All times listed are Eastern Time
*denotes part of our Roots and Branches series
*American Routes – Roadside Attractions and Wilderness Trails
It’s summertime and the living’s easy. Jump in as we hit the road in search of new faces and places. Head north out of New Orleans, across Lake Pontchartrain, to the Abita Mystery House at UCM Museum in Abita Springs. And a refreshing visit to a local New Orleans favorite, Hansen’s Sno-Bliz, servin’ up the best sno-cones you’ve ever tasted. Finally, we remember the late Secretary of the Interior and noted conservationist Stewart Udall as Routes digs into the archives for a raft run on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon.
Bluegrass Breakdown – Kati Penn & Newtown Live
She’s one of the genre’s fastest rising stars, a fiery fiddler who has a knack for finding hard-hitting songs which she sings like the proverbial angel. From Lexington, KY, Kati Penn & Newtown will be front and center doing the live thing. We’ll also be featuring new tunes from the bins from high lonesome stalwarts such as Donna Ulisse, The Grascals, The Infamous Stringdusters, Summertown Road and Black Prairie.
Bluegrass Master Class – Banks of the Ohio #93
Featured is music performed and written by Tex Logan, including cuts with the Lilly Brothers and Don Stover, Bill Monroe, the Charles River Valley Boys, Country Gazette, Kenny & Amanda Smith, Peter Rowan & Jerry Douglas, and Big Wu. Other highlights include Kenny Baker’s recording debut with the 7 Flat Mountain Boys, and the Blue Sky Boys, Flatt & Scruggs, and Mac Wiseman on live radio from the ‘40s and ‘50s. A production of the International Bluegrass Music Museum, hosted by Fred Bartenstein.
Bluegrass Review – #1030
Lyle Lofgren and Adam Granger are back, and with host Phil Nusbaum the three talk about wrecks again. This time, on the Gem of Bluegrass, the trio offers an explanation of why there have never been many American songs written about shipwrecks. Later in the broadcast the three play some American songs where shipwrecks are mentioned, but the wrecks are not the main points of the songs, but vehicles to express some other theme. The playlist is located at www.bluegrassreview.com. Join the Bluegrass Review discussion on Facebook. Just do a Facebook search for Bluegrass Review.
Bluegrass Signal – Across the Tracks (New Releases & A Reissue)
Lots of new music from the west coast, with selections by bluegrass bands (The Earl Brothers, Kitchen Help, Redwing) as well as old time musicians (The Knuckle Knockers, Canote Brothers, Luke Abbott). Also, some tasty trad grass (Junior Sisk, Big Country Bluegrass, Larry Gillis, Roland White in ‘76, Louie Setzer) and contemporary grass (Blue Highway, The Chapmans, Darren Beachley). And James Alan Shelton’s tribute to Don Rich. And more.
*The Dick Spottswood Show – #298
In the first hour we open a couple of new reissues from Gusto, hear a few old songs done dance band style by Ted Lewis, and take note of a few insects. Though we knew already, Hour Two starts with a medley warning us about the evils of strong drink, lingers a bit with Carl Butler and the Webster Brothers, and finishes with superior gospel songs from Skip James and the Sauceman Brothers (with Carl Butler again, and Joe Stuart too).
*etown – eTown’s 19th B’Earthday Celebration with Natalie Merchant & The Horse Flies
eTown celebrates the return one of the world’s most respected recording artists, Natalie Merchant. Backed by her band, Natalie shares both brand new tunes and beloved favorites. It’s been ten years since she was last with us, so this is a very special show indeed. Hosts Nick & Helen Forster also welcome the Horse Flies for their first-ever eTown appearance, bringing their mesmerizing blend of rock, roots, folk, bluegrass and ethnic grooves.
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.
The Katy Daley Show - Monday- Friday LIVE, 7-10 a.m. ET
The Lee Michael Demsey Show – Saturday 11a.m.-2p.m., Monday- Friday LIVE, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. ET
Lonesome Pine RFD with Carol Beaugard – Mon. 12 a.m., Wed. 9 p.m., Thurs. 12 p.m.
*Mountain Stage
Featuring Marcia Ball, Hill Country Revue, Other Lives, Cracker, Maia Sharp. View Playlist.
Music from Foggy Hollow – #201028
In Mike Kear’s Music from Foggy Hollow this week he’s featuring a “Guilty”, a CD by a terrific new band called Jett’s Creek. Mike will look at the band’s background and play some of the songs. Also this week, great new music from Singer songwriter Nora Jane Struthers, Lonesome Meadow, Ronnie King, The High Desert Band from Idaho, Volume Five, and young up-and-coming songwriter Thomas Porter. Also there’s the regular Portuguese segment from Erio Meili in Brazil and Mike looks back 5 years to see what was in the show back then, and lots lots more. It’s only for fun, so you’d be a ring-tailed bandicoot if you missed it!
Old Time Jam – #126 (New Tunes)
There are many new tunes composed since the old-time revival started back in the 1960s, and which have been accepted into the jam session repertoire. This is a program consisting entirely of these tunes, which with their authors identified. See what you think of them as we “Move the Tradition Forward.” Among the pieces, you may recognize such favorites as “Squirrel Heads and Gravy,” “Snake River Reel,” and “Boys, them Buzzards Are Flying.” The musicians will include Bruce Molsky, Adam Hurt, the Martin Family, the Boiled Buzzards, Matt Brown, “Chirps” Smith and the Piney Creek Weaselsw, to name only a few. In many cases, we’ll have the tunes being played by the people who wrote them.
Open Mic – WAMU Concerts from 1980 & 1986
This week we Open the Mic for two archival recordings. We’ll hear The Johnson Mountain Boys from 1986 and the Seldom Scene from1980 recorded at WAMU concerts…or at least that’s what the pencil scratchings on the tape box read.
For two weeks each Summer, people come together on the 1850′s Carroll County Farm Museum to learn and be entertained. We’ll hear a recording from July 10th, 2010, with Kathy Mattea. Also, we feature excerpts from Katy Daley’s interview with with Kathy Mattea about her current project, Coal.
The Ray Davis Show – Monday- Friday LIVE, 3-6p.m., Sunday 10am-1p
Rotating Shows
Foster’s Corner with Bill Foster – Sunday 3 a.m. (July 18)
The Tom “Cat” Reeder Show – Tuesday 12 p.m., Thursday 12 a.m., Sunday 3 a.m. (July 25)
Special Programming - Bluegrass Spectacular Concert: March 25, 1989
We have a great team of interns here at WAMU’s Bluegrass Country and this summer we tasked them with organizing our music library and in the process we found some old concert recordings. This programs features the WAMU 10th Annual Bluegrass Spectacular Concert held March 26, 1989 at Fairfax High School. We’ll hear from music from Blue Rose (Laurie Lewis, Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer, Sally Van Meter, Molly Mason) and The Country Gentlemen, we’ll hear the classic emcee work of Ray Davis and we’ll even hear a bit of warble from the tape the show was recorded on.
Stained Glass Bluegrass hosted by Bob Webster – Sunday LIVE 6-10 a.m., Tues. 9 p.m.
New songs from the band Greenbrier add spice to this edition of Stained Glass Bluegrass designed to get us thinking. We also add a nice bluegrass arrangement of “Just As I Am” by the Marksmen Quartet to our old hymns list to start the third hour. Got your song book?
*Thistle and Shamrock – Soundtracks
The Chieftains created an Oscar award-winning soundtrack to the 1975 movie Barry Lyndon. In the decades since, the film industry has provided a platform for many commissions of new music drawn from Celtic roots and traditions. We listen to some memorable contributions for the cinema and small screen.
LIVE *Traditions with Mary Cliff – Saturday 2-6 p.m.
Uptown Bluegrass with George McKnight – Blueberry Picks
This show features songs of the sterling line-up of artists of the Blueberry Bluegrass Country and Bluegrass Music festival.
