An online resource for information on all things Bluegrass in southern New England from the folks at WHUS Radio's "Bluegrass Cafe." We broadcast each Sunday from 4:00-7:00PM (EST) on WHUS, 91.7FM and whus.org in Storrs, CT. Call us during the show -- (860)486-9487, or send email to bgcafe@gmail.com.
Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder will be performing at the Bushnell in Hartford on Friday, November 6th. We are taking this opportunity to have Ricky join us by telephone on Bluegrass Cafe this Sunday, November 1, at 5:00pm ET, when we will get to ask Ricky all kinds of questions about his music. Don't miss it. You can hear it on WHUS 91.7 FM in eastern Connecticut, or you can hear it simulcast over the Web at WHUS.ORG
Also, around 6:00pm we will have a visit from Deb Noble, promoter of what promises to be a fine evening of honky tonk and bluegrass music in Willimantic on Saturday, November 7th as part of the Windham Arts Collaborative. Performing will be Sean Kershaw and the New Jack Ramblers from New York, and Pine Creek Bluegrass Band from Connecticut. (Full disclosure: Bluegrass Cafe host Jim Beaver is banjo picker with Pine Creek.) Perhaps Jim and Joe Mellet, Pine Creek mandolin player, will pick a little during Deb's visit. We may even have Sean Kershaw join us by phone. Don't miss it!
Jim was called away on business this week, so I got to spend my second Sunday in a row with you at theBG Cafe. I certainly enjoyed myself, and hope you were able to do the same... We included a teeny bit of brand-new-received-this-very-week music from Canada'sSpinney Brothers("When The Golden Leaves Begin To Fall" on their own label), as well as theDel McCoury Band("Family Circle" on McCoury Music). Several of the other tunes played were taken from projects that were released within the last few months. There is a bumper crop of great music out there right now -- it's very, very challenging to get to all of the things we might want to play in only 3 hours a week! We'll keep on keeping on, though... A few requests rounded out the playlist for this Sunday, too. Keep those requests coming in -- we love to know what you folks want to hear, so don't be shy. Call us during showtime at (860)486-9487 or send email anytime: bgcafe@gmail.com. Jim's got lots of great things in store for you for the next week or two in theBG Cafe-- be sure to join him (and maybe even Marti, too). I believe Jim may even be speaking toRicky Skaggson the phone next Sunday, in anticipation of Ricky's show at the Bushnell in Hartford on November 6th. Good stuff! I'll be listening...and I hope you will, too! Have a great week, and a happy Halloween... Amy
Requests are RED.
Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / Rocky Grass / Blue Planet
I Was Left On The Street / McCoury Brothers / McCoury Brothers / Rounder
We Live In Two Different Worlds / Red Allen / Lonesome And Blue / Rebel
The Young Fisherwoman / Country Gentlemen / Folk Session Inside / Copper Creek
I’ll Pretend It’s Raining / Lynn Morris Band / The Bramble And The Rose / Rounder
AppleJack / Pam Gadd with Dolly Parton / Benefit Of Doubt / Home Sweet Harmony Productions
Riverhead Polka / Buddy Merriam / Back Roads Mandolin / Lily Pad Records
Whole Lot More Living / Rickey Wasson / From The Heart And Soul / Rural Rhythm
Look For Me / Angelica Grim / Look For Me / Patuxent Music
After The Fire Is Gone / Pam Gadd with Marty Raybon / Benefit Of Doubt / Home Sweet Harmony Productions
Stranger In My Home / White Mountain Bluegrass / Aragon Mill / Strictly Country
What A Ways We’ve Come / Gibson Brothers / Red Letter Day / Sugar Hill
Cold And Windy Night / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder
Mama Tried / Herman McGee / Family And Friends / Self-Produced
Prisoner Of The Highway / Southern Rail / On The Road From Appomattox / Railway Records
You’re For Me / Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters / Phoenix / Happy Appy Records
How Many Times / Spinney Brothers / When The Golden Leaves Begin To Fall / Self-Produced
I Remember You / Del McCoury Band / Family Circle / McCoury Music
Home With The Blues / Junior Sisk / Born Into Bluegrass : The Songs Of Cullen Galyean / Mountain Roads Recordings
A Broken Heart Keeps Beatin’ / Adam Steffey / One More For The Road / Sugar Hill
Lost And Lonesome / Billy Boone Smith / Live From The Moose Lodge / Self-Produced
Somebody’s Gonna Let You Down / Grasstowne / The Other Side Of Towne / Pinecastle
Flat Creek / Chris Jones & the Night Drivers / Cloud Of Dust / GSM Records
Carolina Blue / Grass Cats / A Good Way To Get The Blues / New Time Records
You Left Me Alone / Sam Bush / Circles Around Me / Sugar Hill
Georgia Bound / Longview / Deep In The Mountains / Rounder
Past The Point Of Rescue / Gary Ferguson / I’m Really Leaving / Webco
Down The Road / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Flatt & Scruggs At Carnegie Hall! / Koch
I’ll Go Stepping Too / Osborne Brothers / Yesterday, Today, & the Osborne Brothers / Decca
No Longer A Sweetheart Of Mine / Reno & Smiley / Good Old Country Ballads / King
Keep A Memory / Stanley Brothers / Stanley Brothers & the Clinch Mt. Boys / Gusto
Roanoke / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Anthology / MCA
Hard Hearted / Jim & Jesse / In The Tradition / Rounder
My Florida Sunshine / Claire Lynch / Whatcha Gonna Do / Rounder
Give This Message To Your Heart / Larry Stephenson with Dailey & Vincent / Prime Cuts Of Bluegrass, v.100 / KBC
Something In My Heart / Tommy Webb / Heartland / Rural Rhythm
As The Crow Flies / Songs From The Road Band / As The Crow Flies / Lucks Dumpy Toad Records
Red Rockin’ Chair / Darren Beachley / Sad Songs And Sunday Mornings / MasterShield Records
Like A Train Needs A Track / Lonesome River Band / No Turning Back / Rural Rhythm
Skip Hop And Wobble / Patrick McAvinue with Audie Blaylock / Rutland’s Reel / Patuxent Music
There Ain’t No Easy Street / Steep Canyon Rangers / Deep In The Shade / Rebel
This Weary Heart You Stole Away / Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mt. Boys / Can’t You Hear The Mountains Calling / Rounder
I Want To Be Wanted / Lost & Found / Love, Lost & Found / Rebel
The Angels Rejoiced / Joe Val & the New England Bluegrass Boys / Angels Rejoice / Strictly Country
The Boat Of Love / Balsam Range / Marching Home / Mountain Home
It’s Hard To Stumble (When You’re Down On Your Knees) / Lou Reid & Carolina / My Own Set Of Rules / Rural Rhythm
This World Is Not My Home / Ricky Skaggs / Ricky Skaggs Solo : Songs My Dad Loved / Skaggs Family
Meet Me Over On The Other Side / Bill Yates & Friends / Country Gentlemen Tribute, v.2 / MasterShield Records
Working On A Building / Hot Rize / Traditional Ties / Sugar Hill
Let The Light Shine Down / Spinney Brothers / When The Golden Leaves Begin To Fall / Self-Produced
So High / Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad / Pickin’, Praisin’ & Singin’ : Hymns From The Mountain / Rural Rhythm
The Church By The Side Of The Road / Charlie Sizemore / Old Homestead Gospel Collection / Old Homestead
Throne Of Grace / Warrior River Boys / New Beginnings / Rounder
Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder
If you attended Sam Tidwell Tribute Day on June 14th , you know you were treated to a lot of fine music performed by some good folks in honor of a true New England Bluegrass original, Sam Tidwell. You may also recall that there were several television cameras at the event from Charter Television in North Windham, CT. All of the music performed that day was recorded for future broadcast on Charter's Community Access Channel, CTV 14. To this point, none of the shows have made it on the air, but two of these shows are in the pipeline for broadcast later this month:
Sunday, October 25th - 7PM: a program featuring the Massachusetts band, Spare Parts
Saturday, October 31st - 8PM: a program featuring Rhode Island native (and Sam Tidwell prodigee) Jimmy Gaudreau along with his duet partner, Moondi Klein
Please note that you will only be able to view these programs if you live in one of the 16 towns in eastern CT serviced by Charter Television (and, of course, you are a Charter subscriber). If you live in Ashford, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Chaplin, Columbia, Coventry, Eastford, Hampton, Lebanon, Mansfield, Pomfret, Scotland, Thompson, Willington, Windham, or Woodstock, be sure to tune into these programs on Channel 14 this month. We'll let you know when the other installments are ready to be broadcast.
Don't forget, too, that if you subscribe to Charter and live in one of the 16 towns they service, you should be able to hear former "Bluegrass Cafe" producer, Myrna Riquier, every Friday AM as she hosts her own Bluegrass program called, "New England Bluegrass Showcase." For just about 50 minutes every Friday morning (starting about 10:10AM), Myrna plays music performed (mostly) by New England performers. The audio is broadcast only on CTV 14.
Sunday was a somber day on the University of Connecticut campus, as a UCONN football player was stabbed to death outside the Student Union building in the early morning hours of Sunday. Condolences to the family and friends of this student athlete - Jasper Howard. Doubtless, the UCONN community will be shaken by this horrific event for quite some time, and the investigation into this murder is ongoing. At theBluegrass Cafe, we tried to take a bit of a reprieve from the constant news coverage of Sunday's stabbing by providing some solid programming. Hopefully, we were able to accomplish that for our listeners. After a bit of a false start, we were able to visit a bit with Claire Lynch, as she wanted to make folks aware of her appearance with bandmade Jason Thomas last night at the Salem Barn (a venue operated by the Connecticut Bluegrass Music Association). Hopefully, many of you were able to enjoy that show.
While we didn't focus too much on new music, we still tried to put together a decent mix of the new and the not-quite-as-new. Hope you can join us once again next Sunday, 10/25 on the ol' WHUS airwaves from 4-7PM.
Amy
REQUESTS ARE RED.
Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / Rocky Grass / Blue Planet
Freight Train Blues / Bill Harrell & the Virginians / Classic Bluegrass / Rebel
Your Love Is Dying / Reno & Smiley / Sweethearts In Heaven / Bear Family
Standing Room Only / Stanley Brothers / Don’t Cheat In Our Hometown / King
I Washed Your Love From My Heart / Jim & Jesse / Jim & Jesse, 1952-1955 / Bear Family
Have You Come To Say Goodbye / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Radio Gems /
The Day That Lester Died / Claire Lynch / Crowd Favorites / Rounder
Ocean Of Diamonds / Joe Val & the New England Bluegrass Boys / Live In Holland / Strictly Country
I’ll Have To Make Some Changes / Barry Berrier / First Time With Feeling / Pinecastle
Putnam Valley Flash / Buddy Merriam / Back Roads Mandolin / Lily Pad Records
Brand New Heartache / Cherryholmes / Cherryholmes / Skaggs Family
One Door Away / Chris Jones & the Night Drivers / Cloud Of Dust / GSM Records
My Smokey Mountain Home / Bill Emerson with Wayne Taylor / Reunion / Webco
Foggy River / Ricky Skaggs / Ricky Skaggs Solo : Songs My Dad Loved / Skaggs Family
One Step Ahead Of The Blues / Rhonda Vincent / Ragin’ Live / Rounder
Pikearoo / Pike Brothers & the Pine Hill Ranchers / Pike Brothers & the Pine Hill Ranchers / Rebel
Randy Lynn Rag / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Essential Earl Scruggs / Columbia
Teardrops In My Eyes / Joe Val & the New England Bluegrass Boys / Live In Holland / Strictly Country
It seems like Claire Lynch has been playing quite a few dates in New England for the past year or so. Add a couple more gigs to her New England playlist this weekend, when she performs on Saturday in Shirley, MA and on Sunday, October 18th at the Salem Barn in Salem, CT. This show will be a bit different from a "regular" Claire Lynch Band gig, as it will feature just Claire and her guitar along with multi-instrumentalist and bandmate, Jason Thomas. As with all of the Salem Barn shows (sponsored by the CT Bluegrass Music Association), you will need to email ctbma@yahoo.com to be put on the reservation list. Showtime is 7:30PM. For more information, visit the CTBMA website by clicking here and scrolling down to October 18th.
Before the show starts in Salem, Claire will be joining us via phone at the Bluegrass Cafe. Be sure to tune in around 5PM to hear Claire as she tells us about her fine new Rounder CD ("Whatcha Gonna Do") and whatever else she'd like to talk about!
I was all by myself for this show because Marti was doing mid-term grades, but I had a great time bringing you songs from many of the great new releases that have arrived in recent weeks.
One of the outstanding new releases is a new CD of the songs of Cullen Galyean titled "Born Into Bluegrass".
Mr. Galyean is a pioneering bluegrass artist from the Galax VA/Mt. Airy NC area who has written many great songs (one you can find on Audie Blaylock's latest CD). The CD features 15 songs from the pen of Cullen Galyean performed by Junior Sisk, Terry Baucom, Johnny Williams, Rick Allred, Jimmy Haley, Cullen Galyean, his son Mickey Galyean, and other great musicians. Included is Mr. Galyean's winning banjo performance at the first bluegrass festival at Fincastle, Virgina in 1965.
By the way, "Galyean" is pronounced like a Spanish galleon. I called Mr. Galyean in Low Gap, NC, just prior to the show to make sure I pronounced it correctly. He is in the phone book. (I love bluegrass!)
Also, to reprise Steve Martin's performance the previous Monday night with the Steep Canyon Rangers on Dave Letterman, I played the song "Saga Of The Old West" from Martin's CD, "The Crow."
I have to commend our listeners for the many great requests. One of every five songs on this show was listener-requested.
Remember Don Reno who passed away October 16, 1984.
Amy will make the banjos and fiddles ring next Sunday, so tune in 4-7 pm ET.
Jim Beaver
requests in blue
SONG TITLE / PERFORMER / ALBUM TITLE / LABEL
Fire On The Mountain / Michael Cleveland / Sawing On The "C" String / Self-produced
Roll On Buddy, Roll On / Sam Bush w / Del McCoury / Circles Around Me / Sugar Hill
Don't Wake Me Up / Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys / Can't You Hear The Mountains Calling / Rounder
Have Mercy / Steep Canyon Rangers / Deep In The Shade / Rebel
Judy Lou / Various Artists - Junior Sisk, Johnny Williams, Cullen Gaylean / Born Into Bluegrass - The Songs of Cullen Galyean / Mountain Roads
Angel Band / The Stanley Brothers / The Definitive Collection (1947-1966) / Time Life
Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar / Bryan Sutton and Friends / Almost Live / Sugar Hill
Don't Throw Mama's Flowers Away / Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass / The Room Over Mine / Rounder
There Is A Trap / The Gillis Brothers / Live / Self-produced
Barbed Wire Boys / Claire Lynch / Whatcha Gonna Do / Rounder
Hobo On A Freight Train / Southern Rail / On The Road From Appomattox / Railway Records
Batchin' It / Buddy Merriam / Back Roads Mandolin / Lily Pad
Let Me Fall / Dudley Connell and Laurie Lewis / Masters of the Banjo / Arhoolie
Out On The Ocean / Sam Bush / Circles Around Me / Sugar Hill
The Legend Of The Rebel Soldier / The Country Gentlemen / Classic Bluegrass Collection Volume 2 / Time Life
One More For The Road / Adam Steffey / One More For The Road / Sugar Hill
Branded Wherever I Go / Ricky Skaggs / Solo - Songs My Dad Loved / Skaggs Family
All She Wrote / Jim Lauderdale / Could We Get Any Closer? / Sky Crunch
Leaving Baker County / Junior Sisk / Blue Side Of The Blue Ridge / Rebel
Apple Jack / Pam Gadd featuring Dolly Parton / Benefit Of Doubt / Home Sweet Highway
Footprints In The Snow / Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys / The Music Of Bill Monroe from 1936 to 1994 / MCA
My Friend Clyde / The Spinney Brothers / If I Were Your Brother / Self-produced
Boxcar Blues / Jeff & Vida / Selma Chalk / Rosebank Records
Alabama / Marianne Girard / North To Ontario 2009 / Independent
Kentucky Mandolin / Ross Nickerson / Lets Kick Some Ass / Bones Records
Traded The Bottle For A Bible / Various Artists - Johnny Williams / Born Into Bluegrass - The Songs of Cullen Galyean / Mountain Roads
Turn Up The Bottle / Steep Canyon Rangers / Deep In The Shade / Rebel
Show Me The Way To Go Home / Various Artists - Mickey Gaylean, Brad Hiatt / Born Into Bluegrass - The Songs of Cullen Gaylean / Mountain Roads
Always Have, Always Will / Brandon Rickman / Young Man, Old Soul / Rural Rhythm
Somebody's Missin' You / Lonesome River Band / No Turning Back / Rural Rhythm
Hard Rock Mountain Prison ('Till I Die) / Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out / Self-titled / Rural Rhythm
In Despair / Lou Reid & Carolina / My Own Set Of Rules / Rural Rhythm
What Can I Do? / The Gibson Brothers / Ring The Bell / Compass
The Window Up Above / The Stanley Brothers / Folk Festival / Independent
Sad Wind Sighs / The Grascals / Keep On Walkin' / Rounder
Little Willie / Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys / Can't You Hear The Mountains Calling / Rounder
Sing A Little Louder / Gold Heart / My Sisters And Me / Rural Rhythm
Grand Ole Opry Song / Nitty Gritty Dirt Band featuring Jimmy Martin / Will The Circle Be Unbroken / Capitol
Hard Workin' Man / Grasstowne / The Other Side Of Towne / Pinecastle
Saga Of The Old West / Steve Martin / The Crow / Rounder
Meet Me Over On The Other Side / Bill Yates & Friends / Country Gentlemen Tribute (Volume II) / Self-produced
Saints Go Marching In / The Lilly Brothers and Don Stover / Bluegrass At the Roots 1961 / Smithonian Folkways
Rock Of Ages / The Osborne Brothers / Essential Bluegrass - Bluegrass Gospel / Pinecastle
Is She Praying There / Mac Martin / Get In Line Brother (Various Artist Compilation) / Rural Rhythm
Where Will I Shelter My Sheep / Danny Paisley / Little Old Country Church House (Compilation) / Wango
I'm Using My Bible For A Roadmap / Reno & Smiley and The Tennessee Cut-ups / 1951/1959 / King
Carry It Back To The Cross / Various Artists - Mickey Galyean, Greg Jones, Brad Hiatt / Born Into Bluegrass - The Songs of Cullen Galyean / Mountain Roads
Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven / Tommy Brown & The County Line Grass / Hard Drivin' / Lavenir
When My Time Has Come To Go / Bob Paisley & The Southern Grass / Angels Rejoiced - Bluegrass Gospel Live In Holland / Strictly Country
Don't You Wanna Go To Heaven / Dailey & Vincent / Singing From The Heart / Rounder
The Promise / The Gillis Brothers / The Best of The Gillis Brothers / Hay Holler
'Twas another busy Sunday at the ol'BG Cafe. The show ran its full three hours this week, so that was a good thing, and we sure didn't run out of great music to play in that timespan. As the IBMA Awards were given out on Thursday, October 1st, we played a few tunes from some of the winners. Congratulations to all of them! We paid special tribute to the two Hall of Honor recipients for 2009: the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers and the Dillards. How many people got their first taste of BG by seeing the Darling Boys (a/k/a the Dillards) on a few episodes of the "Andy Griffith Show?" I'm sure there have been studies of this somewhere, but the number of folks exposed to BG through Mayberry has GOT to be pretty high... To see a full list of IBMA Award winners, click here. To stay a bit with the IBMA Awards theme, we also played five of tunes that have been voted "Song of the Year" over the past 20 (!) years. There were definitely a few tunes that we played that I personally had not heard in a long, long time, so that was fun. As for new music, we revisited some of the newer discs we'd received over the past month or so, including tunes from theSteep Canyon Rangers, Bill Yates & Friends, theHagar's Mountain Boys,Chris Jones & the Night Drivers, Southern Rail, Ricky Skaggs, Gold Heart,theGrass Cats,andGrasstowne. We also featured brand-spanking-new music from the likes ofSam Bush("Circles Around Me" on Sugar Hill) andDailey & Vincent(an a cappella CD called "Singing From The Heart," which D&V started recording in 2001 as a benefit for the Tennessee Bible College; the CD is distributed by Rounder Records). And speaking of older music being reissued, a fine recording made byRalph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys in the mid-1980s is once again available, this time on Rounder. Dr. Ralph is in fine form on this CD, and the Clinch Mountain Boys of the mid-80s are great, too: Charlie Sizemore on guitar & lead vocals, Junior Blankenship on lead guitar, Curley Ray Cline on the fiddle, and Jack Cooke on bass. It just doesn't get much better than that. We mixed in a few requests, too -- those are noted in RED in the playlist below. Be sure to join Jim & Marti next Sunday -- I'm sure Jim has something great in store for you. I'll be talking to you again in a couple of weeks. Until then, have a great week - Amy
Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / Rocky Grass / Blue Planet
The Old Home Place / The Dillards / There Is A Time / Vanguard
You Broke Your Promise / Lonesome Pine Fiddlers / Windy Mountain / Bear Family
Never See My Home Again / The Dillards / There Is A Time / Vanguard
Pain In My Heart / Lonesome Pine Fiddlers / Windy Mountain / Bear Family
Jerusalem Ridge / Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper / Leavin’ Town / Rounder
East Kentucky Home / The Steeldrivers / The Steeldrivers / Rounder
Proud To Be A Daughter Of Bluegrass / Daughters Of Bluegrass / Bluegrass Bouquet / Blue Circle
Knee Deep In The Blues / Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out / Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out / Rural Rhythm
I’d Rather Love You / Chris Jones & the Night Drivers / Cloud Of Dust / GSM Records
AppleJack / Pam Gadd with Dolly Parton / Benefit Of Doubt / Home Sweet Highway Productions
The Year That Clayton Delaney Died / Charlie Sizemore / The Story Is… The Songs Of Tom T. Hall / Rebel
Who’s Going Down To Town / Vern Williams Band / Bluegrass From The Gold Country / Rounder
No Mother Or Dad / Joe Val & the New England Bluegrass Boys / Live In Holland / Strictly Country
Never Get To Hold You In My Arms Anymore / White Mountain Bluegrass / Oh So Many Years / Self-Produced
Wall Around Your Heart / Reno & Smiley / Classic Bluegrass / King
Come Walk With Me / Joe Val & the New England Bluegrass Boys / One Morning In May / Rounder
Little Annie / Lilly Brothers & Don Stover / Bluegrass At The Roots / Smithsonian Folkways
I’m Bound To Ride / Larry Sparks / Bound To Ride / Rebel
I’m Coming Back But I Don’t Know When / Curley Seckler with Jimmy Martin / 60 Years Of Bluegrass With My Friends / Copper Creek
Wasted Words / Johnson Mountain Boys / Live At The Birchmere / Rounder
Doin’ My Time / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Complete Mercury Recordings / Mercury
Darby’s Castle / Bill Yates & Friends / Country Gentlemen Tribute, Volume II / MasterShield Records
There Ain’t No Easy Street / Steep Canyon Rangers / Deep In The Shade / Rebel
Detour / Grass Cats / A Good Way To Get The Blues / New Time Records
You Left Me Alone / Sam Bush / Circles Around Me / Sugar Hill
We didn't create this blog to talk about ourselves. If you'd like to learn a bit about some of the WHUS Bluegrass alumni, you can find info in this blog. Primarily, though, the site exists to promote the Bluegrass music we play weekly on air at the "Bluegrass Cafe." We love to hear from listeners, so give us a call during the show (860-486-9487) or send an email to bgcafe@gmail.com.
