Fats Waller was a master of stride piano, a style that emerged in the early 20th century and became a cornerstone of jazz. His virtuosity in this style influenced countless pianists who came after him. But he is remembered most for his songwriting and the lively and humorous quality to his performances, incorporating all of these elements into his music. His ability to infuse joy and playfulness into his compositions and improvisations set him apart and made his music accessible to a wide audience. His contributions to the Great American songbook include jazz standards like “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Honeysuckle Rose,” and “Black and Blue” which have been covered by countless artists over the years. This morning on Deeper Roots, we drop in to revel in the music, humor, warmth and charisma that was Thomas “Fats” Waller.
Category Archives: American Popular
The Year in Music 1959
Popular culture in 1959 was marked by a dynamic mix of artistic and societal shifts. The music scene was dominated by the rise of rock and roll shaping the sound of the era. It found itself rising above the simple adult contemporary and country sounds of the day. Iconic films such as “Some Like It Hot” and “Ben-Hur” showcased a diverse range of storytelling and cinematic styles and cultural narratives found a place in television, with shows like “The Twilight Zone” captivating audiences with thought-provoking and imaginative storytelling. The boomers were reaching their teen years, the space race was launched and a torch was about to be passed in Washington. Our show today spins the top tracks from each of the pop, country, R&B and rock charts reflecting a year of cultural transition, encapsulating the tension between traditional values and the evolving influences of a changing world. Everyone from Johnny Horton and Marty Robbins to Lloyd Price, The Fleetwoods, and Bobby Darin…all in one two hour show on KOWS Community Radio.
The Real Thing
A two hour collection of some of the very best from the past century is what the doctor ordered. Seems like it often is. Today’s Deeper Roots journey features an eclectic blend of genres, topics, and performances, all tuned to the discerning ear. We’ll be bringing you some subtle jazz vibes from Mose Allison, story songs about Caldonia, sweet soul duets from Marvin Gaye and Chuck Jackson, gospel from the Pilgrim Travelers, and plenty of boot heel country from BR5-49 and Little Jimmy Dickens. That’s not all…by far. We’ll hear a new light hearted cover from Luther Dickinson, a song about the Old Kelly Place from “The Real McCoy”, Don Covay, and Bobby “Blue” Bland. What better way to kick off your holiday season, right? There’s turkey in the fridge and the wreath will be going up on the door. Tune in why don’t you?
Making Believe
Fresh from a couple of weeks away, we’re going for the easy listening, classic pieces from the Great American Songbook. Join Dave Stroud on a dream-laden journey on the waters of the past century of America’s music as he pairs up some of the classic ballads and torch songs from the past. Mostly crooners but there’s plenty of jazz and pop standards to celebrate. We’ll hear pairings from The Mills Brothers and Les Paul & Mary Ford, Sinatra and Sarah Vaughan, Rosemary Clooney and Leon Redbone, Etta James, Billie Holiday, and Peggy Lee. That’s the short list. We’ll hear versions of “Fever”, “Dream”, “Smile”, “April in Paris” and “Autumn Leaves” in a show that reminds us that so many of these pop standards hold up well when put to the test of time. Drop by on a Friday morning where there’s whispering grasses among the autumn leaves here on Sonoma County Community Radio.
Mix Master’s Delight
An eclectic free form blend of sounds featuring a variety highlighted by Memphis Minnie, T-Bone Burnett, The Rascals, The Miracles and Carole King…plus over a dozen others in our last show of summer 2023. As the walls of justice close in on traitors and seditionists, we lean on the hope that the constitutional provision that prevents their ilk from ever holding office is the key to saving democracy. Politics aside, the music this week features songs about baking biscuits, diamonds, shopping around, head spinning and what it’s like living here in the U.S.A. Friday morning’s Deeper Roots is a blend of classic and deep tracks designed to set the table for the weekend, right here on Community Radio for West Sonoma County and the world. Tune in, turn on but don’t, just don’t, drop out.
Hair’s On Fire
It’s summer and what better time to roll out the scorchers; vocals with an emphasis on big beats, screamin’ guitars and performances that sweat quite profusely in the noonday sun. This week on Deeper Roots we’ll be digging through the archives of early rock, rhythm & blues and rockabilly for some tumultuous and head-splitting numbers from the past. Songs that woke up the neighbors if only played at a moderate level and woe be the terrified fifties’ parents when they heard the hi-fi blaring these songs from the youngster’s room. We’ve put together a collection of wildcat tamers, killer dillers, and not a bit of filler in the show today that will leave you breathless. Among those sparking the fuel that could set the hair on fire are Tarheel Slim, Jimmy Breedlove, Chan Romero, Big Mama Thornton, and the one and only Richard Penniman. Tune in for another Friday morning collection of the very best from the past century with your host, Dave Stroud, on KOWS Community Radio.
Flying Home
A fine blend of vintage sounds on the show today, all driving down a free form track. The blend mixes gospel from Mavis Staples, some classic mid-century rock from Little Feat and Rick Nelson, all dressed up alongside to lounge and cool jazz sounds of Frank Sinatra, Lionel Hampton, Pearl Bailey, and a some classic and contemporary tunes featuring the late, great Tony Bennett. We’ve got Zydeco, classic and contemporary country, some alternative sounds from E and the Eels to share as well. We enjoy sharing a mix of the very best in a free form show every month or so and today will not disappoint. There will also be some recent tracks from Sarah Jarosz, Charley Crockett and The Brother Brothers to measure up against the throwback sounds. We’d be glad to have you once again; just dial-up your internet browser to kowsfm.com/listen or, if you’re on the run, take us with you on your mobile device by installing the KOWS app from the Google Play store or Apple App Store.
Celebrating Tom Waits
This week we’ll spend our two hours in a shroud of barroom musk, out-of-tune brass, and painted ladies all spent before the tunes of an American treasure. We speak of Tom Waits. The New York Times, in a review of Barney Hoskyns’ 2009 biography of Tom Waits, Lowside of The Road describes our subject today thusly: “He is as potent and unpredictable a musical force as most of us have witnessed in our lifetimes, and that’s not faint praise. The graveyard croak of his gravelly, bellowing baritone is righteous, paint-scraping, unmistakable; it scatters small animals and slaps your synapses to startled attention. With what’s left of your adrenalized wits, you can attend to his mordant lyrics, which he packs into songs he divides (as his wife, Kathleen Brennan, put it) into two primordial categories: “the grand weeper” and “the grim reaper”. He’s our neighbor here in Sonoma County and we could not be more proud of the boy…really.
Summer Sun
Summer’s here and you know what that means…we’ll be running through a bit of theme, this time with the focus on all that we celebrate in summer. With the Fourth of July coming up we’ll turn our attention to barbecues, baseball, ice cream treats, the warmth of the sun, swimming holes, and everything summer. Tune in for some terrific tracks from Dean Martin, Johnny Rivers, The Four Preps, Walter Wanderly and a whole lot more. It took us six months for the days to get longer and now it’s another six months of diminished daylight but that’s what make three other seasons something to relish…I guess. So whether you’re shipping kids off to summer camp, planning for this year’s visit to the Fair, or planning a trip to a ballpark or beach, know that it’ll be warmer than colder and we’re here to play the background music here on Sonoma County Community Radio, KOWS-LP, 92.5 FM Occidental, streaming to all over this big blue marble on kowsfm.com/listen.
Cynthia Weil Tribute
In a June Substack tribute to Cynthia Weil’s legacy, Dan Epstein of “Jagged Time Lapse” observed that the “modern pop songbook would be significantly slimmer and less life-affirming without their work”. The ‘their’ referring, of course, to her husband and songwriting partner Barry Mann. From their early Brill Building output which included “Uptown” (The Crystals), “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (The Righteous Brothers), and “Walking In The Rain” (The Ronettes), to the chart-topping 80s classics of “Don’t Know Much” (Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville) and “Here You Come Again” (Dolly Parton), Cynthia Weil’s contributions to popular music were indeed affirming. This week’s Deeper Roots pays due respect to Cynthia, who was married to Barry Mann for almost 62 years, and was lyricist to his music. Their contributions to the sound of rock and roll and pop music in the 1960s rivaled luminaries like Burt Bacharach, Carole King and Neil Diamond.