The Great American Songbook

Something different this week. We’ll be reflecting on the Spring Issue of a magazine that cuts through the heart of what we love doing here on both Blue Moon Americana as well as Deeper Roots. There are a handful of publications that make the cut but No Depression magazine is truly special and the Spring 2021 issue is something to revel in. The writing, the artists, and the arc of ‘The Great American Songbook’, from Stephen Foster to Louis Armstrong is given thoughtful and insightful treatment. Our show this week puts a soundtrack with a century of America’s music explored: Dock Boggs’ Pretty Polly, George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, The Blue Sky Boys’ cover of Knoxville Girl, and some incredible Latin vocals from one Omara Portuondo. The magazine is worth the read and the music is worth a listen. Tune in on a Saturday among the Sonoma County skies for the best of community radio.

No.
1Artist Title Album Buy
2Paul Robeson Joe Hill Songs of Free Men Amazon
3George Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue Nipper's Greatest Hits: The 20's Amazon
4Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong Summertime Porgy & Bess Amazon
5Chick Webb & His Orchestra A-Tisket, A-Tasket Ken Burns Jazz [Disc 2] Amazon
6Loudon Wainwright III You Rascal You (I'll Be Glad When You're Dead) I'd Rather Lead a Band Amazon
7Dinah Washington They Didn't Believe Me (from "The Swingin' Miss D") Dinah Washington: Eight Classic Albums Amazon
8Billie Holiday Autumn in New York Ken Burns Jazz Amazon
9Omara Portuondo El Hombre Que Se Fue (The Man That Got Away) Black Magic (Magia Negra) Amazon
10Desi Arnaz Holiday In Havana The Best of Desi Arnaz: The Mambo King Amazon
11Perez Prado Cuban Mambo Rumba Gone Mambo Amazon
12Xavier Cugat Papa Loves Mambo Lounge Music Goes Latin Amazon
13Stephen Foster Beautiful Dreamer The Songs of Stephen Foster Amazon
14John Prine My Old Kentucky Home, Goodnight Beautiful Dreamer: the Songs of Stephen Foster Amazon
15Laurie Lewis & Kathy Kallick Oh! Susanna Sing The Songs Of Vern & Ray Amazon
16Mavis Staples Hard Times Come Again No More Beautiful Dreamer: the Songs of Stephen Foster Amazon
17Dock Boggs Pretty Polly 78s Amazon
18Dirk Powell I Ain't Playing Pretty Polly When I Wait For You Amazon
19The Blue Sky Boys Story Of The Knoxville Girl Absolutely Bluegrass Amazon
20Nelstone's Hawaiians Village School The Harry Smith B-Sides Amazon
21Dock Boggs Oh Death Dock Boggs Is Legendary Amazon
22Ray Charles Georgia on My Mind Genius & Soul: The 50th Anniversary Collection Disc 2 Amazon
23Ella Fitzgerald Night And Day Night And Day: The Cole Porter Songbook Amazon
24Bettye LaVette Blues For The Weepers Blackbirds Amazon
25Carl Sandburg All Night Long Folk Song America-A 20th Century Revival [Disc 1] Amazon
26The Carter Family Hello Stranger Carter Family, vol. 2: 1935-1941 (Disc 3) Amazon
27The Stoneman Family Too Late The Harry Smith B-Sides Amazon
28Mississippi John Hurt Nobody's Dirty Business The Harry Smith B-Sides Amazon
29M. Ward Along the Santa Fe Trail Migration Stories Amazon
30Ella Fitzgerald In The Still Of The Night Music & Moonlight Amazon

The Year 1939

While the clouds of war and fascism were spreading in earnest across Europe, here at home the movies Stagecoach, The Wizard of Oz,  and Gone With The Wind premiered and Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath was first published. Lou Gehrig bid farewell,  A pound of hamburger cost 14 cents and the average price of a new car was $700. And the music was both dance crazy and uplifting, with the music of Tin Pan Alley, Broadway and film dominating. This week’s show will feature the music of 1939 with performances from Crosby, Garland, The Ink Spots, Cab Calloway and Billie Holiday. We’ll also be featuring the jazz and big band sounds of Jimmie Lunceford, Coleman Hawkins, Count Basie, and a handful of others. Deeper Roots sounds from over eight decades past on community radio for Sonoma County coming to you each Friday morning and evening.

No.
1Artist Title Album Buy
2Louis Armstrong Jeepers Creepers Johnny Mercer (1909 – 1976) Amazon
3Jimmie Lunceford & His Orchestra Tain't What You Do Columbia Records' 125th Anniv. Amazon
4Fats Waller Your Feet's Too Big The Joint Is Jumpin' Amazon
5Count Basie's Kansas City 7 Lester Leaps In Columbia Records' 125th Anniv. Amazon
6Woody Herman Woodchopper's Ball Swingingest Sounds Ever Heard – The Best of the Big Bands Amazon
7Billie Holiday Strange Fruit The Ultimate Collection [Disc 1] Amazon
8Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues Harold Arlen Writes the Songs Amazon
9Billie Holiday Them There Eyes Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia 1933-1944 [Disc 06] Amazon
10Ethel Waters with Edward Mallory & His Orchestra Old Man Harlem Hoagy Carmichael & Friends: Stardust Melody Amazon
11Marlene Dietrich Falling In Love Again The Blue Angel Amazon
12Bob Hope & Shirley Ross Thanks for the Memory Hits of 30's & 40's 1 & 2 Amazon
13Judy Garland Over The Rainbow That's Entertainment! The Best Of The MGM Musicals Amazon
14Bing Crosby You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby The Harry Warren Songbook Amazon
15Xavier Cugat Perfidia Say "Si Si" Amazon
16Vaughn Monroe In The Still Of The Night First Crooners : Vol. 3-1935-40 Amazon
17Frankie Masters and His Orchestra Scatter-Brain (Theme Song) 50 #1 Hits Of The '20s & '30s Amazon
18Cab Calloway The Jumpin' Jive Best Of The Big Bands Amazon
19Kay Kyser Three Little Fishes Sentimental Favorites Amazon
20Coleman Hawkins Body And Soul Ken Burns Jazz [Disc 3] Amazon
21The Ink Spots Address Unknown Greatest Hits Amazon
22The Ink Spots If I Didn't Care Greatest Hits Amazon
23Glenn Miller Orchestra In The Mood Ken Burns Jazz [Disc 3] Amazon
24Slim Gaillard And His Flat Foot Floogie Boys Matzah Balls Radio Radio Vol.5 [Disc 3] Bob Dylan Amazon
25Charlie Barnet Cherokee Swing Time For Dancing Vol. 3 Amazon
26Artie Shaw & His Orchestra Diga, Diga Doo Wicked Swing Amazon
27Benny Goodman & His Orchestra W. Martha Tilton And the Angels Sing Too Marvelous For Words Amazon
28Guy Lombardo Penny Serenade Enjoy Yourself: The Hits Of Guy Lombardo Amazon
29Bea Wain With Larry Clinton And His Orchestra Deep Purple White Cliffs Of Dover [Disc 1] Amazon
30Lionel Hampton I've Found a New Baby Wicked Swing Amazon
31Big Joe Turner & Pete Johnson Roll 'Em Pete Blues From The Vocalion Vaults Amazon
32Chick Webb and his Orchestra v/Ella Fitzgerald Undecided from CD; orig. Decca 2323 Amazon

Lead Belly’s Legacy

Deeper Roots goes deeper this Friday morning. We’ll be sharing the songs of tradition and folk blues from an artist who opened up a world to a generation of followers in the 1940s and 1950s. With the witting arm of Alan Lomax as his promoter and benefactor, Huddie Ledbetter’s music would get wings and find its place in America’s traditional music lexicon. This week’s show, like last week’s Bill Monroe special, revisits the music that he was identified with, much of which he is credited with bringing into this world, or at least opening our eyes to. We’ll hear from Doug Sahm, Red Smiley, Odetta, The Weavers, Bob Dylan, and many others on a show that celebrates a giant of America’s songbook. Tune into KOWS radio every Friday morning at 9 Pacific for a new episode of a show that’s heading into it’s ninth year here on KOWS Community Radio.

Covering Bill Monroe

The music of Bill Monroe is the theme of our show today. We’ll be featuring some classic tunes from the Monroe catalog including some traditional tunes as well as those written by the master himself. The performers include those from all walks:  Ray Charles, Elvis, Doc Watson, Bruce Hornsby, and a collection of bluegrass favorites including Jim & Jessie McReynods, Ricky Skaggs, The Seldom Scene and a couple dozen others; all of them covering Bill Monroe’s music with some loyal to the arrangements while others putting their own spin on it. Join Dave Stroud once again for a collection of sounds from those dusty digital bins, those deeper wells, here on Sonoma County Community’s own community radio. Free Form. Free Speech. No Bull. Your alternative radio station in the North Bay.

No.
1Artist Title Album Buy
2Elvis Presley Working On The Building Amazing Grace – His Greatest Sacred Performances (Disc 1) Amazon
3Ray Charles Blue Moon Of Kentucky (Swingova) Complete Country & Western Recordings: 1959-1986 [Disc 2] Amazon
4John Fogerty Blue Moon Of Kentucky Songs of Bill Monroe Amazon
5Leon Russell Uncle Pen Hank Wilson's Back [Bonus Tracks] Amazon
6The Louvin Brothers What Would You Give In Exchange For Your Soul Close Harmony [Disc 8] Amazon
7The Devil Makes Three What Would You Give (In Exchange for Your Soul) Redemption & Ruin Amazon
8Jerry & Tammy Sullivan Wicked Path Of Sin Legend Lives on-a Tribute to Bill Monroe Amazon
9Jim & Jesse McReynolds Wicked Path Of Sin Music Among Friends Amazon
10Emmylou Harris & The Nash Ramblers Walls Of Time At The Ryman [Live] Amazon
11The Johnson Mountain Boys Walls Of Time Bill Monroe Centennial Celebration: A Classic Bluegrass Tribute Disc 2 Amazon
12Hazel And Alice True Life Blues Bill Monroe Centennial Celebration: A Classic Bluegrass Tribute Disc 2 Amazon
13Bruce Hornsby & Ricky Skaggs Toy Heart (Live) Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby: Cluck Ol' Hen (Live) Amazon
14Red Allen Sweetheart, You Done Me Wrong The Folkways Years 1964 – 1983 Amazon
15The Million Dollar Quartet Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong The Million Dollar Quartet: 50th Anniversary Special Edition Amazon
16Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs Six White Horses 1957-1959 (Warped 5722) Amazon
17The Bluegrass Band Six White Horses 2nd Cut Amazon
18Doc Watson The Girl In The Blue Velvet Band Good Deal! Amazon
19Mac Wiseman The Girl In The Blue Velvet Band Great Folk Ballads Amazon
20Doc Watson/Merle Watson Roll on Buddy Doc Watson on Stage (Featuring Merle Watson) Amazon
21Ramblin' Jack Elliott Roll On Buddy The Essential Ramblin' Jack Elliott Amazon
22Doc Watson My Rose of Old Kentucky Memories Amazon
23Dwight Yoakam Rocky Road Blues Big Mon – The Songs of Bill Monroe Amazon
24Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps Rocky Road Blues The Forgotten 45s 1957-1959 (CD2) Amazon
25Doc & Merle Watson New River Train Remembering Merle – Live Recordings 1976-1979 Amazon
26The Seldom Scene Little Georgia Rose Act 3 Amazon
27Earl Scruggs/Foggy Mountain Boys/Lester Flatt Molly and Tenbrooks (The Race Horse Song) The Essential Earl Scruggs (1 of 2) Amazon
28Don Reno & Bill Harrel With The Tennessee Cut-Ups Molly And Tenbrooks 20 Bluegrass Favorites Amazon
29Tony Rice Unit Midnight on the Stormy Deep Hills Of Home: 25 Years Of Folk Music On Rounder Records Amazon
30Doc Watson Midnight on The Stormy Deep Riding the Midnight Train Amazon
31John Hartford, Ronnie McCoury Little Cabin Home On The Hill True Life Blues – The Songs of Bill Monroe Amazon
32Elvis Presley Little Cabin On the Hill Elvis Country Amazon
33Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys Uncle Pen Decca Country Classics 1934-1973 [Disc 2] Amazon