All times listed are Eastern Time
*denotes part of our Roots and Branches series
*American Routes – July 4th with Ponderosa Stomp, Del McCoury Band & Preservation Hall Jazz Band
This Fourth of July, American Routes celebrates our nation’s birthday with two live concerts of all-American music from the French Quarter in New Orleans. We’ll stop by the Ponderosa Stomp, dedicated to the “unsung heroes of rock ‘n’ roll” for a good dose of rockabilly, soul, country and R&B classics. Then it’s down the street to Preservation Hall, where bluegrass masters the Del McCoury Band mix it up with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. So fire up the grill, pull out your lawn chair, and turn up the radio for American Routes.
Bluegrass Breakdown – Hairy ‘Grass
We’ll be looking at one of BluegrassLand’s most socially significant subjects. Coming in many styles, lengths and colors, it’s something that’s alternatively admired, coveted, ridiculed and shunned. Roy McMillan, the Dixie Bee-Liners, Randall Hylton, Doc Watson, Laurie Lewis and Dave Evans will be singing about golden hair, yellow hair, flaxy hair, curly hair, red hair, long hair, short hair and gray hair.
Bluegrass Master Class
This week we’ll hear from three different experts: Dick Spottswood and banjo historian Karen Batten discuss “Home Sweet Home,” and how it’s endured for 150 years, along with the introduction of Scruggs tuners. Lee Michael Demsey reviews nominees for the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Hall of Fame, and journalist Boris Wientraub reviews his coverage of the 1970’s Washington DC bluegrass scene.
Bluegrass Review
What is American about bluegrass? That is the question posed by today’s Gem of Bluegrass. After the Gem, we play a group of songs that represent “American” bluegrass music. The show also includes a song recorded especially for the Bluegrass Review, the Iowa Waltz. This Greg Brown composition is sung by guitarist Bill Cagley of Waterloo / Cedar Falls, Iowa, and accompanied by David Tousley on the bass and show host Phil Nusbaum on the banjo. Later on, we spin some important new bluegrass. Show host Phil Nusbaum enjoys talking to listeners. Contact him at pnusbaum@bitstream.net.
Bluegrass Signal – Gearin’ Up For Grass Valley – Father’s Day Festival, Part 2: Vern’s Stage
It’s all California bands for this second of two programs previewing the music that’s part of this year’s Father’s Day Festival, the annual California Bluegrass Association wing-ding at Grass Valley. One group is nationally-known (Laurie Lewis & Kathy Kallick), two are family bands (Tuttles and Andersons), three have new demos (Mighty Crows, Blue & Lonesome, Matt & George & Their Pleasant Valley Boys), and most favor the traditional side of bluegrass. In fact, there are eight songs and/or personnel associated with Vern Williams and/or Vern & Ray, the patriarchs of California bluegrass. There are also two environmentally-conscious originals.
*The Dick Spottswood Show
A new CD by the surviving Stonemans (Patsy, Roni, Donna) precedes a few Pop Stoneman favorites from the 1920s and 1960s. A Lonnie Johnson suite features his guitar, fiddle and piano, and Pine Top Smith displays his pioneering boogie piano skills and stages a couple of skits. There’s an extended Independence Day suite in the second hour, with Bill Monroe, the Stanleys, Louvins, Jim and Jesse, Jenks Carman, the Johnson Family, Arthur Crudup (Elvis’s favorite), Hylo Brown, Maybelle Carter, other great Obsolete Americans.
*etown
For this encore broadcast, banjo player and singer-songwriter Abigail Washburn visits Etown with her spectacular ensemble, The Sparrow Quartet, featuring Béla Fleck (banjo), Casey Driessen (fiddle) and Ben Sollee (cello). Plus, poetic lyricist and powerful vocalist Vusi Mahlasela, known as “The Voice” in his home country of South Africa, makes his Etown debut; Nick & Helen Forster and the Etones layer in some lovely harmonies and instrumental support for him.
Featured News: ROMP 2009 Review
The Free for All – Wednesday, 6-9 p.m. LIVE, Friday 9 p.m.-12 a.m.
The Gary Henderson Show – Saturday 8-11 a.m. LIVE, Monday 12 p.m., Friday 12 a.m.
LIVE The Katy Daley Show - Monday-Friday 7-10 a.m. ET
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., Thurs. 12 p.m.
*Mountain Stage – Featuring Mary Chapin Carpenter, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Howie Beck, The Holmes Brothers, Dale Ann Bradley. Playlist.
Music from Foggy Hollow
In Mike Kear’s Music from Foggy Hollow from Australia this week he’s playing new music from Sarah Jarosz, Pathway, new young band Green On The Vyne, Marty Raybon and Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out. The feature is Rambler’s Call from Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers. He talks about Joe and the background to the CD, and plays some of the music from the album. He has all the regular features, and as always he doesn’t take things too seriously – there’s time for some fun and a laugh or two too. It’s just good fun bluegrass from beginning to end. Don’t miss it!
Open Mic – July Top 30 Countdown
Hosted by Lee Michael Demsey, the Bluegrass Unlimited Top 30 Countdown 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
Host Hubie King talks and plays with banjo player Tony Ellis, whose pickin’ style sits somewhere between old-time and bluegrass.
LIVE The Ray Davis Show Mon-Fri 3-6p.m., Sunday 10am-1p,
Rotating Shows
The Tom “Cat” Reeder Show – Sunday 3 a.m. (July 5)
The Old Home Place – Tuesday 12 p.m., Thursday 12 a.m., Sunday 3 a.m. (July 12)
Special Programming
We’ll hear from current and former members of the U.S. Navy Band, Country Current in this American themed special program featuring Kenny Ray Horton, Frank Sollivan III, Wayne Taylor and Bill Emerson.
LIVE Stained Glass Bluegrass hosted by Bob Webster
Over the July 4th weekend we’ll enjoy some patriotic selections from the Isaacs, Jim & Jesse, Jimmy Martin, and Paul Williams & The Victory Trio as we remember our country’s birthday. Got your hymn books for the sing along at the start of the third hour?
*Thistle and Shamrock – A Broader Canvas
We shift the spotlight away from Scottish and Irish music this week to illuminate the rich traditions of Cornwall, the Isle of Man, Galicia, Asturias, Wales and Brittany.
LIVE *Traditions with Mary Cliff, Saturday 2-6 p.m.
Uptown Bluegrass with George McKnight – New Voices
This show features new bluegrass songs and tunes, in several styles with many wonderful and creative, emerging artists to the genre.
