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

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 / Skaggs Family
• 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 / Rural Rhythm
• Leaves In The Wind / The Missy Werner Band / Three Kinds Of Lonesome / Self-released
• The Grave Robber / Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice / The Heart Of A Song / Rebel
• Caroline / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be A Beautiful 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 / A Tribute To Fiddlin' Paul Warren Vol. 2 / Self-released
• Heavy Traffic Ahead / Monroe Crossing / Plays The Music of Bill Monroe / Self-released
• Sarah Joy / Snyder Family Band / Stages / Mountain Roads
• Cold Heart, Cold Feet / Tommy Webb / From Rock-N-Roll To Bill Monroe / Self-released
• Things In Life / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / So Much In Between / Mountain Home
• Belt Buckle Polishing Song / Thomas Porter & Copper River Band / Trolley Days / Self-released
• Bring Back My Blue Eyed Boy / Lilly Brothers & Don Stover / Early Recordings / Rebel
• Al Hawkes Interview
• Baby, Baby / Curtis Johnson / 45 Single / 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 Bluegrass Cut-Ups / Burnin' Up the Strings / Rural Rhythm
• Black Eyed Susan (bed) / Tater Tate w. Red Smiley & BG C-U / Burnin' Up the Strings / Rural Rhythm
• Natural Bridge Blues (bed) / Reno & Smiley w. The Tennessee 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 Gonna Be 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 / Sweet Loam / 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. Fairfield Four / 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 Your Blessings / Live Oak
• Power Of Prayer / Jay Armsworthy / I Couldn't Make It Without Him / Blue Circle
• Take Me To Heaven / Jay Armsworthy / I Couldn't Make It Without Him / Blue Circle
• Battle / Mickey Harris / A Gospel Collection / MJH
• Hold Fast To The Right / Taylors Grove / Keep On The Sunny Side / Fishtraks
• Walking In A Dream / Fred Etheridge w. Nick Anderson, Mark Doyle / Pickin' And Singin' / Self-released