"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 12/28/2014

Our last Bluegrass Cafe to air in 2014 was a slightly sports-preempted one, as UConn Men's Hockey took over our WHUS airwaves at 6PM.  Still, in the two hours remaining, we covered a lot of ground as we celebrated birthdays, looked back at some of the Bluegrass folks we've said goodbye to in 2014, shared some newer music, as well as favorites from the year, and even remembered Hank Williams.  Hope you were able to join us, but if not, read on...

Happy Birthday, Tom Venne!

The show began with songs performed by two gentlemen celebrating birthdays today -- December 28th.  We heard from both Nightflyer (featuring birthday boy Rick Hayes on the lead vocal and mandolin), as well as BearTracks (with birthday celebrant Tom Venne singing the lead vocal on a song he wrote).  Happy Birthday to each of them!

While the Bluegrass World lost a good number of performers and behind-the-scenes folks this year, we remembered a few of those who passed by playing some music from White Mountain Bluegrass (Hazel McGee died October 27th), James Alan Shelton (d. June 3rd), George Shuffler (d. April 7th), and the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band (band co-founder Lester Armisted died May 2nd).  There's no better way to remember these folks than by sharing their music, and we'll continue to do that in 2015 and beyond.


There was a bit of new music to share this week, too, including brand new recordings from Johnny Williams ("Going My Way" on Mountain Roads Recordings), Long Island's Buddy Merriam & Back Roads ("The Farm" on Buddy's own LilyPad Records), and a debut recording from songwriter Damian Muller called "Steady Work."  

And we couldn't have any kind of music show so close to January 1st without remembering a man who might have been country music's greatest songwriter:  Hank Williams.  It has been nearly 62 years since Hank Williams died on January 1, 1953 -- more than twice as many years as how long this troubled singer-songwriter lived -- but the influence of Hank lives on...probably forever.  

Thanks so much for your support of Bluegrass Cafe this year!  Best wishes to you for health and happiness -- and more Bluegrass! -- in 2015!  Get your year started off right next Sunday when Jim joins you for what we hope will be a full three hours of Bluegrass Cafe!

Amy


SONG / PERFORMER / ALBUM / LABEL

• Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
• The Hangman's Daughter / Nightflyer / Nightflyer / Kang Records [Rick Hayes birthday, December 28]
• Ta Ta, The Brushoff / BearTracks / Makin' Tracks / Self-Produced [Tom Venne birthday, December 28]
• Looks Like Snow / Stephen Moughin / That's What I Love About Christmas:  Timeless Seasonal Songs Penned By Rick Lang / RLM Records
• Footprints In The Snow / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys, 1940-1946 / JSP Records
• Six Feet Of Snow / Neon Valley Boys / Bluegrass / Sudden Comfort Records
• Grandfather's Clock / Fred Pike, Bill Rawlings & the Twin River Boys / Authentic Bluegrass Folk Music / Osage Records
• Teardrops In My Eyes / Fred Pike, Bill Rawlings & the Twin River Boys / Authentic Bluegrass Folk Music / Osage Records
• Church On The Foot Of The Hill / White Mountain Bluegrass / Aragon Mill / Strictly Country
• Soldier's Joy / James Alan Shelton / Walking Down The Line / Sheltone Records
• I Am A Pilgrim / George Shuffler / Aged To Perfection / Copper Creek 
• Down In Union County / Tennessee Mafia Jug Band / Screams From The Holler / Spring Fed Records
• Nine Pound Hammer / George Shuffler / Aged To Perfection / Copper Creek
• Monday Blues / Balsam Range / Five / Mountain Home
• Rough Edges / Missy Werner / Turn This Heart Around / Self-Produced
• Going Back To My Kentucky Country Home / Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers / Another Day From Life / Rebel
• Doggone / Hot Rize / When I'm Free / Ten In Hand Records
• Reasons Why / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / In Session / Mountain Home
• You're Not A Drop In The Bucket / The Earls Of Leicester / The Earls Of Leicester / Rounder
• I'll Go Steppin' Too / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Selected Cuts, 1952-1955 / JSP Records
• Don't Let Your Deal Go Down / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Selected Cuts, 1955-1959 / JSP Records
• You Can Feel It In Your Soul / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Selected Cuts, 1952-1955 / JSP Records
• Old Fashioned Preacher / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Selected Cuts, 1952-1955 / JSP Records
• China Grove, My Hometown / Curly Seckler / Down In Caroline / Copper Creek [Curly Seckler born December 25, 1917]
• Sailor's Regret / Johnny Williams / Going My Way / Mountain Roads Recordings
• Berkshire Mountains Waltz / Buddy Merriam & Back Roads / The Farm / LilyPad Records
• Cold Cold Heart / Spinney Brothers / Going Home / Self-Produced
• I Saw The Light / Hank Williams / Gospel Keepsakes / Time Life
• Press On / Damian Muller / Steady Work / Self-Produced
• Pray For Me / Steve Gulley / Family, Friends & Fellowship / Rural Rhythm
• Call His Name / Johnson Mountain Boys / Working Close / Rounder
• Free Salvation / Del McCoury Band / The Streets Of Baltimore / McCoury Music
• Auld Lang Syne / Bill Keith / O Christmas Tree / Rounder

Playlist - 12/21/2014 - Christmas

Hi Folks.

In spite of our best intentions, we were reduced to a 1-hour show because of a spurts preemption. Our intention was to program a typical show and intersperse bluegrass Christmas music along the way. We were able to do this for one hour.

We introduced several notable new recordings on this show including the surprising debut of Ruben & Matt and the Truffle Valley Boys -- surprising because they are from Italy, and have pretty much nailed the traditional bluegrass sounds of the 1950s.  You can check out their Facebook page here.

Ruben & Matt and the Truffle Valley Boys

Other new recordings included music from Steve Gulley & New Pinnacle, Cody Shuler, and Christmas music from The Roys.

Steve Gulley and New Pinnacle

Recent favorites included songs from Marteka & William, Larry Sparks, Tommy Brown, Turning Ground, Phil Leadbetter, and Alex Leach.

Alex Leach

The Heritage Corner included music from The Stanley Brothers, Dave Evans, The Johnson Mountain Boys, Doc Watson, and Dry Branch Fire Squad.

Amy is scheduled to be with you next Sunday to make the banjos and fiddles ring, so make an appointment to tune in.

Jim Beaver

Artist / Song / Disk / Label

• Marteka and William / Sally Goodwin / The Sounds Of A Tradition / Self-released
• Larry Sparks / Will You Be Satisfied That Way / Lonesome And Then Some... / Rebel
• The Johnson Mountain Boys / Darlin' I'm Coming Home / Walls Of Time / Rounder
• The Johnson Mountain Boys / The Friendly Beasts / Acoustic Holidays / Rounder
• Ruben & Matt and the Truffle Valley Boys / Theme / Single / Self-released
• Ruben & Matt and the Truffle Valley Boys / Nashville Jail / Single / Self-released
• Ruben & Matt and the Truffle Valley Boys / Teardrops Mixed With Rain / Single / Self-released
• The Stanley Brothers / Christmas Is Near / Christmas Time's A-Comin' / Time Life
• Steve Gulley & New Pinnacle / Leaving Crazytown / Fresh Cuts & Key Tracks No.2 - 2014 / Rural Rhythm
• Tommy Brown and the County Line Grass / Leaving This Town Little Darlin' / Leaving This Town / Randm
• Cody Shuler / My Home Is On This Ole Boxcar / Fresh Cuts & Key Tracks No.2 - 2014 / Rural Rhythm
• The Roys / Bluegrass Kinda Christmas / Bluegrass Kinda Christmas / Rural Rhythm
• Turning Ground / Old Memories / Cell Of Mine / Self-released
• Phil Leadbetter / Just Joshin' with Jerry Douglas & Rob Ikes / The Next Move / Pinecastle
• Alex Leach / Miller's Cave / Mountain Heartache / Self-released
• Doc Watson / New Born King / Single / United Artists
• Dave Evans / When The Snow Falls On My Foggy Mountain Home / Classic Bluegrass / Rebel Records Llc
• Rueben & Matt and the Truffle Valley Boys / The Lord's Last Supper / Single / Self Released
• Dry Branch Fire Squad / Jesus On The Mainline / Long Journey / Rounder [requested]

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 12/14/2014

New music from Doyle in January! 

What a mixed-up Sunday!  From 4-6PM, there was supposed to be a preemption for Men's Basketball.  However, due to a technical glitch, that broadcast never happened.  Instead, we took back our Bluegrass broadcast a bit earlier than the 6PM end time of the original game, and put together a compact edition of Bluegrass Cafe.

Coming soon in 2015...a new record from Springfield Exit!

The music we played on Sunday's shortened show included a little bit of Christmas music -- a couple of country tunes mixed in with some Bluegrass Christmas.  New music figured a little bit into the show, too, with some fresh-from-the-mailbox music from Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, as well as single releases from forthcoming projects by Cody Shuler, as well as Springfield Exit.  There was even a little bit of new Christmas music from a collection of songs written by New Hampshire songwriter Rick Lang, and an a cappella carol  for the season from Nightflyer.

This show was my last scheduled turn on the radio before Christmas, but I strongly encourage you to join Jim next Sunday for what should be a full three-hour broadcast.  

Merry Christmas to all!

Amy


SONG / PERFORMER / ALBUM / LABEL

• Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
• Christmas Story / Nashville Bluegrass Band / Tinsel Tunes / Sugar Hill
• Jingle Bells / Reno & Smiley / The True Meaning Of Christmas / Gusto
• Reindeer Boogie / Hank Snow / Hillbilly Holiday / Rhino
• Bluegrass Christmas / McCoury Brothers / Christmas Time's A-Comin' / Time Life
• Christmas Country Style / Statler Brothers / Christmas Present / Mercury
• Christmas Time's A-Comin' / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Christmas Time's A-Comin' / Time Life
• Dusty Old World / Gibson Brothers / They Called It Music / Compass Records
• Rose Of My Heart / Whitstein Brothers / Rose Of My Heart / Rounder
• Roll Big River / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / In Session / Mountain Home
• My Home Is On This Ole Boxcar / Cody Shuler / single / Self-Produced
• Some Old Day / Springfield Exit / single / Patuxent Music
• I'll Go Steppin' Too / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Selected Cuts, 1952-1955 / JSP Records
• That Star Belongs To Me / Lilly Brothers & Don Stover / On The Radio, 1952-1953 / Rounder
• Travelin' On And On / David Peterson & 1946 / David Peterson & 1946 / Self-Produced
• Angels From On High / Jana Mougin / That's What I Love About Christmas:  Timeless Seasonal Songs Penned By Rick Lang / RLM Records
• Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem / Stanley Brothers / All Gospel, All Bluegrass / Federal
• O Holy Night / Nightflyer / single / Kang Records
• The Place Prepared For Me / Country Gentlemen / Calling My Children Home / Rebel
• Turn Your Radio On / Chris Hillman / Way Down Deep In My Soul / Sugar Hill
• Precious Child / Tony Trischka / Glory Shone Around / Rounder
• Sweeping Through The Gates / Bob Paisley & the Southern Grass / Forty Years Of Trouble / Strictly Country

"Bluegrass Cafe" - 12/7/2014

Jim was called away from the radio this week, so I got to share three hours of the Bluegrass on Sunday's show.  During the broadcast, we talked a bit about the newly-announced Grammy nominees (only those in the "Best Bluegrass Album" category, of course), shared a little bit of Christmas music, and remembered the significance of December 7th in history, among other topics.  Hope you were able to join us!

The U.S.S. Arizona burning after the attack on Pearl Harbor -
December 7, 1941 

On a December 7th broadcast, it would be absolutely wrong if we didn't mention the surprise Japanese Imperial Navy attack that drew the United States into World War II on Sunday, December 7, 1941.  This event is not a topic that has been greatly covered in the world of Bluegrass music, but we were able to play a Bluegrass version of a morale-boosting song from World War II ("There's A Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere"), an instrumental song from Jesse McReynolds and Bobby Osborne titled, "7th Of December," and a bona fide, stir-'em-up patriotic number from 1942:  "Remember Pearl Harbor" from Sammy Kaye and His Orchestra.  Now, that last song IS NOT Bluegrass by any stretch, but sometimes, genre just isn't important for a few minutes, and remembering Pearl Harbor seems to be one of those times.

One of five terrific nominees in the
"Best Bluegrass Album" category for
the 2015 Grammy Awards.

The nominations for 2015 Grammy Awards were announced this week, and in the category of "Best Bluegrass Album," there are some really fine choices.  We sampled one song from each recording on Sunday's show, and will be interested to see who comes home with the Grammy Award in February 2015.  To read more about the Bluegrass nominees, click here.

One of the Grammy nominees is the recording from the Earls of Leicester -- a fine, all-star tribute band to the music of Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs & the Foggy Mountain Boys.  It's great to see that the music of Flatt & Scruggs is still inspiring a new generation or two.  This week marks a couple of significant anniversaries in the history of Lester & Earl -- the seminal "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" was first recorded by the Foggy Mountain Boys on December 11, 1949, and on December 8, 1962, Flatt & Scruggs played a show at New York's Carnegie Hall.  This was a big whoop for a Bluegrass/Country act in those days (as it would be today), and the resulting album, "Flatt & Scruggs Live At Carnegie Hall!" is an absolute classic.

We couldn't not play a couple of Christmas songs in the mix on Sunday's broadcast, either.  Those came to us this week from the Stanley Brothers, Rhonda Vincent, Bill Grant & Delia Bell, the Country Gentlemen, and the Johnson Mountain Boys.

Hope you enjoyed the show, and that you'll be sure to join me on the air next Sunday from 4-7PM.  

Have a great week!

Amy



SONG / PERFORMER / ALBUM / LABEL [Requests are RED].

• Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
• If We Make It Through December / Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum / Winter's Grace / Signature Sounds
• Christmas Is Near / Stanley Brothers / Christmas Time's A-Comin' / Time Life
• O Christmas Tree / Rhonda Vincent / O Christmas Tree / Rounder
• My Little Silver Bells / Bill Grant & Delia Bell / O Christmas Tree / Rounder
• That Little Girl Of Mine In Carolina / Edgar Loudermilk / My Big Chance Tomorrow / Mountain Fever Records
• Margie / Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass / Road Into Town / Patuxent Music
• When You Are Lonely / Peter Rowan / The First Whippoorwill / Sugar Hill
• Snowflake Breakdown / Jim & Jesse / On The Radio / Rural Rhythm
• Up This Hill And Down / Larry Stephenson & Mark Newton / Live At Mr. B's / B's Records
• Remember Pearl Harbor / Sammy Kaye & His Orchestra / Remember Pearl Harbor:  Classic Songs Of World War II / RCA
• There's A Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere / Charlie Waller & the Country Gentlemen / Songs Of The American Spirit / Pinecastle
• 7th Of December / Bobby Osborne & Jesse McReynolds / Masters Of The Mandolin / Pinecastle
• The Hard Times / Bobby Osborne & the Rocky Top X-Press / Try A Little Kindness / Rounder [Bobby Osborne birthday - 12/7/1931]
• Walk Through This World With Me / Seldom Scene / Long Time...Seldom Scene / Smithsonian Folkways
• Walking In The Early Morning Dew / Bill Harrell & the Virginians / Classic Bluegrass / Rebel
• Try A Little Kindness / Bobby Osborne & the Rocky Top X-Press / Rounder
• Christmas Time Back Home / Country Gentlemen / Christmas Time Back Home / Rebel
• Reuben / Marteka & William / The Sounds Of A Tradition / Self-Produced
• Kisses Don't Lie / Lynn Morris Band / The Lynn Morris Band / Rounder
• Frozen In Time / Gibson Brothers / Help My Brother / Compass Records
• Your Love Is Dying / Lost & Found / Across The Blue Ridge Mountains / Rebel
• The Pain Of Loving You / Mark Newton with Gloria Belle / Follow Me Back To The Fold / Rebel
• Leavin' You And Mobile, Too / Lost & Found / Across The Blue Ridge Mountains / Rebel
• Memories Of Mother And Dad / James King & David Davis / Plum Pitiful / Time Life 
• Darling Little Joe / Don Reno & Bill Harrell / Plum Pitiful / Time Life
• Busy City / Rhonda Vincent / Only Me / Upper Management Music
• Betrayal / Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen / Cold Spell / Compass Records
• Cricket On The Hearth / Bryan Sutton / Into My Own / Sugar Hill
• Dig A Hole In The Meadow / The Earls Of Leicester / The Earls Of Leicester / Rounder
• Wheel Hoss / Noam Pikelny / Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe / Compass Records
• Foggy Mountain Breakdown / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / The Complete Mercury Recordings / Mercury [recorded 12/11/1949]
• Oh! Susanna / Laurie Lewis & Kathy Kallick / Laurie & Kathy Sing The Songs Of Vern & Ray / Spruce & Maple Music
• Saro Jane / Roland White Band / Straight-Ahead Bluegrass / Self-Produced
• Monday Blues / Balsam Range / Five / Mountain Home
• Don't Think About It Too Long / Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice / Trouble Follows Me / Rebel
• She Doesn't Mourn Anymore / Spinney Brothers / Tried & True / Mountain Fever Records
• How Long Have I Been Waiting / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / The Original Band / Sugar Hill
• Salty Dog Blues / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Flatt & Scruggs At Carnegie Hall:  The Complete Concert / Koch Records [recorded 12/8/1962]
• Let The Church Roll On / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Flatt & Scruggs At Carnegie Hall:  The Complete Concert / Koch Records
• Talk It All Over With Him / Bluegrass Album Band / The Bluegrass Album, Volume 4 / Rounder
• The Friendly Beasts / Johnson Mountain Boys / O Christmas Tree / Rounder
• Get Behind Me Satan / Bear Bridge Band / A Bear Bridge Sampler / Open Road
• I'm Rollin' Through This Unfriendly World / Nashville Bluegrass Band / The Boys Are Back In Town / Sugar Hill
• Lord Build Me A Cabin In Glory / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys, 1957-1958 / JSP Records
• You'll Be Rewarded Over There / Joe Val & the New England Bluegrass Boyd / One Morning In May / Rounder
• I Am The Road / Hot Rize / When I'm Free / Ten In Hand Records
• He Will Set Your Field On Fire / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Flatt & Scruggs At Carnegie Hall:  The Complete Concert / Koch Records
• Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder