Farewell, Earl...

The legend enjoying the stage with his son, Gary

By now, you've probably heard that THE Banjo Man, Earl Eugene Scruggs, died Wednesday, March 28th at the age of 88.  I've read many, many tributes to Earl and his influence today in various websites, and all over Facebook, and I'm sure there will be more and more tributes over the coming days and weeks.  Generally, I think the word "legend" might be thrown around a bit too liberally, but there's absolutely no doubt that "legend" fits perfectly when describing Earl Scruggs.  He may not have been the first to try the three-finger style of picking on the banjo, but he's the one who brought that style to the forefront, and pretty much made it his own (a/k/a "Scruggs-style" picking).  In fact, Earl literally wrote the book on the banjo -- Earl Scruggs And The Five-String Banjo -- 44 years after it was first published, this book is still in print, and is still being used as a learning tool by novice and more advanced banjo pickers all over the world.  Amazing.

The "classic" Foggy Mountain Boys -- the perfect Bluegrass band

If you've not had a chance to read any of the obituaries and tributes posted today, here are a few links.


From the New York Times:  
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/29/arts/music/earl-scruggs-bluegrass-banjo-player-dies-at-88.html


From CNN (including a video clip of Earl getting his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003):
http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/28/showbiz/obit-earl-scruggs/index.html


From The Guardian (UK):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/mar/29/earl-scruggs

A very nice tribute in Nashville's Tennessean:
http://blogs.tennessean.com/tunein/2012/03/28/earl-scruggs-country-music-hall-of-famer-dies-at-age-88/


The NBC Nightly News:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#46898947

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Earl's time on this Earth may have passed, but his influence will live on as long as anyone picks up a banjo.  Jim will join you with a slightly-shortened BG Cafe this Sunday (4-6:30PM, I believe), and while I don't KNOW this for certain, I might wager that you'll hear a boatload of tremendous music from legendary Earl Scruggs.  Sure hope you can tune in...


Amy




Post-script:  
It was announced today that the Celebration of Life ceremony for Earl Scruggs will be held on Sunday, April 1st at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.  This is the same historic stage where the world was first introduced to "Scruggs-style" picking when Earl joined Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys at the Grand Ole Opry.  WSM broadcast that first performance in December 1945, and on Sunday, they'll broadcast the Celebration of Life ceremony, too.  It begins at 3PM Eastern (2PM Central), and can be listened to all over the world:  www.wsmonline.com


Another listening option for next week on WSM is Wednesday's "Eddie Stubbs Show."  On that night, Eddie will devote 3 hours of his program to the life, times, and music of Earl Scruggs.  This special tribute will air from 9PM-midnight (Eastern time), also at www.wsmonline.com


The online tributes continue to Earl Scruggs...as they should.  While most of these tributes recognize Earl as the Banjo King, a segment on NPR today highlighted Earl's fabulous  guitar playing...especially in the great Foggy Mountain Boys Quartets.  In the first Flatt & Scruggs & the Foggy Mountain Boys session as a band in the fall of 1948, they recorded a song co-written by Lester and Earl which would become a BG gospel classic, "God Loves His Children."  Here's a link to NPR's story:  http://www.npr.org/2012/03/30/149653779/a-look-back-at-the-hidden-earl-scruggs

"Bluegrass Cafe" - 3/25/2012 -- Radiothon Week #2: the FINALE

Well, it's over.  The Spring 2012 Radiothon campaign ends at midnight tonight, and while we were not able to reach our 2-week show goal of $3,500, I don't believe you're going to see Bluegrass Cafe disappear from the WHUS schedule as a result.  If you're a "regular" listener to WHUS during Radiothon, you probably know that our fundraising efforts generally coincide with the NCAA Basketball Tournaments for Men and Women.  That wouldn't be a big issue if the school had sub-par teams, but most years, the Men and Women's teams are generally pretty successful.  This year, the Men bowed out early, but the Women keep on playing, and today, their Sweet 16 round game happened from 4:30-6:30PM -- right in the middle of the Bluegrass Cafe.  Any hope that we had of really getting close to that $3,500 2-week goal totally fell apart when the basketball game got a 4:30PM start time.  Plus, Jim wasn't able to be at the station today, so that left me all alone to try to bring in a few bucks.  It wasn't terrific fun, but that we were able to take in a bit more than $500 in about 20 minutes is definitely a good thing.  Our grand total of pledges during the two weeks was well-short of the big goal, but we still know we've got some tremendous listeners to the program every week.  Big THANKS to everyone who took the time to make a pledge last Sunday or today...


There's no way we could have had any kind of success at all during Radiothon without the great support and donations we received from several record labels and performers.  Many thanks to Acoustic Blue, the Hadley Music Group, Mountain Fever Records, Mountain Home, Mountain Roads Recordings, Patuxent Music, Rebel, Rounder, and Rural Rhythm Records.  


All together, our BG music broadcast today was about one hour, so we didn't end up playing too many songs.  Still, we were able to feature a couple of songs from two new recordings from the Mountain Home label:  "Life Finds A Way" by the Grascals and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver's "Sing Me A Song About Jesus."  It seems our most popular "thank you gift" for Radiothon pledges this year was a recording from Mountain Fever Records:  "Memories" by the Spinney Brothers.  If you pledged for one of these CDs, or perhaps something else, expect that your premiums will be mailed to you within the next few weeks.  


Many thanks again to everyone for their pledges during Radiothon!! Be sure to join Jim next Sunday for LOTS of music in the BG Cafe!


Amy

• One Day Late And A Dollar Short / Spinney Brothers / Memories / Mountain Fever Records
• The Greatest Creator / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Sing Me A Song About Jesus / Mountain Home
• Golden Leaves / Acoustic Blue / This Is Now / Self-Produced
• I Was Left On The Street  / Audie Blaylock & Redline / I'm Going Back To Old Kentucky / Rural Rhythm
• I'm On My Way Back To The Old Home / Tony Rice / The Bill Monroe Collection / Rounder
• Gonna Paint The Town / Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys / Classic Bluegrass / Rebel
• Old Horse And Buggy / Various / Close Kin / Mountain Roads Recordings
• Lay That Hammer Down / The Grascals / Life Finds A Way / Mountain Home
• Blue Moon Of Kentucky / Mike Scott et al / Blue Moon Of Kentucky / Rural Rhythm
• Never Shall Run Dry / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Sing Me A Song About Jesus / Mountain Home
• Lord Lift Me Up / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / So Much In Between / Mountain Home
• Makin' A Killin' / Spinney Brothers / Memories / Mountain Fever Records
• String, Eraser And Blotter / Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice / The Heart Of A Song / Rebel
• No Blues Is Good News / Charlie Sizemore Band / Good News / Rounder
• Nightwalk / Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray / Many A Mile / Patuxent Music

Radiothon preemption, but still LOTS of great reasons to pledge!

As you're likely quite aware, Radiothon has been happening at WHUS since March 17th, and it will end at midnight on Sunday, March 25th.  Generally, we have two Sundays in which to try to meet our pretty-high, station-set goal ($3,500 for the two weeks), but this year, that won't be the case.  The UCONN Women's Basketball team is in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, and that game will be played this Sunday, with a start time around 4:30PM.  That leaves us about 30 minutes of Bluegrass time to raise some funds for the station -- won't you consider helping us get at least halfway toward our show goal?  Click here to learn more about what we hope your money will help us accomplish at the station.


To sweeten the pot a bit, we've received a few more items this week to offer as "thank you gifts."  In addition to the things listed on the WHUS website -- various WHUS items and lots of BG CDs -- this week, we'll also be offering two great new CDs from Mountain Home/Crossroads:  Life Finds A Way by the Grascals and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver's Sing Me A Song About Jesus.  We also have a live DVD from Massachusetts-based band, Acoustic Blue:  Live From The Road.  If you're interested in any of these items -- or some of the other fine recordings we still have available (including new music from the Spinney Brothers, Eddie & Martha Adcock, Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice, and others) -- please give us a call on Sunday.  Even though the basketball game will preempt our show, I'll still be at WHUS, and I'm sure I'll be hoping to answer the phone.  Put me to work by calling (800)599-9487, won't you?


And don't forget, each person who pledges to "BG Cafe" during Radiothon 2012 gets a chance to win a copy of The Music Of Bill Monroe by Neil Rosenberg & Charles Wolfe.  


If you really don't want to wait 'til Sunday to make your pledge, you can call WHUS anytime at (800)599-9487.  The CDs from DL&Q and the Grascals, as well as the Acoustic Blue DVD won't be available 'til Sunday, though.  


Many thanks to all of you for your continued support of our BG programming at WHUS.  We hope to hear from you on Sunday...or sooner!


Thanks!!

Amy

"Bluegrass Cafe" - 3/18/2012 Radiothon Week #1

Waiting patiently for some calls...

March is generally the time of year a lot of college and community radio stations have fund drives, and so it has been at WHUS for the last several years.  On Sunday, we worked through the first week of our fundraising campaign (better known as Radiothon), and while Jim and I are always delighted to hear from folks who listen to -- and we hope, enjoy -- the show, we didn't quite hear from as many listeners yesterday as we had hoped we might.  There's always next Sunday, I suppose...

Rachel, Jim, and James study one of
the pledge cards.

We couldn't do Radiothon without the support of some mighty fine record labels:  Hadley Music Group, Mountain Fever Records, Mountain Home, Mountain Roads Recordings, Patuxent Music, Rebel, Rounder, and Rural Rhythm Records.  Big THANKS to each of them. 


If you're considering making a pledge to the program and WHUS, next Sunday will be your next -- and we hope, last for this year -- chance to do so.  There are still a boatload of great "thank you gifts" we can offer for your pledge -- check out the list of them here.  If you're wondering what WHUS hopes to do with your pledge, check out the explanation here.  Remember, too, that for each pledge you make, no matter the amount, you'll get one chance for our drawing at the end of Radiothon on March 25th for a copy of The Music Of Bill Monroe -- the terrific biography/discography of the Father of Bluegrass published by the Univ. of Illinois Press in 2007.  We might have a few other surprises to offer on Sunday, so be sure to tune in, please. 

We'd be absolutely delighted to hear from you next week, so if you can help us out, please do.  No pledge amount is too small...or too large! 

Have a great week, and join us again for Radiothon Week #2 on Sunday at 4PM.

Amy & Jim


Playlist comes from CDs available as premiums during Radiothon:

• Foot Hill Hop / Various / Born Into Bluegrass:  The Songs Of Cullen Galyean / Mountain Roads Recordings
• Hard Rock Mountain Prison ('Til I Die) / Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out / Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out / Rural Rhythm
• Picture Me There / Lou Reid & Carolina / My Own Set Of Rules / Rural Rhythm
• Emotions / Reno & Smiley / Together Again / Rebel
• Buck Ryan Rag / Reno & Smiley / Together Again / Rebel
• Makin' A Killin' / Spinney Brothers / Memories / Mountain Fever Records
• Swinging Bridge / Rich In Tradition / Black Mountain Special / Mountain Roads Recordings
• Helen / Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray / Many A Mile / Patuxent Music
• The Black Fox / Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie / Southern / Rural Rhythm
• The Nights Are So Long / Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper / Fired Up / Rounder
• Sea Of Regret / Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice / The Heart Of A Song / Rebel
• Close By / Dailey & Vincent / Bill Monroe Centennial Celebration / Rounder
• Molly & Tenbrooks / Tony Rice / The Bill Monroe Collection / Rounder
• Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself / Louvin Brothers / Radio Favorites '51-'57 / CMF
• Stranger In My Home / White Mountain Bluegrass / Aragon Mill / Strictly Country
• Lonesome Without You / Donna Ulisse / An Easy Climb / Hadley Music Group
• In Despair / Audie Blaylock & Redline / I'm Going Back To Old Kentucky / Rural Rhythm
• Old Roman Soldier / Spinney Brothers / Memories / Mountain Fever Records
• Rare Bird Alert / Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers / Rare Bird Alert / Rounder
• Sweetest Love / Merl Johnson / Better Man / Patuxent Music
• Don't Let Your Sweet Love Die / Lost & Found / Love, Lost & Found / Rebel
• We're In This Love Together / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / So Much In Between / Mountain Home
• Bring 'Em On Back / Larry Sparks / Almost Home / Rounder
• Holly Ding / Various / Close Kin / Mountain Roads Recordings
• Wrong Road Again / Freeman & Williams / Freeman & Williams / Mountain Roads Recordings
• Bad News For The Devil / John Miller / Look To The Light:  Songs Of Faith From The Pen Of Rick Lang / Rural Rhythm Christian
• God's Front Porch / Lou Reid & Carolina / Sounds Like Heaven To Me / Rural Rhythm Christian

Here it comes again...Radiothon!

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

Amy

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 3/11/2012

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


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

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

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




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

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

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


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


Amy 




SONG / ARTIST / ALBUM / LABEL

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

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

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

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

Amy

"Bluegrass Cafe" Playlist - 3/4/2012

Doc Watson

Hi Folks,

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

Ben Greene (Photo by Ted Lehmann)

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

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

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

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


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

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

Jim Beaver

Song/Artist/Album/Label

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

Ben Greene Interview

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

Sunday Night Folk Festival fill-in follows:

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