"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 5/16/2010

Howdy!

I hate to be too much of a whiner (really!), but I've got a semi-legit gripe this time around. You see, there is just too much great BG - both new and old - to cram into 3 hours each week. In the grand scheme of problems, I suppose having too much fine music to play doesn't rank very high. We'll do our best to keep up the "struggle."

In addition to featuring a teeny bit of new (or newer) music from fine projects by the likes of the Spinney Brothers, Donna Ulisse, the Bluegrass Gospel Project, Audie Blaylock & Redline, the Carolina Native Sons, Darren Beachley & Legends Of The Potomac, and the Cana Ramblers, we played a good number of requests. Thanks for making the phone ring! We also included a few more tunes from the new Rural Rhythm Christian recording featuring tunes written by New Hampshire songwriter, Rick Lang. Over the past several years, some of Rick's tunes have found their way to projects by the Lonesome River Band, Paul Adkins & the Borderline Band, and Front Range. This Rural Rhythm Christian CD-- called "Look To The Light: Songs Of Faith From The Pen Of Rick Lang" -- features some of Rick's gospel tunes sung by some of the finest voices in Bluegrass, like Russell Moore, Junior Sisk, Dale Ann Bradley, Barry Scott, with instrumental backing by top-notch musicians like Roger Williams and Jesse Brock. Great, great stuff.

And since I always like to acknowledge some of the classic country performers who have and who continue to influence today's Bluegrass performers, I had to include a couple of brief tributes to three country music greats who celebrate (or would have celebrated) birthdays in May. Hall of Famer Hank Snow was first on the list, as he was born May 9, 1914. May 13th was the shared birthday of two performers who worked together in a brother-style duet, although they were actually brothers-in-law. Johnnie Wright (born May 13, 1914) and Jack Anglin (born May 13, 1916) recorded and performed together for many years as "Johnnie & Jack." In the days before there was a great distinction between country & Bluegrass music, these guys cranked out the tunes with BG-flavored harmonies. If you've not exposed your ears to music by these classic country legends, you really owe it to yourself to do some serious listening.

One other fellow who would have celebrated a birthday on May 17th was the great Bluegrass fiddler, Paul Warren (born May 17, 1918). While you may be familiar with Paul Warren as the magnetic fiddler with Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs & the Foggy Mountain Boys from 1954 'til the group disbanded in 1969, he also worked with Johnnie & Jack & the Tennessee Mountain Boys for a few years. Sadly, Paul Warren died pretty young (at the age of 59 in January 1978), but his old-time fiddle style is perfectly exhibited in the DVDs of the old "Flatt & Scruggs Grand Ole Opry Show" released over the last few years. For so long, I'd only heard Flatt & Scruggs on record, but it's an entirely new way to develop an appreciation for every one of these guys while watching the DVDs. Check them out sometime, if you get a chance...

Another thing you should check out is the new WHUS website. Now, you have the ability to see what is being played on the air whenever you like -- providing you be sure to "refresh" your screen every so often. There's lots of information on the site, too -- visit it sometime soon: www.WHUS.org.

Be sure to join Jim next Sunday in the BG Cafe. We're back to our standard 4PM starting time (baseball preemptions notwithstanding).

Have a great week -
Amy

REQUESTS ARE RED.

• Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
• Blue Tears Are Falling / Paul Adkins & the Borderline Band / Reflections Of Love / Rebel
• I Hope You Have Learned / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / The King And The Father / MME
• Soppin' The Gravy / Patrick McAvinue / Rutland's Reel / Patuxent Music
• Loving You Too Well / Stanley Brothers / 20th Century Masters / Mercury
• Candle In The Wind / IIIrd Tyme Out / IIIrd Tyme Out / Rebel
• With Body And Soul / Johnson Mountain Boys / At The Old Schoolhouse / Rounder
• Going Down To Charleston / Spinney Brothers / Side By Side / Self-Produced
• The Memory Of Your Smile / Dede Wyland / Keep The Light On / Patuxent Music
• Let's Part The Best Of Friends / Audie Blaylock & Redline / Cryin' Heart Blues / Rural Rhythm
• I'd Rather Love You / Chris Jones & the Night Drivers / Cloud Of Dust / GSM Records
• We Live In Two Different Worlds / Red Allen / Lonesome And Blue / Rebel
• Lovesick And Sorrow / Bob Paisley & the Southern Grass / Heritage / Brandywine
• Call Of The Wild / Hagar's Mountain Boys / Forever Yours / Self-Produced
• In The Jailhouse Now / Soggy Bottom Boys / O Brother, Where Art Thou? / Mercury
• Nobody's Darlin' But Mine / Hylo Brown / In Concert / Copper Creek
• Pitkin County Turnaround / Steve Martin / The Crow / Rounder
• The Golden Rocket / David Peterson & 1946 / In The Mountaintops To Roam / Self-Produced
• Lonesome Blue Yodel / Hank Snow / The Singing Ranger / Living Era
• Please Search Your Heart / J.D. Crowe / Blackjack / Rebel
• Things Things Things / Cana Ramblers / No Expectations / Self-Produced
• Talk To Me Lonesome Heart / Larry Stephenson with Marty Stuart & Connie Smith / 20th Anniversary / Pinecastle
• Johnson Mountain Chimes / Jessie Baker / Yessir! / Patuxent Music
• The Great Civil War / Snyder Family Band / Comin' On Strong / Mountain Roads Recordings
• The Convict And The Rose / Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass / The Room Over Mine / Rounder
• You Tried To Ruin My Name / Johnnie & Jack / For Old Times Sake / Bear Family
• Johnny & Jack Medley / Country Gentlemen / The Early Rebel Recordings, 1962-1971 / Rebel
• I Don't Care Anymore / Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie / Southern / Rural Rhythm
• I'll Love You Forever And Ever / Darren Beachley & Legends Of The Potomac / Take Off / Patuxent Music
• Wild Rose Of The Mountain / Blue Rose / Blue Rose / Sugar Hill
• Come Back To Me / David Peterson / Comin' On Strong / Self-Produced
• My Blue Tears / Gloria Belle / Love Of The Mountains / Webco
• Matches / Audie Blaylock & Redline / Cryin' Heart Blues / Rural Rhythm
• Trust Each Other / Blinky Moon Boys / Moonlite Theatre / Hay Holler
• The Last Old Shovel / Carolina Native Sons / Rank Ol' Bluegrass / Patuxent Music
• Liberty / Mac Wiseman / Bluegrass, 1971 / Rural Rhythm
• Jimmy Brown The Newsboy / Mac Wiseman / Bluegrass, 1971 / Rural Rhythm
• Hard Living / Hunter Berry with Rhonda Vincent / Wow Baby / Upper Management Music
• Don't Sell Daddy Any More Whiskey / Joe Val / Diamond Joe / Rounder
• Farm Of Yesterday / Gibson Brothers / Ring The Bell / Compass Records
• That's Kentucky / Summertown Road / Summertown Road / Rounder
• Everything's Blue / Jeanette Williams / Thank You For Caring / Blue Circle Records
• Wake Up, Susan / Paul Warren / Johnnie & Jack With Kitty Wells At KWKH / Bear Family
• Sailing On / Russell Moore / Look To The Light: Songs Of Faith From The Pen Of Rick Lang / Rural Rhythm
• Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven / Bluegrass Gospel Project / The Blue Morpho / Vital Records
• Get Behind Me Satan / Reno & Smiley / Early Years, 1951-1959 / Gusto
• The Good Samaritan / Jeff Parker / Look To The Light: Songs Of Faith From The Pen Of Rick Lang / Rural Rhythm
• I'm Yours / Donna Ulisse / Holy Waters / Self-Produced
• Better Get In That Number / Spinney Brothers / Here At The Cross / Self-Produced
• My Lord's Gonna Move This Wicked Race / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Light On My Feet, Ready To Fly / Horizon
• You Can Feel It In Your Soul / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Foggy Mountain Gospel / Columbia
• Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder