"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 1/4/2026

Our first Bluegrass Cafe for 2026 started just a couple of minutes later than our usual 4PM, as we were waiting for the end of the UConn Men's Basketball game.  That's all fine, though, as we still managed to fill our remaining time with lots of fine music from lots of wonderful folks.

As we generally tend to do, we remembered the great Hank Williams (September 17, 1923 - January 1, 1953) -- not a Bluegrass performer, of course -- in a Bluegrass style in honor of the anniversary of his famous passing.  There are very few individuals in Bluegrass or otherwise that we honor both on the anniversary of their birth as well as the death anniversary date, but Hank Williams was a unique individual, and he certainly has impacted the world of Bluegrass music and will continue to do so.

We also remembered the legendary Earl Eugene Scruggs (January 6, 1924 - March 28, 2012) with several of his innovative tunes.  Where would Bluegrass music be without Earl?  We also remembered early January birthdays of both Patty Loveless and Gary Ferguson.

And we played a couple of tunes in honor of Gabe Hirshfeld, the wonderful banjo player of the Lonely Heartstring Band and a friend to just about everyone in Bluegrass, passed unexpectedly late in December at the age of 36.  Gabe was far too young, but his musicianship and kindness and humor touched so many people and will be for many years to come.  As I mentioned on the air, the Boston Bluegrass Union has set up a memorial fund in honor of Gabe Hirshfeld.  If you would like to contribute to this fund, here's a link for you to click.

Enjoy the rest of the week, and we'll hope to join you on Sunday from 4-7PM for another Bluegrass Cafe.

Amy O.

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

• Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
• Auld Lang Syne / Bill Keith with Jim Rooney / O Christmas Tree / Rounder
• Feel Good Day / Continental Divide / Feel Good Day / Pinecastle
• There's A New Moon Over My Shoulder / Larry Sparks / New Moon Over My Shoulder / Rebel
• We Three Kings / Country Gentlemen / The Early Rebel Recordings, 1962-1971 / Rebel
• Living In These Troubled Times / Missy Werner / Drifting And Dreaming / Self-Produced
• Don't Cheat In Our Hometown / Keith Whitley & Ricky Skaggs / Second Generation / Rebel
• Country Side Of Heaven (Where The Bluegrass Music Flows) / WhiteHouse / WhiteHouse / Pinecastle
• Don't Hold Your Breath / WhiteHouse / WhiteHouse / Pinecastle
• That's How The Cookie Crumbles / Jack Cooke / Sittin' On Top Of The World / Pinecastle
• Raised By The Railroad Line / The Seldom Scene / 15th Anniversary Celebration / Sugar Hill
• Little White Washed Chimney / Bill Clifton / The Early Years, 1957-1958 / Rounder
• Anybody Else's Heart / Dale Ann Bradley / Don't Turn Your Back / Compass Records
• Is It Wrong (To Love Somebody New) / Paul Adkins & the Borderline Band / Reflections Of Love / Rebel
• Soppin' The Gravy / Corrina Rose Logston / Bluegrass Fiddler / Patuxent Music
• Leftover Biscuits / Lost & Found / Classic Bluegrass / Rebel
• Queen Anne's Lace / Del McCoury Band / Blue Side Of Town / Rounder
• Old Hickory Cane / Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass / The Tradition Continues / Brandywine
• Big Bruce / Lonely Heartstring Band / Deep Waters / Rounder [Remembering Gabe Hirshfeld (1989-2025)]
• If I Had A Hammer / Lonely Heartstring Band / Deep Waters / Rounder [Remembering Gabe Hirshfeld (1989-2025)]
• He Came From Carolina (A Tribute To Earl) / Jim Mills / Bound To Ride / Sugar Hill [Remembering Earl Scruggs:  1/6/1924 - 3/28/2012]
• Heavy Traffic Ahead / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / The Essential Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys, 1945-1949 / Columbia [Remembering Earl Scruggs:  1/6/1924 - 3/28/2012]
• Pike County Breakdown / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / The Essential Earl Scruggs / Columbia Legacy [Remembering Earl Scruggs:  1/6/1924 - 3/28/2012]
• Foggy Mountain Chimes / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Classic Bluegrass Live, 1959-1966 / Vanguard [Remembering Earl Scruggs:  1/6/1924 - 3/28/2012]
• Hey Good Lookin' / Hank Williams / Hillbilly Hero / Proper [Remembering Hank Williams:  9/17/1923 - 1/1/1953]
• There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight / Jim Mills with Alan O'Bryant / Bound To Ride / Sugar Hill [Remembering Hank Williams:  9/17/1923 - 1/1/1953]
• Settin' The Woods On Fire / Good Ol' Persons / Good n' Live / Sugar Hill [Remembering Hank Williams:  9/17/1923 - 1/1/1953]
• Move It On Over / Lynn Morris Band / Shape Of A Tear / Rounder [Remembering Hank Williams:  9/17/1923 - 1/1/1953]
• When God Comes And Gathers His Jewels / Gibson Brothers / Spread Your Wings / Hay Holler [Remembering Hank Williams:  9/17/1923 - 1/1/1953]
• Cold, Cold Heart / Spinney Brothers / Going Home / Self-Produced [Remembering Hank Williams:  9/17/1923 - 1/1/1953]
• May You Never Be Alone / Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers / Another Day From Life / Rebel [Remembering Hank Williams:  9/17/1923 - 1/1/1953]
• Baby We're Really In Love / Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters / Phoenix / Happy Appy Records [Remembering Hank Williams:  9/17/1923 - 1/1/1953]
• Six More Miles / Hank Williams / Hillbilly Hero / Proper [Remembering Hank Williams:  9/17/1923 - 1/1/1953]
• Sis Draper / Shawn Camp / The Ghost Of Sis Draper / Truly Handmade Records
• That's Why You Left Me So Blue / Jason Barie feat. Bobby Osborne & Doyle Lawson / Radioactive / Billy Blue Records
• It's All Fun And Games (Till Someone Gets Hurt) / Junior Sisk / It's All Fun And Games / Turnberry Records
• Another Love Gone Wrong / Becky Buller / Crepe Paper Heart / Dark Shadow Recording
• On Whiskey Mountain / Bill Emerson with Bill Harrell / Reunion / Pinecastle
• Mama Blues / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Flatt & Scruggs At Carnegie Hall! / Koch Records [Remembering Earl Scruggs:  1/6/1924 - 3/28/2012]
• Foggy Mountain Breakdown / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / The Complete Mercury Recordings / Mercury [Remembering Earl Scruggs:  1/6/1924 - 3/28/2012]
• Lay Down Your Troubles / Gary Ferguson / I'm Really Leaving / Pinecastle [Gary Ferguson birthday, 1/6/1950]
• You Don't Love God If You Don't Love Your Neighbor / Rhonda Vincent / The Storm Still Rages / Rounder
• So Happy I'll Be / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / The Complete Mercury Recordings / Mercury [Remembering Earl Scruggs:  1/6/1924 - 3/28/2012]
• Shouting On The Hills Of Glory / Connie & Babe & the Backwoods Boys / Down The Road To Home / Rounder
• We're Living In The Last Days Now / High Fidelity / Music In My Soul / Rebel
• Lead Us Safely / Ronnie Bowman / Cold Virginia Night / Rebel
• Jesus On The Mainline / Dry Branch Fire Squad / Live At The Newburyport Firehouse / Rounder
• Call His Name / Johnson Mountain Boys / Working Close / Rounder
• Daniel Prayed / Patty Loveless / The Best Of Can't You Hear Me Callin' / SME [Patty Loveless birthday, 1/4/1957]
• Blue Grass Twist / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 1/5/2025

 

SONG / PERFORMER / ALBUM / LABEL

• Auld Lang Syne / Bill Keith / O Christmas Tree / Rounder
• We Three Kings / Country Gentlemen / The Early Rebel Recordings, 1962-1971 / Rebel
• Close By / Dailey & Vincent / Bill Monroe Centennial Celebration / Rounder
• Bluefield West Virginia Blues / Big Country Bluegrass / Country Livin' / Rebel
• Waiting For The Real Thing / Front Range / The New Frontier / Sugar Hill
• My Florida Sunshine / Claire Lynch / Bill Monroe Centennial Celebration / Rounder
• Walls Of Time / Johnson Mountain Boys / Bill Monroe Centennial Celebration / Rounder
• Richmond Ruckus / Reno & Smiley / Early Years, 1951-1959 / Gusto
• A Lonesome Feeling / Kathy Kallick Band / The Lonesome Chronicles / Live Oak Records
• I'm Walkin' / J.D. Crowe & the New South / J.D. Crowe & the New South / Rounder
• Ain't Nobody Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone / Jimmy Gaudreau / In Good Company / CMH
• Heavy Traffic Ahead / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys, 1940-1946 / JSP Records [Remembering Earl Scruggs:  1/6/1924 - 3/28/2012]
• Earl's Breakdown / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / Classic Bluegrass Live, 1959-1966 / Vanguard [Remembering Earl Scruggs:  1/6/1924 - 3/28/2012]
• Down The Road / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / The Complete Mercury Recordings / Mercury [Remembering Earl Scruggs:  1/6/1924 - 3/28/2012]
• Goin' Back To Old Kentucky / Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder / Honoring The Fathers Of Bluegrass:  A Tribute To 1946 & 1947 / Skaggs Family Records [Remembering Earl Scruggs:  1/6/1924 - 3/28/2012]
• Mama Blues / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / At Carnegie Hall! / Koch Records [Remembering Earl Scruggs:  1/6/1924 - 3/28/2012]
• Randy Lynn Rag / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / The Essential Earl Scruggs / Columbia Legacy [Remembering Earl Scruggs:  1/6/1924 - 3/28/2012]
• Blue Moon Of Kentucky / Elvis Presley / The Early Years / Newsound [Remembering Elvis Presley:  1/8/1935 - 8/16/1977]
• Calling Elvis / Lonesome River Band / Outside Looking In / Mountain Home [Remembering Elvis Presley:  1/8/1935 - 8/16/1977]
• Viva Las Vegas / The Grascals / The Grascals / Rounder [Remembering Elvis Presley:  1/8/1935 - 8/16/1977]
• I'll Be A Bachelor 'Til I Die / Hank Williams / Long Gone Lonesome Blues / Country Stars [Remembering Hank Williams:  9/17/1923 - 1/1/1953]
• Cold, Cold Heart / Spinney Brothers / Going Home / Self-Produced [Remembering Hank Williams:  9/17/1923 - 1/1/1953]
• I Can't Get You Off My Mind / Claire Lynch / A Picture Of Hank:  The New Bluegrass Way / Mercury [Remembering Hank Williams:  9/17/1923 - 1/1/1953]
• Move It On Over / Lynn Morris Band / Shape Of A Tear / Rounder [Remembering Hank Williams:  9/17/1923 - 1/1/1953]
• There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight / Jim Mills with Alan O'Bryant / Bound To Ride / Sugar Hill [Remembering Hank Williams:  9/17/1923 - 1/1/1953]
• Why Don't You Love Me / Gene Wooten / A Picture Of Hank:  The New Bluegrass Way / Mercury [Remembering Hank Williams:  9/17/1923 - 1/1/1953]
• I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys, 1950-1951 / JSP Records [Remembering Hank Williams:  9/17/1923 - 1/1/1953]
• Long Gone Lonesome Blues / Hank Williams / Long Gone Lonesome Blues / Country Stars [Remembering Hank Williams:  9/17/1923 - 1/1/1953]
• I'm Really Leaving / Gary Ferguson / I'm Really Leaving / Webco [Gary Ferguson birthday, 1/6/1950]
• Kentucky Darlin' / The Kody Norris Show / All Suited Up / Rebel [Kody Norris birthday, 1/6/1988]
• Wind To The West / Blue Highway / Wind To The West / Rebel
• The Last Thing On My Mind / Sister Sadie / Bluegrass Sings Paxton / Mountain Home
• I Was Left On The Street / McCoury Brothers / The McCoury Brothers / Rounder
• Some Of These Days (You're Gonna Be Sad) / David Peterson & 1946 / In The Mountaintops To Roam / Self-Produced
• Old Home Place / High Fidelity / Banjo Player's Blues / Rebel
• I Worship You / Stanley Brothers / 20th Century Masters / Mercury
• God Loves His Children / Joe Val & the New England Bluegrass Boys / Diamond Joe / Rounder
• Mansions For Me / Bobby Osborne & the Rocky Top X-Press / Bill Monroe Centennial Celebration / Rounder
• Let The Light Shine Down / Country Gentlemen / The Early Rebel Recordings, 1962-1971 / Rebel
• I'm Working On The Road To Gloryland / IIIrd Tyme Out with Earl Scruggs / Living On The Other Side / Rounder 
• Fifty Miles Of Elbow Room / Bear Bridge Band / Broken Hearts & Better Times / Open Road
• Singing As We Rise / Gibson Brothers / Help My Brother / Compass Records
• I'll Shout And Shine / Corrina Rose Logston & Jeremy Stephens / Songs Of Home And Inspiration / Self-Produced
• Let The Church Roll On / Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / At Carnegie Hall / Koch Records
• Just A Matter Of Time / Gary Ferguson / I'm Really Leaving / Webco
• Blue Grass Twist / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder

"Bluegrass Cafe" playlist - 1/16/2022

Sunday's Bluegrass Cafe included lots of birthday music, a Bluegrass farewell to a top-notch country music songwriter, and even a new duet from two of the finest voices in Bluegrass music.  Hope you were able to join us for all or part of the program.

We started and finished the show with songs from the prolific pen of an American original:  Dolly Parton (born January 19, 1946).  As Dolly has dabbled in Bluegrass music for years, we even included some of her singing, as well.

On Friday, January 14, 2022, the music world lost a wonderful member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame:  Dallas Frazier.  Originally, my plan was to play a couple of Mr. Frazier's tunes that had been covered in the Bluegrass world, but as I made a list of some of his songs, I realized there were far more than 2 or 3 really good ones to share.  Instead, we put together a set of a dozen songs either written or co-written by Dallas Frazier, and all of them were wonderful.  Rest in peace, Dallas Frazier.

We couldn't let the show pass without remembering a few January birthdays, two of which were of founding members of the Country Gentlemen (Bill Emerson born January 22nd and Charlie Waller born January 19th).  And there was a song in honor of Tony Trischka, who celebrates his birthday on January 16th.

And if that wasn't enough, there is a new duet record by Dale Ann Bradley and Danny Paisley.  Yay!

Hope you were able to tune in to the show, but if not, we sure hope you'll consider joining us once again next Sunday afternoon.

Have a good week!

Amy O.

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

• Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
• Kentucky Gambler / Gibson Brothers / Spread Your Wings / Hay Holler [Dolly Parton birthday, 1/19/1946]
• AppleJack / Pam Gadd with Dolly Parton / Benefit Of Doubt / Home Sweet Highway Productions [Dolly Parton birthday, 1/19/1946]
• Coat Of Many Colors / Lynn Morris Band / The Bramble And The Rose / Rounder [Dolly Parton birthday, 1/19/1946]
• My Blue Tears / Gloria Belle / Love Of The Mountains / Webco [Dolly Parton birthday, 1/19/1946]
• My Tennessee Mountain Home / Dolly Parton / The Essential Dolly Parton / Columbia Legacy [Dolly Parton birthday, 1/19/1946]
• Gypsy, Joe And Me / Missy Werner / Drifting And Dreaming / Self-Produced [Dolly Parton birthday, 1/19/1946]
• Jolene / Rhonda Vincent & the Rage / Ragin' Live / Rounder [Dolly Parton birthday, 1/19/1946]
• A Good Man Like Me / Del McCoury / My Dixie Home / Rebel
• Blue Eyed Darlin' / Jason Barie / Pieces / Billy Blue Records
• Country Boy, Banjo And Flat Top Guitar / Big Country Bluegrass / Mountains, Mamas, And Memories / Rebel
• Timber I'm Falling / White Mountain Bluegrass / January Weekend / Self-Produced [Remembering Dallas Frazier:  10/27/1939 - 1/14/2022]
• I'm So Afraid Of Losing You Again / Chris Jones / Just A Drifter / Rebel [Remembering Dallas Frazier:  10/27/1939 - 1/14/2022]
• Ain't Love A Good Thing / New Coon Creek Girls / Ain't Love A Good Thing / Pinecastle [Remembering Dallas Frazier:  10/27/1939 - 1/14/2022]
• Baptism Of Jesse Taylor / Longview / Deep In The Mountains / Rounder [Remembering Dallas Frazier:  10/27/1939 - 1/14/2022]
• California Cottonfields / J.D. Crowe & Rickey Wasson / Hats Off To Haggard! / TrueGrass Entertainment [Remembering Dallas Frazier:  10/27/1939 - 1/14/2022]
• All I Have To Offer You Is Me / Bob Paisley & the Southern Grass / Heritage / Brandywine [Remembering Dallas Frazier:  10/27/1939 - 1/14/2022]
• If It Ain't Love (Let's Leave It Alone) / Mark Newton with the Whites / Follow Me Back To The Fold / Rebel [Remembering Dallas Frazier:  10/27/1939 - 1/14/2022]
• Fourteen Carat Mind / Lost & Found / It's About Time / Rebel [Remembering Dallas Frazier:  10/27/1939 - 1/14/2022]
• Back In My Baby's Arms Again / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Never Walk Away / Sugar Hill [Remembering Dallas Frazier:  10/27/1939 - 1/14/2022]
• Shoulder To Shoulder / Lynn Morris Band / Shape Of A Tear / Rounder [Remembering  Dallas Frazier:  10/27/1939 - 1/14/2022]
• Beneath Still Waters / Osborne Brothers / Once More, Volumes 1 & 2 / Sugar Hill [Remembering Dallas Frazier:  10/27/1939 - 1/14/2022]
• The Son Of Hickory Holler's Tramp / Country Gentlemen / The Early Rebel Recordings, 1962-1971 / Rebel [Remembering Dallas Frazier:  10/27/1939 - 1/14/2022]
• One By One / Dale Ann Bradley with Danny Paisley / single / Pinecastle
• I Surely Will Be Singing / Tammy Rogers & Thomm Jutz / Surely Will Be Singing / Mountain Fever Records
• Larry Sparks Medley / Josh Williams, Bradley Walker, Russell Moore / Industrial Strength Bluegrass / Smithsonian Folkways
• Once More / The Grascals / Industrial Strength Bluegrass / Smithsonian Folkways
• Come And Sit By The River / Country Gentlemen / The Sugar Hill Years / Sugar Hill [Remembering Charlie Waller:  1/19/1935 - 8/8/2004]
• Ridin' The High Iron / Bill Emerson / Gold Plated Banjo / Rebel [Remembering Bill Emerson:  1/22/1938 - 8/21/2021]
• High Lonesome / Bill Emerson with Charlie Waller / Reunion / Webco [Remembering Bill Emerson:  1/22/1938 - 8/21/2021]
• New York Chimes / The Big Dogs with Tony Trischka / Live At The Birchmere / Strictly Country Records [Tony Trischka birthday, 1/16/1949]
• Seeing Nellie Home / Country Gentlemen / Live In Japan / Rebel [Remembering Charlie Waller:  1/19/1935 - 8/18/2004]
• Hometown Blues / Seldom Scene / SCENEchronized / Sugar Hill
• Let The Whole World Talk / Johnson Mountain Boys / Let The Whole World Talk / Rounder
• People, Places, And Songs / Greg Blake / People, Places, And Songs / Turnberry Records
• Gonna Sing, Gonna Shout / Claire Lynch / Gonna Sing, Gonna Shout:  Bluegrass Gospel From The The Pen Of Rick Lang / Billy Blue Records
• His Charming Love / High Fidelity / Banjo Player's Blues / Rebel
• Shall We Gather At The River / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Country Faith Bluegrass / Billy Blue Records
• I'm Traveling On And On / David Peterson & 1946 / David Peterson & 1946 / Self-Produced
• So Happy I'll Be / Rhonda Vincent & the Rage / Ragin' Live / Rounder
• The Shining Path / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / The Essential Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys, 1945-1949 / Columbia 
• Enter The Gates / Bluegrass Patriots / Kneel At The Cross / Red Feather
• When He Calls My Name / Alan Bibey & Grasstowne / Hitchhiking To California / Billy Blue Records
• God's Coloring Book / Country Gentlemen / The Sugar Hill Years / Sugar Hill [Dolly Parton birthday, 1/19/1946]
• Blue Grass Twist / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder