It’s a two hour Robert Johnson tribute on Deeper Roots Radio: A Century of America’s Music. Legend has it…yes, we have all heard the story. But it is the music that makes us want to believe. In a short recording career where he recorded less than thirty tracks over two sessions, the songs are all his by identification. When you hear the Stones’ cover of “You Got to Move”, or virtually any that Johnson recorded…you overlook their lineage somewhat because their heritage began in the hotel room where he recorded them. We’ll hear from Rory Block, Robert Lockwood, Jr., Nigel Watson & Peter Green, and Bob Brozman as Deeper Roots celebrates the music of Robert Johnson.
Mac Rebennack’s been around and the music, the culture, the people…they’ve embellished his art with a character like no other in roots music. He’s known them all: James Booker, Professor Longhair, Huey Smith, and Doc Pomus. He’s performed with them, composed for them, and broken bread with them. And when he takes the stage, whether that is in the traditional Indian celebratory garb or the frocked coat and hat, you can be certain that his performance will get your attention. He is coarse yet gentle, as punctual on the keys as he is laid back and lazy with them. This week’s show will sample a small set of his contributions to the American songbook including performances by Roland Stone, B.B. King, Charlie Rich, Solomon Burke, and Irma Thomas. And we’ll also hear plenty from the good Doctor himself.
No.
1
Artist
Title
Album
Buy
2
Dr. John
Right Place Wrong Time
Definitive Pop Collection
3
Dr John/Mac Rebennack
Sahara (LP Version)
Mos' Scocious: The Dr. John Anthology [Disc 1]
4
Roland Stone [Dr. John]
Down The Road (LP Version)
Mos' Scocious: The Dr. John Anthology [Disc 1]
5
Mac Rebennack
Good Times
The History of New Orleans Rhythm & Blues [Disc 5]
6
Clarence "Frogman" Henry
Long Lost And Worried
Ain't Got No Home: The Best Of Clarence "Frogman" Henry
7
Art Neville
What's Going On
His Specialty Recordings
8
Johnny Jenkins
Walk On Gilded Splinters
Duane Allman Anthology 2 [Disc 2]
9
Dr. John
Black Widow Spider
Definitive Pop Collection
10
Dr. John
(Everybody Wanna Get Rich) Rite Away
Destively Bonnaroo (US Release)
11
Dr. John The Night Tripper
Wash Mama Wash
The Atco/Atlantic Singles 19681974
12
Dr. John
Big Chief
The Atco/Atlantic Singles 19681974
13
Irma Thomas
I Never Fool Nobody But Me
If You Want It, Come and Get It
14
Delaney & Bonnie
When the Battle Is Over
The Best of Delaney & Bonnie
15
Solomon Burke
Make Do With What You Got
Make Do With What You Got
16
Dr. John
Hen Layin' Rooster
The Best Of The Parlophone Years
17
Dr. John
Let the Good Times Roll
The Ultimate Dr. John
18
Dr. John
My Indian Red
Goin' Back To New Orleans
19
Dr. John
Sweet Home New Orleans
The Best Of The Parlophone Years
20
Dr. John
Memories Of Prof. Longhair
Mos' Scocious: The Dr. John Anthology [Disc 2]
21
Marianne Faithfull
Hello Stranger
A Perfect Stranger: The Island Anthology [Disc 2]
22
Crescent City Gold
Kick It Raw
The Ultimate Session
23
Bluesiana Triangle
Need To Be Loved
Bluesiana Triangle
24
Charlie Rich
Pictures and Paintings
Pictures and Paintings
25
Dr. John
Eh Las Bas
N'awlinz: Dis, Dat Or D'Udda
26
Dr. John
Old Settlers
Live at Magfest 2014
27
B.B. King & Dr. John
There Must Be A Better World Somewhere
Deuces Wild
28
Dr. John
Let's Make a Better World
The Ultimate Dr. John
29
Dr. John
When You're Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You)
Our final show at the old KOWS studio will feature the lineup you might expect…with a couple of themes running through it. The ‘take me back’ theme works well as we bring in Tennessee Ernie Ford, Jimmy Rushing, and Peter Rowan to make the plea and we’ve got the gospel themed pleas of working on a building from The Highway QCs. In addition, we’ve got some doo-wop, some ladies whose theme was ‘blues is her business’, and a run of country swing and bluegrass…all packed into two hours of elementary roots. Tune in after dinner for dessert.
No.
1
Artist
Title
Album
Buy
2
Tennessee Ernie Ford
Take Me Back And Try Me One More Time
Masters 1949-1976 [Disc 3]
3
Shannon Grayson
I Like The Old Time Way
Favorite Sacred Songs
4
Wade Mainer
Streamlined Religion
1961 King Session
5
Grandpa Jones
You And My Old Guitar
Makes The Rafters Ring
6
Larry Cordle & The Virginia Luthiers
Train On The Island
Orthophonic Joy
7
The Whitstein Brothers
Where Will You Build
Sing Gospel Songs of the Louvins
8
John Fogerty
Workin' on a Building
The Blue Ridge Rangers
9
The Highway QC'S
Working On a Building
Great Gospel – Maybe the Last Time
10
The Clara Ward Singers
Come By Here
Meetin' Tonight!
11
The Dixie Hummingbirds
Two Little Fishes (And Five Loaves of Bread)
20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of the Dixie Hummingbirds
12
The Dixie Hummingbirds
Bedside Of A Neighbor
Thank You For One More Day: The 70th Anniversary Of The Dixie Hummingbirds
13
Marie Knight
Satisfied With Jesus
Hallelujah What A Song!
14
Sheiks
Walk That Walk
Atlantic Vocal Groups – [Disc 1] – Jumpin' & Bluesy
15
Garnet Mimms
Cry Baby
The Best of Garnet Mimms: Cry
16
The Five Royales
I Like It Like That
R&B Greats – Think
17
The Five Royales
Someone Made Me For You
Dedicated To You
18
Steve Cropper
Someone Made You For Me (Steve Cropper with Dan Penn)
Dedicated – A Salute To The 5 Royales
19
Sam Cooke
You Were Made For Me
Portrait Of A Legend 1951-1964
20
Bessie Smith
I'm Wild About That Thing
The Saucy Songs (1928-1938)
21
Victoria Spivey With Clarence Williams' Blue Five
My Handy Man (f. Victoria Spivey)
Eddie Lang & Joe Venuti: The New York Sessions 1926-35
22
Ida Cox & Her Allstar Band
Four Day Creep
Blues From The Vocalion Vaults
23
Dinah Washington
Blow Top Blues
Blues Was Her Business
24
Bonnie Raitt
Women Be Wise
Bonnie Raitt
25
Fats Waller
(Take Me Back To) The Wide Open Places
compliments of grimriper2u@yahoo.com
26
Asleep at the Wheel/The Blind Boys of Alabama
The Devil Ain't Lazy
Reinventing the Wheel
27
Milton Brown & His Musical Brownies
Somebody's Been Using That Thing
Western Swing Chronicles Vol. 1: Milton Brown & His Musical Brownies
28
Ted Daffan's Texans
Born To Lose
26 All-Time Country Classics
29
Adolph Hofner
Let's Count The Stars
You Oughta See My Fanny Dance: Unissued Western Swing 1935-1942
30
Jimmy Rushing
Take Me Back, Baby
ABC Of The Blues Vol 38
31
Buck Owens
Take Me Back Again
Act Naturally
32
Peter Rowan And Don Edwards
Take Me Back To The Range
High Lonesome Cowboy
33
Merle Haggard/Willie Nelson
Missing Ol' Johnny Cash
Django and Jimmie
34
Johnny Cash
Tear Stained Letter
American IV: Man Comes Around
35
Earl Scruggs
Gospel Ship
The Earl Scruggs Revue: Anniversary Special, Volumes One & Two
Saturday morning in West County…our first week of summer with Deeper Roots and we’ve got an early set of New Orleans swamp classics followed by shreds of rockabilly and sounds from The Killer. There’s also gospel with The Staple Singers, high octane early century pop from The Boswell Sisters and Johnny Hamp and the Orchestra. We’ll sum the day up with folk, pop, and R&B…and everything in between.
No.
1
Artist
Title
Album
Buy
2
Bobby Marchan
Chicken – Wah – Wah
The History of New Orleans Rhythm & Blues [Disc 1]
3
Lazy Lester
I'm a Lover, Not a Fighter
Louisiana & The Old New Orleans Sound
4
Irma Thomas
Ruler of My Heart
Soul Queen of New Orleans
5
Aaron Neville
Get Out Of My Life
Brother To Brother ([Disc 1]: Aaron)
6
Fats Domino
What a Price
Fats Domino Out of New Orleans
7
Shirley Gunter
Oop Shoop
Shirley Gunter
8
Jerry Lee Lewis
Let's Talk About Us
A Half Century Of Hits [Disc 1]
9
Wanda Jackson
Man, We Had A Party
Queen Of Rockabilly
10
JD McPherson
Fire Bug
Signs & Signifiers
11
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Two Little Fishes Five Loaves Of Bread
Gospel Train
12
Sam Cooke
Touch The Hem Of His Garment
The Wonderful World Of Sam Cooke
13
The Staple Singers
Pray On
The Best of the Vee-Jay Years
14
Dorothy Love Coates
You Better Run
The Best Of Dorothy Love Coates And The Original Gospel Harmonettes
15
Andy Mosely & Hogman Maxey
Brother Mosely Crossed The Water
Angola Prison Spirituals
16
Blind Willie Johnson
Jesus Is Coming Soon
The Complete Blind Willie Johnson (Disc 1)
17
Lena Horne
Stormy Weather
Stormy Weather
18
Johnny Hamp And His Kentucky Serenaders
If I Had A Talking Picture Of You
Johnny Hamp at Archive
19
The Boswell Sisters
Shuffle Off To Buffalo
The Object Of My Affection
20
George Olsen & His Music (v: Fran Frey)
The Varsity Drag [1927]
The Charleston Era
21
Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers
Shreveport Stomp
Jelly Roll Morton – Vol. V
22
Louis Armstrong
On Treasure Island
Rhythm Saved The World
23
Django Reinhardt & Stiphane Grappelli
It Don't Mean A Thing
Quintesential
24
Dinah Washington
Teach Me Tonight
Gold [Disc 2]
25
Ray Charles
Drown in My Own Tears
The Birth of Soul Disc 2
26
Chuck Jackson
Any Day Now (My Wild Beautiful Bird)
Chuck Jackson The Great Recordings [Disc 1]
27
Frank Sinatra
Just in Time
Come Dance with Me!
28
Sarah Vaughan
The Nearness Of You
Great American Songbook
29
Charlie Spand & Blind Blake
Hastings Street
Down In The Basement: Joe Bussard's Treasure Trove Of Vintage 78s: 1926-1937
30
Pine Ridge Boys
Farther Along
Classic Field Recordings
31
David Bromberg
I Like To Sleep Late In The Morning
The Player: A Retrospective
32
Doc Watson
Steel Guitar Rag
Memories
33
The Country Gentlemen
One Morning in May
The Complete Vanguard Recordings
34
The Stanley Brothers & The Clinch Mountain Boys
This Weary Heart You Stole Away
Appalachian Stomp
35
The Stripling Brothers
The Lost Boy
Down In The Basement: Joe Bussard's Treasure Trove Of Vintage 78s: 1926-1937
Fat Tuesday or, translated to French, Mardi Gras, comes but once a year and signals the penitential season of Lent. It also provides us with an outlet for the many things that we do as part of our celebration. One of them involves the backdrop of music. We’ll visit the sounds introduced by the Second Line of “Sugar Boy” Crawford, Fats Domino, and Stop, Inc. We’ll follow with The Meters, Bo Dollis and The Wild Magnolias, Louis Armstrong, and many others in a show that separates our locales by almost 2000 miles. Join Dave Stroud for the big beat coming from the French Quarter, Bourbon Street, and the Mississippi waterfront in our newest episode, another produced exclusively for KWTF, 88.1 FM, member-supported community radio for Bodega Bay, Sonoma County, California.
It’s part two of our “Chicago Breakdown” series. In Part I, we explored the early days that promised what was to come but in Part II, we feel the warm wind of change from the south that would meet with the cold winds off of the Great Lakes. It created a vortex where jazz and barrelhouse would reign.
The urban cauldron in this city of big shoulders would fill with a sound that had its roots in the Mississippi Delta , from the cotton plantations and delta heat, and the juke joints that could be found down the side roads off of Highway 61. The Great Migration also provided those who relocated and found work with disposable income allowing them to establish a new life in a big city after the Great Depression and, most certainly, after the war. The resulting energy was inescapable in the clubs and barrooms throughout Chicago.
It’s the first of a two part series here on Deeper Roots, exploring the history of Chicago Blues, beginning with its jazz influences. The city of Chicago played a major role in the evolution of jazz as an American musical art form. And there are many reasons for it. Its locale, its ‘big shoulders’ of industry that attracted young workers from throughout the nation in the first half of the century, and its atmosphere of clubs and cabarets that stimulated the market for accomplished entertainment.
Our first episode covers the early jazz of King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, and Johnny Dodds but also covers the blues of Memphis Minnie, Peetie Wheatstraw, Big Maceo, and Tampa Red…classic Chicago sounds of performers who ‘built the city’ as one that invite post-War inheritors of the Great Migration.
Some time ago, Deeper Roots explored the female blues pioneers of the early century in a show called “Black Pearls”. In this week’s episode, we’re going to move forward in time a bit, into the mid-century to explore the ‘inheritors’, those women who were influenced by the blues stylings of Sara Miles, Sippie Wallace, and Victoria Spivey. Performers this week will include Julia Lee, Lil Armstrong, Nellie Lutcher, and many others in an episode titled “Blues Divas”. Post-Depression and Post-War jazz, R&B, and blues sounds from some of the influential female artists who, in step with their early century counterparts, would go on to provide a foundation for the many who would follow. Be sure to tune in.
This episode will look at the roots of Honky Tonk: a place where, on one side of the track you, as Roosevelt Sykes points out in “The Honeydripper”, you had the blues performer as Doctor who prescribed Blues as a cure for the Blues and on the other, you had the country sound of Moon Mullican who demanded that the beer bottles danced on the table when the band got rockin’. We’ll spend our time exploring the early sounds of Big Maceo, Albert Ammons, and Jimmy Yancey and move down yonder to the country bars where boogie woogie was also understood. The country honky tonk sounds of Merrill Moore, Bobbie Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, and a handful of others will get their chance to entertain. Boogie woogie came to the country and it was retooled and renamed as honky tonk.
Blues is the sound we share with you in this episode of Deeper Roots and we’ve got two solid hours of sounds from the Mississippi Delta, Chicago, and the clubs, juke joints, and barrooms found at points in between. Based on a fine blog post by the great American roots music author Peter Guralnick that you can find here, we follow what we found to the letter and note. You’ll hear the sounds of Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, Otis Spann, and Robert Nighthawk in a playlist the Guralnick handed to his son as a reverent introduction to the music that’s inspired his writing and passion for American roots music.
