All posts by Dave

Ladies of Country Music

Ladies of Country Music
Ladies of Country Music

The story of women in country music begins in the early century with The Carters and the lesser known names of Roba Stanley, Louisiana Lou, and Patsy Montana. If the music was not about heaven and sinners, then it was about being a single girl or a cowboy’s sweetheart. But there was a sea change in post-war country music with the strength of Kitty Wells’ and the assertive independent sounds of Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, and Dolly Parton. To quote an online source, “the story of gender in post-war country music is largely the story of how women, in song and on stage, came to represent themselves in full.”

No.
1Artist Title Album Buy
2Patsy Montana And The Prairie Ramblers I Want To Be A Cowboy's Sweetheart 26 All-Time Country Classics Amazon
3Lulu Belle & Scotty Wish I Was A Single Girl Again Flowers In The Wildwood Amazon
4Patsy Montana My Poncho Pony Flowers In The Wildwood Amazon
5Maddox Brothers and Rose Sally Let Your Bangs Hang Down 1948 (Warped 4872) Amazon
6Carter Sisters/Mother Maybelle Carter He's Solid Gone Keep on the Sunny Side: Her Life in Music Disc 1 Amazon
7Maybelle Carter and Sara Carter Bayes I'm Leaving You Close To Home: Old Time Music From Mike Seeger's Collection, 1952-1967 Amazon
8Kitty Wells My Cold, Cold Heart Is Melted Now Country Music Hall Of Fame Amazon
9Kitty Wells Password Greatest Songs Amazon
10Kitty Wells Makin' Believe Greatest Songs Amazon
11The Davis Sisters I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know The Essential Skeeter Davis Amazon
12Skeeter Davis (I Can't Help You) I'm Falling Too The Essential Skeeter Davis Amazon
13Charline Arthur Welcome To The Club Welcome To The Club Amazon
14Wanda Jackson Makin' Believe Daydreamin' Amazon
15Wanda Jackson Don't Ask Me Why Before The Music Died – Wanda Jackson: The Complete Recordings 1954-1962 [Disc 3] Amazon
16Patsy Cline Leavin' on Your Mind 12 Greatest Hits Amazon
17Patsy Cline How Can I Face Tomorrow The Patsy Cline Collection [Disc 2] Amazon
18Ferlin Husky & Jean Shephard A Dear John Letter Bob Dylan Presents: Radio Radio, Theme Time Radio Hour, Vol. 3 Amazon
19Loretta Lynn Dont Come Home A-Drinkin (With Lovin on Your Mind) Golden Age of Country Volume 1: Waltz Across Texas [Disc 2] Amazon
20Goldie Hill It's A Lovely Lovely World I Got A Woman : Gems From The Decca Vaults [Disc 2] Amazon
21Connie Smith Once A Day The Essential Connie Smith Amazon
22June Carter Cash Strange Woman Keep on the Sunny Side: Her Life in Music Disc 1 Amazon
23June Carter Cash How Did You Get Away from Me Keep on the Sunny Side: Her Life in Music Disc 1 Amazon
24Tammy Wynette Stand By Your Man Super Hits Amazon
25Tammy Wynette D-I-V-O-R-C-E Country Legends Amazon
26Brenda Lee Johnny One Time The Brenda Lee Story: Her Greatest Hits Amazon
27Norma Jean The Gambler And The Lady The Best of Country Amazon
28Margie Singleton Old Records One More Record Please Amazon
29Dottie West Paper Mansions The Essential Dottie West Amazon
30Jessi Colter I'm Looking for Blue Eyes Wanted! The Outlaws [Bonus Tracks] Amazon
31Sammi Smith Help Me Make It Through The Night Sammi Smith early 60's the Best Of (varese sarabande 96) Amazon
32Dolly Parton Coat of Many Colors Artist's Choice: Emmylou Harris Amazon
33Emmylou Harris If I Could Only Win Your Love Portraits (1 of 3) Amazon
34Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette & Kitty Wells It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels Honky Tonk Angels Amazon
35Rosanne Cash She's Got You The List Amazon
36Alison Krauss Baby, Now That I've Found You Now That I've Found You Amazon
37k.d. lang Sugar Moon Shadowland Amazon
38k.d. lang & the Reclines Big Big Love Absolute Torch and Twang Amazon

Old Devil Time

Cowboy Copas
Cowboy Copas

We are sitting in for Mark Hogan’s Bluegrass and Old Time Hour this week while Mark is far afield, attending the 40th Anniversary Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival in Grass Valley.  Our show will explore the multi-generational sounds of not only bluegrass with Dillard and Clark and The Hackberry Ramblers, but we’ll also cross the genres (as we are wont to do) with Cowboy Copas, Clara Ward, Otis Spann, and Doris Day. There’s a couple of different threads that run through our show today, one being that of the ‘devil’ and the other being ‘new mornings’. Tune in at a special time and see what’s in store on a summer afternoon in West County.

No.
1Artist Title Album Buy
2BR5-49 The Devil In Me Dog Days Amazon
3Bob Dylan Talkin' Devil It Could Even Be A Myth Amazon
4Pete Seeger Old Devil Time Singalong: Live At Sanders Theatre, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1980 (2 of 2) Amazon
5Gillian Welch The Devil Had a Hold of Me Hell Among the Yearlings Amazon
6Sister Rosetta Tharpe The Devil Has Thrown Him Down The Original Soul Sister: Singing in My Soul [Disc 3] Amazon
7Doris Day The Deevil, Devil, Divil Complete Doris Day With Les Brown [Disc 2] Amazon
8Pokey LaFarge The Devil Ain't Lazy Pokey LaFarge Amazon
9Asleep at the Wheel/The Blind Boys of Alabama The Devil Ain't Lazy Reinventing the Wheel Amazon
10Hackberry Ramblers Old Pipeliner (Rodney Crowell-vocal) {1992-06 (org.1946) Flying Fish FF-70629 CD} Cajun Boogie (1992-06) Amazon
11Cowboy Copas Don't Shake Hands with the Devil Settin' Flat On Ready Amazon
12Little Jimmy Dickens I'm Little But I'm Loud The Essential "Little" Jimmy Dickens Amazon
13Spade Cooley & His Orchestra; Vocal By Tex Williams Hide Your Face Spadella! The Essential Spade Cooley Amazon
14Dillard & Clark I Bowed My Head And Cried Holy The Fantastic Expedition Of Dillard & Clark Amazon
15Rory Block I Am In the Heavenly Way Confessions of A Blues Singer Amazon
16Bukka White I Am the Heavenly Way The Sonet Blues Story Amazon
17Clara Ward In That Great Judgement Morning Golden Gospel Gals 1949-1959 [Disc 1] Amazon
18The Dixie Hummingbirds In The Morning Thank You For One More Day: The 70th Anniversary Of The Dixie Hummingbirds Amazon
19Sam Cooke And The Soul Stirrers He's So Wonderful The Complete Specialty Recordings [Disc 3] Amazon
20Slim & Slam Early In The Morning Slim Gaillard & Slam Stewart Columbia (Disc 2) Amazon
21Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet Carolina In The Morning Vol. 1-(1937-38) Amazon
22Merle Haggard/Willie Nelson Where Dreams Come to Die Django and Jimmie Amazon
23John Lee Hooker I'll Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive [Album Version] Warming By The Devils Fire – A Film By Charles Burnett Amazon
24Otis Spann Must Have Been The Devil The Blues Never Die Amazon
25Cleo Brown You're A Heavenly Thing Complete Recorded Works (March 1935 – June 1935) Amazon
26Benny Goodman You're a Heavenly Thing Music Hall Rag Amazon
27Big Joe Turner Morning Noon And Nite Big Joe Turner: Rhythm & Blues Years Amazon
28Tampa Red Worried Devil Blues The Bluebird Recordings (1934-1936) Amazon
29Ralph Stanley John The Revelator A Mother's Prayer Amazon
30Sherman Tedder Untitled [Album Version] Roots 'N' Blues/The Retrospective 1925-1950 Amazon
31Elvis Presley (You're The) Devil In Disguise Elvis 30 #1 Hits Amazon

Grapes on the Vine

Percy Mayfield
Percy Mayfield

Raising the roof once more on KOWS in West Sonoma County on a bright Saturday morning. And we make it count with an opening salvo of some country swing from Bob Wills, W. Lee O’Daniel, The Light Crust Doughboys, and Willie Nelson. Not to be outdone, we’ve got bluegrass from The Rice Brothers and our own David Thom, gospel from the Hummingbirds, and a special set celebrating the “Poet of the Blues” Percy Mayfield. We’ll also feature blues from Texas and, if we find the time, early century pop from Frank Crumit and Cliff Edwards. Tune in Saturday morning at 9 on KOWS for a dose of roots sounds from the past century of America’s music with Dave Stroud.

No.
1Artist Title Album Buy
2Asleep at the Wheel/Johnny Gimble Big Balls in Cowtown The Very Best of Asleep at the Wheel Since 1970 Amazon
3Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys I Had Someone Else Before I Had You Tiffany Transcriptions, Vol. 5 Amazon
4The Light Crust Doughboys Blue Guitars Western Swing: Hot Hillbilly Jazz & Blues – 1935-1947 Amazon
5Skeets McDonald Fuss and Fight Skeets McDonald – Heart Breakin' Mama (Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight) Amazon
6W. Lee & His Hillbilly Boys Congratulate Me Western Swing Chronicles Vol. 4 1933-1938 Amazon
7Willie Nelson Cherokee Maiden You Don't Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker Amazon
8Warren Smith Got Love If You Want It The Sun Country Box CD4 So Long, I'm Gone Amazon
9Bobby Hicks & Del McCoury We're Steppin' Out Tonight Bluegrass Number 1's: A Collection of Chart-Topping Songs Amazon
10Ralph Stanley Are You Washed In The Blood A Mother's Prayer Amazon
11Ralph Stanley Dad's Old Rocky Field Old Songs & Ballads Amazon
12The Rice Brothers Grapes On the Vine Bluegrass Number 1's: A Collection of Chart-Topping Songs Amazon
13The David Thom Band The Little White Church That Old Familiar Amazon
14Selah Jubilee Singers I Saw the Light Gospel Quartets 1921-1942 Vol. 2 Amazon
15The Selah Singers I'll Be Satisfied Capitol Records' From The Vaults, Volume 5 – Roots Of Rock 'N' Roll – 1944-53 Amazon
16The Dixie Hummingbirds Christian's Automobile 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of the Dixie Hummingbirds Amazon
17Nina Simone I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free Forever Young, Gifted & Black: Songs Of Freedom And Spirit Amazon
18Aretha Franklin River's Invitation Queen Of Soul: The Atlantic Recordings [Disc 2] Amazon
19Percy Mayfield Strange Things Happening ABC Of The Blues Vol 28 Amazon
20Ray Charles Hit the Road Jack Genius & Soul: The 50th Anniversary Collection Disc 2 Amazon
21Buddy Miller Please Send Me Someone To Love Midnight And Lonesome Amazon
22Freddie King Look On Yonder Wall Woman Across the River Amazon
23The Mississppi Mud Mashers Bring It On Home To Grandma Flashbacks #3 CopulationBlues 1926-1940 Amazon
24Texas Alexander The Risin' Sun As Good As It Gets: Country Blues [Disc 2] Amazon
25Blind Lemon Jefferson Easy Rider Blues Classic Sides Disc 2 Amazon
26Ishman Bracey Woman Woman Blues (Pm 12970, L-239-2) The Rise & Fall of Paramount Records, Volume 2 (1928-1932) Amazon
27Charlie Spand Ain't Gonna Stand For That (Pm 12856, 15454–) The Rise & Fall of Paramount Records, Volume 2 (1928-1932) Amazon
28Jean Brady and Big Bill Broonzy Knocking Myself Out Flashbacks #1 Drug Songs 1917-1944 Amazon
29Lightnin' Hopkins Buddy Brown's Blues (98 Degree Blues) The Complete Prestige-Bluesville Recordings [Disc 2] Amazon
30Frank Crumit There's No One With Endurance grimriper2u@yahoo.com FRANK CRUMIT Amazon
31Cliff Edwards K-K-K-Katy & When You Wore A Tulip CLIFF EDWARDS grimriper2u@yahoo.com Amazon
32Herbert Payne Smoke Clouds Flashbacks #1 Drug Songs 1917-1944 Amazon
33Al Jolson Toot, Toot Tootsie (Goo'bye) 50 #1 Hits Of The '20s & '30s Amazon
34Billy Joe Shaver Hill Country Love Song Oxford American Southern Music Texas Amazon
35Marty Robbins The Strawberry Roan Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs Amazon

Folk & Blues Fusion

Folk & Blues Fusion
Folk & Blues Fusion

We blend sounds of the South with those of the Appalachians, sharing the sounds of performers who were known in different locales, passing lyrics and music, making them pliable as they went from town to town. Recordings were made in hotel rooms, front porches, and music stores by record company representatives who traveled from city to city with primitive recording equipment. By the time the recordings were ‘offloaded’ back at the studios, details of the performers and the differences between black and white were blurred. We’ll hear from the great Riley Puckett, Mississippi John Hurt, The Blue Sky Boys, and Pink Anderson in this week’s episode.

Fair and Warmer – KOWS May 23, 2015

Deeper Roots on KOWS
Deeper Roots on KOWS

The show kicks off with some mid-century country fiddlin’ courtesy of Curly Fox but makes a quick left turn with a set about liars, tattlers, and some straight-forward testifying from Sister Rosetta Tharpe. We’ll also be entertained with some classic roots from the Dallas String Band, Lead Belly, E. C. Ball, and a tribute set to Sam Cooke.

Texas Bluesmen

Texas Bluesmen
Texas Bluesmen

When one thinks of the early influences of the blues, they’re taken down to the Mississippi Delta or maybe into East Georgia, where the Piedmont blues style was born. But Texas is not always a player in the discussion primarily because most do not necessarily know the origins of its native sons even though they may know their names. Let’s try Blind Lemon Jefferson, T-Bone Walker, and Lightnin’ Hopkins to start with and we’ll go on from there. In Friday night’s Deeper Roots show we visit the streets of Deep Ellum, Houston, and Galveston, where many of the performers would ply their trade in the Lone Star State. Although we won’t cover Blind Lemon, we’ll have plenty of music to keep us tapping out toes including Texas Alexander, Pee Wee Crayton, Freddie King, and Stevie Ray Vaughan…and all of the greats who made their name in between.

Free Form – May 2015

Free Form
Free Form

Every so often we like to spend time wandering about the last century of jazz, blues, gospel and country, sharing music that’s not lost, only tucked away. In this week’s episode we’ll do just that and share our first ‘free form’ show of the year with you all. We’ll have blues about clothes being ripped off by Lightnin’ Hopkins and the Chicago Black Swans, a gumbo of Louisiana sounds from the likes of Doug Kershaw, beer toasting Tex Mex from Doug Sahm, and pining bluegrass from Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, and Ralph Stanley. Tune in for another two hours of the very best of the last century of America’s music with Dave Stroud in a show produced exclusively for KWTF community radio.

Deep Elem Blues

Deep Elem Blues
Deep Elem Blues

Get up sleepy heads! West Sonoma County rolls out of bed on a Saturday morning at 9 with LaVern Baker in another episode of Deeper Roots featuring the music of Don Edwards, Jorma Kaukonen, The Boswell Sisters, and Mahalia Jackson (to name but a few). KOWS radio is also propelling itself in an important campaign to extend its broadcast signal to a larger audience across Sonoma County and is in it’s last month of its Indiegogo campaign where we’re asking our listeners to jump into with both feet. Please visit http://tinyurl.com/pom5kkq to donate. You can tune into KOWS on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month to get your regular dose of roots music. And there’s more to discover by visiting our Deeper Rootsweb site.

Home on the Range

Home On The Range
Home On The Rang

Generations of youth over the last century grew up with the images of cowpokes, rustlers, bad guys, and ranching through dime novels, radio, television and, of course, the music. In this episode of Deeper Roots, we focus on the legacy of the ‘cowboy crooners’ and country balladeers who sang about life on the trail alongside the grub wagon on the lone prairie where the imagination could take you anywhere it pleased…and often did. We’ll hear the earliest ‘cowboy songs’ by Vernon Dalhart and Carl Sprague; and we’ll also find ourselves being serenaded (quite gently) by Tex Ritter and Gene Autry who reached out for the generic, mass appeal. The music was full of tradition as well and we’ll hear some contemporary reflections from David Wilkie And Cowboy Celtic, Jim Lauderdale, and (of course) Waylon, Willie, Merle, and Johnny.

Back To The Cotton Club

Back To the Cotton Club
Back To the Cotton Club

We follow up to a previous episode and get back to the music of the Cotton Club, the jewel that grew out of the Harlem Renaissance. While it featured the top shelf acts of Harlem, it was also the typical whites-only club where African-Americans could perform but not attend. Despite these Jim Crow policies, what the Cotton Club brought us was a legendary lineup of performers and performances that rivals none in the history of jazz. Our show features the music of Fletcher Henderson, Cab Calloway and his sister Blanche, Duke Ellington, Jimmie Lunceford and others whose careers were launched there.