All times listed are Eastern Time
*denotes part of our Roots and Branches series
Special Program: Top 40 Bluegrass Countdown – Wednesday, 12/31, 10 p.m.- 12 a.m. ET
Lee Michael Demsey reviews the top 40 Bluegrass songs of 2008 as compiled by Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine.
*American Routes - Hank Williams
American Routes travels the Lost Highway in memory of Hank Williams, who died in the back seat of his Cadillac en route to a New Years Day concert. We’ll remember Hank’s lasting contribution to American music with two hours of stories and songs from his musical ancestors, collaborators and descendants, including band member Don Helms, biographer Colin Escott, and grandson Hank III.
Banks of the Ohio with George McKnight
Bluegrass Review
On this week’s show, we play the best of 2008 in Bluegrass. If you want to contact host Phil Nusbaum, the email address is pnusbaum@bitstream.net. The playlist is located at BluegrassReview.com.
Bluegrass Signal - Happy Birthday, Jack Cooke
Originally broadcast on Dec. 6th, this is a birthday celebration of the music of Jack Cooke, the rock-solid bassist, lead & harmony singer extraordinaire, and Dr. Ralph’s foil in the Clinch Mt. Boys since 1970(!). The show includes Jack singing lead, tenor, and baritone with the CMB, as well as some of Jack’s music with Bill Monroe, the Stanley Brothers, the Cooke Duet, and his 1963 band, the Virginia Mt. Boys. “Jack Cooke is the real deal. Like his longtime boss, Ralph Stanley, Cooke loves the old-time, traditional sound, filled with lots of rough edges that create something one might refer to as mountain soul.” – Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide
*The Dick Spottswood Show
This week, music from 1949 broadcasts by Maybelle Carter and daughters, featuring June in a duet with Chet Atkins. Blues diva Ida Cox launched a good song about Chattanooga in 1923 that found a country music home in Johnson City. The hour closes with great gospel harmonies from Carl Butler The second hour features music to enhance New Year’s Eve celebrations, with stellar contributions from Bessie Smith, her biggest fan (Bob Wills), the Stanley Brothers, Howlin’ Wolf and many more. 2008 is about to become Obsolete–Happy New Year!
*etown
Michelle Shocked returns to Etown in this encore broadcast sharing tunes from her CD, the gospel-tinged ToHeavenURide, which was recorded live at Telluride. Nick & Helen Forster and the Etones (along with visiting guest vocalist Mollie O’Brien) solidly back up Michelle’s rousing and moving set of music. We also welcome Americana Music Award nominees, the Avett Brothers, as they make their inaugural visit to Etown. They deliver their singular folk-punk stew of energetic tunes to the delight of the crowd. Then, everyone takes the stage for a rousing finale, bringing the audience to its feet. Check it all out — including an inspiring E-Chievement Award winner’s story — this week in Etown
Friday Night Free for All Friday 8 p.m. ET
The Free for All is moving to Wednesday!
Wednesday 12/31, 6-7 p.m. ET – Special 1 hour airing.
Beginning January 7, Echo hosts the program solo, drops the Friday Night prefix and is LIVE right after The Ray Davis Show. She’ll be playing lots of traditional bluegrass in the first hour, and a mix of Americana and bluegrass in the next two hours. On Wednesday this week, we’ll present an hour of her show to get you ready for next week’s switch.
The Old Home Place Sunday 3 a.m. (12/28)
Foster’s Corner – Tuesday 12 p.m. , Thursday 12 a.m., Sunday 3 a.m. (1/4)
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
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. 7 p.m. (special time this week only)
*Mountain Stage
Featuring Marc Cohn, Bill Evans Soulgrass w/ Sam Bush & Richard Bona, Jeremy Fisher, Kelly Sweet, and Amy Correia. Playlist.
Music from Foggy Hollow
This week, Mike Kear features a new CD from The Bankester Family called “Somewhere In Between”. It’s a fine CD by a band that’s not signed to a label, but ought to be. Also on the show, we play the hottest songs in the world of bluegrass, as we count down the Bluegrass Unlimited Top 30 Singles Chart for December 2008. Plus our regular segment from Sao Paulo, Brazil, and we look back to see what we were doing on the show 5 years ago. As always, it’s a show packed with good music and fun and you’d be a ring-tailed bandicoot if you missed it!!
Musician Tip – we’re taking a break from Musician Tips during the holidays – Go practice!
Open Mic
This week we Open the Mic for a sampler of our rotating programs. From noon – 3 p.m., ET Tuesdays, we feature a different show each week. The programs debut on a Tuesday and then are rebroadcast at midnight (EST) the following Thursday, and at 3 a.m. (EST), Sunday. We’ll hear half hour segments of The Bill Miller Show, Foster’s Corner, The Old Home Place, and The Tom Cat Reeder Show.
Old Time Jam
Hubie King presents another “Creature Feature” of more tunes and songs which all have animals in their titles. Included critters are birds (pretty, singing and mocking), an eagle, quail, turkey, woodcock and heron, geese, wolves, horses (both wild and domestic), and dogs, a mule, monkey, cat, cow, squirrel, sheep, rattlesnake and rabbit. Can you guess the tunes? Listen and see if you’re right.
The Ray Davis Show Mon-Fri 3-6p.m., Sunday 10am-1pm
Special Programming
Beginning in January, Old Time Jam with Hubie King will be heard 3 times per week: Monday at 6 p.m. ET, Thursday at 6 a.m. ET and Friday at 8 p.m. ET. To give you a taste of the programming Hubie has to offer we’ll hear the recent Jam he had with Appalachian-style banjo player and ballad singer, Diane Jones.
LIVE Stained Glass Bluegrass Hosted by Bob Webster
On this edition we’ll enjoy some rare tracks from an overlooked recording by the Forbes Family plus some of the newer songs we’ve encountered in 2008. Don’t forget your song books for the old hymns sing along at the beginning of the third hour of course. Happy New Year to the Stained Glass Bluegrass Family and thanks for your support during this year.
*Thistle and Shamrock – Midwinter Sun
Hear music that ushers the sun through the shortest days of the year and upholds the ancient spirit of Yule.
LIVE *Traditions with Mary Cliff, Saturday 2-6 p.m.
