"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 8/10/2025

As Sunday was the 98th birth anniversary of the King of Bluegrass, we spent a whole lot of time during our Bluegrass Cafe sharing music performed by or written about the one-and-only Jimmy Martin (August 10, 1927 - May 14, 2005).  

We couldn't skip a couple of other August birthdays, either, including the 80th birthday of Steve Martin (born August 14, 1945), as well as a couple of songs written by Bluegrass musician and songwriter, Jake Landers (August 14, 1938 - February 13, 2018).  And we paid our annual tribute to Country Music Hall of Famer, Buck Owens (August 12, 1929 - March 25, 2006) with several Bluegrass covers of Buck standards.  

A tiny bit of newer music made it onto the show, as well, including songs from brand-new supergroup, Southern Legacy, as well as Jason Hannan, Wyatt Ellis, and a newly-released single from the Del McCoury Band.  

On August 17th, I will be away from the radio once again, but we've got a show from the archives ready to go for your listening pleasure.  We'll join you once again with a fresh Bluegrass Cafe on Sunday, August 24th.  

Enjoy the week!

Amy O.

SONG / PERFORMER / ALBUM / LABEL

• Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
• Don't Give Your Heart To A Rambler / Jimmy Martin / You Don't Know My Mind, 1956-1966 / Rounder [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• Hit Parade Of Love / Jimmy Martin / Bean Blossom / MCA [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• White Dove / Ralph Stanley with Jimmy Martin / Live! At McClure / Rebel [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• On And On / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / The King And The Father / MME [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• Sunny Side Of The Mountain / Jimmy Martin / High Lonesome / CMH [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• Jimmy Martin Songs For Dinner / Gary Brewer & the Kentucky Ramblers / Jimmy Martin Songs For Dinner / Jimmy Martin Songs For Dinner / Self-Produced [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• Yanceyville Jail / Missy Raines & Allegheny / Love & Trouble / Compass Records [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• Ode To Jimmy / Dan Tyminski / Live From The Ryman / 8 Track Entertainment [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• Hold Whatcha Got / Audie Blaylock / A Tribute To Jimmy Martin, The King Of Bluegrass / Koch Records [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• Sophronie / David Grisman with Tony Rice / Home Is Where The Heart Is / Rounder [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• Tennessee / Kody Norris Show / Highfalutin' Hillbilly / Rebel [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• Steppin' Stones / Paul Williams / A Tribute To Jimmy Martin, The King Of Bluegrass / Koch Records [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• Night / Michael Cleveland with Audie Blaylock & Dale Ann Bradley / Let 'Er Go, Boys! / Rounder [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• Hi Dee Diddle / Feinberg Brothers / The Feinberg Brothers / Cabinwood Music [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• The Hills Of Carter County / Southern Legacy / single / Pinecastle
• So Black And White / Del McCoury Band / single / McCoury Music
• When It's Time For The Whippoorwill To Sing / Jason Hannan / Duets Volume 1:  We'll Meet Again Someday / Waiting For Lester Records
• Country Boy Rock And Roll / Wyatt Ellis / single / Knee High Records
• Senses / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Never Walk Away / Sugar Hill [Remembering Jeannie Seely:  7/6/1940 - 8/1/2025]
• Leavin' And Sayin' Goodbye / Darren Beachley & Legends Of The Potomac / Take Off / Patuxent Music [Remembering Jeannie Seely:  7/6/1940 - 8/1/2025]
• Don't Touch Me / Jeannie Seely / Opry By The Decades - The 1960s / Opry Music [Remembering Jeannie Seely:  7/6/1940 - 8/1/2025]
• My Heart Skips A Beat / Lynn Morris Band / The Lynn Morris Band / Rounder [Remembering Buck Owens:  8/12/1929 - 3/25/2006]
• Tall Dark Stranger / Virginia Squires / The Best Of The Virginia Squires / Rebel [Remembering Buck Owens:  8/12/1929 - 3/25/2006]
• Open Up Your Heart / Terry Baucom with the Gibson Brothers / In A Groove / JohnBoy & Billy [Remembering Buck Owens:  8/12/1929 - 3/25/2006]
• I Don't Care / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / My Heart Is Yours / Sugar Hill [Remembering Buck Owens:  8/12/1929 - 3/25/2006]
• The Ballad Of Buck And Don / Feller & Hill / Here Come Feller & Hill...Again! / Blue Circle Records [Remembering Buck Owens:  8/12/1929 - 3/25/2006]
• (I'll Love You) Forever And Ever / Buck Owens & His Buckaroos / Roll Out The Red Carpet For Buck Owens & His Buckaroos / Sundazed [Remembering Buck Owens:  8/12/1929 - 3/25/2006]
• Bluegrass Radio / Alison Brown & Steve Martin / single / Compass Records [Steve Martin birthday, 8/14/1945]
• Pitkin County Turnaround / Steve Martin / The Crow / Rounder [Steve Martin birthday, 8/14/1945]
• Not Too Fast / ShoreGrass / Hummingbird (And Other Nearly True Stories) / Self-Produced
• Don't Tell Me Your Troubles / Bronwyn Keith-Hynes / I Built A World / Sugar Petunia Records 
• Stoney Lonesome / Michael Cleveland & Jason Carter / Carter & Cleveland / Fiddleman Records
• I'll Never See You Anymore / Bill Harrell / Bluegrass Spectacular / Country Stars
• Secret Of The Waterfall / Country Gentlemen / The Early Rebel Recordings, 1962-1971 / Rebel [Remembering Jake Landers:  8/14/1938 - 2/13/2018]
• Your Heart Now Tells The Truth / Bear Bridge Band / One More Ride / Open Road [Remembering Jake Landers:  8/14/1938 - 2/13/2018]
• I Beg To You / James King / Lonesome And Then Some / Rounder [Remembering Jake Landers:  8/14/1938 - 2/13/2018]
• Keep On The Sunny Side Of Life / Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie / The Gospel Side Of Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie / Rural Rhythm
• Stormy Waters / Jimmy Martin / Singing All Day And Dinner On The Ground / MME [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• Crying Holy Unto The Lord / Joe Val & the New England Bluegrass Boys / Angels Rejoiced / Strictly Country Records
• See God's Ark A Movin' / Johnson Mountain Boys / Blue Diamond / Rounder
• Kneel At The Cross / High Fidelity / High Fidelity / Self-Produced
• Prayer Bell Of Heaven / Jimmy Martin / You Don't Know My Mind, 1956-1966 / Rounder [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• Brother, I'm Getting Ready To Go / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Foggy Mountain Gospel / Columbia
• Drowning Sailor / Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass / The Room Over Mine / Rounder
• Goodbye / Jimmy Martin / This World Is Not My Home / MME [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 8/11/2024

What a fine weekend we had!  The Podunk Bluegrass Festival -- though a bit rainy at times -- ended in an outstanding way with a spot-on set of music from the Del McCoury Band.  At Podunk, we also enjoyed music from High Fidelity, Nick Chandler & Delivered, the Tennessee Bluegrass Band, the Kevin Prater Band, Carley Arrowood, John McEuen & the Circle Band, and several others.  Outstanding!  Congratulations to the hard-working Podunk Board and volunteers on another top-notch festival!  We included music from some of the Podunk performers during our Bluegrass Cafe on Sunday afternoon.  Hope you were able to join us!

As befitting Bluegrass Royalty, we also belatedly celebrated the 97th birth anniversary of the self-appointed King of Bluegrass, Jimmy Martin (August 10, 1927 - May 14, 2005).  To celebrate, we shared lots of his music performed both by him and others throughout the program.

We also celebrated three fine Bluegrass songwriters and performers who all happened to have been born within a few days of each other in 1938:  Paul Craft (August 12, 1938 - October 18, 2014), Jake Landers (August 14, 1938 - February 13, 2018), and Aubrey Holt (August 15, 1938 - October 5, 2017).  August 1938 must have been a big month for Bluegrass legends, as we also remembered banjo great, Ben Eldridge (August 15, 1938 - April 14, 2024).  

New music was part of the show, too, as we got mail!  We shared music from brand-spanking-new CDs from the Po' Ramblin' Boys, Rebecca Frazier, and Jody Stecher with Mile Twelve.  There was also a new single from Michael Cleveland & Jason Carter, and selections from 2024 recordings by Junior Sisk, Daniel Grindstaff, and the Travelin' McCourys.

Hope you enjoyed the program, and we'll be sure to look for you on Sunday for another edition of our Bluegrass Cafe!

See you soon - 
Amy O.

SONG / PERFORMER / ALBUM / LABEL

• Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
• Jimmy Martin's Life Story / Tom T. Hall / Tom T. Hall Sings Miss Dixie & Tom T. / Blue Circle Records [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• Night / Michael Cleveland with Audie Blaylock / Let 'Er Go, Boys! / Rounder [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• Hi Dee Diddle / Feinberg Brothers / The Feinberg Brothers / Cabinwood Music [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• Tennessee / Gary Brewer / Jimmy Martin Songs For Dinner / Stretchgrass [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• The Last Song / Bill Emerson with Jimmy Martin / Reunion / Webco [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• If You Talk In Your Sleep / Del McCoury Band / Songs Of Love And Life / McCoury Music
• Fly Trouble / John McEuen / The Newsman:  A Man Of Record / Compass Records
• The Hills And Home / High Fidelity / Hills And Home / Rebel
• Old Devil's Dream / Nick Chandler & Delivered / single / Pinecastle
• Ducks On The Millpond / Carley Arrowood / Goin' Home Comin' On / Mountain Home
• Coming Down The Line / Tennessee Bluegrass Band / single / Billy Blue Records
• Eli Renfro / Del McCoury & the Dixie Pals / Classic Bluegrass / Rebel
• Bury Me Beneath The Willow / Tony Trischka with Vince Gill / Earl Jam / Down The Road Records
• Before I Met You / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Earl Scruggs:  Classic Bluegrass Live! / Vanguard
• You're Not A Drop In The Bucket / The Earls Of Leicester / The Earls Of Leicester / Rounder
• Outrun The Rain / Michael Cleveland & Jason Carter / single / Fiddleman Records
• Smoky Mountain Home / Po' Ramblin' Boys / Wanderers Like Me / Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
• Saro Jane / Rebecca Frazier / Boarding Windows In Paradise / Amtoco Records
• A Little Home To Go To / Jody Stecher with Mile Twelve / Instant Lonesome And The Twinkle Brigade / Don Gionvanni Records
• Wanderers Like Me / Po' Ramblin' Boys / Wanderers Like Me / Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
• Looking At The World Through A Windshield / Daniel Grindstaff with Trey Hensley / Heroes And Friends / Bonfire Recording Co.
• Bluegrass Country / Junior Sisk / If There's A Will There's A Way / Mountain Fever Records
• Raised By The Railroad Line / The Seldom Scene / 15th Anniversary Celebration / Sugar Hill [Remembering Paul Craft:  8/12/1938 - 10/18/2014]
• Teardrops Will Kiss The Morning Dew / Alison Krauss & Union Station / Two Highways / Rounder [Remembering Paul Craft:  8/12/1938 - 10/18/2014]
• Fastest Grass Alive / Osborne Brothers / Once More, Volumes 1 & 2 / Sugar Hill [Remembering Paul Craft:  8/12/1938 - 10/18/2014]
• You'll Never Find Another So True / Fast Track / Heartache And Trouble / Engelhardt Music Group [Remembering Aubrey Holt:  8/15/1938 - 10/5/2017]
• Atlanta Is Burning / The Boys From Indiana / Good Time Blues / Rebel [Remembering Aubrey Holt:  8/15/1938 - 10/5/2017]
• Sad Wind Sighs / The Grascals / Keep On Walkin' / Rounder [Remembering Aubrey Holt:  8/15/1938 - 10/5/2017]
• Mountain Girl / Bluegrass Cardinals / Mountain Girl / BGC Records [Remembering Jake Landers:  8/14/1938 - 2/13/2018]
• I Beg To You / James King / Lonesome And Then Some / Rounder [Remembering Jake Landers:  8/14/1938 - 2/13/2018]
• Secret Of The Waterfall / Country Gentlemen / The Early Rebel Recordings, 1962-1971 / Rebel [Remembering Jake Landers:  8/14/1938 - 2/13/2018]
• Old Train / The Seldom Scene / Different Roads / Rebel [Remembering Ben Eldridge:  8/15/1938 - 4/14/2024]
• Runaway Train / Travelin' McCourys / single / McCoury Music
• Sunny Side Of The Mountain / Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with Jimmy Martin / Will The Circle Be Unbroken / Capitol Nashville [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• The White Dove / Ralph Stanley with Jimmy Martin / Live! At McClure / Rebel [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• You Don't Know My Mind / Jimmy Martin / You Don't Know My Mind, 1956-1966 / Rounder [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• Country Church / Pike Brothers & the Pine Hill Ranchers / The Pike Brothers & the Pine Hill Ranchers / Rebel
• A Voice From On High / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / High Lonesome / CMH [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• I've Changed My Mind / High Fidelity / Hills And Home / Rebel
• I Like To Hear 'Em Preach It / Paul Williams / A Tribute To Jimmy Martin:  The King Of Bluegrass / Koch Records [Remembering Ben Eldridge:  8/15/1938 - 4/14/2024]
• Lead Me Down The Pathway / Tony Holt & the Wildwood Valley Boys / Hymns From Wildwood Valley / Old Heritage Records
• Church Bells A-Ringin' / Danny Paisley / Blue Collar Gospel:  From The Pen Of Rick Lang / Billy Blue Records
• I'll Be No Stranger There / The Seldom Scene / Long Time...Seldom Scene / Smithsonian Folkways Recordings [Remembering Ben Eldridge:  8/15/1938 - 4/14/2024]
• When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder / Virginia Squires / The Best Of The Virgina Squires / Rebel
• There Was Something Missing / Bluegrass Cardinals / Mountain Girl / BGC Records
• Prayer Bell Of Heaven / Jimmy Martin & the Sunny Mountain Boys / You Don't Know My Mind, 1956-1966 / Rounder [Remembering Jimmy Martin:  8/10/1927 - 5/14/2005]
• Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 8/20/2023

After a couple of whirlwind days in Washington DC, I returned to Connecticut late Saturday evening, but was still ready to put together another edition of our Bluegrass Cafe to present on Sunday afternoon.  Being in Washington DC made me think of two fine bands that for many years represented that brand of "Washington Bluegrass" that we all love so well, so we just had to share music from (or inspired by) these bands:  the Country Gentlemen and the Seldom Scene.  Hope you enjoyed those selections.

We also belatedly remembered the wonderful Bluegrass songwriter, Jake Landers, who was born on August 14, 1938 and died February 13, 2018.  Landers had songs recorded by everyone from Bill Monroe to Red Allen to a new band called Retro 78.  In addition, we played a few songs from Connecticut band, Grass Routes, as one of their former members, Jack Jolie, recently passed.  Though Jack relocated to Maine a few years ago, he still had lots of good friends and family in Connecticut, and he will be greatly missed.

Newer music, as always, was part of the show, too.  To that end, we heard new music from Podunk favorites, the Henhouse Prowlers, Full Cord, and East Nash Grass, as well as newer selections from Billy Swinson, Unspoken Tradition, Rhonda Vincent & the Rage, Wyatt Ellis, and Daniel Grindstaff (with Paul Brewster and Dolly Parton).

Hope you were able to join us for this show, but if not, we'll have another edition of our Bluegrass Cafe ready for you next Sunday afternoon, 4-7PM.

See you then!

Amy O.

SONG / PERFORMER / ALBUM / LABEL [Request is RED]

• Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
• Willow Creek Dam / American Drive / American Drive / Rural Rhythm
• Many A Mile / Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray & Friends / Many A Mile / Patuxent Music
• He Was A Friend Of Mine / Dudley Connell & John Cowan / Epilogue:  A Tribute To John Duffey / Smithsonian Folkways
• Seeing Nellie Home / Country Gentlemen / Live In Japan / Rebel
• Fox On The Run / Bill Emerson & Cliff Waldron / The Best Of Emerson & Waldron / Rebel
• Girl From The North Country / Steve Gulley / Epilogue:  A Tribute To John Duffey / Smithsonian Folkways
• Two Little Boys / Nothin' Fancy / Album #7 / Pinecastle
• Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound / Wyatt Rice & Santa Cruz / Picture In A Tear / Rounder
• This Morning At Nine / Jimmy Gaudreau's Bluegrass Unit / Live In Holland / Strictly Country Records
• Hickory Holler's Tramp / Bill Yates & Friends / The Country Gentlemen Tribute / Mastershield Records
• Sad And Lonesome Day / Country Gentlemen / Folk Session Inside / Mercury
• Calaveras County / Jason Barie with Michael Cleveland / Radioactive / Billy Blue Records
• Got No Reason Now For Goin' Home / Jay Armsworthy & Eastern Tradition / My Best Friend / Patuxent Music
• One By One / Dale Ann Bradley with Dan Paisley / Kentucky For Me / Pinecastle
• Little Cabin Home On The Hill / Billy Strings / Me / And / Dad / Rounder
• I'm Head Over Heels In Love With You / Boone & Foster / Smoky Mountain Favorites / Mountain Fever Records
• The Old Home Town / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Selected Sides, 1950-1952 / JSP Records
• Keep A Memory / Jason Barie with Doyle Lawson & Russell Moore / Radioactive / Billy Blue Records
• My Last Run / Henhouse Prowlers / single / Dark Shadow Recording
• Greener Grass / Billy Swinson / Greener Grass / Self-Produced
• Weeds Don't Wither / Unspoken Tradition / single / Mountain Home
• City Of New Orleans / Rhonda Vincent & the Rage / single / Upper Management Music
• Ghost Of Good Times / Full Cord / single / Dark Shadow Recording
• I Almost Told Her / East Nash Grass / Last Chance To Win / Mountain Fever Records
• Forever Young / Daniel Grindstaff with Paul Brewster & Dolly Parton / single / Pinecastle
• Grassy Cove / Wyatt Ellis with Sierra Hull / single / Knee High Records
• Walk Softly On My Heart / Bill Monroe / Anthology / MCA [Remembering Jake Landers:  8/14/1938 - 2/13/2018]
• This Is The Girl I Love / Retro 78 / EP / Ram Cat Records [Remembering Jake Landers:  8/14/1938 - 2/13/2018]
• Your Heart Now Tells The Truth / Bear Bridge Band / One More Ride / Open Road [Remembering Jake Landers:  8/14/1938 - 2/13/2018]
• Don't Wake Me / Bill Emerson with Red Allen / Reunion / Webco [Remembering Jake Landers:  8/14/1938 - 2/13/2018]
• I Beg To You / James King / Lonesome And Then Some / Rounder [Remembering Jake Landers:  8/14/1938 - 2/13/2018]
• Mountain Girl / Bluegrass Cardinals / Mountain Girl / BGC Records [Remembering Jake Landers:  8/14/1938 - 2/13/2018]
• Secret Of The Waterfall / Country Gentlemen / The Early Rebel Recordings, 1962-1971 / Rebel [Remembering Jake Landers:  8/14/1938 - 2/13/2018]
• Sittin' Alone In The Moonlight / Grass Routes / Something New / Self-Produced [Remembering Jack Jolie]
• Walking The Dog / Grass Routes / Twentieth Anniversary / Self-Produced [Remembering Jack Jolie]
• Love Of The Mountains / Grass Routes / Something New / Self-Produced [Remembering Jack Jolie]
• Muddy Waters / Seldom Scene / Recorded Live At The Cellar Door / Rebel 
• I Haven't Got The Right To Love You / John Duffey [Seldom Scene] / The Rebel Years, 1962-1971 / Rebel
• The Boatman / Seldom Scene / Dream Scene / Sugar Hill
• Going Up On The Mountain / Seldom Scene / Dream Scene / Sugar Hill
• Calling My Children / Hot Flashes / Live / Happy Appy Records
• In The Garden / Feller & Hill / I Firmly Promise You / Tommy Hillpicker Records
• Sing, Sing, Sing / Curly Seckler / That Old Book Of Mine / Rebel
• Old Daniel Prayed / Stanley Brothers / The Early Starday King Years, 1958-1961 / Gusto
• Pray For The Boys / Paul Adkins & the Borderline Band / Reflections Of Love / Rebel
• I Believe / Feinberg Brothers / Songs We Sing / Cabinwood Music
• I Want To Live Like Christ My Savior / Reno & Smiley / Early Years, 1951-1959 / King
• The Heavenly Parade / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Gospel Parade / Sugar Hill
• That Glory Bound Train / Bear Bridge Band / Broken Hearts & Better Times / Open Road
• Heaven / John Duffey [Seldom Scene] / The Rebel Years, 1962-1977 / Rebel
• Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder