Sunday, August 31, 2008

Playlist for the shortest Sunday Night Folk Festival EVER (8/31/08)

1. Bonnie Raitt: Storm Warning (Longing in Their Hearts), Capitol 81427
2. Steve Gillette and Cindy Mangsen: Hurricane (Being There), Compass Rose www.compassrosemusic.com
3. Mary Chapin Carpenter: Houston (The Calling), Zoe / Rounder 1111
4. Jackson Browne: Where Were You (Time the Conqueror), Inside Recordings www.insiderecordings.com
5. Eliza Gilkyson et al: Peace Call (Land of Milk and Honey), Red House 174

Monday, August 25, 2008

8/25/08 Fill-in Playlist

1. The Byrds: I Wanna Grow Up To Be A Politician (There Is A Season), Columbia / Legacy advance CD
2 - 4. Roy Zimmerman: Eine Kleine Barackmusik, The Man The Myth The McCain (Thanks for The Support), Metaphor www.royzimmerman.com
5. John McCutcheon: Surprise Surprise Surprise (Signs of The Times), Flying Fish www.folkmusic.com
6. Chuck Brodsky: He Came to Our Town (Two Sets), Waterbug 84 www.chuckbrodsky.com
7. Eileen McGann: Too Stupid for Democracy (Journeys), Dragonwing www.eileenmcgann.com

8. Dan Bern: My Country II (My Country II), Messenger www.messengerrecords.com
9. Joel Rafael: This Is My Country (Thirteen Stories High), Inside advance www.insiderecordings.com
10. The Kennedys: Give Me Back My Country (Better Dreams), Appleseed 1107 www.appleseedmusic.com
11. Greg Brown: I Want My Country Back (In the Hills of California), Red House www.redhouserecords.com

12. Sally Rogers: Gone to The Dogs (We'll Pass Them On), Flying Fish
13. Anne Feeney: Business News / Hallelujah, I'm A Bum (Dump The Bosses off Your Back), self www.annefeeney.com
14. Tim O'Brien: This World Was Made for Everyone (Chameleon), Howdy Skies / Proper American www.timobrien.net
15. Carol Denney: The Rich Will Never Be Poor (The Rich Will Never Be Poor), self www.caroldenney.com
16. Merle Haggard: What Happened? (Moneyland), McCoury www.mccourymusic.com
17. Del McCoury et al: Breadline Blues 2008 (Moneyland)

18. Dan Bern: President (My Country II), Messenger www.messengerrecords.com
19. Norah Jones: My Dear Country (Not Too Late), EMI / Blue Note

20. Maria Muldaur et al: We Shall Be Free (Yes We Can!), Telarc
21. Susan Werner: My Strange Nation (single download), self www.susanwerner.com
22. Maria Muldaur et al: Yes We Can, Can (Yes We Can!), Telarc

I read Secretary of State Susan Byciewicz's Op Ed piece from the New York Times, August 11, "Help Our Veterans Vote":
23. Roy Zimmerman: Thanks for The Support (Thanks for The Support), Metaphor www.royzimmerman.com
24. Mark Erelli: Volunteers (Delivered), Signature Sounds www.markerelli.com
25. Tom Paxton: The Willing Conscript (The Best of Tom Paxton), Elektra
26. Steve Quelet: Foxhole (House of Wax), self www.stevequelet.com
27. Tom Lehrer: It Makes A Fellow Proud to Be A Soldier (An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer), Reprise

28. Todd Snider: Fortunate Son (Peace Queer), Aimless Records www.toddsnider.net

Sunday, August 24, 2008

8/24/08 Playlist

1. Northern Lights with Jonathan Edwards: Working on A Building (One Day), Fifty Fifty 106 www.fiftyfiftymusic.com
2. Rosalie Sorrels et al: Green Rolling Hills of West Virginia (Strangers in Another Country), Red House 214 www.redhouserecords.com
3. Jim Henry: If It Were Up to Me (King of Hearts), Six-Pack www.jimhenry.net
4. Sloan Wainwright: Ring of Fire (Rediscovery), Derby Disc www.sloanwainwright.com

It's Eliza Gilkyson's birthday (www.elizagilkyson.com) – she approved of the celebration:
5. Material Man (Pilgrims), PeaceDream / MTI
6. Rosie Strike Back (Legends of Rainmaker), Gold Castle
7. Take Off Your Old Coat (Through the Looking Glass), Private
8. Solitary Singer (Redemption Road), Silver Wave

I read Tom Condon's "The Dust Bowl: A Cautionary Tale" http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/commentary/hc-plccondon0824.artaug24,0,429191.column
9 - 10. Woody Guthrie: The Great Dust Storm & Dusty Old Dust (Some Folk), Proper Records Properbox 115

11. Anne Hills: Little Orphant Annie (Ef You Don't Watch Out), Collective Works www.collectiveworksmedia.com
12. Bruce Robison: Larosse (The New World), Premium Records
13. Sirens: The Promise (Look Up), Borealis 183 www.borealisrecords.com
14. Donal Hinely: Dream Going Down (Blue State Boy), Scuffletown www.donalhinely.com

Eliza again:
15. Last Big Thrill (Misfits), Realiza 0023
16. Flatline (Hard Times in Babylon), Red House 146 [www.redhouserecords.com]
17. Angel & Delilah (Lost and Found), Red House 162
18. Runnin' Away (Land of Milk and Honey), Red House 174

It's also Chuck McCabe's birthday (www.chuck-mccabe.com) – I inferred that he approved:
19. So Much It Scares Me (Burgers and Champagne), Woodshed 07698
20. Partisan Polka (Creatures of Habit), Woodshed 7608
21. Piranhas, Iguanas (Burgers and Champagne)
22. My Prayer for You (Creatures of Habit)

College presidents in CT want to lower the drinking age from 21 to 18 so that underage students won't feel the pressure to binge-drink. ??
23. Todd Snider: Beer Run (New Connection), Oh Boy 023 www.ohboy.com
A radio edit (thank you David!) about trying to get good music played on the radio:
24. David Stoddard: New Music on The Radio (radio edit of song from Hesselville), self www.davestoddard.com
He's playing at the Vanilla Bean on Saturday:
25. Jason Spooner: Meant to Be (The Flame You Follow), self www.jasonspooner.com

The Dreaded Folk calendar over selections from The Quebe Sisters Band's "Timeless," Fiddletone www.quebesistersband.com

Covers of Eliza Gilkyson's songs:
26. Priscilla Herdman: Prayer 2000 (The Road Home), Redwing Music 5412 www.redwingmusic.com
27. Ray Wylie Hubbard (with Eliza): The Beauty Way (Delirium Tremolos), Philo 1244
28. Joan Baez: Requiem (Day after Tomorrow), Razor & Tie www.razrandtie.com
29. Anne Hills: Tennessee Road (Woman of A Calm Heart), Flying Fish 70464 www.annehills.com

Eliza again:
30. Wild Horse (Retrospecto), Realiza Records
31. Man of God (Paradise Hotel), Red House 187
32. Lights of Santa Fe (Your Town Tonight), Red House 205
33. Wildewood Spring (Beautiful World), Red House

34. The Watersons: Country Life (For Pence and Spicy Ale), Topic 574 www.topicrecords.co.uk
35. David Ross Macdonald: 'Til I'm Gone (Knuckled Brass and Bone), Pepper Tree www.davidrossmacdonald.com
36. Lunasa: Black River (The Story So Far...), Compass 4475
37. Eliza Gilkyson et al: Peace Call (Land of Milk and Honey), Red House 174

Sunday, August 17, 2008

8/17/08 Playlist

1. Mark Weems: A Soldier Traveling from The North (Long Time Gone), Primitive Marker www.littlewindows.net]
2. The Nields: Wild Mountain Thyme (Rock All Day Rock All Night), Mercy House www.nields.com
3. Jack Williams: Biloxi (Don't Let Go), Wind River www.jackwilliamsmusic.com
4. Libby Kirkpatrick: Jenny's Eyes (Songs for Laura Vol. 1), Painted Sun www.paintedsun.com

5. Will Dudley with Evelyn Roger: Opal Moon (Compadres), self willdudley.com
6. The Sacred Shakers: John the Revelator (The Sacred Shakers), Signature Sounds www.signaturesounds.com
7. The Watersons: T Stands for Thomas (For Pence and Spicy Ale), Topic www.topicrecords.co.uk
8. Bread & Bones: Bread and Bones (I Know Stories), Riptone www.breadandbones.com

9. Patty Larkin: Hallelujah (Watch the Sky), Vanguard [www.pattylarkin.com]
10. Brad Colerick: Paperboy (Lines in The Dirt), Back 9 www.bradcolerick.com
11. Kitty Donohoe: When I Was The Queen (Northern Border), Roheen www.kittydonohoe.com
12. Hal Ketchum: Yesterday's Gone (Father Time), Curb www.halketchum.com
13. Carrie Elkin: Black Lung (The Jeopardy of Circumstance), self www.carrieelkin.com

14. Donal Hinely: Song for Bob (Blue State Boy), Scuffletown www.donalhinely.com
15. Maria Muldaur et al: Yes We Can, Can (Yes We Can), Telarc www.telarc.com
16. Chuck McCabe: Partisan Polka (Creatures of Habit), Blah Blah Woof20Woof www.chuck-mccabe.com
17. Joan Baez: Scarlet Tide (Day after Tomorrow), Razor & Tie advance

I read some of the introduction to Gus Speth's "The Bridge to Nowhere," in which he describes the rate at which the natural world is being demolished --
http://www.rachel.org/en/newsletters/rachels_news/956#The-Bridge-at-the-Edge-of-the-World

18. Eliza Gilkyson: Beautiful World (Beautiful World), Red House www.redhouserecords.com
19. Cosy Sheridan: Don't Go in The Water (River of Song), River of Song www.riverofsongcd.com
20. Dean Stevens: Wise Men in White Lab Coats (Eyes of Wonder), Volcano 2004
21. Sally Rogers: Garbage (Piggyback Planet), Round River www.sallyrogers.com
22. Chuck Brodsky: Take It Out Back (Two Sets), Waterbug www.chuckbrodsky.com

23. Michael Cooney: Nogies Creek (Together Again), self www.michaelcooney.com
24. Joni Mitchell: Big Yellow Taxi 2007 (Shine), HEAR Music
25. Tom Paxton: Whose Garden Was This (The Best of Tom Paxton: I Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound), Elektra

The Dreaded Folk Calendar over selections from Lynn Patrick's "On the Wind" www.lynnpatrick.com

26. Mark Erelli: Imaginary Wars (Hope & Other Casualties), Signature Sounds www.signaturesounds.com
27. Chuck Brodsky: Seven Miles Upwind (Color Came One Day), Waterbug www.chuckbrodsky.com
28. Chris Williamson: The Waters of Spokane (Real Deal), Wolf Moon www.chriswilliamson.com
29. Paxton / Hills / G ibson: Something Is Wrong with The Rain (Best of Friends), Appleseed www.appleseedmusic.com

30. Sally Rogers: Gone to The Dogs (We'll Pass Them On), Red House www.redhouserecords.com
31. David Stoddard: New Music on The Radio (radio edit, thanks David!)
32. Chuck McCabe: My Prayer for You (Creatures of Habit), Blah Blah Woof Woof www.chuck-mccabe.com
33. Eliza Carthy: (Dreams of Breathing Underwater), Topic www.topicrecords.co.uk

34. Jason Spooner: All That We Know (The Flame You Follow), self www.jasonspooner.com
35. Roger Salloom: In the Snow (La Te Da), Florence Records
36. Eliza Gilkyson et al: Peace Call (Land of Milk and Honey), Red House 174 www.redhouserecords.com

Friday, August 15, 2008

Low-key tribute honors Kitty Wells
Exhibit spotlights singer who revolutionized country music

PETER COOPER, The Tennessean, August 14, 2008

It is unusual, though not difficult, to have a humble exhibit devoted to
someone called "the Queen."

And yet the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum's tribute to the life and
career of Kitty Wells, the Queen of Country Music, is as notable for its lack
of glitz as for its informative and sometimes touching artifacts from a
monumental woman.

Born Muriel Deason in Nashville, the singer known as Kitty Wells built a
legacy of plaintive, unadorned country music that spoke clearly to plaintive,
unadorned listeners. This was, and is, a queen in gingham. This was, and is, a
woman who revolutionized country music without ever looking or acting
anything but humble and thankful. She was the prototype for the solo female country
artist, yet it's safe to say that no one ever called Kitty Wells a diva.

The museum's new exhibit is open for the next 10 months. Here are a few of
the museum pieces to look for, including some artifacts from husband Johnny
Wright, who gave Wells her stage name, managed her and toured with her, and who
was a member of genre-bending country duo Johnnie & Jack.

• Lost In Translation — One of the more intriguing items on display is a
blown-up reproduction of a telegraph from Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, sent to
Wells upon her 1976 induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The
telegraph reads, "From one of your many devoted fans," and is addressed to Wells at
"The Grand Ole Opera" on "Operaland Drive."

• Fit For A Queen — A display case at the front of the exhibit features a
lovely red dress that Wells wore to her Hall of Fame induction, but the most
striking item in that case is also the simplest: a blue gingham dress she wore
onstage in the 1950s. The dress is so anti-show business that it is nearly a
punk rock-ready statement. That same display case houses numerous trophies.
Wells was named country's top female vocalist in trade magazines from 1952 to
1965.

• Study Time — The exhibit includes a hand-tooled leather briefcase that
Wells and Wright used to hold song lyrics. Wells would often read over the
lyrics on her way to shows, making sure she knew everything by heart.

more at

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080814/ENTERTAINMENT01/808140323/1005/ENTERTAINMENT

Sunday, August 10, 2008

8/10/08 Playlist

1. Bearfoot: Deep River Blues (Follow Me), Glacier www.bearfootband.com
2. Breabach: James Gunn Henderson (The Big Spree), Compass 4481 www.compassrecords.com
3. Buffalo Creek: Bear Creek Blues (Weary Woman Blues), Old 97 Wrecords 012 www.buffalocreekband.com
4. Jonathan Byrd: May the River Run Dry (The Law and the Lonesome), Waterbug 85 www.jonathanbyrd.com

5. Cindy Kallet / Ellen Epstein / Michael Cicone: Life Comes In (HeartWalk), Overall 3 www.cindykallet.com
6. Cindy Kallet & Grey Larsen: Your Love (Cross the Water), Sleepy Creek 105 www.kalletlarsen.com
7. Chuck Brodsky: Take It Out Back (Two Sets), Waterbug 84 www.chuckbrodsky.com
8. Darrell Scott: The Devil (Modern Hymns), Appleseed 1111 www.appleseedmusic.com

We've gotten a LOT of not-so-good summer rain:
9. Erica Wheeler: Good Summer Rain (Good Summer Rain), Blue Pie www.ericawheeler.com
They keep hoping for Blue Sky Days in Beijing:
10. Mark Dvorak: Blue Skies (What A Wonderful World), Waterbug 86 www.markdvorak.com
11. Larkin Gayl: A Life of Everything (Two Hands), About Records www.larkingayl.com
12. Inca Son: Regreso a Mi Pais (Live from Sanders Theatre), self www.incason.com

A recorded interview with Karen Mal www.karenmal.com:
13. Surprise (live)
14. Falling (The Space Between), Waterbug 77
15. When I Was Three (live)
16. The Space Between (The Space Between)
17. Suitcase Full of Memories (live)
18. Matt Hyland (Dark Eyed Sailor), Waterbug

19. The Del McCoury Band: 40 Acres and A Fool (Moneyland), McCoury Music 0005 www.mccourymusic.com
20. Hardy & Massengill: The Worst President Ever (Partners in Crime), Great Divide 1780 www.thefolkbrothers.com

The Dreaded Folk Calendar over selections from a forthcoming release called "Notes from Across The Sea" (it's a secret....)

21. Dar Williams: Holly Tree (Promised Land), Razor & Tie advance
22. Bruce Robison: The New One (The New World), Premium Records
23. Joan Baez: Mary (Day after Tomorrow), Razor & Tie advance
24. Donal Hinely: Blue State Boy (Blue State Boy), Scuffletown www.donalhinely.com

25. Carrie Rodriguez: Can't Cry Enough (She Ain't Me), EMI / Manhattan
26. Archie Fisher: Ashfields and Brine (Windward Away), Red House 124 www.redhouserecords.com
27. Eliza Gilkyson: The Party's Over (Beautiful World), Red House 212 www.redhouserecords.com
28. Jeff Talmadge: Driving to Blissville (Ein Abend unter Freunden), Bozart www.jefftalmadge.com
29. Laura Cortese: Blue Jays (Blow The Candle Out), self www.lauracortese.com
30. Roy Zimmerman: Defenders of Marriage (Fault Intelligence), Metaphor www.royzimmerman.com
31. Eliza Gilkyson et al: Peace Call (Land of Milk and Honey), Red House 174 www.redhouserecords.com

Friday, August 8, 2008

Andrew Revkin's NYTimes Blog

‘Good Planets Are Hard to Find’
By Andrew C. Revkin, August 8, 2008

Here’s a summertime post about music, people, and the planet — lyrical and instrumental compositions that connect you with the “pale blue dot” or inspire you to live a life attuned, at least a little, to nature’s cycles. Several Dot Earthers recently included me in an email exchange about their favorite music along these lines, and my goal here is to take this conversation public. What music connects you to this sphere (and its nonhuman inhabitants)?

Some of my choices are below, along with some discussed by the emailers who started this, including Jeff Huggins, Mike Roddy and Elizabeth Tjader. As this music discussion was unfolding, out of the blue I received an email from Steve Forbert, commending the blog and offering up a couple of his songs for use here. One is “Good Planets Are Hard to Find,” which he wrote in 1996. I asked him for a quick response on music that links him to nature, and he popped back with an interesting initial combo: Debussy’s “Snowflakes are Dancing” and the end of “Black Magic Woman” by Santana. Here’s “Good Planets are Hard to Find”:

As some of you may know, my first passion besides science, long before I stumbled into journalism, was music. At 17, I bought a shattered 1949 Gibson Southern Jumbo for $30 (it really looked like the residue of a bar fight; actually the same model Steve is playing in the photo!). I rebuilt it, and I’ve been strumming and songwriting ever since in spare moments. (You can see me playing with the rest of Uncle Wade, the rustic-rootsy band I’m in, on the deck of the Hudson River sloop Clearwater.) For the most part, my own music and the environment don’t overlap, with a few exceptions — a song I wrote about hillside development and floods in the Rockies and another, Liberated Carbon, about this wacky fossil-fueled era.

But for now, I’m focusing on others’ compositions. My favorites? Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony, 4th movement. And of course Copland’s “Appalachian Spring.” From jazz, I still have my worn Chick Corea/Gary Burton LP of “Crystal Silence” (this is not that version; to me the vibraphone is what really does it). In the folk realm, I’ve always enjoyed Tom Paxton’s tune “Whose Garden Was This?,” which is a sobering thought experiment from the point of view of someone recalling that the world once had flowers, that birds really flew.

Much more at
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/08/music-of-this-sphere/#comment-72990

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

What're YOU Laughing At, This Is SERIOUS!

Roy Zimmerman calls his work "funny songs about ignorance, war and greed." He finds other targets as well, and as serious as the subjects are, the songs are at least as funny. Roy did a wonderful, lively, engaging concert at The Wilde Auditorium on the UHart campus last night, to a larger audience than any of us ever expected (hoped for, yes, but not expected!). This was Roy's first concert in Connecticut and his last concert on a swing through the northeast before he headed back home to Marin County, and I'd say we sent him off with a bang.
Audience-members were very supportive of Roy with both their laughter and their cash: they bought nearly all of the CDs he had left; they were supportive too of WWUH, WHUS, and WESU, the radio stations that play his music and presented the concert (Ed McKeon did most of the heavy lifting, I must tell you).
I once printed out this quote: "If I'm going to be tired, I'd like it to be from laughing." Go to a Roy Zimmerman concert and you'll realize that desire. The only time I've heard anywhere near that much laughter in The Wilde was at Cheryl Wheeler's last concert, and that was more for her commentary than for her songs.
Roy says he'll be back -- let's hope it's soon!

www.royzimmerman.com

Photos of Roy on 8/5/08 at http://www.whus.org/gallery/main.php

Matt Nozzolio R.I.P.

Matt Nozzolio, spokesman for the MDC and multi-instrumentalist with The Bristol Boys and formerly with Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters, died Saturday August 2. There was a nice article about him in Tuesday's Hartford Courant:

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-nozzolio0805.artaug05,0,2889507.story

Sunday, August 3, 2008

8/3/08 Playlist

1. Jim Henry: 1952 Vincent Black Lightning (King of Hearts), self [www.jimhenry.net]
2 & 3 The Nields: Come Go with Me & Who Are You Not to Shine (Rock All Day, Rock All Night), Mercy House [www.nields.com]
4. Jonathan Byrd: The Law & The Lonesome (The Law and The Lonesome), Waterbug 85 [www.jonathanbyrd.com]
5. Shannon Lambert-Ryan: Raggle Taggle Gypsy / Janine's Reels (Across the Pond), self

6. Merle Haggard: What Happened? (Moneyland), McCoury Music 0005 [www.mccourymusic.com]
7. Rachael Davis: Sweetwater Sea (Antebellum Queens), Fox on A Hill [www.rachaeldavis.com]
8. Lowen & Navarro with Phil Parlapiano: Learning to Fall (Learning to Fall), Red Hen 9. Lynne Hanson: Tears in Your Rain (Eleven Months), self [www.lynnehanson.com]

Matt Nozzolio, dobro-player and vocalist with the Bristol Boys and formerly with Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters (and public relations representative with the Metropolitan District Commission), died yesterday. Cause of death is not yet known.
Here are two cuts from the new Bristol Boys CD, All Aboard with The Bristol Boys [thebristolboys.googlepages.com]. Matt wrote the second cut.
10 & 11. When You and I Were Young, Maggie & Silvertown Rag

I read from Maura Kennedy's and Tracy Grammer's reports about the aerial tornado at Falcon Ridge last Sunday, and played the Duhks' version of the old song for all the festival-goers:
12. The Duhks: Mighty Storm (Fast Paced World), Sugar Hill 4042
13. Emmylou Harris: Kern River (All I Intended to Be), Nonesuch
14. Steppin' In It: Break of Day (Simple Tunes for Troubled Times), Fox on A Hill [www.steppininit.com]
15. Rosalie Sorrels: Ashes on The Sea (Strangers in Another Country), Red House 214 [www.redhouserecords.com]

16 & 17. Maria Muldaur et al: Yes We Can, Can & We Shall Be Free (Yes We Can!), Telarc
18. Donna The Buffalo: I Don't Need A Riddle (Silverlined), Sugar Hill 4047
19. Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys: Aux Natchitoches (Best of Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys), Rounder 6117

Recorded interview with Roy Zimmerman :
20. Saddam Shame (live)
21. I'll Pull Out (live)
22. Creation Science (Faulty Intelligence), Metaphor [www.royzimmerman.com]
23. Eine Kleine Barackmusick (live)
24. Defenders of Marriage (Faulty Intelligence)
25. I Approve This Message (live)

The Dreaded Folk Calendar over selections from Maggie Sansone's "Celtic Fair," Maggie's Music 112 [www.maggiesmusic.com]

It's Richard Shindell's birthday:
26. Transit (Somewhere Near Paterson), Signature Sounds 1256 [www.signaturesounds.com]
27. Beyond the Iron Gate (Reunion Hill), Shanachie [www.richardshindell.com]
28. Cold Missouri Waters (Cry Cry Cry), Razor & Tie

29. Peggy Seeger: Shadow Prisoners (Crazy Quilt: Timely #4), self [www.pegseeger.com]
30. Darrell Scott: Out among The Stars (Modern Hymns), Appleseed 1111
31. Eliza Gilkyson et al: Peace Call (Land of Milk and Honey), Red House 174 [www.redhouserecords.com]