“The only thing that interests me is history – reviewing the past and making something out of it”. A man after our own heart here at Deeper Roots, shining bright like that old harvest moon. We lost Leon this past week and his family lovingly announced his passing with the following prose deserving of the mysterious Mr. Redbone: “It is with heavy hearts we announce that early this morning, May 30th 2019, Leon Redbone crossed the delta for that beautiful shore at the age of 127. He departed our world with his guitar, his trusty companion Rover, and a simple tip of his hat. He’s interested to see what Blind Blake, Emmett, and Jelly Roll have been up to in his absence.” We’ll take some time to honor the music that so inspired this delightful entertainer who elevated the blues, early century pop, and country into a form that extracted the joy of life and bottled like fine wine over the past 40 years. We’ll even reach into the Redbone bins for a handful of delightful covers. A simple tip of our hat to Leon as he crosses to the other shore…
Category Archives: Jazz
Mambo Baby!
Well, it might be a bit of a stretch, and it might have been a bit of a fad, but it also flavored the beverage. Mambo. A lively mix born of a Latin dance of Cuban descent in the 30s and introduced by Perez Prado to an American audience in the 40s. It found it’s way into the popular music culture from big band to jazz and R&B. This week’s show samples some of the performances that were totally infected by its rhythm. We’ll hear from Mickey Baker, Wynonie Harris, and Tiny Grimes on the R&B side as well as the bandleaders who brassed it up including Perez Prado, Desi Arnaz, and Xavier Cugat.
Bayou R&B
Back to the bayou once more. This time we keep our focus with laser precision on the rhythm and the blues swirling around in the stew that is Louisiana and the southern climes. You can look forward to some straight ahead blues from Katie Webster, B. B. King, and Lonesome Sundown as well as rhythm vocals from the likes of Art Neville, The Del-Chords, and Joe Richards. I’m telling you…you won’t be hearing anything like it anywhere on Sonoma County radio. It’s a down and dirty bayou collection including selections from the Ace UK archives, the Chess label, and includes some special treats from Little Richard, The Spiders, and King Karl.
Who We Lost 2018
We’ll circle back to the past twelve months on Deeper Roots’ Friday evening with a little bit of reverence and a whole lot of thanks. While this past year struck what could be a mortal blow to democracy as we know it, a number of greats (both high profile and ‘under the radar’) were lost along the way. The names may not be so easy to collate with only two hours to share but we’ll do our best. Remembering Clarence Fountain, Eddy Clearwater, Otis Rush, Eugene Pitt, Marty Balin, Lorrie Collins, Tony Joe White, Roy Clark, and so many others on a Friday evening on Sonoma County community radio. Tune into our last show of the year and help us remember what these performers brought us.
Louisiana Gumbo
Back to the bayou. Back to Bourbon Street. From a house of blues to the small clubs out across the river. We’ll be taking a journey into the deeper wells where the influences include urban blues, jazz, French Acadian, Caribbean, and African American. And one could argue a handful of others. It’s all there in the sounds of south where the pianos and guitar amps are wired into a foundation of tradition…as if performed from a garage or cabin. Cookie & The Cupcakes’ swamp pop, swamp rock from Randy & The Rockets, New Orleans busking from Snooks Eaglin, classic piano noodling from the Professor and Dr. John, and a warm bouillabaisse of southern musical cuisine from Dave Bartholomew and Fats Domino all served up on a Friday evening celebrating a few of the treats on community radio for Sonoma County, KOWS.
Eight to the Bar
It’s a free form collection that knows no boundaries. Dynamic sounds from the past century of America’s music including tracks from Kinky Friedman, Hank Snow, Clara Ward, The Charioteers, and a host of others from every corner. We’ll be sharing The Old Spinning Wheel, a parlor song; songs about a baseball and silver screen legend; and gospel from the deeper wells. Join Dave Stroud for another Deeper Roots evening on KOWS Community Radio.
100 Years Ago
We’re taking this ‘Century of America’s Music’ theme quite serious this week. The tracks we’ll be playing are from the the first few decades of the 20th Century. Parlor music had lost its attraction by the turn of the century in favor of minstrel, vaudeville, and the emergence of Tin Pan Alley. Ragtime and jazz would evolve in an organic manner and blues would inform much of the jazz and band music that would become popular with the advent of the Victrola. Music today includes tracks from Vernon Dahlart, Billy Murray, Frank Crumit, and Ben Selvin & His Orchestra as we find the music of the teens and early 20s on a show that keeps our tagline strong. Tune in for this celebration of American popular music in its infancy.
Early Female Pop Vocals
Here’s to the pioneering pop mavens. Don’t think we won’t draw a little bit outside the lines as well in this show, bringing in flappers, jazz, and novelty sounds. The groups and solo acts are thoroughly represented with the likes of Marion Harris, Ruth Etting, Billie Holiday, Kate Smith, and The Andrews Sisters. We’ll go a little bit further and bring you songs to uplift in hard times, ring with a bit of jingoism in war time, and celebrate the good times in every way possible. West County radio will get a good dose of the best of the early and mid-century popular music…all from the ladies.
Songs About Morning
Morning is one of those times between. Break of day elicits many emotions as it’s always a new start. Those occurrences that affect the heart have always been prime fodder for words and music so we’ve reached into the song bin from the past century for a theme for this morning: morning. Tune in for some classics and some not-so-knowns. We’ve got Baez and Dylan, Dearie and Day, Bromberg and Kottke, McDowell and Leadbelly, all with a tune to spin about morning. And we’ll also take you into a pop-themed set featuring Frankie’s classic “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning”. Tune in.
A Dreamer’s Holiday
Sit back and relax. Today’s Deeper Roots takes on a quieter mood with easy and sweet pop melodies from the past century. Dreamy classics from the American Songbook featuring the likes of Ray Charles, Leon Redbone, Willie Nelson, Sam Cooke, The Pied Pipers, and many more. From the 1930s to the 2010s, this week’s show contains the polish of moonlight, the wisp of clouds against a blue sky, and a trip to the Isle of Golden Dreams. Something to ponder…a dream or two…adrift like smoke rings in low light. All for our West County fans on Community Radio.