPs, so the choices for Bluegrass Christmas music programming were really pretty limited. Now, there are many, many BG Christmas recordings, and we shared selections from two of the newest 2011 entries on today's show: Heather Berry's Mountain Fever Records CD is named (of course), "Have A Berry Merry Christmas," and the second volume of Christmas music from Ricky Skaggs, the Whites, and their various family members is "A Skaggs Family Christmas, Volume II." In addition, there's a new Christmas tune written by New Hampshire songwriter, Rick Lang, and recorded by Jana & Stephen Mougin. Other Christmas tunes were featured throughout the program, as well, from performers like the Stanley Brothers, Rhonda Vincent, Larry Stephenson, and the Johnson Mountain Boys.

In addition to the new Christmas music from Heather Berry, Ricky Skaggs & the Whites, and the Rick Lang/Jana Mougin, a few other newer recordings made their way onto the WHUS airwaves this afternoon. Other 2011 releases we heard from today came from Bill Emerson, Thomas Porter & Copper River Band, Della Mae, David Grisman, Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa, Nothin' Fancy, Newtown, the Expedition Show, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers, the Missy Werner Band, Lee Marcus, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Kathy Kallick, and Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice.

Alton & Rabon Delmore

Today, we also paid tribute to one of the sweetest-sounding brother duets of all time: Alton & Rabon -- the Delmore Brothers. These stars of the Grand Ole Opry in the 1930s and Country Music Hall of Famers were both born in the month of December (Alton on December 25, 1908 and Rabon on December 3, 1916), so the time seemed perfect to shine a spotlight on them by playing several BG versions of tunes from their incredible song catalog. Even though both of the Delmores have been dead for close to 50 years (Alton died in 1964, Rabon in 1952), the songs they wrote and sang continue to be recorded. Just within the last year or so, several prominent BG performers have recorded Delmore music, including Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, the Crowe Brothers, Josh Williams, and Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out. Terrific stuff.

There doesn't appear to be a photo
of this quartet in action during the
1940s, but all three of these acts ended
up in the Country Music Hall of Fame

While shining the spotlight on the Delmore Brothers, it would have been impossible to not play a few songs by the Brown's Ferry Four. This gospel quartet was born while the Delmores were working on the radio for WLW in Cincinnati in the early 1940s. At the same time, there were two other members of the WLW staff who were performers: Merle Travis and Louis Marshall "Grandpa" Jones. The story goes that the 3 acts would sometimes work on the Saturday night radio show at WLW and other personal appearances. Through a mutual love of gospel music, the two Delmores, Travis, and Grandpa found they could sing gospel songs together and have a great sound. The Brown's Ferry Four were born (the name taken from the Delmores Alabama hometown of Brown's Ferry) after WLW gave the Brown's Ferry Four their own radio show. Plenty of other folks enjoyed their gospel harmonies, too, and their music has gone on to inspire many other purveyors of BG gospel music, most especially Doyle Lawson. World War II broke up the quartet when Alton and Grandpa both joined the service, but their music certainly lives on, and it's good to play it on the air every now and then.

Hope you're enjoying your holiday season, and that you'll be sure to join Jim on the air next Sunday for three more big hours of the BG Cafe.

Amy

REQUESTS ARE RED.

Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
If We Make It Through December / Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum / Winter's Grace / Signature Sounds
Have You Come To Say Goodbye / Travers Chandler & Avery County / State Of Depression / Patuxent Music
Crazy Heart / Ben Greene with James King / Bluegrass Sideman / Blue Circle Records
Christmas Is Near / Stanley Brothers / Christmas Time's A-Comin' / Time Life
Jesse James / Bill Emerson with Marshall Wilborn & Lynn Morris / Eclipse / Rural Rhythm
The Year That Clayton Delaney Died / The Grascals with Tom T. Hall / The Grascals & Friends / Cracker Barrel
Trolley Days / Thomas Porter & Copper River Band / Trolley Days / Self-Produced
Bowling Green / Della Mae / I Built This Heart / Self-Produced
My Little Georgia Rose / David Grisman with Del McCoury / Dawg Plays Big Mon: Happy Birthday Bill Monroe / Acoustic Disc
Silence Or Tears / Country Gentlemen / John Duffey: The Rebel Years, 1962-1977 / Rebel
Fireball Express / Mark Delaney / Sidecar / Patuxent Music
Christmas Time's A Comin' / Rhonda Vincent / Beautiful Star / Rounder
Ain't It Funny / Lou Reid / When It Rains / Sugar Hill
When The Springtime Comes Again (Little Annie) / Expedition Show / The Expedition Show / Mountain Fever Records
Comin' On Strong / Joe Val & the New England Bluegrass Boys / One Morning In May / Rounder
New Kid In Town / Heather Berry / Have A Berry Merry Christmas / Mountain Fever Records
Wall Around Your Heart / Reno & Smiley / Classic Bluegrass / King
Old Joe Clark / Lilly Brothers & Don Stover / Bluegrass At The Roots / Smithsonian Folkways
I'll Sign My Heart Away / Allerton & Alton / Black, White & Bluegrass / Bear Family
The Hills Of Tennessee / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Day! / Self-Produced
Lookin' Out My Back Door / Nothin' Fancy / Nothin' Fancy / Virginia Dreams Records
Flora, The Lilly Of The West / Newtown / Newtown / Self-Produced
When You're Holding Me / Rhonda Vincent / single / Upper Management Music
Rock Bottom / Gillis Brothers / Ice Cold Stone / Hay Holler
Long Forgotten Dream / Gibson Brothers / Long Forgotten Dream / Hay Holler
Weary Lonesome Blues / Delmore Brothers / The Delmore Brothers / JSP Records
I've Got The Railroad Blues / Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper / Fired Up / Rounder
Happy On The Mississippi Shores / Nashville Bluegrass Band / Home Of The Blues / Sugar Hill
Freight Train Boogie / Bear Minimum / Live At The Finnish Hall / no label
When It's Time For The Whippoorwill To Sing / Louvin Brothers / A Tribute To The Delmore Brothers / Gusto
Some Of These Days (You're Gonna Be Sad) / David Peterson & 1946 / In The Mountaintops To Roam / Self-Produced
Southern Moon / Crowe Brothers / Bridging The Gap / Rural Rhythm
Blue Railroad Train / Josh Williams with Tony Rice / Down Home / Pinecastle
Little Did They Know / Jana Mougin / single / Self-Produced
Christmas Country Style / Larry Stephenson / Close My Eyes To Heaven / Webco
Pretty Little Girl From Galax / Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out / Prime Tyme / Rural Rhythm
Blind Man / Spinney Brothers / If I Were Your Brother / Self-Produced
Lonely Ends Where Love Begins / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / So Much In Between / Mountain Home
Women Like To Slow Dance / Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers / Rare Bird Alert / Rounder
You Must Be Born Again / Brown's Ferry Four / 16 Greatest Hits / Starday
Journey To My Savior's Side / Missy Werner Band / Three Kinds Of Lonesome / Self-Produced
Will The Circle Be Unbroken / Lee Marcus / Grandpa's Pond / Self-Produced
Thankful For Each Day / Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice / The Heart Of A Song / Rebel
The Friendly Beasts / Johnson Mountain Boys / Christmas Time's A-Comin' / Time Life
Daniel Prayed / Kathy Kallick with Laurie Lewis / Count Your Blessings / Live Oak Records
Whispering Now / Czech Drivers with Chris Jones / Live In Holland, 1985-2004 / Strictly Country
Let The Church Roll On / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Flatt & Scruggs At Carnegie Hall! / Columbia
Children Go / Ricky Skaggs & the Whites / A Skaggs Family Christmas, Volume II / Skaggs Family
Over In The Gloryland / Brown's Ferry Four / 16 Greatest Hits / Starday
Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder

"Bluegrass Cafe" Playlist - 11/27/2011

2011-11-27T19:38:00.001-05:00

Hi Folks.

The Bluegrass Cafe was split exactly in half by a 2-hour UCONN womens basketball game, so the show was just an hour long including both halves. We tried to make it worth your while to keep the radio on WHUS on both sides of the game by playing some great music, including new music from Del McCoury, Kathy Kallick, Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa, Maranacook String Band (a Maine band with songwriter Stan Keach), Gelina & Pike's Mainly Grass (another Maine band with CT and RI roots), and Lonesome River Band from the live tribute to Bill Monroe recorded at Bean Blossom earlier this year.

Amy will be with you next Sunday, perhaps without preemptions if we are lucky. Be sure to tune in!

Jim Beaver

Title / Artist/ Album / Label

Fire On TheMountain / Michael Cleveland / Sawing On The "C" String / Self-released
HeavyTraffic Ahead / Del McCoury / Old Memories / McCoury Music
Down By TheRambling Waters / Maranacook String Band / Bear In The Barn / Self-released
HickoryHollow / The Dillards / Back Porch Bluegrass / Elektra
Robin BuiltA Nest On Daddy's Grave / Tommy Brown & The County Line Grass / HardDrivin' / Lavenir
Footprintsin The Snow / Lonesome River Band / Live At Bean Blossom / Rural Rhythm
That's WhenI Miss Her(Him) Most Of All / Gelina & Pike's Mainly Grass / Rustic LittleCabin / Self-released
Doin' It OnMy Own / Jim Lauderdale / Reason and Rhyme / Sugar Hill
Ole Paint / WayneTaylor & Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Day / Raincoe
MandolinTango / Travers Chandler & Avery County / State Of Depression / Patuxent
DanielPrayed / Kathy Kallick / Count Your Blessings / Live Oak
I'm GonnaWalk The Streets Of Gold / Big Country Bluegrass / The Boys In Hats & Ties/ Rebel
The Power UpAbove / Edgar Loudermilk / Roads Travelled / Mountain Fever
He Can BeFound / The Gibson Brothers / Help My Brother / Compass
Look Over MeLord / Larry Gillis / Swampgrass / Tinman
Leaning OnThe Everlasting Arms / The Grascals / Dance Til Your Stockings Are Hot andRavelin' / Time-Life
Power In TheBlood / Dry Branch Fire Squad / Echoes Of The Mountains / Rounder
That HomeFar Away / Ralph Stanley / A Mother's Prayer / Rebel
Joshua FitThe Battle Of Jericho / Dailey & Vincent / Singing From The Heart / Rounder
Walking In ADream / Fred Etheridge w. Nick Anderson & Mark Doyle / Pickin' and Singin'/ Self-released

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 11/20/2011

2011-11-20T22:05:00.001-05:00

We enter the busy season this week, as it seems like between Thanksgiving and New Year's, there is always a whole lot going on with family gatherings and special holiday events, not to mention all of the "everyday" stuff that still has to get accomplished. I think I might have begun my busy season a bit earlier this year, as there was a whole lot of great music happening in the area, and missing any of it just wasn't an option.

Tom, Eddie & Martha in South Hadley Falls - 11/19/11

After enjoying David Peterson's Old Time Country Revue on Thursday night in Hamden, I got to see and hear the amazing Eddie Adcock perform at the Country Corner Coffee House on Saturday night. Eddie was joined by wife, Martha, and old pal and Classic Country Gentlemen bandmate, Tom Gray. What a terrific trio! These three performed lots of music from their recently released Patuxent Music CD, "Many A Mile." As you probably know, this CD primarily features Eddie & Martha's versions of tunes Eddie originally recorded with the Country Gentlemen back in the 1960s. It's really a fantastic recording, and I'm sure the folks who got to see the Eddie, Martha & Tom show at the Firebox Restaurant today got to hear a lot from it, too.


It's half a century for Eddie Stubbs

Today's show included birthday tributes to some folks who'll be celebrating this week: Charlie Sizemore (born November 23, 1960), Adam Steffey (born November 24, 1965), and the one and only Eddie Stubbs, who'll turn 50 on November 25th. While Eddie is primarily recognized these days as a WSM award-winning broadcaster and a "walking encyclopedia of country music," for some of us, he'll always be remembered as the young fiddler from the Johnson Mountain Boys. For the last few years, I've closed my broadcasts of the BG Cafe with the JMB version of the "Black Mountain Blues" which features Eddie's fiddling, and I don't think that will be changing anytime soon.

On November 22nd, Rural Rhythm Records will officially release their latest "special event" CD: a live recording featuring a whole lot of their RR performers singing Bill Monroe tunes at the 2011 Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival. The CD is called, "Rural Rhythm Records Salutes Bill Monroe: Live At Bean Blossom." It's a winner, and another fine tribute to the Father of Bluegrass during this, the centennial celebration year of his birth. We heard a couple of songs from the CD during today's BG Cafe, and will likely be hearing several more songs from the disc over the next few weeks. Other newer music came from the previously-mentioned CD by Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray, Carolina Road, Terry Baucom, Volume Five, the Missy Werner Band, Ivan Rosenberg & the Foggy Hogtown Boys, the Crowe Brothers, John Bowman, Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Gelina & Pike's Mainly Grass, and two forthcoming Mountain Fever Records releases from Travers Chandler & Avery County, as well as Heather Berry & Tony Mabe.

Another Pete Soukas band was Blue Diamond
with Roger Williams, Stan Tyminski, & Gary Filgate.

We also celebrated the life of Pete Soukas, a great New Hampshire musician who died on November 13th after a lengthy battle with cancer. Pete may be best-remembered as the bass player (and sometimes singer) in the very fine New Hampshire-based BG band of the 1990s: Stonewall Bluegrass. In addition, Pete was featured on a couple of tracks from the great "Look To The Light" CD of music written by Rick Lang, so we included those songs in Sunday's show, as well.

Hope you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving! Be sure to join Jim for another edition of BG Cafe as you wind down your holiday weekend next Sunday afternoon...

Amy

REQUESTS ARE RED.

Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
Amelia Earhart's Last Flight / Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray / Many A Mile / Patuxent Music
Matterhorn / Country Gentlemen / The Early Rebel Recordings, 1962-1971 / Rebel
Nightwalk / Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray / Many A Mile / Patuxent Music
This Morning At Nine / Country Gentlemen / Folk Session Inside / Copper Creek
Comin' On Strong / David Peterson / Comin' On Strong / Self-Produced
Leftover Biscuits / Lost & Found / Classic Bluegrass / Rebel
The Hills Of Home / Carolina Road / Back To My Roots / Rural Rhythm
In A Groove / Terry Baucom / In A Groove / John Boy & Billy, Inc.
I'm A Man Of Constant Sorrow / Stanley Brothers / Select Sides, 1949-1953 / JSP Records
One More Dollar / Nashville Bluegrass Band / Unleashed / Sugar Hill
The Rabbit Song / Volume Five / Children Of The Mountain / Mountain Fever Records
I'd Rather Love A Memory / Missy Werner Band / Three Kinds Of Lonesome / Self-Produced
Choking The Strings / Reno & Smiley / Early Years, 1951-1959 / Gusto
On The Old Kentucky Shore / Bluegrass Album Band / Bill Monroe Centennial Celebration / Rounder
Reno Bound / Ivan Rosenberg & the Foggy Hogtown Boys / The Hogtown Sessions / Vole-O-Tone Records
Going Back To Old Virginia / Crowe Brothers / Bridging The Gap / Rural Rhythm
Is It Wrong (To Love Somebody New) / Paul Adkins & the Borderline Band / Reflections Of Love / Rebel
Don't Throw Mama's Flowers Away / Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass / The Room Over Mine / Rounder
Lost Highway / Tony Holt & the Wildwood Valley Boys / Lost Highways & Treasured Memories / Old Heritage Records
I'll Love Nobody But You / Jim & Jesse & the Virginia Boys / In The Tradition / Rounder
Three Ways Of Knowing / Allerton & Alton / Black, White & Bluegrass / Bear Family
Crazy Arms / Stonewall Bluegrass / I Won't Be Troubled Anymore / Self-Produced
His Loving Care / Junior Sisk / Look To The Light: Songs Of Faith From The Pen Of Rick Lang / Rural Rhythm Christian
Someone Took My Place With You / Stonewall Bluegrass / I Won't Be Troubled Anymore / Self-Produced
Lonely Violet / Peg & Ed / Lonely Violet / Self-Produced
Tiny Broken Heart / Peg & Ed / Lonely Violet / Self-Produced
I Don't Remember Loving You / Charlie Sizemore / Heartache Looking For A Home / Rounder
Sugarloaf Mountain Special / Johnson Mountain Boys / Live At The Birchmere / Rounder
Jumpin' The Track / The Boxcars / The Boxcars / Mountain Home
The Garden Tomb / John Bowman / Family Chain: The Songs Of Joe Isaacs / Pisgah Ridge Music
It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Day / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Day! / Self-Produced
Walk Slow / Heather Berry & Tony Mabe / [Forthcoming CD] / Mountain Fever Records
Spanish Grass / Gelina & Pike's Mainly Grass / Rustic Little Cabin / Self-Produced
There Ain't No Easy Street / Steep Canyon Rangers / Deep In The Shade / Rebel
Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar / Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out / Prime Tyme / Rural Rhythm
Six Feet Under The Ground / Audie Blaylock & Redline / Rural Rhythm Records Salutes Bill Monroe : Live At Bean Blossom / Rural Rhythm
The Fields Have Turned Brown / Stanley Brothers / The Complete Columbia Stanley Brothers / Columbia Legacy [recorded November 20, 1949]
The Stanley Brothers / Travers Chandler & Avery County / [Forthcoming CD] / Mountain Fever Records
Blue Moon Of Kentucky / Bobby Osborne & the Rocky Top X-Press / Rural Rhythm Records Salutes Bill Monroe : Live At Bean Blossom / Rural Rhythm
Ring The Bell / Gibson Brothers / Ring The Bell / Compass Records
Lord Lift Me Up / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / So Much In Between / Mountain Home
Eat At The Welcome Table / Bluegrass Patriots / Springtime In The Rockies / Copper Creek
Paul And Peter Walked / Claire Lynch / Friends For A Lifetime / Brentwood Bluegrass
He Understands / Barry Scott / Look To The Light: Songs Of Faith From The Pen Of Rick Lang / Rural Rhythm Christian
When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder / The Expedition Show / The Expedition Show / Mountain Fever Records
He Took Your Place / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Selected Sides, 1950-1952 / JSP Records
On The Wings Of Angels / Spinney Brothers / Side By Side / Self-Produced
Open Up The Window, Noah / Seldom Scene / Every Time I Feel The Spirit / Sugar Hill
Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder

"Bluegrass Cafe" Playlist - 11/13/2011

2011-11-13T21:53:00.001-05:00

Hi Folks,

Ringling Bros. Circus Fire - Hartford, 1944

With the bad weather and power outages mostly behind us, it was a super day to enjoy 3-1/2 hours of bluegrass music, the extra half-hour thanks to a preceding game ending early. Marti even joined us in the studio this week.

Frank Wakefield's Monroe Tribute

Laurie Lewis provided a song of local interest from her new album, Skippin' and Flyin', about the circus fire that occurred in Hartford in 1944, and we heard songs from the latest releases of Lee Marcus, Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa, Shannon Slaughter, The Crowe Brothers, Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice, Frank Wakefield, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, and Nothin' Fancy.

We also played from Del McCoury's new tribute to Bill Monroe -- a vinyl LP -- and an instrumental from the Lonesome River Band's latest CD in salute to their appearance on David Letterman's show the previous Friday night. We also played the song they performed on that show from Larry Cordle's latest CD.

Del McCoury's new vinyl LP -- "Old Memories"

We hope you tune in next Sunday when Amy will make the banjos and fiddles ring!

Jim Beaver

Requests in blue

Title / Artist / Album / Label

Fire On TheMountain / Michael Cleveland / Sawing On The "C" String /Self-released
Let's PartThe Best Of Friends / The Johnson Mountain Boys / Live At The Birchmere /Rounder
Wild AndWicked World / The Johnson Mountain Boys / Live At The Birchmere / Rounder
Girl At TheCrossroads Bar / The Bluegrass Brothers / Live At The Coffee Pot /Self-released
Girl FromThe North Country / John Duffey (Country Gentlemen) / John Duffey- The RebelYears 1962-1977 / Rebel
Wise CountyJail / Trevor McKenzie and Various / Close Kin / Mountain Roads
John Henry /Lilly Brothers & Don Stover / Early Recordings / Rebel
The BanjoFling / The McCormick Brothers / The Very Best Of... / Varese Sarabande
CarolinaDreams / Lee Marcus / Grandpa's Pond / Self-released
Meanwhile /Harley Allen et al / Moody Bluegrass Two... Much Love / Bunny Rae
Tall Pines /Laurie Lewis / And Her Bluegrass Pals / Rounder
A Far CryFrom Lester & Earl / Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice / The Heart Of ASong / Rebel
Let It Go /Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Day! / Raincoe
Mash YourFinger / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Day! /Raincoe
Love The WayI Do / NewTown / NewTown / Self-released
Lay MyBurden Down / Alison Krauss & Union Station / Paper Airplane / Rounder
PrettyLittle Girl / Lonesome River Band / Still Learning / Rural Rhythm
Molly /Larry Cordle / Pud Marcum's Hangin' / Mighty Cord
Whippoorwill/ Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out / Prime Tyme / Rural Rhythm
Blue Moon OfKentucky / Frank Wakefield / A Tribute To Bill Monroe / Patuxent
The WorkingMan / Shannon Slaughter / The Sideman Steps Out / Elite Circuit
Going BackTo Old Virginia / Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper / Fired Up / Rounder
Rocky Top /The Osborne Brothers / Classic Bluegrass Collection / Time-Life
A Soldier'sLetter / Nothin' Fancy / Self-titled / Virginia Dream
Down WhereThe River Bends / Ralph Stanley w. Dwight Yoakam / Saturday Night & SundayMorning / CR Freeland
The Hills OfHome / Carolina Road / Back To My Roots / Rural Rhythm
More Than AName On The Wall / Dailey & Vincent / Dailey & Vincent / Rounder
Good TimeMountain Man / Terry Baucom w. Chris Stapleton & Ronnie Bowman / In AGroove / John Boy & Billy
Hartfordtown1944 / Laurie Lewis / Skippin' and Flyin' / Spruce And Maple
Heart AndSoul / The Gillis Brothers / Heart & Soul / Rebel
Been AllAround The World / Shady Creek / Get Your Feet Wet / Self-released
He CouldPick The Hound / Crowe Brothers / Bridging The Gap / Rural Rhythm
Out In TheCold World / Audie Blaylock and Redline / I'm Going Back To Old Kentucky /Rural Rhythm
Girl In TheBlue Velvet Band / Del McCoury / Old Memories / McCoury Music
KentuckyMandolin / Bill Monroe / Blue Grass 1959-1969 / Bear Family
Could YouLove Me (One More Time) / The Stanley Brothers / 1953-1958 & 1959 / BearFamily
Mole In TheGround / Joe Walsh / Sweet Loam / Skinny Elephant
He Was AFriend Of Mine / Eddie & Martha Adcock w. Tom Gray / Many A Mile / Patuxent
Sweet HeartsAgain / Fred Etheridge w. Nick Anderson & Mark Doyle / Pickin' and Singin'/ Self-released
Take Me BackTo The Sunny South / Wade Mainer w. J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers / Early andGreat Sacred / Old Homestead
RockwoodDeer Chase / Don Stover / Things In Life / Rounder
WildwoodFlower (bed) / Earl Taylor & Jim McCall / The Best of BluegrassInstrumentals Vol. 1 / Rural Rhythm
FireballMail (bed) / Hylo Brown / The Best of Bluegrass Instrumentals Vol. 1 / RuralRhythm
Lonely EndsWhere Love Begins / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / So Much In Between / MountainHome
Gold WatchAnd Chain / Taylors Grove / Keep On The Sunny Side / Fishtraks
SummerBreeze / Dale Ann Bradley / Somewhere South Of Crazy / Compass
NoDepression / The Johnson Mountain Boys / Goin' Up Copper Creek / Copper Creek
Hurricane ofTrouble / Cheryl J. Watson / Watertown / Self-released
Singing AsWe Rise / The Gibson Brothers / Help My Brother / Compass
What Do YouSay? / Sierra Hull / Daybreak / Rounder
Dark Hollow/ J.D. Crowe & The New South / Holiday In Japan / New South Music
Lord BuildMe A Cabin In Gloryland / Monroe Crossing / Plays The Music Of Bill Monroe /Self-released
Have YouSomeone (In Heaven Awaiting) / The Stanley Brothers / 1949-52 / Bear Family
Our Father /Grasstowne / Kickin' Up Dust / Rural Rhythm
What WillThe Coming Of The Lord Mean To You / The Gillis Brothers / Sunshine In TheShadows / Hay Holler
What WouldThe Profit Be / Allerton & Alton / Black, White and Bluegrass / Bear Family
Don't ForgetTo Pray / Tom Mindte & Jeremy Stephens / Radio Favorites & Sacred Songs/ Patuxent
Gone Away /Mountain Faith / Save Me / Mountain Home
Lay My BodyDown / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Day! / Raincoe
If I BeLifted Up / Larry Perkins w. Janette Carter et al / Pick Like Earl /Self-released
Heaven'sGreen Fields / Seldom Scene / Like We Used To Be / Sugar Hill
Walking In ADream / Fred Etheridge w. Nick Anderson & Mark Doyle / Pickin' and Singin'/ Self-released

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 11/6/2011

2011-11-06T21:43:00.001-05:00

What a crazy week this has been! As you may know, Connecticut was hit with a record-breaking October snowfall two days before Halloween, and as a result, lots of trees and wires were knocked down; hence, a good portion of the state was without electricity for many, many days. In fact, some folks are still without power 8+ days after the storm. Pretty crazy, and winter hasn't even officially begun yet. Yikes!

For Sunday's show, our goal was kind of standard -- try to play a bunch of newer BG and balance it with a few favorites. I think that was able to be accomplished fairly easily with newish music from folks like Lee Marcus, Ivan Rosenberg & the Foggy Hogtown Boys, Leon Morris, the Del McCoury Band, Blue Highway, Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa, the Missy Werner Band, Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray, Ethan Hughes, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, and the Crowe Brothers.

Brand spanking-new music came from two CDs: one from a group from Maine with Connecticut ties: "Rustic Little Cabin" from Gelina & Pike's Mainly Grass (a group which includes Gordon Pike and his wife, Gail, along with one other couple); and the other from a singer-songwriter who was born in Maine, but now makes her home in Florida: Cheryl J. Watson's "Watertown."

Great songwriter, but I'd still rather hear others sing his songs.

The show began with five tunes from the ever-prolific pen of Country Music Hall of Famer, Bill Anderson, who celebrated his 74th birthday on November 1st. I will never claim to be a fan of the singing talents of ol' Whisperin' Bill, but there is no disputing that he is one of the greatest songwriters in the history of country music. Like a whole lot of other great country performers, the music of Bill Anderson has been mined for use in Bluegrass through the years, and we selected five versions of Anderson classics to open the show. These songs were performed by Bob Paisley & the Southern Grass, the Osborne Brothers, the Johnson Mountain Boys, James King, and the Sand Mountain Boys. Great stuff.

Hope you were able to enjoy at least part of the show this week, and that you'll be sure to join Jim in next Sunday's "Bluegrass Cafe," beginning at 4PM sharp. Be there, won't you?

Have a fine week!

Amy

The Mill / Laurie Lewis & Grant Street / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
Slippin' Away / Bob Paisley & the Southern Grass / Live In Holland / Strictly Country
Cincinnati, Ohio / Osborne Brothers / Hillbilly Fever / CMH
I Don't Love You Anymore / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder
Saginaw, Michigan / James King / The Bluegrass Storyteller / Rounder
Once A Day / Sand Mountain Boys / Molly Rose / Hay Holler
My Time / Lee Marcus / Grandpa's Pond / Self-Produced
The Grey Ghost / Bill Emerson / Eclipse / Rural Rhythm
Is It Still Over / Michelle Nixon & Drive / A Place I Belong / Mountain Fever
I Know You're Married / Reno & Smiley / Bluegrass, 1963 / Rural Rhythm
Up This Hill And Down / Ivan Rosenberg & the Foggy Hogtown Boys / The Hogtown Sessions / Vole-O-Tone Records
Me And The Jukebox / Leon Morris / Thinking Today Of My Home / Patuxent Music
Shoulder To Shoulder / Lynn Morris Band / Shape Of A Tear / Rounder
I Was Left On The Street / Audie Blaylock & Redline / I'm Going Back To Old Kentucky / Rural Rhythm
Out In The Cold World / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys, 1957-1958 / JSP Records
Close By / Del McCoury Band / Old Memories: The Songs Of Bill Monroe / McCoury Music
Rare Bird Alert / Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers / Rare Bird Alert / Rounder
Last Goodbye / Missy Werner Band / Three Kinds Of Lonesome / Self-Produced
Nothin' I Can Do About It Now / The Roys / Lonesome Whistle / Rural Rhythm
Stranger In My Home / White Mountain Bluegrass / Aragon Mill / Strictly Country
Heavy Traffic Ahead / Del McCoury Band / Old Memories: The Songs Of Bill Monroe / McCoury Music
That's When I Miss Her (Him) Most Of All / Gelina & Pike's Mainly Grass / Rustic Little Cabin / Self-Produced
Helen / Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray / Many A Mile / Patuxent Music
Watertown / Cheryl J. Watson / Watertown / Self-Produced
Old Kentucky Farmers / Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out / Prime Tyme / Rural Rhythm
This Morning At Nine / Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray / Many A Mile / Patuxent Music
Many A Mile / Country Gentlemen / Can't You Hear Me Callin': Early Classics, 1963-1969 / Rebel
More Than A Name On A Wall / Dailey & Vincent / Dailey & Vincent / Rounder
Blue Eyed Blonde / Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad / Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad / Steeltown Records
Must Be The Wind / Nu-Blu / The Blu-Disc / Pinecastle
I Knew It Wasn't You (The Telephone Song) / Crowe Brothers / Bridging The Gap / Rural Rhythm
Gone At Last / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Drive Time / Mountain Home
We're In This Love Together / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / So Much In Between / Mountain Home
Roads Travelled / Edgar Loudermilk with Marty Raybon / Roads Travelled / Mountain Fever
Liberty Off The Corn Liquor Still/Devil In The Wood Pile [music bed] / Russ Nixon / Last Chance / Patuxent Music
Shenandoah Breakdown [music bed] / Russ Nixon / Last Chance / Patuxent Music
Runaround [music bed] / Russ Nixon / Last Chance / Patuxent Music
Wait A Minute / Seldom Scene / Different Roads / Rebel
Anywhere Is Home Again / Volume Five / Children Of The Mountain / Mountain Fever
Storm / Blue Highway / Sounds Of Home / Rounder
She Put The Tears In My Eyes / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Day! / Self-Produced
Ain't It Funny / Ethan Hughes / Searching For A Home / Patuxent Music
Remembering / David Peterson / Comin' On Strong / Self-Produced
When Someone Wants To Leave / Seldom Scene / Bluegrass The World's Greatest Show / Sugar Hill
Drifting Too Far From The Shore / Allerton & Alton / Black, White & Bluegrass / Bear Family
Singing As We Rise / Gibson Brothers with Ricky Skaggs / Help My Brother / Compass Records
It's Gonna Rain / Good Ol' Persons / Count Your Blessings: A Bluegrass Gospel Collection / Live Oak Records
John 3:16 / Stanley Brothers / All Gospel All Bluegrass / Federal
Sweet Wonderful Words / Spinney Brothers / When The Golden Leaves Begin To Fall / Self-Produced
One Prayer Away / Don Rigsby & Midnight Call / The Voice Of God / Rebel
Lord Have Mercy (On My Soul) / Lou Reid & Carolina / Sounds Like Heaven To Me / Rural Rhythm Christian
Reveille Time In Heaven / Mac Wiseman / Bluegrass Hits And Heartsongs / Rebel
Blue Grass Twist / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder

"Bluegrass Cafe" Playlist - 10/30/2011 - Halloween

2011-11-05T15:57:00.002-04:00

Hi Folks.

Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray

We've seen some rough times, but not too many like this past week. The Saturday afternoon before this show a huge swath of Connecticut and Massachusetts was blanketed with a wet, heavy snow that downed trees and power lines across New England. Fortunately the UCONN campus was spared the loss of electricity and WHUS and the Bluegrass Cafe soldiered on through the hardship. Many listeners were tuning in on car radios or portables. As many discovered, radio was one of the few windows on the outside world during the extensive power outages. My house was without power for 6-1/2 nights -- it was restored at 1:00am Saturday morning a week later -- and that has delayed this post.

Laurie Lewis and her tribute to Bill Monroe

The show last Sunday was the day before Halloween, so I dedicated the first hour to songs about murders and spooky ghosts, topics which abound in bluegrass music.

The show was shortened by an hour for a UCONN soccer game, so the final hour was mostly new music and our traditional gospel set.

Notable new albums appearing on this show were from Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray, Laurie Lewis, NewTown, Mickey Harris, and Missy Werner Band.

Amy will be at the helm of Bluegrass Cafe next Sunday, so be sure to tune in.

Jim Beaver

Requests in bold blue

Title / Artist / Album / Label

Fire On TheMountain / Michael Cleveland / Sawing On The "C" String / Self-released
The Ghost OfNorma Jean / The Steep Canyon Rangers / One Dime At A Time / Rebel
Long BlackVeil / Jack Cooke / Sittin' On Top Of The World / Pinecastle
Return ToDismal Swamp / John McEuen / String Wizards / Vanguard
BringingMary Home / John Duffey (The Country Gentlemen) / The Rebel Years / Rebel
I've Come ToTake You Home / The Seldom Scene / Like We Used To Be / Sugar Hill
BrownMountain Light / Tony Rice / Plays And Sings Bluegrass / Rounder
Marie Laveau/ Leroy Troy / The Old Grey Mare / Rounder
The GraveRobber / Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice / The Heart Of A Song / Rebel
Ghost BoundTrain / Dale Ann Bradley / Don't Turn Your Back / Compass
Pud Marcum'sHangin' / Larry Cordle / Pud Marcum's Hangin' / Mighty Cord
The BalladOf Sarah Malone / David Davis and the Warrior River Boys / Troubled Times / Rebel
KnoxvilleGirl / The Lilly Brothers and Don Stover / Live At Hillbilly Ranch / Hay Holler
The KnoxvilleBoy / Larry Stephenson / Life Stories / Pinecastle
The SilverBugle / The Charlie Sizemore Band / Good News / Rounder
The Lantern/ Front Range / Ramblin' On My Mind / Sugar Hill
The Old CampMeeting Days / Lewis Tradition / Precious Memories / Thoroughbred
Old TenBroeck / Laurie Lewis / Skippin' and Flyin' / Spruce And Maple
Chilly Winds/ Johnny Williams et al / Close Kin / Mountain Roads
Lay My BodyDown / Wayne Taylor and Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Day! / Raincoe
Blood AndSweat / Lee Marcus / Grandpa's Pond / Self-released
Roses andRust / Nu-Blu / The Blu-Disc / Pinecastle
Lord Lift MeUp / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / So Much In Between / Mountain Home
I'm BuildingA Mansion / The Easter Brothers / They're Holding up the Ladder / Rebel
Trusting InMy Lord / Crowe Brothers / Bridging The Gap / Rural Rhythm
The StoneWas Rolled Away / NewTown / Self-titled / Self-released
Storms Are OnThe Ocean / Taylors Grove / Keep On The Sunny Side / Fishtraks
Journey ToMy Savior's Side / The Missy Werner Band / Three Kinds Of Lonesome / Self-released
I'm Ready ToGo / Mickey Harris / A Gospel Collection / MJH
Lord ProtectMy Soul / Kathy Kallick / Count Your Blessings / Live Oak
When TheSaints Go Marching In / Lilly Brothers & Don Stover / Early Recordings / Rebel
I Am Weary,Let Me Rest / Eddie & Martha Adcock / Many A Mile / Patuxent
Walking In ADream / Fred Etheridge w. Nick Anderson, Mark Doyle / Pickin' And Singin' / Self-released

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 10/23/2011

2011-10-23T23:37:00.001-04:00

In today's BG Cafe, we put a bit of emphasis on new music, as it seems like there's a whole bunch of it. Sadly, there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the three hours of the program to air ALL of it. Not sure how to remedy that particular problem, but I'm hopeful to get to music from some of the fine folks (i.e. Lee Marcus, Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa, Missy Werner Band) in future weeks -- I just plain ran out of time today.

The title of this 1993 Turquoise release seems especially
appropriate now that the Bluegrass Patriots have disbanded.

After starting the show off with a few songs relating to all of those not-so-brightly-colored leaves that need to be raked from a whole lot of lawns, we paid brief tribute to Colorado's Bluegrass Patriots. This fine band played BG together for nearly 30 years with very few changes in personnel over the course of those years. That's kind of unusual in this day and age, isn't it? While the Patriots didn't perform very often east of the Mississippi River, we still were able to see them play at least a couple of times in New England (perhaps in the mid-1990s or so? -- my memory isn't quite as good as I'd like it to be). What a great band!

Still, though, today's show contained a good amount of new music -- released only recently or within the last few months. This came to us from projects by Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Thomas Porter & Copper River Band, Frank Wakefield, Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice, Carolina Road, the Crowe Brothers, and the Kathy Kallick Band. There are also TWO new tribute recordings to the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe, as we know that 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of Monroe's birth year. Even though there have already been plenty of Monroe tributes released this year, two more great performers can be added to the list: the Del McCoury Band ("Old Memories: The Songs Of Bill Monroe" on McCoury Music) and David Grisman (Acoustic Disc's "Dawg Plays Big Mon: Happy Birthday Bill Monroe"). There was also music from forthcoming projects by Chris Jones & the Night Drivers and Heather Berry & Tony Mabe.

One more special recording project we were able to emphasize today comes to us courtesy of someone who has been a great friend of WHUS and the BG Cafe, in particular -- our former show producer, Myrna Riquier. Myrna has put together a CD of songs she has written, and they have been recorded as a demo by Justin Carbone and Troy Engel. The resulting CD is very good, and we'll be playing more from it in future weeks.

As usual, we tried to make note of a few BG folks who celebrate birthdays this week, including Larry Stephenson (born 10/24/1956) and Joe Mullins (born 10/27/1965). Two other birthdays stood out this week: those of New England Bluegrass Pioneer Fred Pike -- a tremendous banjo and guitar picker who grew up in northeastern CT -- and the elder, banjo-picking half of the Gibson Brothers, Eric Gibson, who turns 41 today.

Hope you enjoyed something you heard on the show today, and that you'll be sure to join Jim next Sunday for another edition of the BG Cafe!

Amy

REQUESTS ARE RED.

Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
Golden Leaves / Acoustic Blue / This Is Now / Self-Produced
Leaves Mustn't Fall / Dan Paisley & the Southern Grass / The Tradition Continues / Brandywine
Leaves That Are Green / Union Springs / Next Train Headed South / Copper Creek
When The Golden Leaves Begin To Fall / Audie Blaylock & Redline / I'm Going Back To Old Kentucky / Rural Rhythm
Dreams About The Hills Of Home / Bluegrass Patriots / E Pluribus Bluegrass / Red Feather
I Can't Keep You In Love With Me / The Expedition Show / The Expedition Show / Mountain Fever Records
Trolley Days / Thomas Porter & Copper River Band / Trolley Days / Self-Produced
Buck Creek Gal / Johnny Warren & Charlie Cushman / A Tribute To Fiddlin' Paul Warren / Self-Produced
Wave Goodbye / Bluegrass Patriots / Springtime In The Rockies / Copper Creek
Maybe You Will Change Your Mind / Reno & Smiley / Early Years, 1951-1959 / Gusto
Gone Long Gone / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Drive Time / Mountain Home
Don't Say Goodbye If You Love Me / Bill Harrell with Jim McReynolds / Bill Harrell & Friends / Rebel
Apple Jack / Pam Gadd with Dolly Parton / Benefit Of Doubt / Home Sweet Highway Productions
Dixie / Gibson Brothers / Help My Brother / Compass Records
Final Farewell / Chris Jones & the Night Drivers / New Cuts Of Bluegrass, Volume 4 / no label
Grandfather's Clock / Fred Pike, Bill Rawlings & the Twin River Boys / Authentic Bluegrass Folk Music / Osage
Rambler's Call / Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers / Rambler's Call / Rebel
I'll Never Go Back / Joe Mullins with Doyle Lawson / Hymns From The Hills / Rebel
Blackberry Blossom / Fred Pike, Sam Tidwell & the Kennebec Valley Boys / The Last Log Drive / Revonah
Give This Message To Your Heart / Larry Stephenson with Dailey & Vincent / 20th Anniversary / Pinecastle
Picker's Blues / Gibson Brothers / Iron & Diamonds / Sugar Hill
When You Are Lonely / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / The Essential Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Columbia
My Cabin In Caroline / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / The Complete Mercury Recordings / Mercury
Corriella / Justin Carbone & Troy Engel / Momma's Flowers : My Bluegrass Collection By Myrna D. Riquier / Self-Produced
On And On / David Grisman with Jerry Garcia, Red Allen, Herb Pedersen, Jimmy Buchanan, Jim Kerwin / Dawg Plays Big Mon : Happy Birthday Bill Monroe / Acoustic Disc
Pretty Little Girl From Galax / Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out / Prime Tyme / Rural Rhythm
Watermelon On The Vine / Del McCoury Band / Old Memories : The Songs Of Bill Monroe / McCoury Music
Live And Let Live / Del McCoury Band / Old Memories : The Songs Of Bill Monroe / McCoury Music
Sing A Bluegrass Song / Carolina Road / Back To My Roots / Rural Rhythm
I've Been Waiting / The Boxcars / The Boxcars / Mountain Home
I'm Waiting To Hear You Call Me Darling / Hagar's Mountain Boys / Forever Yours / Mountain Fever Records
A Far Cry From Lester And Earl / Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice / The Heart Of A Song / Rebel
Mountain Girl / Bluegrass Cardinals / Mountain Girl / BGC Records
Rawhide / Frank Wakefield / A Tribute To Bill Monroe / Patuxent Music
Heartache Looking For A Home / Charlie Sizemore / Heartache Looking For A Home / Rounder
Walk Slow / Heather Berry & Tony Mabe / advance single / Mountain Fever Records
Wearin' The Blues / Josh Williams with David Peterson / I'll Take Love : From The Pen Of Louisa Branscomb / Compass Records
Tall Pines / Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands / Live / Spruce & Maple Music
Lord Protect My Soul / Kathy Kallick Band / Count Your Blessings : A Bluegrass Gospel Collection / Live Oak Records
God Has Been So Good To Me / Crowe Brothers / Bridging The Gap / Rural Rhythm
Gonna Be Moving / Balsam Range / Trains I Missed / Mountain Home
Let Me Rest At The End Of My Journey / Jack Cooke / Sittin' On Top Of The World / Pinecastle
What A Beautiful Day (For The Lord To Come Again) / Special Consensus / Signs / Pinecastle
Preaching Praying Singing / Country Gentlemen / Let The Light Shine Down / Rebel
In The Shadow Of The Son / Justin Carbone & Troy Engel / Momma's Flowers : My Bluegrass Collection By Myrna D. Riquier / Self-Produced
On The Wings Of Angels / Spinney Brothers / Side By Side / Self-Produced
The Poor Man Was Lazarus / Paul Adkins & the Borderline Band / Wings Of Gold / Rebel
Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder

"Bluegrass Cafe" Playlist - 10/16/2011 - Al Hawkes

2011-10-16T22:49:00.001-04:00

Hi Folks,

Al Hawkes

While bluegrass music is correctly thought to be of rural Southern origins, the South certainly does not have exclusive rights to the form. A great example of a New England connection to the music is Mr. Al Hawkes. Starting the Event Records label in 1956 in Maine (at the ripe old age of 26), he recorded such country and bluegrass greats as Charlie Bailey (of the Bailey Brothers), The Lilly Brothers and Don Stover, and Dick Curless.

Al, himself a great musician, first started broadcasting as a teen on his own pirate radio station, and later started a musical partnership with a black singer/guitarist named Alton Myers -- the duo called "Allerton & Alton" -- that broadcast on prime time radio in 1947 and 1948. That pairing was the first integrated group in country music, and we are fortunate to have recordings of the duo preserved on a recent Bear Family release.

I had the opportunity to record an extended interview with Al Hawkes on September 28, 2011, at IBMA's World Of Bluegrass in Nashville, TN, and we aired that hour-long interview in the middle of this Bluegrass Cafe.

The rest of the show consisted of many newer releases including The Crowe Brothers, The Missy Werner Band, The Bluegrass Brothers, Johnny Warren & Charlie Cushman, Monroe Crossing, Leon Morris, Mickey Harris, and Carolina Road. We also played from two excellent retrospectives, one from Kathy Kallick and another from the late John Duffey. Ricky Skaggs has a new release of his country hits done bluegrass style that we presented.

Amy will be making the banjos and fiddles ring on the next Bluegrass Cafe.

Jim Beaver

Al Hawkes interview in blue
Requests in red

Title / Artist / Album/ Label

Fire On The Mountain / Michael Cleveland / Sawing On The"C" String / Self-released
Blame It On The Bluegrass / Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike/ Blame It On The Bluegrass / Bell Buckle
Uncle Pen / Ricky Skaggs / Country Hits Bluegrass Style / SkaggsFamily
In Despair / Dale Ann Bradley / Somewhere South Of Crazy / Compass
He Could Pick The Hound / Crowe Brothers / Bridging The Gap/ Rural Rhythm
Back To My Roots / Carolina Road / Back To my Roots / RuralRhythm
Leaves In The Wind / The Missy Werner Band / Three Kinds OfLonesome / Self-released
The Grave Robber / Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice / TheHeart Of A Song / Rebel
Caroline / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be ABeautiful Day / Raincoe
Flying South To Dixie / The Bluegrass Brothers / "Live"At The Coffee Pot / Self-released
Waves On The Sea / The Johnson Mountain Boys / Favorites / Rounder
Pretty Polly Ann / Johnny Warren & Charlie Cushman / ATribute To Fiddlin' Paul Warren Vol. 2 / Self-released
Heavy Traffic Ahead / Monroe Crossing / Plays The Music ofBill Monroe / Self-released
Sarah Joy / Snyder Family Band / Stages / Mountain Roads
Cold Heart, Cold Feet / Tommy Webb / From Rock-N-Roll ToBill Monroe / Self-released
Things In Life / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / So Much InBetween / Mountain Home
Belt Buckle Polishing Song / Thomas Porter & CopperRiver Band / Trolley Days / Self-released
Bring Back My Blue Eyed Boy / Lilly Brothers & DonStover / Early Recordings / Rebel
Al Hawkes Interview
Baby, Baby / Curtis Johnson / 45Single / Event
Tragic Romance / Lilly Brothers& Don Stover / Early Recordings / Rebel
Kentucky / Allerton & Alton / Black,White and Bluegrass / Bear Family
Twelfth Street Rag / Allerton &Alton / Black, White and Bluegrass / Bear Family
I'll Get Along Somehow / Allerton& Alton / Black, White and Bluegrass / Bear Family
I'll Sign My Heart Away / Allerton& Alton / Black, White and Bluegrass / Bear Family
Keep On The Sunny Side / Allerton& Alton / Black, White and Bluegrass / Bear Family
Dear Old Dixie (bed) / Red Smiley & The BluegrassCut-Ups / Burnin' Up the Strings / Rural Rhythm
Black Eyed Susan (bed) / Tater Tate w. Red Smiley & BGC-U / Burnin' Up the Strings / Rural Rhythm
Natural Bridge Blues (bed) / Reno & Smiley w. TheTennessee Cut-Ups / Burnin' Up the Strings / Rural Rhythm
Banjo On The Mountain (bed) / Hylo Brown & The Timberliners / Burnin' Up the Strings / Rural Rhythm
When The Golden Leaves Begin To Fall / The Spinney Brothers/ When The Golden Leaves Begin To Fall / Self-released
Whippoorwill / Billy Boone Smith / Live From The Moose Lodge/ Muddy Sunshine
I'm Going Back To Old Kentucky / Audie Blaylock and Redline/ I'm Going Back To Old Kentucky / Rural Rhythm
Mash Your Finger / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / It's GonnaBe A Beautiful Day / Raincoe
Other Woman's Blues / Nu-Blu / The Blu-Disc / Pinecastle
My Time / Lee Marcus / Grandpa's Pond / Self-released
Hold Whatcha Got / Joe Walsh w. The Gibson Brothers / SweetLoam / Skinny Elephant
God's Highway / Leon Morris / Thinking Today Of My Home / Patuxent
Heaven / John Duffey / The Rebel Years 1962-1977 / Rebel
Roll Jordan Roll / Nashville Bluegrass Band w. FairfieldFour / Home Of The Blues / Sugar Hill
My Eyes Shall Be On Canaan's Land / Terry Baucom w. Lawson,Haley, Reid / In A Groove / John Boy & Billy
When I Wake Up To Sleep No More / Kathy Kallick / Count YourBlessings / Live Oak
Power Of Prayer / Jay Armsworthy / I Couldn't Make ItWithout Him / Blue Circle
Take Me To Heaven / Jay Armsworthy / I Couldn't Make ItWithout Him / Blue Circle
Battle / Mickey Harris / A Gospel Collection / MJH
Hold Fast To The Right / Taylors Grove / Keep On The SunnySide / Fishtraks
Walking In A Dream / Fred Etheridge w. Nick Anderson, MarkDoyle / Pickin' And Singin' / Self-released

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 10/9/2011

2011-10-09T23:39:00.003-04:00

It seems like today's show was cut into several segments -- from birthday tributes to remembrances of country music figures. We began the show with four songs from the pen (or featuring the banjo) of the late Don Stover, who is well-known to a whole lot of folks in New England from his days working with the Lilly Brothers at the Hillbilly Ranch in Boston. There's live BG just about every Sunday afternoon at the Firebox Restaurant in Hartford, and this week, the throw-together group of great New England BGers called themselves, "The New Hampshire State Troopers Hat Band." Since I couldn't be in Hartford to see the tribute, I figured playing some Stover tunes would be the next best thing.

Birthday boy, Leigh Gibson, tried out a new look in 2008.

Several performers are celebrating birthdays this week, and we heard music from a few of them, including Sammy Shelor (born 10/10/1962), Barry Berrier (born 10/10/1960), and Josh Crowe (born 10/11/1957). Another person marking a fairly significant birthday this week is the younger of the two Gibson Brothers, Leigh Gibson, who turns 40 on October 11th. The Gibsons had a pretty terrific time at IBMA last week, as they were nominated for seven IBMA Awards, and came home with two (Vocal Group of the Year and Album of the Year for "Help My Brother"). As you probably know, these two brothers are great songwriters, and Leigh's songwriting style tends to be more of the personal history-type. We showcased three of Leigh's fine songs which the Gibsons have recorded over the last fourteen years, and then, later had a request for a fourth Gibson tune featuring Leigh.

Today is also the birthday of the late John Lennon, who was born on October 9, 1940. It's no surprise that the Beatles impacted and really changed the music world in a big way. You wouldn't think that many Beatles tunes would have been given the BG treatment, but that kind of thinking would be wrong. In honor of John's birthday, we played two BG versions of Beatles tunes -- one recorded in 1966 and another in 2011.

Johnnie Wright...on the far right

From time to time, we pay tribute to country music performers whose music has been covered in the BG world. One of the greats, Johnnie Wright, died on September 27th at the age of 97. While Johnnie may be best known as the husband of Kitty Wells since 1937, the music he made with his brother-in-law Jack Anglin in the 1940s and the 1950s was just plain fun. As Johnnie & Jack, the pair were members of the Grand Ole Opry, and introduced so many great songs which have been covered in the BG world for years, including "Poison Love," "Ashes Of Love," Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide," and others. Members of their Tennessee Mountain Boys band included Shot Jackson on the Dobro, as well as fiddlers Benny Martin and Paul Warren. You don't get much closer to Bluegrass music than that. Great stuff!

Jim told you a bit about IBMA on last week's show, so we made sure to continue that "theme" a little more this week, too. We played music from some of the great bands I got to hear in late-night showcases, such as Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa, Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice, Edgar Loudermilk, the Skip Cherryholmes Quintet, Travers Chandler & Avery County, Della Mae, and Volume Five. We also put a spotlight on a few of the IBMA award-winners. In addition to tunes from the Gibsons, there was music from Balsam Range, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Dale Ann Bradley, Russell Moore (& IIIrd Tyme Out), and Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers, as well as 2011 BG Hall of Famers, George Shuffler and Del McCoury.

Gentle reminder: if you're on Facebook, take a moment to mosey on over to our "BG Cafe" Facebook page and "like" us. To get there, go to www.facebook.com/WHUS.BluegrassCafe when you can...

Hope you enjoyed something you heard somewhere along the way today, and that you'll be sure to join Jim next Sunday in the "BG Cafe."

Have a great week!

Amy

REQUESTS ARE RED.

Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
I'll Be Myself Again / Old Time Bluegrass Singers / Plastic Heart / Open Road
Salt River / Lilly Brothers & Don Stover / Bluegrass At The Roots / Smithsonian Folkways
Poor Country Boy / Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum / The Oak And The Laurel / Rounder
Rockwood Deer Chase / Jim Mills / Bound To Ride / Sugar Hill
Things In Life / Don Stover / The Stained Glass Hour : Bluegrass And Old Time Gospel Music / Rounder
Trains I Missed / Balsam Range / Trains I Missed / Mountain Home
Goin' Up Dry Branch / Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper / Fired Up / Rounder
I'll Never Grow Tired Of You / Stanley Brothers / Selected Cuts, 1956-1959 / JSP Records
1952 Vincent Black Lightning / Del McCoury Band / By Request / McCoury Music
Yellow-Backed Fly / Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers / Rare Bird Alert / Rounder
Marianne / Paul Adkins & the Borderline Band / Modern Times / Rebel
In The Garden By The Fountain / Rhonda Vincent with Dolly Parton / Taken / Upper Management Music
Loser's Hand / Edgar Loudermilk / Roads Travelled / Mountain Fever Records
Midnight Ramble / Cullen Galyean / Born Into Bluegrass : The Songs Of Cullen Galyean / Mountain Roads Recordings
Close By / Dailey & Vincent / Bill Monroe Centennial Celebration : A Classic Bluegrass Tribute / Rounder
North Carolina Breakdown / Sammy Shelor / Leading Roll / Sugar Hill
Holdin' On When You've Let Go / Crowe Brothers / Brothers-n-Harmony / Rural Rhythm
I'll Have To Make Some Changes / Barry Berrier / First Time With Feeling / Pinecastle
Sam Smith / Gibson Brothers / Spread Your Wings / Hay Holler
Railroad Line / Gibson Brothers / Bona Fide / Sugar Hill
Safe Passage / Gibson Brothers / Help My Brother / Compass Records
Help! / Charles River Valley Boys / Beatle Country / Rounder
I Feel Fine / VW Boys / Retroactive / Mountain Roads Recordings
Who Showed Who / Dan Tyminski / Wheels / Rounder
She Put The Tears In My Eyes / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Day! / Self-Produced
Poison Love / Johnnie & Jack / For Old Times Sake / Bear Family
You Tried To Ruin My Name / Wilma Lee Cooper / O Sister! / Rounder
What About You? / Johnnie & Jack / For Old Times Sake / Bear Family
Three Ways Of Knowing / Allerton & Alton / Black, White & Bluegrass / Bear Family
Beware Of It / Johnnie & Jack / For Old Times Sake / Bear Family
If Your Heart Should Ever Roll This Way Again / Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out / Prime Tyme / Rural Rhythm
You Can Run / Ashlee Blankenship & Blades Of Blue / Ashlee Blankenship & Blades Of Blue / Mountain Fever Records
There's No Place Like Home / Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice / The Heart Of A Song / Rebel
Talk To Me / Gibson Brothers with Claire Lynch / Help My Brother / Compass Records
You Are What I Am / Skip Cherryholmes Quintet / / no label
The Stanley Brothers / Travers Chandler & Avery County / / Mountain Fever Records
Bowling Green / Della Mae / I Built This Heart / Self-Produced
You Better Wake Up / Volume Five / Children Of The Mountain / Mountain Fever Records
Lord Lift Me Up / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / So Much In Between / Mountain Home
My Eyes Shall Be On Canaan's Land / Terry Baucom with Doyle Lawson, Jimmy Haley & Lou Reid / In A Groove / John-Boy & Billy, Inc.
My Lord's Been A Walkin' / Spinney Brothers / Here At The Cross / Self-Produced
I Pressed Through The Crowd / Dale Ann Bradley / Somewhere South Of Crazy / Compass Records
Joy Bells / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Foggy Mountain Gospel / Columbia
Lord, Lead Me On / David Parmley & Continental Divide / Church House Hymns, Volume 2 / Self-Produced
Sweeping Through The Gate / Johnnie & Jack with Kitty Wells / Johnnie & Jack With Kitty Wells At KWKH / Bear Family
Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder

Glimpses of IBMA 2011...

2011-10-02T22:58:00.000-04:00

What a week! Whether you're a casual fan of BG or someone who's trying to make a living in the music business, there's a good chance that there's something for you at WoB (or, the World of Bluegrass conference presented by the International Bluegrass Music Association). I attended 3 1/2 days of IBMA this year, and enjoyed just about every minute. I'll never claim to be a world-class photographer, but thought you might enjoy seeing a few photos...

If you've never been to IBMA, why not think about making 2012 the year you go?

Amy

Del McCoury shares amusing memories of working for Bill Monroe in an early morning session.

Al Hawkes chats with Eddie Stubbs on WSM.

Balsam Range performs at the IBMA Awards. They'd later win the award for Song of the Year for "Trains I Missed"

Edgar Loudermilk & Ashlee Blankenship at the Mountain Fever Records showcase.

Longtime New England faves, the Gibson Brothers, were big winners at the IBMA Awards. The day before their wins, they performed live on WAMU's BluegrassCountry.org.

Josh Williams

The Skip Cherryholmes Quintet (with Gena Britt on banjo) is on my radar screen...

The Missy Werner Band played on WAMU, too. Show host Lee Michael Demsey looks on...

The Spinney Brothers played several late night showcases throughout the week -- this one for the South Florida Bluegrass Association.

Volume Five is an Alabama band who records on Mountain Fever Records. Very enjoyable!

Edgar Loudermilk's Mountain Fever Records showcase included some of his 3TO bandmates, Wayne Benson on mandolin and Steve Dilling on banjo.

Paul Williams, J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson -- IBMA winners & BG legends.

What a thrill to see the Gibson Brothers win two IBMA awards!

Award presenters, Tim Stafford and Dan Tyminski

The Ryman Auditorium lighting and my camera were not best of friends, but lousy picture quality notwithstanding, you can still see that Steve Martin was pretty happy to win his Entertainer of the Year award (with the fabulous Steep Canyon Rangers, of course).

Flatt Lonesome is a young Florida band fronted by three siblings.

Jay Armsworthy put together a band just for his showcase featuring Laura Orshaw on fiddle, Bobby Osborne, Jr. on bass, Dr. Richard Brown on mandolin, and Joe Miller on the banjo.

Travers Chandler & Avery County will have a new CD out on Mountain Fever Records very soon...

"Bluegrass Cafe" Playlist - 10/2/2011

2011-10-02T21:44:00.000-04:00

Hi folks!

I had the great fortune to spend all of last week at the International Bluegrass Music Association's (IBMA) World of Bluegrass in Nashville, Tennessee. Amy was out there, too. I can't begin to express what a wonderful event WOB was. I got to hear and participate in many great seminars on various aspects of the bluegrass community, meet many artists, music label people, and others in radio.

The evening showcases in which artists play for about 20 minutes each to give folks a chance to hear as many groups as possible were nothing short of astounding in the quality of music and diversity of approach to bluegrass. I picked up a great deal of new music that we will be presenting in the coming weeks on Bluegrass Cafe.

Of course this week was the start of the parade of new music on Bluegrass Cafe. We also touched on some of the winners of the IBMA awards that Amy and I were able to witness Thursday night at the Ryman Auditorium. A few of the highlights included the induction into the IBMA Hall of Fame of George Shuffler and Del McCoury, The Gibson Brothers winning both Vocal Group of the Year and Album of the Year, and Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers winning Entertainer of the Year honors. The complete list of winners is here.


The Gibson Brothers at IBMA Awards 9/29/2011

New music on this show included tracks from a great new CD blending old-time and bluegrass music titled "Close Kin" from the Mountain Roads label. Many of the artists on this project, such as Jeanette Williams, Johnny Williams, Mickey Galyean, and Adam and Tina Steffey, came from the Mount Airy/Galax area of North Carolina and Virgina where both old-time and bluegrass music has strong roots.

More new music included songs from NewTown (who will be making an appearance at Podunk 2012), Travers Chandler & Avery County (with Terry McGill on banjo), Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa, The Missy Werner Band, The Snyder Family Band, Ralph Stanley II, Kenny Smith, Carolina Road, the Moody Bluegrass Two project, and a California group, The Blackberry Bushes.

I should mention a couple of special projects featured on this show. Mark Twain - Words and Music is an excellent tribute to Mark Twain featuring readings of his writing and songs about the man from the likes of Emmylou Harris, Ricky Skaggs, Sheryl Crow, Rhonda Vincent, and many others. The project was released by the Mark Twain Foundation and is available here, or at the Mark Twain House in Hartford.

Also, New England musicians bonded together by association with Tom Monahan and calling themselves The Manic Mountain Boys are issuing a tribute album of Tom Monahan songs titled The Manics Pick on Monahan. We played four tracks from that upcoming project by Jim Disabito, Jon Swift, Mary Maguire, and Bob & Wini Young.

I covered less than half of what I wanted to do on this show, so be sure to tune in next Sunday when Amy will give you another look into IBMA's World of Bluegrass.

Jim Beaver

requests in blue

Title / Artist / Album / Label

FireOn The Mountain / Michael Cleveland / Sawing On The "C" String / Self-released
ChillyWinds / Johnny Williams et al / Close Kin / Mountain Roads
NewShoes / Dale Ann Bradley / Somewhere South Of Crazy / Compass
LoveThe Way I Do / NewTown / Self-titled / Self-released
TheStanley Brothers / Travers Chandler & Avery County / Advance Single / MountainFever
InDespair / Audie Blaylock and Redline / I'm Going Back To Old Kentucky / RuralRhythm
TheHills Of Tennessee / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be A BeautifulDay! / Raincoe
"Helloyourself, and see how you like it..." / Jimmy Buffett,Garrison Keillor,ClintEastwood / Mark Twain - Words and Music / Mark Twain Foundation
WhenHalley Came To Jackson / Emmylou Harris / Mark Twain - Words and Music / MarkTwain Foundation
CarolinaDreams / Lee Marcus / Grandpa's Pond / Self-released
JesseJames / Bill Emerson / Eclipse / Rural Rhythm
ThreeKinds of Lonesome / The Missy Werner Band Three / Kinds of Lonesome / Self-released
Stages/ Snyder Family Band / Stages / Mountain Roads
SugarHill / Eddie Bond et al / Close Kin / Mountain Roads
IThink I Hear A Train / Ralph Stanley II / Born To Be A Drifter / StanleyGeneration
FrozenIn Time / The Gibson Brothers / Help My Brother / Compass
Early/ Joe Walsh w. The Gibson Brothers / Sweet Loam / Skinny Elephant
TheMinute That I Met You / Jim Disabito / The Manics Pick On Monahan / Self-released
FifteenHills / Bob & Wini Young / The Manics Pick On Monahan / Self-released
TrickyTrail of Love / Jon Swift / The Manics Pick On Monahan / Self-released
WithoutAny Heart / Mary Maguire / The Manics Pick On Monahan / Self-released
ArkansasTraveler / Kenny Smith / Return / GAT Three
SweetSally Brown / Acoustic Blue / Timeless / Self-released
GoodbyeLittle Bonnie / Taylors Grove / Keep On The Sunny Side / Fishtraks
We'reIn This Love Together / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / So Much In Between / MountainHome
I'llGet Along Somehow / Allerton & Alton / Black, White and Bluegrass / BearFamily
TwelfthStreet Rag / Allerton & Alton / Black, White and Bluegrass / Bear Family
EastVirginia Blues / J.D. Crowe & the New South / Holiday In Japan / New South Music
HighOn The Mountain / Del McCoury / By Request / McCoury Music
YouAnd Me / Ricky Skaggs, David Harvey, et al / Moody Bluegrass Two...Much Love / BunnyRae
"Thereport of my death was an exaggeration..." / Garrison Keillor, Clint Eastwood / Mark Twain -Words and Music / Mark Twain Foundation
CometRide / Ricky Skaggs / Mark Twain - Words and Music / Mark Twain Foundation
MashYour Finger / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Day! / Raincoe
Virginia/ The Blackberry Bushes / Little Bit Of Grace / Self-released
SarahJoy (bed) / Snyder Family Band / Stages / Mountain Roads
AngelinaBaker / Snyder Family Band / Stages Mountain Roads
ALight In The Window Again / Carolina Road / Back To My Roots / Mountain Fever
BrownMountain Light / Tommy Faile / The Songs of Scott Wiseman / Mar-Lu Records
It'sNever Too Late / Fred Etheridge w. Nick Anderson & Mark Doyle / Pickin' andSingin' / Self-released
ComeAll You Coal Miners / Jeanette Williams et al / Close Kin / Mountain Roads
NinePound Hammer / George Shuffler / Aged To Perfection / Copper Creek
LonesomeRoad Blues / George Shuffler and Laura Boosinger / Mountain Treasures / CopperCreek
WhatA Man (My Jesus Was) / Mickey Harris / A Gospel Collection / MJH
JourneyTo My Savior's Side / The Missy Werner Band / Three Kinds of Lonesome / Self-released
PrayerBells Of Heaven / Crowe-Lawson-Williams / Old Friends Get Together / MountainHome
SingingAs We Rise / The Gibson Brothers / Help My Brother / Compass
WillThe Circle Be Unbroken / Lee Marcus / Grandpa's Pond / Self-released
GetDown On Your Knees And Pray / The Johnson Mountain Boys / Live at the Birchmere/ Rounder
TheDevil Just Can't Knock Me Off My Knees / Rodney Dillard / Don't Wait For theHearse To Take You To Church / Rural Rhythm
KneelAt The Cross / Taylors Grove / Keep On The Sunny Side / Fishtraks
ShineHallelujah Shine / Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys / The Essential / Columbia
ISaw The Light / David Peterson / Live at WHUS, May 8, 2010 / WHUS Production
Walkingin a Dream / Fred Etheridge w. Nick Anderson & Mark Doyle / Pickin' andSingin' / Self-released

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 9/25/2011

2011-09-26T00:11:00.005-04:00

Today, there are a whole lot of BG folks gathered in Nashville attending the World of Bluegrass (or, WoB) conference and all of the other fun activities associated with it. Jim is there now, and I'll be heading down later in the week for a healthy dose of live BG. The WoB week will end on Thursday night with 22nd annual International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Awards at the historic Ryman Auditorium. It will be a big night for some fine performers, and so, we put a small spotlight this week on the nominees in a couple of different categories: Song of the Year and Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year. In addition, we began the show with five previous songs which have been named Song of the Year in the history of the IBMA Awards. 2011 nominees from whom we heard music today included the Gibson Brothers, the Grascals, Dale Ann Bradley, Balsam Range, Blue Highway, Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers, Lou Reid & Carolina, J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson, & Paul Williams, and Russell Moore.

The show today also included a whole bunch of new music from several fine new projects...some of this music had not previously been heard on the BG Cafe. This week, we played brand-spanking-new music from the Missy Werner Band, a combined project from Ivan Rosenberg & the Foggy Hogtown Boys, the latest Rebel recording from Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice, and young resonator guitarist, Ethan Hughes. In addition, there was pretty new music from Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa, Lee Marcus, Nu-Blu, and David Parmley & Continental Divide.

In addition, there were a couple of tunes played today in honor of birthday boy, Larry Sparks -- born September 25, 1947. Sparks has one of the most identifiable voices in all of BG, no doubt about it.

Hope you enjoyed something you heard on the show this week. Be sure to join Jim on the air next Sunday afternoon, as I'm sure he'll have PLENTY to tell you about all of the great music he's going to see and hear this week at WoB. Join him beginning at 4PM, won't you?

Have a great week!

Amy

REQUESTS ARE RED.

Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
Blue Train (Of The Heartbreak Line) / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / The Hard Game Of Love / Sugar Hill [Song of the Year, 2003]
Lonesome Old Home / Longview / Longview / Rounder [Song of the Year, 1998]
Kentucky Borderline / Rhonda Vincent / One Step Ahead / Rounder [Song of the Year, 2004]
Colleen Malone / Hot Rize / Take It Home / Sugar Hill [Song of the Year, 1991]
Don't Throw Mama's Flowers Away / Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass / The Room Over Mine / Rounder [Song of the Year, 2009]

Four of the five nominees for 2011 Song of the Year:
Help My Brother / Gibson Brothers / Help My Brother / Compass Records
I Am Strong / The Grascals & Friends / The Grascals & Friends / Cracker Barrel
I'll Take Love / Dale Ann Bradley with Alison Krauss & Steve Gulley / I'll Take Love : From The Pen Of Louisa Branscomb / Compass Records
Trains I Missed / Balsam Range / Trains I Missed / Mountain Home
The Waves On The Sea / Johnson Mountain Boys / Favorites / Rounder
Let Me Fall / Travers Chandler & Avery County / State Of Depression / Patuxent Music
Cumberland Gap / Lilly Brothers & Don Stover / On The Radio, 1952-1953 / Rounder
Say You Lied / Neon Valley Boys / Bluegrass / Sudden Comfort Records
Kisses Don't Lie / Lynn Morris Band / The Lynn Morris Band / Rounder
Backroads And Little Towns / The Expedition Show / The Expedition Show / Mountain Fever Records
Grandpa's Pond / Lee Marcus / Grandpa's Pond / Self-Produced
Lost River / McPeak Brothers / Yesteryears : The Best Of The McPeak Brothers / Rebel
No Lawyers In Heaven / Charlie Sizemore / Heartache Looking For A Home / Rounder
The Likes Of You / Lynn Morris / You'll Never Be The Sun / Rounder
Leaves In The Wind / Missy Werner Band / Three Kinds Of Lonesome / Self-Produced
The Hills Of Tennessee / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Day / Self-Produced
Lost / Ivan Rosenberg & the Foggy Hogtown Boys / The Hogtown Sessions / Self-Produced
A Light In The Window, Again / Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road / New Cuts Of Bluegrass, Volume 4 / no label
Old Swinging Bridge / Ethan Hughes / Searching For A Home / Patuxent Music
Sea Of Regret / Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice / The Heart Of A Song / Rebel
Blue Skies And Teardrops / Missy Werner Band / Three Kinds Of Lonesome / Self-Produced
Nineteen Forty Ford / Acoustic Blue / Timeless / Self-Produced
The Letter / ShoreGrass / Going Home / Self-Produced
Just Wondering Why / Bear Minimum / Live At The Finnish Hall / no label
Can't Live Life / Edgar Loudermilk with Rhonda Vincent / Roads Traveled / Mountain Fever Records
Women Like To Slow Dance / Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers / Rare Bird Alert / Rounder
Rare Bird Alert / Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers / Rare Bird Alert / Rounder
What Would You Do? / Fred Etheridge & Nick Anderson / Pickin' & Singin' / Self-Produced
The Working Man / Shannon Slaughter / The Sideman Steps Out / Self-Produced
We're In This Love Together / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / So Much In Between / Mountain Home
Tell Me You Wanna Be Mine Again / Spinney Brothers & Close Company / The Old Fundy Shore / Self-Produced
Must Be The Wind / Nu-Blu / The Blu-Disc / Pinecastle
I Ain't Gonna Lay My Hammer Down / Blue Highway / Sounds Of Home / Rounder
Tennessee 1949 / Larry Sparks / Bound To Ride : The Best Of Larry Sparks / Rebel
God's Front Porch / Lou Reid & Carolina / Sounds Like Heaven To Me / Rural Rhythm Christian *
Pass Me Not / Dale Ann Bradley with Larry Sparks / Catch Tomorrow / Compass Records
Prayer Bells Of Heaven / J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson, Paul Williams / Old Friends Get Together / Mountain Home *
I Want To Live Like Christ My Savior / Reno & Smiley / Early Years, 1951-1959 / Gusto
He Can Be Found / Gibson Brothers / Help My Brother / Compass Records *
I'm Justified / Del McCoury Band / Family Circle / McCoury Music
Sailing On / Russell Moore with Dale Ann Bradley / Look To The Light : Songs Of Faith From The Pen Of Rick Lang / Rural Rhythm Christian *
Lord, Lead Me On / David Parmley & Continental Divide / Church House Hymns, Volume II / Self-Produced
Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder

* nominee, 2011 Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year

"Bluegrass Cafe" Playlist - 9/18/2011

2011-09-18T22:06:00.001-04:00

Hi Folks,

Wade Mainer

Wilma Lee Cooper

During the week since the last show, we celebrated the actual 100th anniversary of Bill Monroe's birth. Amy covered Bill's vast catalog quite well over the past two weeks to honor the event. There was sadness during the week as well as we learned of the passing of Wade Mainer (4/23/1907 - 9/12/2011) and Wilma Lee Cooper (2/7/1921 - 9/13/2011), so my bittersweet mission was to pay tribute to these two pioneering musicians.

Maple On The Hill - 1935

Now a little self-disclosure: I have a bit of a personal connection to the Mainers. J.E. Mainer (1898-1971) and and his younger brother Wade were born in Buncombe County, NC (near Asheville) but eventually found themselves in Concord, NC, chasing textile work when J.E.'s fiddling caught the ear of the Crazy Water Crystals marketeers. A daily radio program on nearby Charlotte powerhouse radio station WBT ensued followed by recording sessions beginning in 1935 on RCA's Bluebird label. The 19th century song "Maple On The Hill" by Gussie L. Davis but with new music by Mainers' Mountaineers was recorded at that first session and went on to be one of the biggest selling country/folk/hillbilly records of the 1930s.

J. E. Mainer, Jr.

J. E. Mainer

My connection with this is that Concord is my hometown, and J.E.'s son J.E. Mainer, Jr. (1924-present) is a close personal friend. Wade had been working in the Gibson Mill card room in Concord, possibly with my grandfather as foreman, when J.E. enlisted him in his fledgling band in the early 1930s.

New music on this show included songs from Wayne Taylor and Appaloosa, Larry Gillis and Alex Leach, Suzy Bogguss, Dale Ann Bradley, Larry Perkins, Connie Leigh, and Rodney Dillard.

Ham & Scram

Marty Robbins "Good 'n Country"

As a special treat, in addition to the two tributes, the Heritage Corner archives turned up two interesting recordings from which we shared tracks -- "Ham & Scram Country Comedy" with Buzz Busby (and possibly Don Stover or Pete Pike), and a little known 1974 album from Marty Robbins called "Good 'n Country" that was very grassy.

For those traveling to IBMA's World Of Bluegrass in Nashville, Amy and I hope to see you there. Amy will be hosting Bluegrass Cafe before WOB, and I'll catch it afterwards.

Keep on pickin'

Jim Beaver

requests in blue

Title / Artist / Album / Label

Fire On The Mountain / Michael Cleveland / Sawing On The "C" String / Self-released
Mash Your Finger / Wayne Taylor and Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Day / Self-released
She's More To Be Pitied / Larry Gillis feat. Alex Leach / Dr. Swampgrass Gillis Live on WDVX Radio / Tinman
Pardon Me / Tommy Brown & The County Line Grass / Hard Drivin' / Lavenir
Big Midnight Special / Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper / 22 Wilma Lee Cooper Hits / K-Tel
Come Walk With Me / Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper / 22 Wilma Lee Cooper Hits / K-Tel
Cheated Too / Wilma Lee Cooper / 22 Wilma Lee Cooper Hits / K-Tel
There's A Big Wheel / Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper / 22 Wilma Lee Cooper Hits / K-Tel
This Ole House / Wilma Lee Cooper / 22 Wilma Lee Cooper Hits / K-Tel
Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong / Bill Monroe / 16 Gems / Columbia
Ol' Dan Tucker / Suzy Bogguss / American Folk Songbook / Self-released
Yellow-Backed Fly / Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers / Rare Bird Alert / Rounder
When The Golden Leaves Begin To Fall / Audie Blaylock and Redline / I'm Going Back To Old Kentucky / Rural Rhythm
Come Home Good Boy / Dale Ann Bradley / Somewhere South Of Crazy / Compass
Rabbit In A Log / The Stanley Brothers / Live At Chicago Folk Festival / Self-released
You Won't Be Satisfied That Way / Dave Evans & River Bend / Goin' 'Round This World / Rebel
Little Bird / Becky Buller / Little Bird / Bell Buckle
Sophronie / Jimmy Martin / You Don't Know My Mind / Rounder
Deep Freeze Mama Blues / Ham & Scram feat. Buzz Busby / Country Comedy / Mount Vernon (LP)
I Heard The Bluebirds Sing / Marty Robbins / Good 'n Country / MCA (LP)
Two Chord Charlie / Rick Pardue & Timmy Massey / The Ghost Of Noah Hayes / Lizard Records
Wade Mainer Interview / Wade Mainer / Live For Collectors / Old Homestead
Little Pal / Wade Mainer / I'm Not Looking Backward / Gusto
Maple On The Hill / J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers feat. Wade Mainer / Wade Mainer's Mountaineers Vol. 1 / Old Homestead
I Can't Sit Down / Wade & Julia Mainer / In The Land Of Melody / JuneAppal
The Fox / The Blue Sky Boys / In Concert, 1964 / Rounder
I Couldn't Believe It Was True / Marty Robbins / Good 'n Country / MCA (LP)
Lonesome Road Blues / Eddie Adcock - Don Reno / Sensational Twin Banjos / Rebel
I'm Still Learning / Lonesome River Band / I'm Still Learning / Rural Rhythm
Pick Like Earl / Larry Perkins & Friends / I Just Want 2 Pick Like Earl / Self-released
Storms Are On The Ocean / Taylor's Grove / Keep On The Sunny Side / Fishtraks
Stepping Stones / Terry Baucom w. Paul Williams / In A Groove / John Boy & Billy
Open Up Your Heart / Terry Baucom w. The Gibson Brothers / In A Groove / John Boy & Billy
Soldier's Joy (bed) / Tommy Jackson / The Legendary Session Fiddler / BACM
Fiddlin' Rag (bed) / Tommy Jackson / The Legendary Session Fiddler / BACM
Behind Those Big Closed Doors / Connie Leigh / New Cuts of Bluegrass Vol. 4 / New Cuts
Final Farewell / Chris Jones & The Night Drivers / New Cuts of Bluegrass Vol. 4 / New Cuts
A Time To Fly / Wayne Taylor and Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Day / Self-released
Branded Wherever I Go / Allerton & Alton / Black, White and Bluegrass / Bear Family
The Death Of Bad Burch Wilson / Larry Cordle / Pud Marcum's Hangin' / Mighty Cord
Whitewater / Bela Fleck / Drive / Rounder
I Shall Not Be Moved / The Lewis Family / Born Of The Spirit / Starday
Lord Lift Me Up / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / So Much In Between / Mountain Home
Hear Them Thunders Roarin / Rodney Dillard & The Dillard Band / Don't Wait For The Hearse To Take You To Church / Rural Rhythm
He Lived His Life That Way / Paul Williams & The Victory Trio / Satisfied / Rebel
Mansion God Is Building / Jay Armsworthy / I Couldn't Make It Without Him / Blue Circle
Save Me / Mountain Faith / Save Me / Mountain Home
I'll Sail For Higher Ground / John Bowman / Family Chain - The Songs of Joe Isaacs / Pisgah Ridge
Precious Moments / Blue Sky Boys / Are You From Dixie / Gusto
Me And Jesus / Acoustic Blue / Timeless / Self-released
Gathering Flowers For The Master's Bouquet / The Stanley Brothers / 1949-52 / Bear Family
Walking In A Dream / Fred Etheridge w. Nick Anderson & Mark Doyle / Pickin' And Singin' / Self-released

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 9/11/2011

2011-09-12T00:03:00.001-04:00

Unless you've been asleep for the past year, you're probably aware that September 13th marks what would have been the 100th birthday of William Smith Monroe, the Father of Bluegrass Music. There aren't too many performers who could claim they created their own style of music, but it seems to apply to this uniquely American original. Over the past week, many Bluegrass radio programmers have been airing Bill Monroe tribute programs in which they devote their entire broadcasts to Big Mon and his music. While we didn't devote today's entire program to the music of Bill Monroe, we certainly had a very Monroe-centric show...as it should be.

There's probably no other country music performer who has been the subject of more songs than the Father of Bluegrass (except for maybe Hank Williams). Sunday's show began with five tribute tunes written for or about Monroe, both while he was with us, and since his passing on September 9, 1996. Easily, we could have played several more of these tribute songs, so that probably illustrates the impact Bill Monroe continues to have on the music he created.

Instead of playing just covers of Monroe's tunes -- and we did include a bunch of those -- we did something sort of unusual for a BG show. We put a spotlight on a song Monroe first recorded with his classic grouping of Blue Grass Boys (Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Chubby Wise, Howard Watts) on September 16, 1946: a song he'd written in honor of his home state, "Blue Moon Of Kentucky." Just eight years later, in July 1954, a young singer from Mississippi by the name of Elvis Presley was looking for a "B" side for his Sun Records hit, "That's Alright, Mama." While in the recording studio, one of his Elvis's bandmates started noodling around with "Blue Moon Of Kentucky," and put a completely different spin on Monroe's original 3/4 waltz time song. The song became a more upbeat, 4/4 time rockabilly hit, and that record ended up selling about 100,000 copies in the southern market. Instead of being offended by Elvis "stealing" and changing one of his signature songs, Monroe just decided to re-record "Blue Moon..." using both the 3/4 and 4/4 time signatures...and he did it on September 4, 1954 -- only about 2 months after Elvis had recorded the song. Kind of amazing when you think about it.

With the majority of Sunday's show devoted to the music of Bill Monroe, we didn't have a whole lot of time for new music, but we still managed to squeeze in a song from Frank Wakefield's new tribute recording to Bill Monroe, as well as two tracks from the latest edition of the "New Cuts Of Bluegrass" sampler. Those tracks were from two forthcoming projects from Rebel Records by Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice, as well as Chris Jones & the Night Drivers. The songs from those two were so good, I can't wait to hear the full projects! We also congratulated the winner of the 2011 Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo & Bluegrass, the Lonesome River Band's Sammy Shelor. The award includes a cash prize, as well as an appearance for Sammy & the Lonesome River Band with Steve Martin on the November 3rd "Late Show With David Letterman." Cool!

While we didn't play any specific songs to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on America in 2001, we certainly paused for a moment to remember all of those whose lives were forever changed that day.

In hindsight, perhaps I didn't provide enough information on the show about Bill Monroe for folks who may not know too much about the Father of Bluegrass. One good source for quick biography can be found on the Country Music Hall of Fame's website. Monroe has also been the subject of at least two books so far, and there are others soon to be published. In the meantime, you might try Richard D. Smith's Monroe biography: Can't You Hear Me Callin' : The Life Of Bill Monroe, Father Of Bluegrass by Richard D. Smith; or a more-detailed biography/discography by a couple of country music historians: The Music Of Bill Monroe by Neil V. Rosenberg and Charles K. Wolfe. Monroe is an amazing, fascinating character, and even if he's been dead for 15 years, his influence will never leave us.

Thanks for listening to the show, and have a good week.

Amy

REQUESTS ARE RED; MONROE-RELATED SONGS ARE BLUE.

Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
Is The Grass Any Bluer / Rhonda Vincent / The Storm Still Rages / Rounder
Monroebilia / Nashville Bluegrass Band / My Native Home / Rounder
William Smith Monroe / Niall Toner / New Cuts Of Bluegrass, Volume 3 / no label
Bill Monroe For Breakfast / Acoustic Blue / This Is Now / Self-Produced
Kentucky King / Larry Cordle, Glen Duncan & Lonesome Standard Time / Larry Cordle, Glen Duncan & Lonesome Standard Time / Sugar Hill
I'm Going Back To Old Kentucky / Bill Monroe with Del McCoury / Bill Monroe & Stars Of The Bluegrass Hall Of Fame / MCA
I Hear A Sweet Voice Calling / Bill Monroe with the Osborne Brothers / Bill Monroe & Stars Of The Bluegrass Hall Of Fame / MCA
Shenandoah Valley Breakdown / Jimmy Gaudreau's Bluegrass Unit / Live In Holland / Strictly Country
My Sweet Blue Eyed Darlin' / Lonesome River Band / Carrying The Tradition / Rebel
Honey In The Rock / Lewis Family / A Gospel Bluegrass Homecoming, Volume One / Gaither Music
Blue Mountain Melody / Larry Sparks / Almost Home / Rounder
Iron & Diamonds / Gibson Brothers / Iron & Diamonds / Sugar Hill
Sparta Flash / The Expedition Show / The Expedition Show / Mountain Fever Records
Grave In The Valley / Adcock, Gaudreau, Waller & Gray / The Country Gentlemen Reunion Band / RadioTherapy Records
Runaway Train / Kentucky Wind / Runaway Train / Aztec Records
Things In Life / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / So Much In Between / Mountain Home
Jubilation Day / Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers / Rare Bird Alert / Rounder
Pretty Little Girl / Lonesome River Band / Still Learning / Rural Rhythm
Blue Moon Of Kentucky / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / The Golden Age / Columbia
Blue Moon Of Kentucky / Elvis Presley / Sunrise / RCA Victor Europe
Blue Moon Of Kentucky / Stanley Brothers / Selected Cuts, 1955-1956 / JSP Records
Blue Moon Of Kentucky / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Anthology / MCA
Molly And Tenbrooks / Larry Stephenson & Mark Newton with Lou Reid / Live At Mr. B's / B's Records
Travelin' Down This Lonesome Road / Dreadful Snakes / Snakes Alive! / Rounder
Rawhide / Frank Wakefield / A Tribute To Bill Monroe / Patuxent Music
A Far Cry From Lester And Earl / Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice / New Cuts Of Bluegrass, Volume / no label
I'll Sail For Higher Ground / John Bowman / Family Chain : The Songs Of Joe Isaacs / Pisgah Ridge Music
Final Farewell / Chris Jones & the Night Drivers / New Cuts Of Bluegrass, Volume 4 / no label
My Old Kentucky And You / Larry Stephenson with Ricky Skaggs / 20th Anniversary / Pinecastle
Tennessee Blues / Chris Thile & Michael Daves / Sleep With One Eye Open / Nonesuch Records
Log Cabin For Sale / Bear Minimum / Live At The Finnish Hall / no label
Three Ways Of Knowing / Allerton & Alton / Black, White & Bluegrass / Bear Family
Nobody Knows Who You Are / Spinney Brothers & Close Company / The Old Fundy Shore / Self-Produced
She's Young (And I'm Growing Old) / Johnson Mountain Boys / Live At The Birchmere / Rounder
Rocky Road Blues / Hot Rize / Take It Home / Sugar Hill
Used To Be / Laurie Lewis & Kathy Kallick / Cool, Blue & Lonesome / Sugar Hill
Uncle Pen / Billy & Terry Smith / Bill Monroe Tribute / K-Tel Records
Footprints In The Snow / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Live At Mechanics Hall / Acoustic Disc
A Voice From On High / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / High Lonesome / CMH
Lord Lead Me On / Audie Blaylock & Redline / I'm Going Back To Old Kentucky / Rural Rhythm
When The Saints Go Marching In / Lilly Brothers & Don Stover / Let The Light Shine Down : A Gospel Tribute To Bill Monroe / Rebel
I'll Meet You In Church Sunday Morning / Ralph Stanley with Bill Monroe / Saturday Night & Sunday Morning / Freeland
Crying Holy To The Lord / Volume Five / Children Of The Mountain / Mountain Fever Records
Remember The Cross / Big Country Bluegrass / Big Country Bluegrass / Hay Holler
Mansions For Me / Ricky Skaggs & Tony Rice / Skaggs & Rice / Sugar Hill
Boat Of Love / Balsam Range / Marching Home / Mountain Home
Blue Grass Twist / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 9/4/2011

2011-09-04T22:43:00.001-04:00

There were no big winds or driving rain for this holiday weekend (so far, at least), so I had no problems getting to WHUS for another edition of the "Bluegrass Cafe." We ended up staying an additional 30 minutes, as Susan Forbes Hansen's "Sunday Night Folk Festival" was preempted for a UCONN Men's Soccer game.

The show began with a bit of music appropriate for a Labor Day weekend -- the common theme, of course, was the Working Man (and Working Woman).

If you follow BG at all, you're well aware that September 13, 2011 is the 100th birth anniversary of the Father of Bluegrass Music, Bill Monroe. Many record labels have put together special collections of Monroe's music throughout this centennial year, and it has been quite enjoyable listening to a good lot of them. As I'm not sure if I'll be hosting another "BG Cafe" before Monroe's official birthday, I thought it might be somewhat enjoyable to play a bit of Monroe's music, both performed by him, as well as others. I devoted the entire gospel set to Bill Monroe gospel tunes, and while I will admit that a good number of them seem to share very similar melodies, I still enjoyed them a good bit. Hope you did, too. There's no doubt in my mind that Bill Monroe's music will continue to be played and enjoyed for as long as folks still listen to and play Bluegrass music...and that's as it should be.

September isn't just the birthday month for Bill Monroe, though. Jimmie Rodgers, the man known as the Father of Country Music, America's Blue Yodeler, the Singing Brakeman, and perhaps another nickname or two, was born on September 8, 1897. Plenty of Jimmie Rodgers tunes have been covered in the BG world through the years, including a song or two recorded by Bill Monroe. One of those Jimmie Rodgers tunes reportedly got Monroe a job on the Grand Ole Opry in October 1939: the "Mule Skinner Blues."

While we didn't concentrate too much on new music this week, we did include a couple of tunes from a forthcoming gospel project by David Parmley & Continental Divide called "Church House Hymns, Volume II." Even though David had announced his retirement from the music business previously, it's good to have him back recording, and he's sounding as good as ever.

Hope you all enjoy the remaining time in the "last unofficial week of summer."

Amy

Requests are RED.
Bill Monroe music is BLUE.

Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
Ain't Gonna Work Tomorrow / Hot Rize / Radio Boogie / Flying Fish
Lower On The Hog / IIIrd Tyme Out / Puttin' New Roots Down / Rebel
Workin' Girl Blues / Cherryholmes / Cherryholmes / Skaggs Family
Hard Workin' Man / Grasstowne / The Other Side Of Towne / Pinecastle
Another Day, Another Dollar / Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers / Rambler's Blues / Rebel
My Little Georgia Rose / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Anthology / MCA
In Memory / Missy Werner / Drifting And Dreaming / Self-Produced
Red Wicked Wine / Charlie Sizemore with Ralph Stanley / Heartache Looking For A Home / Rounder
Cold Virginia Night / Ronnie Bowman / Cold Virginia Night / Rebel
Help My Brother / Gibson Brothers / Help My Brother / Compass Records
I'm Gonna Love You / Claire Lynch / I'll Take Love : From The Pen Of Louisa Branscomb / Compass Records
Ground Speed / Sammy Shelor & Carl Jackson / The All-Star Jam : Live At Graves Mountain / Rural Rhythm
You Can Take Your Time / The Boxcars / The Boxcars / Mountain Home
In Despair / Audie Blaylock & Redline / I'm Going Back To Old Kentucky / Rural Rhythm
Can't You Hear Me Calling / Volume Five / Children Of The Mountain / Mountain Fever Records
Come Back To Me In My Dreams / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Once And For Always / Sugar Hill
Blue Grass Special / Taylor Baker / Taylor Baker / Patuxent Music
When The Golden Leaves Begin To Fall / Spinney Brothers / When The Golden Leaves Begin To Fall / Self-Produced
You'd Better Get Right / Vern Williams Band / Bill Monroe Centennial Celebration : A Classic Bluegrass Tribute / Rounder
New Mule Skinner Blues / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Anthology / MCA
Brakeman's Blues / Big Country Bluegrass / Big Country Bluegrass / Hay Holler
When The Cactus Is In Bloom / Laurie Lewis & Grant Street / Singin' My Troubles Away / Flying Fish
They Sleep Together Now At Rest / Lilly Brothers / The Early Days Of Bluegrass, Volume 1 / Rounder
What Are They Doing In Heaven Today? / Lilly Brothers / The Early Days Of Bluegrass, Volume 1 / Rounder
I Feel Like Traveling On / David Parmley & Continental Divide / Church House Hymns, Volume II / Self-Produced
Get In Line Brother / David Parmley & Continental Divide / Church House Hymns, Volume II / Self-Produced
Carolina Dreams / Edgar Loudermilk / Roads Travelled / Mountain Fever Records
With Body And Soul / Patrick McAvinue with Audie Blaylock / Rutland's Reel / Patuxent Music
Who Will Calm The Storm / Liz Meyer with Boston City Limits / Who Will Calm The Storm / Strictly Country
John Henry [music bed] / Mike Scott & Friends / Blue Moon Of Kentucky : Instrumental Tribute To Bill Monroe / Rural Rhythm
Kentucky Waltz [music bed] / Mike Scott & Friends / Blue Moon Of Kentucky : Instrumental Tribute To Bill Monroe / Rural Rhythm
Leavin' You And Mobile, Too / Lost & Found / Down On Sawmill Road / Rebel
Be Proud Of The Gray In Your Hair / Scott Anderson / Tales From The Swamp / Self-Produced
Time To Be Movin' On / Blue Moon Rising / Strange New World / Rural Rhythm
We're In This Love Together / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / So Much In Between / Mountain Home
Open Up Your Heart / Terry Baucom with the Gibson Brothers / In A Groove / John-Boy & Billy, Inc.
Cold Chill Of Gone / Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad / Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad / Steeltown Records
Golden Hair / Wayne Taylor / Dear Mom / Self-Produced
Blame It On The Bluegrass / Valerie Smith / Blame It On The Bluegrass / Bell Buckle Records
Your Kind Of Love / Michelle Nixon & Drive / A Place I Belong / Mountain Fever Records
Shining Path / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / The Essential Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Columbia
I Hear A Sweet Voice Calling / Joe Val & the New England Bluegrass Boys / True Bluegrass / Rounder
Shine Hallelujah Shine / Reno & Smiley / Let The Light Shine Down : A Gospel Tribute To Bill Monroe / Rebel
Lord Protect My Soul / Bill Monroe with the Country Gentlemen / Bill Monroe & Stars Of The Bluegrass Hall Of Fame / MCA
Little Community Church / Boone Creek / One Way Track / Sugar Hill
Get Down On Your Knees And Pray / Johnson Mountain Boys / At The Old Schoolhouse / Rounder
I'm Travelin' On And On / David Peterson & 1946 / David Peterson & 1946 / Self-Produced
Wicked Path Of Sin / Billy & Terry Smith / Bill Monroe Tribute / K-Tel Records
Let The Gates Swing Wide / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Bill Monroe & Stars Of The Bluegrass Hall Of Fame / MCA
Only Seventeen / Blue Highway / Sounds Of Home / Rounder
My House / Kathy Kallick Band / Between The Hollow And The High-Rise / Live Oak Records
Simple Box Of Pine / Thomas Porter / / Self-Produced
Hello, My Name Is Coal / Larry Cordle / Pud Marcum's Hangin' / Mighty Cord Records
Cold Lonesome Night / Chris Jones & the Night Drivers / Cloud Of Dust / GSM Records
Richmond County / Spinney Brothers & Close Company / The Old Fundy Shore / Self-Produced
Will You Visit Me On Sundays / Dale Ann Bradley with Steve Gulley / Somewhere South Of Crazy / Compass Records