All times listed are Eastern Time
*denotes part of our Roots and Branches series
*American Routes – Records, Jukeboxes and Radio
American Routes joins with two record men this week to study the means of production… in jazz and country. Michael Cuscuna, founder of Mosaic Records, talks about his reissuing of lavish collectors sets of jazz from Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Count Basie and many more. Al Hawkes joins us from the Maine woods, where he’s been making old-time country, bluegrass and rockabilly records since 1955–some of his own, some on his independent Event Records label.
Banks of the Ohio with George McKnight – Time and Memories
This weeks show features songs about time and memories, life experiences, bitter/sweet memories of lost loves, back and front porch tunes and good thoughts of sweeter times. Enjoy.
Bluegrass Breakdown – Mud
We’ll be stepping right smack dab in the middle of it as Dave Evans, Bill Harrell, the Seldom Scene and Larry Stephenson will help us understand the pervasiveness of high lonesome mud in BGLand. Like many substances in BGLand, mud has both its good, bad and even spiritual sides. We’ll be looking at it all as we get mud on our shoes, mud on our hands, mud between our toes and mud in our eyes.
Bluegrass Master Class
There’s lots to discover this week, including the original recordings of “New Freedom Bell” (Louise and Sonny Osborne, 1951) and “Love Please Come Home” (Leon Jackson, Johnny Bryant & the White Oak Mountain Boys, 1957). You’ll also hear three tunes from the short-lived genre “rockabluegrass,” in which mid-50s artists experimented with the new rhythms of rock ‘n roll. A production of the International Bluegrass Music Museum, hosted by Fred Bartenstein.
Bluegrass Review
At the start of today’s show, we play new bluegrass music. Then, University of Minnesota song scholar Anna Schultz visits for a study of the Carter Family song “You Are My Flower.” This is a song with a surprising origin. Later on, the Gem of Bluegrass muses on the connection between Mexican music and bluegrass. It’s kind of surprising that there isn’t more bluegrass influenced by Mexican music, but who knows, in the modern world, there could be more. The show website is BluegrassReview.com. Contact host Phil Nusbaum at pnusbaum@bitstream.net
Bluegrass Signal– Happy Birthday, George Shuffler
Originally broadcast on April 11th, this week’s Bluegrass Signal is a celebration of George Shuffler’s 84th birthday, with many recordings of him with The Stanley Brothers, as well as his solo and duo sessions of the past decade. A revolutionary bass player — just listen to the first Mercury session! — Shuffler is best-known as the guitarist who made crosspicking part of the Stanley Sound. “There’s not a bluegrass guitar player out there who hasn’t had some of George’s influence on his playing,” says Laura Boosinger. “I remember Tony Rice saying onstage at a festival once, ‘If not for George, none of us would be doing what we’re doing.’ He invented a whole style of guitar playing people have been emulating for 50 years, which is pretty dadgum impressive.”
*The Dick Spottswood Show
Howdy Forrester and Georgia Slim were to great fiddlers who today are all but forgotten–we’ll try to remedy that. Some Memphis blues greats from the 1920s, the Dixieland Jug Blowers, Lonesome Pine Fiddlers with Paul Williams, Jimmy Martin with Paul Williams, Uncle Dave, Blind Boy Fuller, the Louvin Bothers, Flatt & Scruggs—those Obsolete hits just keep on comin’!
*etown
Etown welcomes back two stellar performers in this repeat airing. First up is Martin Sexton, who has become known as the “singer’s singer” as well as the “writer’s writer.” We see why, in his Etown performance, as he’s backed up by the marvelous Etones featuring Nick & Helen Forster. Also in Etown is Solas, called “the best Irish traditional band in the world” by the LA Times; they share some beautiful, Celtic inspired music sure to tug at your heartstrings and get your toes tapping. And hear the story of a dedicated teenager from Indiana who is honored with the E-Chievement Award. Be sure to tune in to Etown this week!
The Free for All – Wednesday, 6-9 p.m. LIVE, Friday 9 p.m.-12 a.m.
Echo and Jen review their picks from the upcoming MerleFest in Wilkesboro, North Carolina
The Gary Henderson Show – Saturday 8-11 a.m. LIVE, Monday 12 p.m., Friday 12 a.m.
The Katy Daley Show - Monday-Friday 7-10 a.m. ET LIVE
On Tuesday 4/21 Katy Daley welcomes The Del McCoury Band into the studio for an interview and live performance!
The Lee Michael Demsey Show - Saturday 11a.m.-2p.m., Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. ET LIVE.
Lonesome Pine RFD with Carol Beaugard, Mon. 12 a.m., Wed. 9 p.m.
*Mountain Stage – Featuring Dierks Bentley, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Grayson Capps, Andy Friedman & the Other Failures, and Reagan Bogg. Playlist
Music from Foggy Hollow
In Music from Foggy Hollow from Australia this week, Mike Kear’s featuring a new CD from Bobby Osborne and Rocky Top Express and it’s a beauty. It’s called Bluegrass and Beyond and it’s only just been released on Rounder Records. Also on the show this week – new music from Patrick McAvinue, Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa, Tommy Webb, Johnny Williams. As usual Mike doesn’t take himself too seriously – there’s time for some fun and levity too. It’s another show overflowing with bluegrass goodness. Don’t miss it!
Music that Matters to Wayne Taylor
Open Mic
On April 3rd, WAMU’s Bluegrass Country broadcast our very first LIVE Open Mic. Rockledge was the host band and they were joined by several Washington-area bluegrass musicians, including Akira Otsuka, Speedy Tolliver & Josh Kaparakis, and the host of Stained Glass Bluegrass, Bob Webster. We’ll rebroadcast their performance all this week during Open Mic.
Old Time Jam
This week, Hubie King samples a variety of the genre, featuring younger fiddlers Nate Leath, Chance McCoy, Jarred Nutter and Erynn Marshall. Banjo tunes are provided by Adam Hurt, David Holt, Dirk Powell and Cathy Fink, while we also hear dulcimers, mandolins and guitars, plus band ensembles. Add to these vocals by Don Pedi; Diane Jones; Ginny Hawker and Kay Justice; Tom, Brad and Alice; Kathleen Gotzmer with the Mill Run Dulcimer Band and Mark Payne of Gandydancer, and you have a well-rounded show.
The Ray Davis Show Mon-Fri 3-6p.m., Sunday 10am-1p, LIVE
Rotating Shows
The Old Home Place - Sunday 3 a.m. (4/19)
Foster’s Corner – Tuesday 12 p.m. , Thursday 12 a.m., Sunday 3 a.m. (04/26)
Special Programming
We focus on technology on this week’s Special Programming with a story from Ria Misra on file sharing networks. Also, Phil Nusbaum discusses the paradox of perfection in recorded music, and Orrin Star and John Seebach illustrate many of the benefits of recording “live” for a radio program.
LIVE Stained Glass Bluegrass Hosted by Bob Webster
This week we’ll enjoy the overlooked gospel recording of David Peterson (who fronts and records his band “David Peterson & 1946” in recognition of Bill Monroe’s great ensemble with Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs) with several original songs. David even contributes to the old hymns portion of the program at the start of the third hour.
*Thistle and Shamrock - Springsong
Here are the full flavours of the season in life affirming acoustic sounds from the coastal communities of the Atlantic archipelago.
LIVE *Traditions with Mary Cliff, Saturday 2-6 p.m.
