Saturday, May 12  at 12 a.m. ET
Tuesday, May 15 at 4 a.m. ET
Thursday, May 17 at 9 p.m. ET.

Mike Kear celebrates 500 episodes

Beginning on May 12, WAMU’s Bluegrass Country will air the 500th episode of host Mike Kear’s program Music From Foggy Hollow.

Mike Kear first heard bluegrass in 1968 in his native New Zealand. He was immediately hooked on the excitement in the music and hasn’t stopped loving it. Shortly after moving to Australia, Mike joined that nation’s budding bluegrass society. He soon found his way into a band and, eventually, on the air waves. He now calls Sydney’s Hawkesbury Radio 89.9 FM home, and every week since 2001 Mike has repackaged his show and sent it to WAMU’s Bluegrass Country for a worldwide audience.

Now, 500 shows later, Mike has many stories about his relationship with Bluegrass Country, but one stands above the rest. “A listener once wrote and said that he was from Rabbit Hash, Ky.,” Mike remembers. “Feeling a bit mischievous at the time, I read the email on air and I said ‘You think just because I’m an Aussie, that I’m ignorant. There’s no such place as Rabbit Hash. You must take me for a fool!’” Listeners from the United States flooded Mike’s inbox with maps of the very real town and photos of themselves standing outside local landmarks. Mike soon learned that residents of the community gather on Sunday afternoons for a bluegrass jam session at the Rabbit Hash General Store. “It’s on my bucket list to go there one day and, hopefully, join in the jam session,” says Mike.

Looking back on the past decade, Mike cherishes one thing above all: the listeners. “Without them, all I’m doing is just playing songs,” Mike says. “With the listener involvement, it makes it fun and worth the effort.”

So make sure you listen, and if you’re feeling lucky, send Mike Kear a message from your hometown.

More information about Music From Foggy Hollow.

• Join American Routes, The Dick Spottswood Show, Stained Glass Bluegrass and the rest of the Bluegrass Country family as we celebrate Mother’s Day!

• On Editor’s Picks, we’re featuring performances from Don Rigsby & Midnight Call and Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa recorded at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s 2011 World of Bluegrass Conference in Nashville, TN.

• On Music from Foggy Hollow, join host Mike Kear as he celebrates his 500th episode on the air!

• On Open Mic, we’re going to “Lake Wobegon” to feature an encore presentation of A Prairie Home Companion recorded live at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN and features performances from Emmylou Harris, Sam Bush and more!

• Also, be sure to check out videos of recent live performances from our Washington, DC studios.

Read about all this and more in the May 12-18 Highlights.

*American Routes – Sat. 4 a.m., Sun. 8 p.m.
Mother’s Day
American Routes celebrates Mother’s Day with Marty Stuart and his mom, Hilda. We’ll talk about their shared love of photography and a certain girl singer, Connie Smith. Then we’ll hear stories about mothers from Fontella Bass, Sonny Rollins, Bo Diddley, and Geno Delafose, among others. Plus songs from blues to bluegrass about and for dear old mom.

*Americana Breakdown – Sat. 9 p.m.
Hosted by Art Hanson.
New music tonight from Sara Watkins, the Punch Brothers, Rani Arbo, Red June, Sam Reid, Cowboy Junkies, Molasses Creek, the Steep Canyon Rangers and more…

Bluegrass Breakdown – Sun. 2 a.m., Mon. 10 p.m., Wed. 5 a.m.
Steve Spurgin Live
He’s a singer, hit songwriter, bassist and drummer who has plied his many talents with such folks as The Limelighters, Freddy Fender, Mason Williams, Sundance, California, Sawmill Road and Dan Crary & Thunderation. He’s appeared in HBO’s hit series Deadwood and has generally made the acoustic world a better place. Steve Spurgin will be our special live guest, shedding some light on his latest recording, Past Perfect.

Bluegrass Gospel USA! – Tues. 8 p.m.
Hosted by Bill Miller.

Bluegrass Master Class – Sun. 3 p.m. & Fri. 4 a.m.
Banks of the Ohio #114 (rebroadcast)
Discover the missing link between bluegrass and rock ‘n roll in Buster Pack’s 1952 “Indian Boogie,” recorded for Rich-R-Tone two years before Elvis Presley’s “Blue Moon of Kentucky.” In the Dawn of the Bluegrass era segment, visit 1949 for Flatt & Scruggs’ Cincinnati sessions on Mercury, Mac Wiseman with the Blue Grass Boys, and Carl Story’s debut release — “My Lord Keeps a Record.” Other highlights include live tracks from Bill Keith & Jim Rooney (1963), Tex Logan at Newport (1965), Bill Monroe at Bean Blossom (1973), and Ron Thomason’s sales pitch for thought repellant hats (2005). A production of the International Bluegrass Music Museum, hosted by Fred Bartenstein.

Bluegrass Review – Mon. 9 p.m., Wed. 4 a.m.
#1220
Contact host Phil Nusbaum at pnusbaum@bitstream.net or join the conversation at Facebook. The playlist is located at www.bluegrassreview.com.

Bluegrass Signal – Mon. 11 p.m., Wed. 6 a.m.
What’s Goin’ On / Musical Previews
This week on Bluegrass Signal, a collection of musical previews for events happening in Northern California, with music by Californians Bill Evans, Chris Stuart, Laurel Canyon Ramblers, Brittany Haas, David Thom, The Brainstormers, and Grandpa Banana; Canadians John Reischman and Jayme Stone; and on-the-go folks Rhonda Vincent, James King, and Bruce Molsky.

The Bob Webster Show – Wed. 12-3 p.m.
Hosted by Bob Webster.
Alan Mills, founding member and leader of The Lost & Found, joins host Bob Webster for a live interview Wednesday, May 16th at 1 pm ET.

*Capital Americana – Wed. 6 p.m., Sat. 2 p.m.
Hosted by Jen Hitt.

The Chris Teskey Show – Thurs. 12-3 p.m. LIVE
Hosted by Chris Teskey.

*The Dick Spottswood Show – Sun. 12 a.m. & 1 p.m., Thurs. 5 a.m.
#386 (Mother’s Day)
Country song writers have always excelled at mother songs, and Mothers Day give us a chance to some of the best. Hank Williams, Marty Robbins, Washboard Sam, Buzz Busby, Johnnie and Jack, and Mother Maybelle Carter are only a few of the celebrities who toast Mom this week.

Editor’s Picks – Sat. 3 a.m., Sun. 6 p.m., Thurs. 4 a.m., Fri. 8 p.m.
Don Rigsby & Midnight Call / Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa
This week we’re featuring performances from Don Rigsby & Midnight Call and Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa recorded at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s 2011 World of Bluegrass Conference in Nashville, TN.

*etown – Sun. 7 p.m.
Keller Williams / Marc Broussard
eTown welcomes back performer and musician Keller Williams. This visit, Keller brings The Keels (husband/wife duo Larry and Jenny Keel) who add a bluegrass twist to Keller’s customary ‘one man eclectic band’ sound. Louisiana-bred singer/songwriter and eTown first-timer Marc Broussard is our other musical guest this week. A spectacular singer, Marc brings his own signature blend of R&B, soul, and funk in his original songs. And, of course, there’s another great E-Chievement Award story, plus up-close-and-personal interviews with the artists.

Foster’s Corner – Mon. 6-9 p.m.
Hosted by Bill Foster.

The Free for All – Thurs. 6-9 p.m., Fri. 9 p.m.-12 a.m., Sat. 3-6 a.m.
Hosted by Echo.

The Gary Henderson Show – Sat. 8-11 a.m. LIVE, Mon. 12-3 p.m. LIVE

*Irish Heartbeat with Dervish – Sat. 7 p.m.
Join Cathy Jordan and her band Dervish as they welcome two of Ireland’s foremost songwriters, Brendan Graham and Brian Kennedy. Enjoy the Craic (Irish for fun)!

The Katy Daley Show – Mon.- Fri. LIVE, 7-10 a.m.
Hosted by Katy Daley.

The Lee Michael Demsey Show – Sat. 11a.m.-2p.m., Mon.- Fri. LIVE, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Lonesome Pine RFD – Mon. 4 a.m., Wed. 9 p.m.
Hosted by Carol Beaugard.

*Mountain Stage – Sun. 10 p.m.
Featuring Martin Sexton, NewFound Road, Belinda Smith, Ryan Montbleau Band, Whitehorse. View the playlist.

Music from Foggy Hollow – Sat. 12 a.m., Tues. 4 a.m., Thurs. 9 p.m.
Hosted by Mike Kear.
#201218 (500th Episode!)
Mike Kear‘s Music from Foggy Hollow is a BIG show this week.  It’s the 500th show for WAMU’s Bluegrass Country. Mike’s celebrating by featuring our listeners this week. He’s talking to as many as he can fit in the show, and playing some of the songs they pick out. Also on the show, the best new bluegrass music in the world, from Lou Reid & Carolina, the Bankester Family, Bill Evans, John McEwan and his sons, and a live Australian recording from Blue & Lonesome Blue Highway.

All this, a few surprises, and a whole lot more.  It’s a special episode but only for fun, so be sure to catch the show!!

The Old Home Place – Tues. 6-9 p.m. LIVE
Hosted by Lisa Kay Howard.

Old Time Jam – Fri. 12-3 p.m. LIVE
Hosted by Rosemarie Nielsen.

Open Mic – Sat. 6 a.m., Fri. 6 p.m.
A Prairie Home Companion
This week we’re featuring an encore presentation of A Prairie Home Companion. This episode was recorded live at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN and features performances from Emmylou Harris, Heather Masse, Aoife O’Donovan, Stuart Duncan, and Sam Bush.

Overnight – Mon.-Fri., 12-4 a.m.
Each weeknight we air condensed encore presentations of some of your favorite live Bluegrass Country shows.

The Ray Davis Show – Mon.- Fri. 3-6p.m. LIVE, Sun. 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

*RootsWorld Radio – Sat. 8 p.m.
Hosted by Cliff Furnald.
RootsWorld Radio #11
RootsWorld will be heavy on the horns, with music from UK, Sweden, Cuba, Mali, Benin, NYC, Western Sahara, Argentina, Italy, and Spain. Artists on the program include AfroCubism, Anitas Livs, Bellowhead, Boot, Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino, Eliseo Parra, Gangbe Brass Band, Hazmat Modine, Los Gauchos De Roldán, Mariem Hassan and Nordic.

Stained Glass Bluegrass – Sun. 6-10 a.m. LIVE
Hosted by Bob Webster.
Tune in this Sunday for the annual tribute to mothers everywhere on Mothers Day. Enjoy some sentimental songs of faith and inspiration as we remember our moms.

*Thistle and Shamrock – Sat. 6 p.m.
Celtic Romance
Lose yourself in the sound of soulful ballads and songs of loving, leaving, and loneliness in new and traditional Celtic music of the heart.

The Tom “Cat” Reeder Show – Tues. 12-3 p.m. LIVE

*Traditions – Sat. 3-6 p.m. LIVE
Hosted by Mary Cliff

Del always has interesting projects going on, so they’ll have plenty to talk about, in addition to updates on his annual festival DelFest.

In honor of this milestone, we are creating a photo archive chronicling our history. We are looking for photos of every kind– events, volunteers, concerts, on-air personalities– from both the past and present.

If you have any photos you’d like to share, please send them to Katy Daley at katydaley@wamu.org. Include a brief description and credit.

*American Routes – Sat. 4 a.m., Sun. 8 p.m.
Men of Steel and Soul
We’re bringing the blues from the clubs to the church this week on American Routes. The Campbell Brothers, from Rochester, NY, are masters of sacred steel. With both pedal and lap steel guitars, they summon the spirit in voice and sound. We’ll talk about growing up in the church and playing gospel blues on the guitar. Then, New Orleans bluesman Walter “Wolfman” Washington stops by the American Routes studio for a conversation about his life in the music and in the clubs around town.

*Americana Breakdown – Sat. 9 p.m.
Featuring host Art Hanson.

Bluegrass Breakdown – Sun. 2 a.m., Mon. 10 p.m., Wed. 5 a.m.
Sailing, Part Two
Just when you thought it was safe to come out of the water, we’ll be plunging even deeper into the wild blue ocean with Sam Bush, Bruce Molsky, Reno Brothers, IIIrd Tyme Out, Gary Brewer, and Mountain Heart.

Bluegrass Gospel USA! – Tues. 8 p.m.
Featuring host Bill Miller.

Bluegrass Master Class – Sun. 3 p.m. & Fri. 4 a.m.
Banks of the Ohio #113 (rebroadcast)
Visit 1948 in the Dawn of the Bluegrass Era segment, where you’ll hear some of Flatt & Scruggs’ first records, Ralph Stanley’s transition from two-finger to three-finger banjo, and Bill Monroe’s only known recording from that year. Knoxville was an early bluegrass hotspot; featured artists associated with that city include Ray Atkins, Jethro Burns, Red Rector, Carl Sauceman, Carl Story, Tater Tate, Jake Tullock, the Webster Brothers, and a little-known song by Knoxville nurse/songwriter Ruby Moody. A production of the International Bluegrass Music Museum, hosted by Fred Bartenstein.

Bluegrass Review – Mon. 9 p.m., Wed. 4 a.m.
#1219
Bluegrass depicts tragedy from the point of view of those affected, very well. A couple of flood songs open the show. Then a lengthy Gem of Bluegrass related to evolving bluegrass, called “Constructions, De-Constructions and Reinventions.” Later, we talk to Mike Munford about his approach to playing the banjo and composing banjo music. Contact host Phil Nusbaum at pnusbaum@bitstream.net or join the conversation at Facebook. The playlist is located at www.bluegrassreview.com.

Bluegrass Signal – Mon. 11 p.m., Wed. 6 a.m.
Loafer’s Glory – Yesterday & Today
This week’s “Bluegrass Signal” presents an overview of a new Southern California band, Loafer’s Glory. Comprised of three 40+-year veterans (Herb Pedersen, Bill Bryson, and Tom Sauber), plus a hotshot young’n (Patrick Sauber), they play exciting traditional bluegrass and old time music. In addition to a sneak preview of their forthcoming release, there’s music from a number of their previous affiliations, including Vern & Ray, The Dillards, Laurel Canyon Ramblers, Bluegrass Cardinals, Here Today (with David Grisman & Vince Gill), the Rice Brothers, Alice Gerrard & Brad Leftwich, Chris Hillman, and Laurie Lewis. Two of their originals are genuine bluegrass classics, and we’ll hear them done by their composers.

Bluegrass Unlimited Top 30 Countdown – Last Saturday of each month at 11 a.m. ET
May 2012
Host Lee Michael Demsey features the top 30 songs as reported to Bluegrass Unlimited for the upcoming month, in the familiar countdown format. Demsey also includes brief comments from some of the artists and/or songwriters whose music is included. BU has maintained their monthly chart, the National Bluegrass Survey, for the past 19 years. Since its inception, Demsey has compiled the list for the magazine from reporting radio stations and syndicators.

The Bob Webster Show – Wed. 12-3 p.m.
Featuring host Bob Webster.

*Capital Americana – Wed. 6 p.m., Sat. 2 p.m.
Featuring host Jen Hitt.

The Chris Teskey Show – Thurs. 12-3 p.m. LIVE
The Carolina Chocolate Drops join host Chris Teskey for an interview and performance on Thursday, May 10 at 2 pm ET. They’ll chat about their gig in Alexandria, VA that evening and play songs from their new release Leaving Eden.

*The Dick Spottswood Show – Sun. 12 a.m. & 1 p.m., Thurs. 5 a.m.
#385
This week’s features include early fifties bluegrass from North Carolina’s legendary Blue Ridge label, a few19th century minstrel show survivals, starvation songs, 1920s Kentucky jug bands and a few of their country cousins. Familiar names include the Monroe Brothers, Grandpa Jones, Jim Jackson, Merle Travis, Hylo Brown and Cousin Emmy. They look forward (as does Obsolete Music host Dick Spottswood) to the pleasure of your company.

Editor’s Picks – Sat. 3 a.m., Sun. 6 p.m., Thurs. 4 a.m., Fri. 8 p.m.
The Boxcars / Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice
This week we’re featuring performances from The Boxcars and Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice recorded at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s 2011 World of Bluegrass Conference in Nashville, TN.

Foster’s Corner – Mon. 6-9 p.m.
Featuring host Bill Foster.

*etown – Sun. 7 p.m.
Blues Traveler / Ruthie Foster
Nick & Helen Forster welcome back a couple of eTown veterans for this week’s show. It’s been almost a decade since Blues Traveler last was with us. Originating in Princeton, New Jersey in 1987, this globetrotting band has continued to top charts over the last 25 years. Ruthie Foster, gifted Austin-based singer/songwriter, also joins us (Nick & Helen and the eTones back up her bluesy, down-home tunes).

The Free for All – Thurs. 6-9 p.m., Fri. 9 p.m.-12 a.m., Sat. 3-6 a.m.
Featuring host Echo.

The Gary Henderson Show – Sat. 8-11 a.m. LIVE, Mon. 12-3 p.m. LIVE

*Irish Heartbeat with Dervish – Sat. 7 p.m.
Join Cathy Jordan and her band Dervish as they welcome Seamus O’Kane, Ireland’s foremost maker and master beater of the old Irish instrument: the bodhran; and Kila, one of the most popular bands in Ireland. Enjoy the Craic (Irish for fun)!

The Katy Daley Show – Mon.- Fri. LIVE, 7-10 a.m.
Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen join host Katy Daley for a live interview and performance Tuesday, May 8 at 9 am ET. Tune in as Frank introduces two new members of Dirty Kitchen and chats about the band’s upcoming gigs in the Washington, DC area.

The Lee Michael Demsey Show – Sat. 11a.m.-2p.m., Mon.- Fri. LIVE, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Lonesome Pine RFD – Mon. 4 a.m., Wed. 9 p.m.
Hosted by Carol Beaugard.

*Mountain Stage – Sun. 10 p.m.
Featuring Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers, Van Dyke Parks, Teitur, Randall Bramblett, Caroline Aiken. View the playlist.

Music from Foggy Hollow – Sat. 12 a.m., Tues. 4 a.m., Thurs. 9 p.m.
Featuring host Mike Kear.
#201217

The Old Home Place – Tues. 6-9 p.m. LIVE
Featuring host Lisa Kay Howard.

Old Time Jam – Fri. 12-3 p.m. LIVE
Featuring host Rosemarie Nielsen.
Old Time Jam host Rosemarie Nielsen presents a live recorded performance from the duo of Paul Brown & John Schwab on Friday, May 11 at 1 pm ET. This “house concert” was recorded in the WAMU community room in front of an audience of station listeners and staff. To view videos from this performance, visit our YouTube channel.

Open Mic – Sat. 6 a.m., Fri. 6 p.m.
Bluegrass Unlimited Top 30 Countdown May 2012

Overnight – Mon.-Fri., 12-4 a.m.
Each weeknight we air condensed encore presentations of some of your favorite live Bluegrass Country shows.

The Ray Davis Show – Mon.- Fri. 3-6p.m. LIVE, Sun. 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

*RootsWorld Radio – Sat. 8 p.m.
Featuring host Cliff Furnald.
RootsWorld Radio #10
RootsWorld Radio will start with the rhythms of the African postal service, the Appalachian beat of San Francisco, cross fusions from Germany, Senegal, Sweden and Italy, some banjos from France and a whole lot more. Artists on the show include Uxía, Mariem Hassan, Volker Goetze and Ablaye Cissoko, Martha Mavroidi Trio, Trio Mio, Ellika Frisell, Crooked Jades, Bratscht, Maria Kalaniemi & Timo Alakotila, Les Doigts de l’Homme, Alamaailman Vasarat, Al Andaluz Project and Ricardo Tesi & Banditaliana.

Stained Glass Bluegrass – Sun. 6-10 a.m. LIVE
Featuring host Bob Webster.

*Thistle and Shamrock – Sat. 6 p.m.
Beltane Bash
The ancient year marked seasonal changes with special festivals and rituals. Beltane, one of four quarter-day festivals, is recreated today in the modern Scottish capital with festivities to re-establish Edinburgh residents’ links with the natural year. Join in our celebration in a Beltane-themed hour of music.

The Tom “Cat” Reeder Show – Tues. 12-3 p.m. LIVE

*Traditions – Sat. 3-6 p.m. LIVE
Featuring host Mary Cliff

This “house concert” was recorded in the WAMU community room in front of an audience of station listeners and staff. To view videos from this performance, visit our YouTube channel.

They’ll chat about their gig in Alexandria, VA that evening and play songs from their new release Leaving Eden.

Tune in as Frank introduces two new members of Dirty Kitchen and chats about the band’s upcoming gigs in the Washington, DC area.