Sunday, December 29, 2013

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 12/29/2013

2013 was quite a year for those Gibson boys...
Today is the last Sunday of 2013 -- hence, it was the day for the last "Bluegrass Cafe" broadcast for the year.  Generally, this last Sunday is a good one to look back at some of the favorite Bluegrass recordings released during the previous year, and recap some of the big Bluegrass events and award winners.  While we were able to do a bit of that today, we couldn't spend three hours doing it, as there was a UCONN Women's Basketball broadcast that began at 5PM, bringing our scheduled show time to 60 minutes.  However, through some shared airtime, we were able to begin our show today 30 minutes earlier, so we had a
One of the great Bluegrass
records we received in 2013
total of 90 minutes to play some Bluegrass records released in 2013 (or very late in 2012).  Obviously, we might have preferred the full three hours, but half of the time is better than none...at least to my way of thinking...


In addition to playing songs from several 2013 recordings, we remembered the two newest members of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame -- Tony Rice and the late Paul Warren, and included music from several IBMA Award winners from 2013:  the Entertainers of the Year -- the Gibson Brothers, as well as Female Vocalist winner Claire Lynch, Male Vocalist Junior Sisk, and Instrumental Group, the Boxcars.  

By the way, if you missed Tony Rice's very amazing acceptance speech at the September 26th IBMA Awards, you owe it to yourself to watch this rather lengthy YouTube clip:  



We sure do appreciate your support of our "Bluegrass Cafe" throughout 2013.  Hope you'll continue to join us in 2014 -- you'll have your first chance next Sunday when Jim joins you for three full hours of the show.  Join him, won't you?

And, of course, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Amy


SONG / PERFORMER / ALBUM / LABEL

  • Katy Hill / Johnny Warren & Charlie Cushman / A Tribute To Fiddlin' Paul Warren / Self-Produced
  • Fiddlin' Will / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Roads Well Traveled / Mountain Home
  • I'll Never Make You Blue / Junior Sisk & Joe Mullins / Hall Of Fame Bluegrass! / Rebel
  • You'll Get No More Of Me / Flatt Lonesome / Flatt Lonesome / Pisgah Ridge
  • Tennessee Truck Driving Man / Don Rigsby with Charlie Sizemore / Doctor's Orders / Rebel
  • Greenlight On The Southern / Tony Rice / Bluegrass Class Of 1990 / Rounder [2013 Bluegrass Hall of Fame inductee]
  • I'll Be Alright Tomorrow / Claire Lynch / Dear Sister / Compass Records
  • Old Leather Britches / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Recorded Live At Vanderbilt University / Sony [featuring Paul Warren, 2013 Bluegrass Hall of Fame inductee]
  • They Called It Music / Gibson Brothers / They Called It Music / Compass Records
  • Stormy Horizons / The Expedition Show / Stormy Horizons / Mountain Fever Records
  • Back To Hancock County / Dailey & Vincent / Brothers Of The Highway / Rounder
  • The Blues Are Still The Blues / Sideline / Session 1 / Mountain Fever Records
  • Bad Fret / Grass Routes / Bailey's Deal / Self-Produced
  • Sing Sing Sing / Scott Brannon / Your Old Standby / Patuxent Music
  • I Call Your Name / Lou Reid & Carolina / Live At The Down Home / KMA Records
  • Martha White, Lester And Earl / Terry Baucom with Marty Raybon / Never Thought Of Looking Back / John Boy & Billy, Inc.
  • Grandpa's Way Of Life / Spinney Brothers / No Borders / Mountain Fever Records
  • Keepin' It Between The Lines (Old School) / Peter Rowan / The Old School / Compass Records
  • Old John Burns / Rickey Wasson & Dwight McCall / God Didn't Choose Sides / Rural Rhythm
  • I'm Leaving You This Lonesome Song / The Boxcars / It's Just A Road / Mountain Home
  • Baby, You're Cheatin' / Big Country Bluegrass / Memories Of The Past / Rebel
  • Fist City / Donna Ulisse / Showin' My Roots / Hadley Music Group
  • Hobo's Time / Edgar Loudermilk / My Big Chance Tomorrow / Mountain Fever Records
  • Free Salvation / Del McCoury Band / The Streets Of Baltimore / McCoury Music
  • If That Was Love / Chris Jones & the Night Drivers / Lonely Comes Easy / Rebel

A few of Amy's Bluegrass favorites of 2013...

Happy New Year...almost!  In these last few days of 2013, you've likely seen lots of lists of "Top ___" or "Best of ___" for the year.  For the last couple of years, I've been posting a year-end list of favorite Bluegrass recordings on the WHUS website, and I will do that once again this year.  Here's my standard disclaimer when putting this favorites list together:  I am one person with one opinion, and the things I like don't necessarily jive with what is currently "popular" on any particular Bluegrass chart.  If you're one who likes to read these "favorites" lists, here are a couple more for your consideration:  Jim's more traditional-leaning favorites of the year, the Top 10 Bluegrass CDs of 2013 according to the website PopMatters, and some favorite Bluegrass recordings per the Engine 145 website.  My list follows here, and the titles are arranged alphabetically by performer -- not by any kind of ranking:

  • BIG COUNTRY BLUEGRASS - "Memories Of The Past" (Rebel Records) : If you think that the sounds of traditional Bluegrass are being lost to more country- or pop-sounding Bluegrass, you probably have not heard of this Virginia-based band.  The addition of tenor singer/guitar picker Eddie Gill to BCBG gave them an even more-traditional sound, if that's possible, and several of the songs featured on this recording do well to feature his pure voice.

  • THE BOXCARS - "It's Just A Road" (Mountain Home) : Another winning collection of originals and covers from this very successful, very entertaining band.  What's not to like?

  • JAMES KING - "Three Chords And The Truth" (Rounder Records) : Jim gave a terrific description of this recording in his recent favorites list, so I really can't add much.  Given the direction of Rounder's recent 2013 "Bluegrass" offerings (not very hardcore at all), this is a welcome return of James King -- perhaps the single most-emotionally-charged singer in all of Bluegrass (or darn close, anyway).
  • GIBSON BROTHERS - "They Called It Music" (Compass Records) : In this part of the world, any new recording from New York's Gibson Brothers is
    likely going to be received very warmly, no matter what the sound quality might be.  However, the praise bestowed on this 11th Gibson recording is not undeserved.  The title track is infectious -- so much so that the song stayed at the #1 position on the Bluegrass Unlimited National Bluegrass Survey charts for several months, and the brothers retained their IBMA Entertainer of the Year title when they won that award (and a couple others) in late September.  Can't wait to hear their next recording, which, rumor has it, *may* turn out to be a "best of brothers" CD.  We'll see...

  • DEL McCOURY BAND - "The Streets Of Baltimore" (McCoury Music) : This Bluegrass Hall of Famer has been performing professionally for more than 50 years, but he gives no appearance of slowing down.  That's definitely a good thing, as this Fall 2013 release from Del and the boys has some great songs, including a fine version of the Tompall Glaser/Harlan Howard-penned title track first recorded by Bobby Bare in 1966.

  • MARTY RAYBON & FULL CIRCLE - "The Back Forty" (Rural Rhythm Records) : Marty Raybon has been in the music business for 40 years -- hence the title of the record.  The songs included here range from covers of old Webb Pierce country songs, Bluegrass songs from the song catalog of the late Randall Hylton, and several songs written or co-written by Marty Raybon.

  • LOU REID & CAROLINA - "20th Anniversary Concert - Live At The Down Home" (KMA Records) : Confession:  Lou Reid has been one of my favorite voices in Bluegrass since I first heard him singing with Doyle Lawson &
    Quicksilver in the early 1980s.  Still, this record that showcases Lou & Carolina celebrating their 20 years as a band is a good one, I think, and the song selections come from the band's eight studio recordings (plus Lou's mighty fine 1991 Sugar Hill solo record, "When It Rains.")  Good stuff.

  • DON RIGSBY - "Doctor's Orders:  A Tribute To Ralph Stanley" (Rebel Records) : This is a CD that we knew was coming for a while, as Don Rigsby himself handed out review copies of the CD at IBMA back in 2011.  It's an absolute dandy:  a heartfelt tribute to a Bluegrass legend who clearly has had a rather large impact on the musical life of someone who himself is a well-respected, award-winning Bluegrass performer.  Nice!

  • SIDELINE - "Session 1" (Mountain Fever Records): While the Bluegrass Album Band is probably the most famous of all of the Bluegrass "SuperGroups," this occasional band has made a quite good first recording.  The band includes recently-retired banjo picker for IIIrd Tyme Out, Steve Dilling, his son-in-law, Skip Cherryholmes on guitar, and multi-talented Darrell Webb doing most of the lead vocal singing and picking the mandolin.  Other members include Justin Haynes on fiddle (IIIrd Tyme Out) and Jason Moore on bass (Mountain Heart).  That this record is titled "Session 1" leads me to believe we may hear more from this band...and that would not be a bad thing at all.

  • JUNIOR SISK & RAMBLERS CHOICE - "The Story Of The Day That I Died" (Rebel Records) : Junior Sisk has been having a great couple of years with a few terrific, traditional-leaning recordings for Rebel Records, and this past September, a nod as Male Vocalist of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association.  Clearly, this is a guy on top of his game, as he also is part of this next pick...

  • JUNIOR SISK & JOE MULLINS - "Hall Of Fame Bluegrass!" : This is a fine collection of songs originally recorded by several Bluegrass Hall of Famers (the Osborne Brothers, Carter Family, Country Gentlemen, and Mac Wiseman, just to name a few).  Junior & Joe don't normally work together, but you would never know that as this record is top-notch.  We can only hope that some enterprising Bluegrass promoters figure out to put these guys together on a stage or two somewhere this year.

  • VARIOUS ARTISTS - "God Didn't Choose Sides:  Civil War True Stories
    About Real People" (Rural Rhythm Records) : This collection features just what the subtitle says -- songs about real folks, men and women, who were part of the American Civil War.  The songs were mostly written or co-written by a few fine songwriters, including Paula Breedlove and Mark "Brink" Brinkman, and the performers are some great ones, including the Lonesome River Band, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Marty Raybon, and a few others.




This year, I feel the need to include a couple of "Honorable Mention" selections on my list:  


  • THE EXPEDITION SHOW - "Stormy Horizons" (Mountain Fever Records)
  • FLATT LONESOME - "Flatt Lonesome" (Pisgah Ridge)
  • THE SPINNEY BROTHERS - "No Borders" (Mountain Fever Records)

Looking forward to hearing more wonderful Bluegrass in 2014 -- hoping you are, too!  

Monday, December 23, 2013

Jim's Favorite Bluegrass Releases of 2013

This is the time of year all the "best of" lists start showing up.  While I have resisted creating such a list up until now on the grounds that there is too much really good music to narrow it down to a few "bests," I am breaking that tradition this year, primarily because there are some releases that are under the radar that deserve recognition.  I call it my "favorites" rather than best because it is a more accurate term.  My taste runs more traditional and old-timey, and the list reflects that fact.

My favorite quote of the year was one I heard in person when Tony Rice made his "miracle" speech at the IBMA Awards in Raleigh September 26th:  "It's our duty to allow bluegrass music to grow and flourish, and at the same time retain the most important part of it, and that is the essence of the sound of real bluegrass music."  All my favorites below, not in any particular order, are a cut above at maintaining the sound of real bluegrass music while growing the genre.

"Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe"  (Compass)

This one really isn't under anyone's radar, but the spectacular combination of Noam's virtuoso banjo and Kenny Baker's fiddle tunes does much to advance the state of the art of bluegrass while respecting and bringing attention to the traditions of the past.  This is an inspired project.


 Scott Brannon -- "Your Old Standby"  (Patuxent)

Scott has been under most people's radar for a while unless you live in the vicinity of Washington DC.  It was there that DJ Ray Davis, who just retired this year, introduced Scott to the WAMU audience more than 15 years ago by way of his famous "basement tapes."   You will be hard pressed to find a modern singer who evokes the old-time traditions in bluegrass as much as Scott Brannon.  


Mickey Galyean & Cullen's Bridge -- "Rollin' With Tradition"  (Galyean Family Records)

After a distinguished but mostly regional career playing the Mt. Airy/Galax style of bluegrass, the sound of which bears his influence, Cullen Galyean passed away in 2010, but his son Mickey inherited the bluegrass bug from his dad, and began releasing some great traditional bluegrass with the group Rich In Tradition a few years ago.  Their release on the Mountain Roads label is highly recommended.  Mickey has since formed Cullen's Bridge to honor the music of his father.  This first release is right down the traditional path and promises even better things to come.

James King -- "Three Chords And The Truth"   (Rounder)

Folks will be playing James King records decades from now, so it has been an anxious seven-year wait for some new material from James.  While the Rounder label has forsaken most of their old-time and traditional roots for more commercial material in recent years since being acquired by Concord, this recording was truly inspired.  Having James King sing classic country in his bluegrass style makes the songs all his. James even tackles "He Stopped Loving Her Today," the great George Jones classic, and pulls it off better than most.

Don Rigsby -- "Doctor's Orders"   (Rebel)

Don gave me a preview of this album in 2011 and I nearly jumped out of my skin waiting for the official release which didn't happen until this year.  It includes some current and former Clinch Mountain Boys such as James Alan Shelton, Larry Sparks, Ricky Skaggs, and Charlie Sizemore, but also the best Stanley-style banjo picker today, Steve Sparkman.  This is one of the best performed and most loving tributes to the Stanley style ever made.  Even Dr. Ralph makes appearances on tenor vocal and clawhammer banjo.

Junior Sisk and Joe Mullins -- "Hall of Fame Bluegrass!"  (Rebel)

The concept behind this collection was to select songs associated with artists who have been inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame and make an album.  The kicker is that Junior and Joe do not normally record or perform together, though both are well known keepers of the traditional flame.  The album is excellent and touches on a list of names in the HoF too numerous to list here.  The album certainly will be an award contender next year.

Larry Efaw and the Bluegrass Mountaineers -- "She Left Me Standing On A Mountain"  (Blue Circle)

Lord have mercy!  Where have these guys been hiding?!  The driving archtop banjo of Tom Isaac, the bell-like tenor vocal of John Bryan, and the steady mandolin and lead singing of leader Larry Efaw make this one of the best traditional releases of the year.  Apparently heretofore a regional band from the bluegrass hotbed of Akron OH, this broader release on the Hall's label might change that.  The music is very much in the mountain style with some excellent new material from Larry and Edward Efaw, Dixie and Tom T. Hall, and some obscure gems from the Sloas Brothers and others.  If you like Clinch Mountain music or Johnson Mountain Boys, you will like this album.

Alex Leach -- "Mountain Heartache"   (Self-released)

This album reminds us that regardless of all the more-famous artists out there, sometimes the real creative crucible of a genre can reside tucked away in a place you must seek out.  Alex Leach is a DJ with an encyclopedic knowledge of traditional bluegrass, especially the mountain style, who has been on the air at WDVX near Knoxville since he was eight years old.  He plays pretty much all instruments well, and sang lead and picked guitar with Larry Gillis while still a teen.  That's when I first met him.  He still does the DJ gig when he is not traveling as Ralph Stanley II's banjo picker or filling in for another artist.  The original title track of this album, written by Alex Leach and Rafe Waters, is my favorite of the year.  It contains enough pathos to make you ache, and demonstrates that new material does not need to morph the genre to be compelling or exciting.  This album is mostly Alex with a little help from John Rigsby, Ralph Stanley II, and Eddie Lovelace on the bass.  It mines the old-time and deep-catalog bluegrass songs and makes them fresh again.  Seek it out.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

"Bluegrass Cafe" Playlist - 12/22/2013 - Christmas Show

Hi Folks,

This was the last show before Christmas, so in spite of a 90 minute sports preemption, we dedicated the show to all Christmas bluegrass.

We hope you enjoyed Bluegrass Cafe's Christmas, and we wish all of our listeners and loved ones a Merry Christmas!

Jim Beaver

requests are bold

Title / Artist / Album / Label

  • Bluegrass, White Snow / Patty Loveless / Bluegrass & White Snow / Epic
  • I'm Going Home, It's Christmas Time / Ralph Stanley / Christmas Time with Ralph Stanley / Freeland
  • Christmas Time At Home / Rhonda Vincent / Beautiful Star / Rounder
  • Old Fashioned Christmas / Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys / Christmas Time's A-Comin' / Time Life
  • New Born King / Doc Watson / 45 Single / Poppy (45)
  • Smoky Mountain Christmas / Jeannie Kendall / O Christmas Tree / Rounder
  • The Christmas Whittler / Lizzy and Little Roy / Tradition With A Twist / Vine
  • Blue Christmas / Open Road / O Christmas Tree / Rounder
  • Christmas In Caroline / Wildwood Valley Boys / Christmas In The Mountains / Rebel
  • Frosty The Snowman / Scott Vestal, Wayne Benson, et.al / A Pinecastle Christmas Gathering / Pinecastle
  • One Starry Night / Eddie & Martha Adcock / A Pinecastle Christmas Gathering / Pinecastle
  • Christmas In Virginia / Lost & Found / Christmas In The Mountains / Rebel
  • My Christmas Dream / Josh Williams / A Pinecastle Christmas Gathering / Pinecastle
  • Christmas In The Hills / Hylo Brown / Christmas Jamboree / Hollywood
  • Christmas At The Old Homeplace / David Parmley & Continental Divide / A Pinecastle Christmas Gathering / Pinecastle
  • You Cannot Stay Here / Donna Ulisse / All The Way To Bethlehem / Hadley Music Group
  • Bah Humbug / Tim O'Brien / Christmas On The Mountain / Universal
  • Droopy Little Christmas Tree / Benny Martin / Christmas Jamboree / Hollywood
  • Christmas Time Back Home / The Country Gentlemen / Christmas Time's A-Comin' / Time Life
  • Christmas Time On Rocky Top / The Osborne Brothers / Christmas On The Mountain / Universal
  • The Reindeer Boogie / Hank Snow / Country's Best Christmas / Vintage Masters
  • Christmas In The Mountains / Larry Sparks / Christmas In The Hills / Rebel
  • The Christmas Letter / Tommy Edwards / Christmas In The Mountains / Rebel
  • I Can't Go Home This Christmas / Paul Williams & The Victory Trio / Christmas In The Mountains / Rebel
  • When It's Snowin' In The Mountains / Wildwood Valley Boys / Christmas In The Mountains / Rebel
  • Christmas Time's A Comin' / Rhonda Vincent / Beautiful Star / Rounder
  • The First Noel-It Came Upon A Midnight Clear-Joy To The World / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / O Christmas Tree / Rounder
  • Auld Lang Syne / Bill Keith / O Christmas Tree / Rounder

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Remembering Ray Price - 12/19/2013

My one and only time seeing Ray Price live -
"Last of the Breed" tour at Mohegan Sun, 2007
(Photo courtesy of Dave Orlomoski)
This time of year, the students are gone from UCONN, and so, generally, several of their airshifts are vacated and need to be filled by community members.  It's during these semester breaks that I can usually find a few different times to do fill-ins and devote my playlists to the classic country sounds that I enjoy. This past Wednesday afternoon, I learned that a two-hour Thursday morning shift was available, and since the wonderful Ray Price had died earlier in the week, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to pay tribute to him on WHUS.

Noble Ray Price (or, Ray Noble Price, depending on which resource you're reading) was born on January 12, 1926 in Perryman, Texas, and was pretty much responsible for changing the course of country music twice during his long career.  After making his recording debut in 1950, Ray Price moved from the Dallas area to Nashville, and for a time, he worked with Hank Williams (and even lived with him for a brief period of time).  Price's music ran so close to Hank's for a little while that it became difficult to tell the two performers apart.  After Hank's death, though, Ray Price began to move towards his own sound, eventually hitting on that distinctive 4/4 shuffle timing that earmarked so many of his wonderful honky tonk classics from the 1950s, starting with the March 1, 1956 recording of "Crazy Arms."  While Ray Price moved away from the shuffles in the late 1960s when he embraced the sounds of a full orchestra backing his smooth vocals, we concentrated most on a good number of those wonderful honky tonk gems from the 1950s and into the 1960s during Thursday's fill-in show.  Sure hope you enjoyed 'em, because I definitely enjoyed sharing them with you.


In the end, it seems like Ray Price lived the "good life," and got lots of accolades during his 87 year long life.  That's about all anyone can expect, and we should all be so lucky.

Enjoy the weekend, and be sure to join Jim for a shortened Bluegrass Cafe on Sunday beginning after UCONN Men's Basketball (probably sometime around 5:30PM), and TONIGHT (Saturday, December 21st) from 8-10PM as he and Marti fill-in for another WHUS program.

Merry Christmas!

Amy O.


SONG / PERFORMER / ALBUM / LABEL


  • For The Good Times / Ray Price / The Essential Ray Price / Columbia
  • Heartaches By The Number / Ray Price with Vince Gill / Last Of The Breed / Lost Highway
  • Jealous Lies / Ray Price / The Essential Ray Price / Columbia
  • If You're Ever Lonely Darling / Ray Price / I'll Be There:  The Legend Begins / Country Stars
  • Weary Blues (From Waiting) / Ray Price / The Essential Ray Price / Columbia
  • Talk To Your Heart / Ray Price / I'll Be There:  The Legend Begins / Country Stars
  • Release Me / Ray Price / The Essential Ray Price / Columbia
  • Move On In And Stay / Ray Price / The Essential Ray Price, 1951-1962 / Columbia
  • I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me) / Ray Price / The Essential Ray Price / Columbia
  • I Could Love You More / Ray Price / I'll Be There:  The Legend Begins / Country Stars
  • I'll Be There / Ray Price / In A Honky Tonk Mood / Jasmine
  • Much Too Young To Die / Ray Price / In A Honky Tonk Mood / Jasmine
  • Crazy Arms / Ray Price / The Essential Ray Price / Columbia
  • You Done Me Wrong / Ray Price / The Essential Ray Price, 1951-1962 / Columbia
  • Falling Falling Falling / Ray Price / The Essential Ray Price, 1951-1962 / Columbia
  • I've Got A New Heartache / Ray Price / The Essential Ray Price / Columbia
  • My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You / Ray Price / The Essential Ray Price, 1951-1962 / Columbia
  • Curtain In The Window / Ray Price / The Essential Ray Price / Columbia
  • Invitation To The Blues / Ray Price / In A Honky Tonk Mood / Jasmine
  • Wasted Words / Ray Price / The Essential Ray Price / Columbia
  • Heart Over Mind / Ray Price / The Essential Ray Price / Columbia
  • City Lights / Ray Price / In A Honky Tonk Mood / Jasmine
  • The Same Old Me / Ray Price / The Essential Ray Price / Columbia
  • Heartaches By The Number / Ray Price / The Essential Ray Price / Columbia
  • Faded Love / Ray Price with Willie Nelson / The Essential Ray Price / Columbia
  • Some Other World / Willie Nelson, Ray Price, Merle Haggard / Last Of The Breed / Lost Highway
  • Lost Highway / Willie Nelson & Ray Price / Last Of The Breed / Lost Highway
  • Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy / Buck Owens & His Buckaroos / Christmas With Buck Owens & His Buckaroos / Sundazed
  • I'll Be Walkin' The Floor This Christmas / Ernest Tubb & His Texas Troubadours / Hillbilly Holiday / Rhino
  • The Reindeer Boogie / Hank Snow / The Goldrush Is Over / Bear Family
  • Christmas Schottische / Buck Owens & His Buckaroos / Christmas Shopping / Sundazed

Sunday, December 15, 2013

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 12/15/2013

For years, this Rebel compilation was the ONLY
Bluegrass Christmas recording.  It's still a great one.
As we get closer and closer to December 25th, the playlist for Sunday's Bluegrass Cafe included a lot more Christmas music than we'd included in previous weeks.  There were Christmas selections from quite a few performers, including the Country Gentlemen, Bill Grant & Delia Bell, Larry Sparks, the Larry Stephenson Band, the James King Band, Bill Carroll, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Northern Lights, the Johnson Mountain Boys, the Whites, Kathy Kallick & the Little Big Band, and Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys (plus non-Bluegrass Christmas selections from Merle Haggard and Hank Snow).  

The mix of music in today's show didn't really feature a whole lot of brand new music, but instead, there were songs from several New England Bluegrass performers, including a couple more tunes from the brand new release by the duo made up by Connecticut performers Mark White and Jon Swift -- BluesGrass.  In addition, we shared a couple of Carter Family classics as Alvin Pleasant Delaney Carter would have celebrated a birthday today -- born December 15, 1891.  

The next two editions of Bluegrass Cafe are scheduled to be preempted a bit by UCONN Basketball broadcasts -- the show will start around 5:30PM on December 22nd and only air from 4:00-5:00PM on December 29th.  Best wishes to you all for a very Merry Christmas, and thanks for joining us on the ol' radio.

Amy


SONG / PERFORMER / ALBUM / LABEL [REQUESTS ARE RED.]

  • Jingle Bells / Country Gentlemen / The Early Rebel Recordings / Rebel
  • My Little Silver Bells / Bill Grant & Delia Bell / O Christmas Tree / Rounder
  • Blue Christmas / Larry Sparks / Christmas Time Back Home / Rebel
  • If We Make It Through December / Merle Haggard / Moneyland / McCoury Music
  • Christmas Country Style / Larry Stephenson Band / Close My Eyes To Heaven / Webco
  • The Reindeer Boogie / Hank Snow / The Goldrush Is Over / Bear Family
  • Margie / Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass / Road Into Town / Patuxent Music
  • Kisses Don't Lie / Lynn Morris Band / The Lynn Morris Band / Rounder
  • Lonely River / Mickey Galyean & Cullen's Bridge / Rollin' With Tradition / Self-Produced
  • Home Sweet Home / Rick Spinney / Off The Cuff / Self-Produced
  • Mountain Girl / Lou Reid & Carolina / 20th Anniversary Concert / KMA Records
  • Live And Let Live / Joe Val & the New England Bluegrass Boys / One Morning In May / Rounder
  • Is It True / Jim & Jesse / Jim & Jesse, 1952-1955 / Bear Family
  • Plastic Heart / Old Time Bluegrass Singers / Plastic Heart / Open Road
  • I've Had A Time / White Mountain Bluegrass / Aragon Mill / Strictly Country
  • Master Of The Sea / Bear Bridge Band / Bear Essentials / Open Road
  • Sparkling Brown Eyes / Joe Val & the New England Bluegrass Boys / One Morning In May / Rounder
  • Crazy Arms / Stonewall Bluegrass / Won't Be Troubled Anymore / Self-Produced
  • Move On In And Stay / Mickey Harris / Dog House Blues / MJH Records
  • Loneliness And Desperation / Sideline / Session 1 / Mountain Fever Records
  • I Don't Care Anymore / Laurie Lewis / Skippin' & Flyin' / Spruce & Maple Music
  • Cash On The Barrelhead / Dreadful Snakes / Snakes Alive! / Rounder
  • Sunshine Special / Tennessee Mafia Jug Band / Screams From The Holler / Spring Fed Records
  • Blues Rollin' In / Del McCoury Band / The Streets Of Baltimore / McCoury Music
  • The Lighthouse / Gibson Brothers / Bona Fide / Sugar Hill
  • Used To Be / BluesGrass / BluesGrass / Self-Produced
  • Mind Your Own Business / BluesGrass / BluesGrass / Self-Produced
  • Crawford County / The Boxcars / All In / Mountain Home
  • What A Beautiful Day / Statement / Around The Corner / Mountain Fever Records
  • Many A Mile / Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray & Friends / Many A Mile / Patuxent Music
  • Keep On The Sunny Side / Carter Family / Anchored In Love / Rounder
  • The Foggy Mountain Top / Carter Family / My Clinch Mountain Home / Rounder
  • Wildwood Flower / Carter Family / Anchored In Love / Rounder
  • Don't Let My Love Get In The Way / Junior Sisk & Joe Mullins / Hall Of Fame Bluegrass! / Rebel
  • I'm Putting On My Leaving Shoes / Big Country Bluegrass / Memories Of The Past / Rebel
  • Where Is My Sailor Boy? / Lilly Brothers & Don Stover / Bluegrass At The Roots, 1961 / Smithsonian Folkways
  • Baby We're Really In Love / Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters / Phoenix / Happy Appy Records
  • Call Collect On Christmas / James King Band / O Christmas Tree / Rounder
  • Slowly Fall The Snowflakes / Bill Carroll / Christmas In The Mountains / Rebel
  • Oh, Christmas Candle / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Blue Circle Sampler / Blue Circle Records
  • When The Time Had Fully Come / Northern Lights / Can't Buy Your Way / Flying Fish
  • The Friendly Beasts / Johnson Mountain Boys / O Christmas Tree / Rounder
  • Jesus On The Mainline / Dry Branch Fire Squad / Live At The Newburyport Firehouse / Rounder
  • Look To The Light / John Miller / Look To The Light:  Songs Of Faith From The Pen Of Rick Lang / Rural Rhythm Christian
  • Light Of The Stable / The Whites / A Skaggs Family Christmas, Volume 2 / Skaggs Family
  • Going Up On The Mountain / Seldom Scene / Dream Scene / Sugar Hill
  • Ring The Bells At Midnight / Kathy Kallick & the Little Big Band / Tinsel Tunes / Sugar Hill
  • Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem / Ralph Stanley / Christmas Time Back Home / Rebel
  • Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder

Sunday, December 08, 2013

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 12/8/2013

For the first time in nearly a month, Sunday's Bluegrass Cafe ran for a full three hours without any preemptions for games from UCONN sports teams.  We like that -- and sure hope you do, too...

Happy Birthday, Bobby O.!
We began the show with several songs from a Bluegrass legend who celebrated a birthday on December 7th:  Bobby Osborne (who was born December 7, 1931).  Included were a couple of songs from the Osborne Brothers as well as one tune from Bobby Osborne & the Rocky Top X-Press.  

The nominees in the "Best Bluegrass Album" category for the 2014 Grammy Awards were recently announced.  Selections from each of these nominees were included in Sunday's show, and the Grammy winners will be announced in ceremonies on February 10, 2014.  The nominees:  "It's Just A Road" by the Boxcars (Mountain Home); "Brothers Of The Highway" by Dailey & Vincent (Rounder); "This World Oft Can Be" by Della Mae (Rounder); "Three Chords And The Truth" by James King (Rounder); and "The Streets Of Baltimore" by the Del McCoury Band (McCoury Music).  

The debut recording from the wonderful
duo featuring Jon Swift & Mark White
Other features during the show included three songs from the classic Carnegie Hall concert album from Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs & the Foggy Mountain Boys, which was recorded on December 8, 1962.  We remembered John Lennon, who was shot to death on December 8, 1980, and we played a few songs from the Ray Price song catalog, as this Country Music Hall of Famer's battle with pancreatic cancer is reportedly coming to a close.  There was also a bit of newer music, this time around from performers including Shannon & Heather Slaughter & County Clare, the New Kentucky Colonels, Unspoken Tradition, NewTown, a Connecticut duo called BluesGrass, the Spinney Brothers, the Gibson Brothers, and a new Christmas selection from Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road.  

Not sure if next Sunday will find Jim or me behind the mic for Bluegrass Cafe, but we sure hope you'll join whichever one of us for three more hours of the best in Bluegrass!

Enjoy the week!

Amy 



SONG / PERFORMER / ALBUM / LABEL [REQUESTS ARE RED].


  • Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
  • Each Season Changes You / Osborne Brothers / Once More / Sugar Hill
  • The Hard Times / Bobby Osborne & the Rocky Top X-Press / Try A Little Kindness / Rounder
  • Fourteen Carat Mind / Osborne Brothers / Hillbilly Fever / CMH
  • If That Was Love / Chris Jones & the Night Drivers / Lonely Comes Easy / Rebel
  • Six Feet Under The Ground / Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper / Life Goes On / Sugar Hill
  • If I Were A Carpenter / Shannon & Heather Slaughter & County Clare / One More Road / Self-Produced
  • Jackson / Flatt Lonesome / Flatt Lonesome / Pisgah Ridge
  • I Overlooked An Orchid / Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass / Road Into Town / Patuxent Music
  • Old-Time Pickin' / Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys / 35 Years Of The Best In Bluegrass / Rebel
  • Christmas Time's A-Comin' / Bill Monroe / Christmas Time's A-Comin' / Time Life
  • Christmas In The Smokies / Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road / single / Pinecastle
  • Bluegrass Christmas / McCoury Brothers / Christmas Time's A-Comin' / Time Life
  • That White Christmas Song / Red Knuckles & the Trailblazers / Sugar Plums / Sugar Hill
  • Your Light Leads Me On / Hot Rize / In Concert / Flying Fish
  • Sad And Blue / BearTracks / Together 'Til The End / AMT Records
  • Follow The Leader / Reno & Smiley / Reno & Smiley & the Tennessee Cut-Ups, 1959-1963 / Gusto
  • Bully Of The Town / Jason Davis / Second Time Around / Mountain Fever Records
  • The Devil's Train / James King / Three Chords And The Truth / Rounder
  • Letter From Down The Road/And Other Things / Della Mae / This World Oft Can Be / Rounder
  • Howdy Neighbor Howdy / Dailey & Vincent / Brothers Of The Highway / Rounder
  • You Took All The Ramblin' Out Of Me / The Boxcars / It's Just A Road / Mountain Home
  • Streets Of Baltimore / Del McCoury Band / The Streets Of Baltimore / McCoury Music
  • Wasted Words / Johnson Mountain Boys / Live At The Birchmere / Rounder
  • My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You / Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass / Road Into Town / Patuxent Music
  • I Can't Go Home Like This / Ray Price / Columbia Country Classics / Columbia
  • I Know What It Means To Be Lonesome / New Kentucky Colonels / Live In Holland 1973 / Self-Produced
  • I Can't Stand To Ramble / Good Ol' Persons / Good 'N Live / Sugar Hill
  • How Long Have I Been Waiting / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Sugar Hill
  • On Whiskey Mountain / Bill Emerson with Bill Harrell / Reunion / Webco
  • I've Just Seen A Face / Charles River Valley Boys / Beatle Country / Rounder
  • Simple Little Town / Unspoken Tradition / Simple Little Town / Coyote Ridge
  • Goodbye Mary Jane / NewTown / Time Machine / Pisgah Ridge
  • Freight Train Boogie / BluesGrass / BluesGrass / Self-Produced
  • Foggy Mountain Breakdown / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / The Complete Mercury Recordings / Mercury
  • Gotta Go Down / Spinney Brothers / No Borders / Mountain Fever Records
  • Ol' Lonesome Won't Leave Me Alone / The Boxcars / All In / Mountain Home
  • Lonely Ends Where Love Begins / Darin & Brooke Aldridge / Live At Red, White & Bluegrass / Mountain Home
  • Salty Dog Blues / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Flatt & Scruggs At Carnegie Hall! / Koch Records
  • Durham's Reel / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Flatt & Scruggs At Carnegie Hall! / Koch Records
  • Let The Church Roll On / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Flatt & Scruggs At Carnegie Hall! / Koch Records
  • Jesus And Me / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / Raincoe Music
  • Home On The River / Gibson Brothers / They Called It Music / Compass Records
  • Lift Your Voice In Prayer / Special Consensus / The Trail Of Aching Hearts / Pinecastle
  • Journey To My Savior's Side / Missy Werner Band / Three Kinds Of Lonesome / Self-Produced
  • Precious Child / Tony Trischka / O Christmas Tree / Rounder
  • I'm Working On A Road / John Duffey [Country Gentlemen] / The Rebel Years: 1972-1977 / Rebel
  • Saints Go Marching In / Lilly Brothers & Don Stover / Bluegrass At The Roots, 1961 / Smithsonian Folkways
  • Walking In Jerusalem Just Like John / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Anthology / MCA
  • Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder

Sunday, December 01, 2013

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 12/1/2013

Today's Bluegrass Cafe was another one shortened by sports programming at WHUS (UCONN Women's Basketball this time around), but we still were able to squeeze in a whole bunch of music into a program that lasted just under 90 minutes.  Hope you were able to enjoy it as you wrapped up your Thanksgiving weekend...

As we are now officially into the Christmas Season, it was time to break out a few Bluegrass Christmas selections.  This week, those came to us courtesy of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Reno & Smiley, Rick Lang & Friends, and the Country Gentlemen, as well the title track from Jeff Parker's most recent solo outing on Lonesome Day Records, "It's Christmas Time."  Expect to hear a bit more Bluegrass Christmas integrated into the program for the remainder of the month.  
A very fine "new" old recording

In the shortened program -- and in the spirit of Thanksgiving -- we still tried to "stuff" a lot of great content into our 90 minutes.  Mini features included the playing of three songs from a new recording Roland White has recently released featuring a 1973 Holland concert by the New Kentucky Colonels (Roland with brothers Clarence and Eric, as well as Herb Pedersen on banjo).  Fabulous music!  We also featured several songs written and performed by the late Carter Stanley, who died on
Carter Glen Stanley (8/27/1925-12/1/1966)
December 1, 1966.  It always seems a bit odd to celebrate performers on the anniversary of their death, but we couldn't really let the day pass without playing music of the
Stanley Brothers which had been written or co-written by Carter, as well as two songs which have been written in tribute of Carter over the past couple of years.  Those tribute song performers included Carter's nephew that he never met, Ralph Stanley II, as well as the Spinney Brothers.  


Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, and it looks like we might actually have a FULL 3-hour radio program next Sunday afternoon (December 8th).  Wow!  I'll be filling in for Jim next Sunday, so I surely hope you'll tune in to our little Bluegrass Cafe.  

Amy



SONG / PERFORMER / ALBUM / LABEL
  • Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
  • Christmas Lullaby / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Merry Christmas From Our House To Your House / SSK
  • Christmas Time Back Home / Country Gentlemen / Christmas In The Mountains / Rebel
  • It's Christmas Time / Jeff Parker / It's Christmas Time / Lonesome Day Records
  • Christmas Doll / Reno & Smiley / The True Meaning Of Christmas / Gusto
  • Your Old Standby / Jim Eanes / 35 Years Of The Best In Bluegrass / Rebel
  • Milwaukee Blues / Loafers' Glory / Loafers' Glory / Arhoolie
  • Pickin' Like A Girl / The Daughters Of Bluegrass / Pickin' Like A Girl / Blue Circle Records
  • That Little Girl Of Mine In Carolina / Edgar Loudermilk / My Last Chance Tomorrow / Mountain Fever Records
  • Flat Tops A Pickin' / Reno & Harrell / 35 Years Of The Best In Bluegrass / Rebel
  • Wild Mountain Honey / Junior Sisk & Joe Mullins / Hall Of Fame Bluegrass! / Rebel
  • Things Have Gone To Pieces / James King / Three Chords And The Truth / Rounder
  • Baby Blue Eyes / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Selected Sides, 1948-1950 / JSP Records
  • Lake Champlain / BearTracks / Rough Edges / AMT Records
  • I'll Work It Out / Gibson Brothers / They Called It Music / Compass Records
  • Is This My Destiny / New Kentucky Colonels / Live In Holland 1973 / Self-Produced
  • Mocking Banjo / New Kentucky Colonels / Live In Holland 1973 / Self-Produced
  • If You're Ever Gonna Love Me / New Kentucky Colonels / Live In Holland 1973 / Self-Produced
  • Carter / Ralph Stanley II / This One Is II / Lonesome Day Records
  • Our Last Goodbye / Stanley Brothers / 20th Century Masters / Mercury
  • Let's Part The Best Of Friends / Stanley Brothers / The Complete Columbia Stanley Brothers / Columbia
  • The White Dove / Stanley Brothers / Select Sides, 1947-1949 / JSP Records
  • I Wish That I Could Have Met Carter / Spinney Brothers / No Borders / Mountain Fever Records
  • The Season Of My Heart / Rick Lang & Friends / The Season Of My Heart / Haley Anna Music
  • Rare Bird Alert / Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers / Rare Bird Alert / Rounder

Friday, November 29, 2013

Fill-in for "Bluegrass Rules" - 11/28/2013

Hi Folks,

James Ward
By now listeners of Bluegrass Cafe know there is another bluegrass program on WHUS called "Bluegrass Rules" hosted by James & Cathy Ward.   The show is usually on a weekday afternoon depending on the semester, and this semester it is on Thursday afternoons usually 3-5pm ET.

Cathy Ward

James & Cathy took Thanksgiving day off this year and I was happy to fill-in on their show.

I included much local music on this show as well as an above-average dose of mountain-style bluegrass.

The playlist is below.

Jim Beaver

Local (CT and New England) music in blue


Title / Artist / Album / Label

  • Pop! Goes The Banjo / The Little Roy & Lizzy Show / Pop! Goes The Banjo / Vine
  • I Feel Like Singing Today / Jim Lauderdale & Ralph Stanley / I Feel Like Singing Today / Rebel
  • Reno Bound / Reno & Harrell / Reno Bound / John Boy & Billy
  • Less And Less / Grass Routes / Bailey's Deal / Self-released
  • Thank You For Caring / Jeanette Williams w. George Jones / Thank You For Caring / Blue Circle
  • Your Worries & Troubles Are Mine / Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys / Classic Bluegrass / Rebel
  • Love Of The Mountains / Crossover / Friends Having Fun / Self-released
  • The Old Home / Shady Creek / The Old Home / Self-released
  • Rawhide / Frank Wakefield / A Tribute To Bill Monroe / Patuxent
  • Close The Door Lightly When You Go / Lonesome River Band / Chronology Vol. 1 / Rural Rhythm
  • This Rambler's Ramblin' / Mac Martin / Country Roots / Rural Rhythm
  • Somebody Loves You Darling / Alex Leach / Mountain Heartache / Self-released
  • She Left Me Standing On A Mountain / Larry Efaw & The Bluegrass Mountaineers / She Left Me Standing On A Mountain / Blue Circle
  • It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Day / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa / It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Day / Raincoe
  • Swampgrass / Larry Gillis / Swampgrass / Tinman
  • I'm So Happy / Joe Mullins & Junior Sisk / Hall Of Fame Bluegrass / Rebel
  • Roll On Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Blue Diamond / Rounder
  • Cool Autumn Morning / Monty McClanahan / The Road Less Traveled / Self-released
  • Lonesome Wind Blues / Rhonda Vincent / Back Home Again / Rounder
  • Dusty Old World / Gibson Brothers / They Called It Music / Compass
  • Don't Think About Me Unkindly / The Earl Brothers / Outlaw Hillbilly / Big Hen
  • Unexpected, Ordinary, Unimagined Life / Dawn Kenney / Sing Me Home / Heart Roots
  • Old Time Angels / Jim Lauderdale / Old Time Angels / Sky Crunch
  • Rollin' On These Rubber Wheels / Ernie Thacker / The Hangman / Pinecastle
  • If I Were Your Brother / Spinney Brothers / Live at WHUS May 8, 2010 / Local Production
  • It's Never Too Late / Fred Etheridge, Nick Anderson, Mark Doyle / Pickin' And Singin' / Self-released
  • Cat And Mouse / Jeff Scroggins & Colorado / Western Branches / Self-released
  • The Hills And Home / The Country Gentlemen / The Complete Starday Recordings / Gusto
  • I've Been All Around This World / Joe Val & The New England Bluegrass Boys / Rounder Old-Time Music / Rounder
  • Wow Baby / Hunter Berry / Wow Baby / Upper Management
  • Blues Are Close At Hand / Tommy Brown & The County Line Grass / Reminiscing / Short Grass
  • I've Been Walkin' / Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass / Road Into Town / Patuxent
  • Lord Protect My Soul / Kathy Kallick Band / Time / Live Oak
  • Traveling The Highway Home / Don Rigsby / Doctor's Orders / Rebel
  • Your Long Journey / David Grisman Bluegrass Experience / Muddy Roads / Acoustic Disc
  • Walking In A Dream / Fred Etheridge, Nick Anderson, Mark Doyle / Pickin' And Singin' / Self-released

Sunday, November 24, 2013

"Bluegrass Cafe" Playlist - 11/24/2013 - Missy Werner

Hi Folks.

Missy Werner
During this one-hour program we played songs from the first two Missy Werner albums and a pre-release single from her upcoming 3rd album, plus a short interview of Missy recorded September 24th at the IBMA Wide Open Bluegrass event in Raleigh.
We introduced new music from The Grascals and Del McCoury, and recent music from James King and Adam Steffey who happened to celebrate a birthday on this day.  We also tipped our hat to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday by opening the show with a Jerry Douglas instrumental, "Ride The Wild Turkey."



The Heritage Corner brought forth from Jim's archives music from Roy Acuff for the anniversary of his passing (11/23/1992), Charlie Moore from a 1974 LP, and Bill Price's Country Pardners from a 1956 single.



This show was reduced to an hour because of a UCONN checkers game preemption.  Be sure to tune in next Sunday where barring any UCONN card games, Amy will bring you another great afternoon of bluegrass music on Bluegrass Cafe.

Jim Beaver









Title / Artist / Album / Label
  • Ride The Wild Turkey / Jerry Douglas / Slide Rule / Sugar Hill
  • Precious Jewel / Roy Acuff / Night Train To Memphis / Allegro
  • Alcatraz Blues / Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass / Road Into Town / Patuxent (requested)
  • Goodbye Girls I'm Going To Boston / Adam Steffey / New Primitive / Organic
  • Plant Some Flowers / Missy Werner / Drifting And Dreaming / Self-released
  • Right Here / The Missy Werner Band / Three Kinds of Lonesome / Self-released
  • Missy Werner Interview
  • I Always Do / Missy Werner / Pre-release single / Self-released
  • Streets Of Baltimore / Del McCoury Band / Streets of Baltimore / McCoury Music
  • Whippoorwill's Cry / Larry Gillis / Swampgrass / Tinman
  • Another Old Dog In The Race / The Country Pardners / 45 RPM Single / RCA (45)
  • If Teardrops Were Pennies / Big Country Bluegrass / Memories Of The Past / Rebel
  • When I Get My Pay / The Grascals / When I Get My Pay / Mountain Home
  • Sunday Morning Christian / James King / Three Chords And The Truth / Rounder
  • On A High High Mountain / Charlie Moore & The Dixie Partners / On A High High Mountain / Old Homestead
  • Where We'll Never Say Farewell / Rhonda Vincent / Sunday Mornin' Singin' Live! / Upper Management
  • Step Off On That Beautiful Shore / Ralph Stanley & Joe Isaacs / A Gospel Gathering / Freeland
  • Walking In A Dream / Fred Etheridge / Pickin' And Singin' / Self-released

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Southern New England Bluegrass alert -- LOTS going on this weekend...

If you're in southern New England, you've got three opportunities to see and hear some wonderful Bluegrass music, so try to get to one or two of these shows, won't you?

On Saturday, November 16th, the relatively new organization known as the Rhode Island Bluegrass Alliance (or, RIBA) are presenting a show featuring the legendary EDDIE & MARTHA ADCOCK with TOM GRAY.  This concert takes place at the Francis Farm in Rehoboth, MA, and begins at 7PM.  Find more information on show by clicking here.  

There are two wonderful shows on Sunday, November 17th, but unfortunately, you likely won't be able to get to both of 'em...unless you own a private jet.  Still, it would be great if you can make it to at least one...

If you want to have one more opportunity to see and hear New Hampshire's
WHITE MOUNTAIN BLUEGRASS perform before they retire, get to the Country Corner Coffee House in South Hadley, MA on Sunday afternoon at 2PM.  Hazel and Mac McGee are bona fide Bluegrass Pioneers (as recognized at the International Bluegrass Music Museum), and after 43 years of performing as a band, they're retiring.  Get to South Hadley, if you're able, and wish them well, won't you?  For more info on the show, visit www.countrycornermusic.com or call (413)467-9394.

If making the trip to Massachusetts doesn't work so well for you, there's wonderful Bluegrass gospel to be heard in southeastern Connecticut, as THE GOSPEL FRIENDS will perform a free show at the Central Baptist Church, 2 Union Square, Norwich CT.  Showtime is 3PM.  To take a look at a flyer for the show, click here.

No need to lecture -- get out and support live Bluegrass music when you can!

Amy

Sunday, November 10, 2013

"Bluegrass Cafe" Playlist - 11/10/2013 - Eddie & Martha Adcock

Hi Folks,


We had the pleasure of talking to Eddie and Martha Adcock on this show and got to hear a first-hand synopsis of Eddie's and Martha's amazing musical history. You can hear them perform with Tom Gray Saturday 16 Nov 2013 in Rehoboth MA in an appearance sponsored by Rhode Island Bluegrass Alliance.   Check out the details here.

Arthel's Guitar
Other highlights included a tribute to Stringbean (David Akeman) and his wife Estelle who were murdered in front of their cabin 40 years ago this day.  We also heard selections from a 1973 live performance of The New Kentucky Colonels with Clarence, Roland, and Eric White with Herb Pederson; new music from Jim Lauderdale; David Grisman Bluegrass Experience; The Tuttles with A.J. Lee; Noam Pikelny; Reno & Harrell; Shannon & Heather Slaughter; Jeff Scroggins & Colorado; Alex Leach; and Jack Lawrence with a selection from his album Arthel's Guitar.


 

 The Heritage Corner included music from Sammy Adkins & The Sandy Hook Mt. Boys, The Hillmen (Chris Hillman, Don Parmley, Vern & Rex Gosdin), and several selections throughout the show from Alex Campbell and Ola Belle Reed.  Alex Campbell, 90, passed away October 24th.

Join Amy next Sunday between sports preemptions for another afternoon of great bluegrass music.

Jim Beaver

Song / Artist / Album / Label

  • Dancin' With Sally / Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass / Road Into Town / Patuxent
  • I Wish That I Could Have Met Carter / The Spinney Brothers / No Borders / Mountain Fever
  • Opry Time In Tennessee / Stringbean / More of That Rare Old Time Banjo Pickin' And Singin' / Gusto
  • The Ballad of Stringbean and Estelle / Sam Bush / Circles Around Me / Sugar Hill
  • The Hills And Home / The Country Gentlemen / High Lonesome / Gusto
  • Carry Me Back To Carolina / Terry Baucom w. Buddy Melton / Never Thought Of Looking Back / John Boy And Billy
  • When Scruggs Made Me A Star / Shannon & Heather Slaughter & County Clare / One More Road / Elite Circuit
  • Roll On Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Blue Diamond / Rounder
  • Cheyenne / Noam Pikelny / Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe / Compass
  • Soldier's Joy-Black Mountain Rag / The New Kentucky Colonels / Live In Holland 1973 / Self released
  • Why You Been Gone So Long / The New Kentucky Colonels / Live In Holland 1973 / Self released
  • The Train That Carried My Girl From Town / David Grisman Bluegrass Experience / Muddy Roads / Acoustic Disc
  • Reno Bound / Reno & Harrell / Reno Bound / John Boy And Billy
  • I'll Driink No More Wine / Junior Sisk & Joe Mullins / Hall Of Fame Bluegrass / Rebel
  • Brown Mountain Light / The Hillmen / Self titled / Together
  • I'll Never Grow Tired Of You / Sammy Adkins & The Sandy Hook Mtn Boys / Tribute To Keith Whitley / Crosscut
  • Mountain Heartache / Alex Leach / Mountain Heartache / Self released
  • Down Where The Still Waters Flow / Eddie & Martha Adcock w. Tom Gray / Many A Mile / Patuxent
  • New Freedom Bell / Eddie & Martha Adcock w. Tom Gray / Many A Mile / Patuxent

Eddie and Martha Adcock Interview 

  • This Morning At Nine / Eddie & Martha Adcock w. Tom Gray / Many A Mile / Patuxent
  • Red Rocking Chair / The Country Gentlemen / High Lonesome / Gusto
  • Over Yonder In The Graveyard / Mickey Galyean & Cullen's Bridge / Rollin' with Tradition / Self released
  • Long Black Limo / Travers Chandler & Avery County / Pardon Me... / Mountain Fever
  • Ten Miles To Deep Gap / Jack Lawrence w. Doc Watson / Arthel's Guitar / Little King
  • I Can't Be Satisfied / Alex Campbell & Olabelle Reed & The New River Ranch Boys / 45 RPM Single / New River (45)
  • Redwood Hill / Jeff Scroggins & Colorado / Western Branches / Self released
  • Alabam / The Tuttles with A.J. Lee / Endless Ocean / Back Studio
  • You Don't Even Know / Alex Campbell & Olabelle Reed & The New River Ranch Boys / 45 RPM Single / New River (45)
  • Going To See Earl (bed) / Little Roy & Lizzy / Pop! Goes The Banjo / Vine
  • Choppin' Wood (bed) / Little Roy & Lizzy / Pop! Goes The Banjo / Vine
  • The Daughter Of Gernonimo / Don Rigsby w. Ralph Stanley / Doctor's Orders / Rebel
  • Goodbye Mary Jane / NewTown / Time Machine / Pisgah
  • Born With A Hammer In My Hand / The Roys / Gypsy Runaway Train / Rural Rhythm
  • Old Time Angels / Jim Lauderdale / Old Time Angels / Sky Crunch
  • Tom Dooley / Kruger Brothers / Doc / Double Time
  • Uncloudy Day / Alex Campbell & Olabelle Reed & The New River Ranch Boys / Old Time Gospel Singing / Gusto
  • I Can't Sit Down / Wade & Julia Mainer / Heaven Bound / Time Life
  • There's A Higher Power / Kathy Kallick / Count Your Blessings / Live Oak (requested)
  • Calling My Children Home / The Country Gentlemen / Heaven Bound / Time Life
  • Daniel Prayed / Doc Watson, Fred Price, Clint Howard / Doc's Prescription / Not Now
  • What Would You Do / Fred Etheridge / Pickin' And Singin' / Self released
  • Campin' In Canaan Land / The Stanley Brothers / The King Years 1961-1965 / King
  • Fishers Of Men / Rhonda Vincent / Sunday Mornin' Singin' Live! / Upper Management
  • The Beautiful Shore / Larry Efaw and the Bluegrass Mountaineers / She Left Me Standing On A Mountain / Blue Circle
  • Walking In A Dream / Fred Etheridge, Nick Anderson, Mark Doyle / Pickin' And Singin' / Self released

Monday, November 04, 2013

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 11/3/2013

On Sunday's show, we had a couple of important "goals" that we wanted to accomplish, and for the most part, I think they were pretty-well completed.  

Up first, we wanted to remember a couple of important birthdays:  both of gentlemen who were born in 1937, just three days apart.  Country Music Hall of Famer Bill Anderson (born November 1, 1937) is definitely NOT a Bluegrass performer or singer (despite the fact that he has recorded a "Bluegrass" album).  Still, many of his songs -- both the older ones and newer ones that he continues to write today -- have been recorded in the Bluegrass world, so we shared a few of those from performers as varied as the Del McCoury Band, James King, the Osborne Brothers, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, and the Johnson Mountain Boys.

For my money, one of the best
vocalists in all of Bluegrass -- Allen Mills.
Another wonderful performer celebrating a birthday this week is one of the founders of longtime Virginia band, the Lost & Found.  Allen Mills (born November 4, 1937) is the primary songwriter and lead vocalist with L&F, and to my ear, he has one of the most distinctive vocal deliveries in all of Bluegrass.  In addition, Mr. Mills is a terrific songwriter, and has a couple of wonderful Bluegrass classics in his songbook, including "Love Of The Mountains" and "Wild Mountain Flowers For Mary."  Terrific stuff!

In addition to celebrating the birthdays of Bill Anderson and Allen Mills, we remembered the passing of Alex Campbell, a noted Bluegrass performer and promoter who died on October 24th at the age of 90.  Mr. Campbell made a few different records with some notable Bluegrass performers, including Ted Lundy and his very own sister, Ola Belle Reed.  While we played a couple of songs from Alex & Olabelle & the New River Boys, be sure to tune into Jim in the "Bluegrass Cafe" next week for more music from this Bluegrass pioneer.

Hope you enjoyed something you heard on the air on Sunday, and be sure to join Jim next week once more for another visit in the Bluegrass Cafe.

Enjoy the week!

Amy


SONG / PERFORMER / ALBUM / LABEL
  • Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
  • Handsome Molly / Country Gentlemen / On The Road (And More) / Smithsonian Folkways
  • (It Was) Late Last Night / Stanley Brothers / Don't Cheat In Our Hometown / King
  • I Will Always Be Waiting For You / Jim & Jesse / First Sounds / Capitol
  • Foggy Mountain Chimes / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Foggy Mountain Jamboree / Columbia
  • Amnesia / Del McCoury Band / The Streets Of Baltimore / McCoury Music
  • She Took His Breath Away / James King / The Bluegrass Storyteller / Rounder
  • Cincinnati, Ohio / Osborne Brothers / Hillbilly Fever / CMH
  • I Never Once Stopped Loving You / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Never Walk Away / Sugar Hill
  • I Don't Love You Anymore / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder
  • Wild Mountain Flowers For Mary / Lost & Found / Classic Bluegrass / Rebel
  • Leavin' You And Mobile, Too / Lost & Found / Across The Blue Ridge Mountains / Rebel
  • Love Of The Mountains / Lost & Found / Classic Bluegrass / Rebel
  • No Longer A Sweetheart Of Mine / Reno & Smiley / Good Old Country Ballads / King
  • Old Ten Broeck / Laurie Lewis / Skippin' & Flyin' / Spruce & Maple Music
  • I Know That You Know / Tony Holt & the Wildwood Valley Boys / Lost Highways & Treasured Memories / Old Heritage Records
  • Bad Fret / Grass Routes / Bailey's Deal / Self-Produced
  • I'm Blue / Flatt Lonesome / Flatt Lonesome / Pisgah Ridge
  • Baby, You're Cheatin' / Big Country Bluegrass / Memories Of The Past / Rebel
  • Blue Lonesome Blue / Edgar Loudermilk / My Big Chance Tomorrow / Mountain Fever Records
  • Dusty Old World / Gibson Brothers / They Called It Music / Compass Records
  • That's All She Wrote / Peter Rowan / The Old School / Compass Records
  • Cotton Eyed Joe / The Tuttles & A.J. Lee / Endless Ocean / Self-Produced
  • No Doubt About It / Junior Sisk & Joe Mullins / Hall Of Fame Bluegrass! / Rebel
  • I'm Lost, I'll Never Find The Way / Unspoken Tradition / Simple Little Town / Coyote Ridge
  • Mountain Girl / Lou Reid & Carolina / 20th Anniversary Concert / KMA
  • Just Ain't / Terry Baucom with Sam Bush / Never Thought Of Looking Back / John Boy & Billy, Inc.
  • Forever I Know / Alex & Olabelle & the New River Boys / Travel On / Starday
  • I Marked The Spot / Alex & Olabelle & the New River Boys / Travel On / Starday
  • Bringin' In The Georgia Mail / Alex & Olabelle & the New River Boys / Old Time Singing
  • Blacktop / Alan Jackson / The Bluegrass Album / EMI America
  • Wilow Creek Dam / American Drive / American Drive / Rural Rhythm
  • Blue Side Of Me / Jeff Brown & Still Lonesome / Blue Side Of Me / Mountain Fever Records
  • Stormy Horizons / The Expedition Show / Stormy Horizons / Mountain Fever Records
  • Tennessee Truck Driving Man / Don Rigsby / Doctor's Orders / Rebel
  • Music Of The Mountains / Spinney Brothers / Going Home / Self-Produced
  • Steel Drivin' Man / Dailey & Vincent / Brothers Of The Highway / Rounder
  • It's In My Mind To Wander / Shannon & Heather Slaughter & County Clare / One More Road / Self-Produced
  • I Knew It Wasn't You (The Telephone Song) / Crowe Brothers / Bridging The Gap / Rural Rhythm
  • Nightwalk / Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray / Many A Mile / Patuxent Music
  • If You've Got Something To Say / Blue Highway / Sounds Of Home / Rounder
  • I'm Leaving You This Lonesome Song / The Boxcars / It's Just A Road / Mountain Home
  • Grandpa's Way Of Life / Spinney Brothers / No Borders / Mountain Fever Records
  • Bring Him Your Talents / Bluegrass Cardinals / Way Down Deep In My Soul / Sugar Hill
  • Life's Railway To Heaven / Seldom Scene / Way Down Deep In My Soul / Sugar Hill
  • I'll Answer The Call / Ralph Stanley / Country Bluegrass Homecoming / GGS
  • The Automobile Of Life / Bear Minimum / Demo / Self-Produced
  • Free Salvation / Del McCoury Band / The Streets Of Baltimore / McCoury Music
  • Lord Show Me The Righteous Pathway / Special Consensus / Everything's Alright / Pinecastle
  • I'll Be Going To Heaven Sometime / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Selected Sides, 1948-1950 / JSP Records
  • Get Up In Jesus's Name / Marty Raybon / A Gospel Bluegrass Homecoming, Volume One / GGS
  • Little Community Church / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / JSP Records
  • Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder