Category Archives: Deeper Roots on KWTF

The Dust-to-Digital Label

Dust-to-Digital Label
Dust-to-Digital Label

Our weekly KWTF show is about a label whose chief purpose is the resurrection of that curious mix of ephemera, folklore, ancestry, and musicianship that reveals itself as folk music: whether it be pre-Monroe bluegrass, gospel, blues, or early pop. The label I speak of is Dust-To-Digital and we’ll scratch the surface of some of the great work that they’ve issued since 1999, the year Lance Ledbetter and his wife April open shop in Atlanta, Georgia.Their mission is the same as it was then: to produce high quality cultural artifacts.

Pitchfork magazine put it this way: “Although the folklorists lugging around tape recorders (and the performers carrying on ancient traditions) are worthy of much heralding, it’s equally astounding how essential Lance Ledbetter’s work at Dust-to-Digital has been to the preservation of traditional American folksong. It’s easy to buy and appreciate these sets without realizing that the bulk of the material might have been lost — or, at the very least, tethered to archives, readily accessible only to curious faculty, paper-writing students, and bespectacled researchers — without Ledbetter’s interference.”

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1Jimmy MurphyWe Live A Long Time To Get OldDesperate Man BluesAmazon
2Tennesee MessaroundsMandolin BluesDesperate Man BluesAmazon
3Lonnie JohnsonDeath Valley is Just Half Way To My HomeDesperate Man BluesAmazon
4Chubby ParkerBib-a-lollie-boo…I Listen to the Wind That Obliterates My TracesAmazon
5Ernest ThompsonIn the Baggage Coach Ahead…I Listen to the Wind That Obliterates My TracesAmazon
6Roy Smeck TrioReaching for the Moon…I Listen to the Wind That Obliterates My TracesAmazon
7Lew ChildreIt Don't Do Nothing but Rain…I Listen to the Wind That Obliterates My TracesAmazon
8Sara Martin & Sylvester WeaverI've Got to Go and Leave My Daddy Behind…I Listen to the Wind That Obliterates My TracesAmazon
9Sister O.M. TerrellThe Bible's RightGoodbye, Babylon – Deliverance Will Come [Disc 2]Amazon
10Mahalia JacksonGod's Gonna Separate The Wheat From The TaresGoodbye, Babylon – Introduction [Disc 1]Amazon
11The North Carolina Cooper BoysDaniel In The Den Of LionsGoodbye, Babylon – Deliverance Will Come [Disc 2]Amazon
12Moses WilliamsThe TrainDrop On Down in Florida [Disc 1]Amazon
13Emmett MurrayShe's a Fool, She Ain't Got No SenseDrop On Down in Florida [Disc 1]Amazon
14Rev. Johnny L. JonesHuff Construction Company (Radio Commercial)The Hurricane That Hit AtlantaAmazon
15Rev. Johnny L. JonesI Love the LordThe Hurricane That Hit AtlantaAmazon
16Dorothy LeeYou Got to Give an Account (feat. Norma Jean, Shirley Marie Johnson & Robert nighthawk Johnson)Sorrow Come Pass Me Around: A Survey of Rural Religious Black MusicAmazon
17Babe StovallWhen the Circle Be UnbrokenSorrow Come Pass Me Around: A Survey of Rural Religious Black MusicAmazon
18Robert nighthawk JohnsonCant No Grave Hold My Body DownSorrow Come Pass Me Around: A Survey of Rural Religious Black MusicAmazon
19Henagar Union Sacred Harp ConventionSave, Lord, or We Perish 224I Belong to This Band: Eight-Five Years of Sacred Harp RecordingsAmazon
20Denson's Sacred Harp Singers of Arley, AlabamaNinety-Fifth 36BI Belong to This Band: Eight-Five Years of Sacred Harp RecordingsAmazon
21Brother Claude ElySend Down The RainSatan Get BackAmazon
22Uncle Eck Dunford and Ernest StonemanBarney McCoyLead Kindly LightAmazon
23The Allen BrothersSkipping and FlyingLead Kindly LightAmazon
24Georgia Yellow HammersMary Don't You WeepLead Kindly LightAmazon
25Charlie Parker and Mack WoolbrightMan Who Wrote the Home Sweet Home Never Was a Married ManLead Kindly LightAmazon
26Loveless Twins QuartetLead Kindly LightLead Kindly LightAmazon
27The Morrison Twin Brothers String BandOzark WaltzArkansas at 78 RPM: Corn Dodgers & Hoss Hair PullersAmazon
28Dr. Smith's Champion Hoss Hair PullersJust Give Me the LeavingsArkansas at 78 RPM: Corn Dodgers & Hoss Hair PullersAmazon
29Wonder State HarmonistsTurnip GreensArkansas at 78 RPM: Corn Dodgers & Hoss Hair PullersAmazon
30Pope's Arkansas MountaineersJaw BoneArkansas at 78 RPM: Corn Dodgers & Hoss Hair PullersAmazon
31Clarence AlexanderDisability Boogie WoogieParchman Farm: Photographs And Field Recordings: 19471959Amazon
3222 & GroupThe Prettiest Train I Ever SawParchman Farm: Photographs And Field Recordings: 19471959Amazon
33Henry RatcliffLook For Me In LouisianaParchman Farm: Photographs And Field Recordings: 19471959Amazon
34Willie WashingtonMy Jack Dont Drink No WaterParchman Farm: Photographs And Field Recordings: 19471959Amazon
35The David Thom BandWindy CityThat Old FamiliarAmazon

Modern Americana in Tradition

Modern Americana in Tradition
Modern Americana in Tradition

We revisit tradition and roots with a number of contemporary performers who honor the American musical heritage with new arrangements, new interpretations, and songs whose lyrics might take on a different meaning in a new time. What was ripe for picking in the first part of the century might not mean all of the same in our world today. We’ll hear songs of love, death, destitution, prostitution, farmer’s work, the sky above and the sea below… You’ll hear Americana releases from as far back as 1971 and we’ll include a number of tracks from this year…the year 2015…with the one thing in common being that the songs performed have stories that go further back and, in most cases, go so far back that they are considered traditional.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1Van Dyke Parks/MondrianSail Away LadyThe Harry Smith Project Live Vol. 2Amazon
2The Wailin' JennysLong Time TravellerFirecrackerAmazon
3Rosanne CashMotherless ChildrenThe ListAmazon
4Cyd Cassone/Ruthie FosterDeath Came a Knockin' (Travelin' Shoes)StagesAmazon
5Steve MartinSweet Heaven When I DieOrthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions RevisitedAmazon
6Pharis and Jason RomeroGoodbye Old PaintA Wanderer I'll StayAmazon
7Spuyten DuyvilStewballThe Social Music Hour Vol. 1Amazon
8Alison KraussCluck Old HenEvery Time You Say GoodbyeAmazon
9Robert Earl Keen, Jr.East Virginia BluesHappy Prisoner: The Bluegrass SessionsAmazon
10Adkins & LoudermilkSwing Low Sweet ChariotAdkins & LoudermilkAmazon
11She & HimSwing Low Sweet ChariotVolume OneAmazon
12Ben Harper & The Blind Boys Of AlabamaIf I Could Hear My Mother Pray AgainThere Will Be a LightAmazon
13Allen ToussaintSt. James InfirmaryThe Bright MississippiAmazon
14Ashley MonroeThe Storms Are On The OceanOrthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions RevisitedAmazon
15Uncle TupeloNo DepressionNo DepressionAmazon
16Band Of RuhksLost HighwayBand Of RuhksAmazon
17Dave Alvin & the Guilty MenWhat Does the Deep Sea Say?Public Domain: Songs from the Wild LandAmazon
18MudcrutchShady GroveMudcrutchAmazon
19Dwight Yoakam/The Nitty Gritty Dirt BandSome Dark HollerDwight's Used RecordsAmazon
20Rhiannon GiddensRound About the MountainTomorrow Is My TurnAmazon
21Leo KottkeCripple CreekMudlarkAmazon
22David JohansenLet The Mermaids Flirt With MeShakerAmazon
23David Johansen & The Harry SmithsRichland WomanDavid Johansen and the Harry SmithsAmazon
24The BoxmastersKnoxville GirlThe Boxmasters Disc 2Amazon
25Bruce SpringsteenShenandoahWe Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions [DualDisc] Disc 1Amazon
26Bruce SpringsteenO Mary Don't You WeepWe Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions [DualDisc] Disc 1Amazon
27Charlie HadenOld Joe ClarkCharlie Haden Family & Friends – Rambling BoyAmazon
28The DuhksBanjo RoustaboutBeyond the BlueAmazon
29Kate & Anna McGarrigleGreen Green Rocky RoadHigh On A MountainAmazon
30Emmylou HarrisBury Me Beneath The WillowOrthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions RevisitedAmazon

Hillbilly Fever

Hillbilly Fever
Hillbilly Fever

The sound was simple, fun, and certainly influential. It evolved from ancestral celebrations…finding its groove by the mid 1930s and playing itself out as a popular voice well through the early days of what was termed the Golden Age of Country Music, the 1950s. The entertainment industry collectively shunned the hillbilly term by the mid-50s, choosing the more sedate “Country and Western” moniker and certainly the even more narcoleptic sound of Nashvile going into the coming decade and beyond. Hillbilly music lives today only as splinter and special edge-case Americana. Listen and find out.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1The Delmore BrothersHillbilly Boogie26 All-Time Country ClassicsAmazon
2Sons of The OzarksPlantation BluesHillbilly BluesAmazon
3The Lone Star CowboysDeep Elm BluesHillbilly BluesAmazon
4Ernest Tubb & Red FoleyDon't Be Ashamed Of Your AgeHillbilly Fever [Disc 2]Amazon
5Bill CarlisleBell Clappin' MamaHillbilly BluesAmazon
6Al DexterHi-De-Ho Boogie On A Saturday NightStompin' Singers & Western Swingers ([Disc 4] Saturday Night Rag)Amazon
7Al DexterPistol Packin' MamaPistol Packin' MamaAmazon
8Curly WilliamsSouthern BelleCountry & Western, Vol.2 [Disc 5]Amazon
9Cliff Bruner's Texas WanderersBring It On Home To GrandmaTheme Time Radio Hour – Season 3 – [Disc 1]Amazon
10Cliff Bruner's Texas WanderersI Was A Gambler In TexasStompin' Singers & Western Swingers ([Disc 4] Saturday Night Rag)Amazon
11Faron YoungIf You Aint Lovin' (You Aint Livin')Hillbilly Fever – Vol. 3: Legends Of NashvilleAmazon
12W. Lee O'Daniel & His Hillbilly BoysThere'll Be Some Changes MadeOkeh Western SwingAmazon
13Clyde Moody08 – Nobody's BusinessThe Hillbilly Waltz KingAmazon
14Little Jimmy DickensHillbilly FeverRoughneck Blues 1949 – 1956Amazon
15Grandpa JonesIt's Raining Here This Morning (Remake)Hillbilly Bop 'n' Boogie: King/Federal Roots of Rockabilly 1944 – 56Amazon
16Ocie Stockard & His WanderersBass Man JiveWestern Swing: Hot Hillbilly Jazz & Blues – 1935-1947Amazon
17Joe Maphis & Rose LeeDim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud, Loud Music)Hillbilly Fever: Vol. 4 – Heroes Of Country Music – Vol. 4: Legends Of The West CoastAmazon
18Hank PennyHadacillin BoogieKing Of Hillbilly Bebop [Disc 2]Amazon
19Hank PennyHillbilly JumpKing Of Hillbilly Bebop [Disc 2]Amazon
20Billy Jack Wills & His Western Swing BandTroubles (Those Lonesome Kind)Hillbilly Fever! Vol. 1: Legends Of Western SwingAmazon
21Redd StewartBrother Drop Dead (Boogie)Hillbilly Bop 'n' Boogie: King/Federal Roots of Rockabilly 1944 – 56Amazon
22Charlie GoreI Put My Britches On Just Like Everybody ElseHillbilly Bop 'n' Boogie: King/Federal Roots of Rockabilly 1944 – 56Amazon
23Speedy West & Jimmy BryantBryant's BounceSwinging Hollywood Hillbilly CowboysAmazon
24Red FoleyChoc'late Ice Cream ConeHillbilly Fever [Disc 2]Amazon
25The Light Crust DoughboysLittle Hillbilly Heart ThrobStompin' Singers & Western Swingers ([Disc 1] Hot Mama Stomp)Amazon
26Skeets McDonaldScoot Git And BegoneSwinging Hollywood Hillbilly CowboysAmazon
27Jimmy BryantJelly Beans DaddySwinging Hollywood Hillbilly Cowboys: The West Coast IndiesAmazon
28Luke WillsFour Or Five TimesSwinging Hollywood Hillbilly Cowboys: The West Coast IndiesAmazon
29Rose Maddox & Her BrothersSally Let Your Bangs Hang DownSwinging Hollywood Hillbilly Cowboys: The West Coast IndiesAmazon
30Robbie FulksWe Live A Long Time To Get Old13 Hillbilly GiantsAmazon
31The Ranch Girls & Their Ragtime WranglersHillbilly Jive With a Boogie BeatCan You Hear It?Amazon
32Larry Nolen & The BanditsHillbilly Love AffairBear Family "Perfect for Parties" Highlight AlbumAmazon
33The Osborne BrothersHillbilly FeverWorld's Hottest BluegrassAmazon
34Bill KirchenHillbilly Truck Drivin' ManTied to the WheelAmazon
35Junior BrownHillbilly Hula Gal12 Shades of BrownAmazon
36BR5-49Little Ramona (Gone Hillbilly Nuts)BR5-49Amazon
37BR5-49Cherokee BoogieBR5-49Amazon

Roots of R&B

Roots of R&B
Roots of R&B

“Rhythm n’ Blues” and “Rock n’ Roll” were both born of a raw sound that was an amalgam of lyrical call-and-response, the upbeat bounce of barrelhouse and juke joint piano, traditional rhyme, and an abundance of musical brilliance from the many itinerant performers who plied their trade. This week on Deeper Roots we’ll go find the “Roots of R&B” and find a stage that we often visit, spending time with the performers that we seem to always find in its lights. Big Bill Broonzy, Roosevelt Sykes, Leroy Carr, Memphis Minnie, and Lonnie Johnson are just a sampling of the music we’ll bring you on our show produced especially for KWTF 88.1 FM, listener-supported community radio for Sonoma County.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1Mamie SmithCrazy BluesFolk Blues & Gospel: Will the Circle Be UnbrokenAmazon
2Tampa RedIt Hurts Me TooCountry Blues [Disc 1]Amazon
3Tampa RedAnna Lou BluesThe Guitar Wizard (The Blues Collection Vol.51)Amazon
4Leroy CarrHow Long-How Long BluesWhiskey Is My Habit, Women Is All I Crave: The Best of Leroy Carr Disc 1Amazon
5Little Brother MontgomeryVicksburg Blues (Pm 13006, L-502-1)The Rise & Fall of Paramount Records, Volume 2 (1928-1932)Amazon
6Little Brother MontgomeryNo Special Rider Blues (Pm 13006, L-501-1)The Rise & Fall of Paramount Records, Volume 2 (1928-1932)Amazon
7Roosevelt Sykes44 BluesThe Honey DripperAmazon
8Roosevelt SykesNight Time Is The Right TimeAs Good As It Gets: Country Blues [Disc 2]Amazon
9Georgia TomThe Duck Yas-Yas-YasBill Wyman's Blues Odyssey [Disc 1]Amazon
10Georgia TomHear Me Beefin' at YouComplete Recorded Works, Vol. 1 (1928-1930)Amazon
11Tampa Red;Georgia TomDead Cats On The LineTampa Red The Guitar WizardAmazon
12Blind Boy FullerTruckin' My Blues AwayCountry Blues [Disc 1]Amazon
13Bill "Jazz" GillumKey To the Highway [Remastered 2002]That's Chicago's South Side (When the Sun Goes Down series)Amazon
14Bill 'Jazz' GillumGo Back to the CountryHeartbreakers Blue & LonelyAmazon
15Lonnie Johnson6 / 88 GlideSteppin' On The BluesAmazon
16Lonnie JohnsonFurniture Man Blues Pt. 1 (w/Victoria Spivey)Complete Recordings Vol. 4Amazon
17Memphis MinnieBumble BeeQueen Of Country BluesAmazon
18Memphis MinnieMe And My Chauffeur BluesBlues Was Her BusinessAmazon
19Roosevelt SykesDrivin' WheelChicago BoogieAmazon
20Bill "Jazz" Gillum W/ Big Bill BroonzyJockey BluesBroke, Black & Blue [Disc 3] : Good Whiskey BluesAmazon
21Bill "Jazz" GillumSarah JaneVintage Songs of Sex, Drugs & CigarettesAmazon
22Washboard SamBucket's Got a Hole in It [Remastered 2002]That's Chicago's South Side (When the Sun Goes Down series)Amazon
23Washboard SamLet Me Play Your VendorVol. 6 1941 – 1942Amazon
24Big Bill BroonzyHow You Want It DoneBlues From The Vocalion VaultsAmazon
25Big Bill BroonzyKey to the HighwayColumbia Records' 125th Anniv.Amazon
26Big Bill BroonzyI Can't Be SatisfiedABC Of The Blues Vol 5Amazon
27Speckled RedThe Dirty DozenBill Wyman's Blues Odyssey [Disc 1]Amazon
28Speckled RedThe Dirty Dozen Pt 2Rude DudesAmazon
29Speckled RedYou Got to Fix It [Remastered 2002]That's Chicago's South Side (When the Sun Goes Down series)Amazon
30Speckled RedPinetop's Boogie WoogieClassic Piano BluesAmazon
31Sunnyland SlimIllinois Central [Remastered 2002]That's All Right (When the Sun Goes Down series)Amazon
32Arthur CrudupMean Old Frisco BluesLonesome Whistle – An Anthology Of American Railroad SongAmazon
33Arthur CrudupThat's All Right MamaBob Dylan Presents: Cover to Cover – The OriginalsAmazon

Songs About Doctors

Songs About Doctors
Songs About Doctors

We go to the theme well once more on Deeper Roots, this time with music that explores the tincture of hadacol, the sick bed blues, the boogie woogie flu, measles, whooping cough, and snake oil…all in a show full of the very best of music about being sick in bed and sending for the doctor from the last century of big band, jazz, country, blues, and rock.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1Betty HuttonDoctor, Lawyer, Indian ChiefHoagy Carmichael. Stardust – 51 Original Mono Recordings 1924-1957Amazon
2Doc PomusSend for the Doctor (Doctors)Bob Dylan Presents: Radio Radio, Theme Time Radio Hour, Vol. 3Amazon
3Huey "Piano" Smith & His ClownsRockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu (Part 1)Having A Good Time with Huey 'Piano' Smith & His Clowns – The Very Best Of, Volume 1Amazon
4Huey "Piano" SmithWould You Believe it, I Have a Cold (Doctors)Bob Dylan Presents: Radio Radio, Theme Time Radio Hour, Vol. 3Amazon
5Doctor RossCall The Doctor (Hi-Q 5033, 1963)Rhythm & Blues Goes Rock & Roll/Volume 2 [Disc 7]Amazon
6Doctor RossThe Boogie DiseasePlug It In! Turn It Up! – Teil 1: Die Anfdnge 1939 – 1954Amazon
7Roy Byrd & His Blues JumpersHadacol Bounce'Fess: The Professor Longhair Anthology [Disc 1]Amazon
8Jerry Lee LewisHadacol BoogieA Half Century Of Hits: Rockin' My Life Away [Disc 3]Amazon
9Ray CharlesI Don't Need No DoctorBMG Vol. 01 Disc 03 1966-1971Amazon
10Joan OsborneI Dont Need No DoctorBring It On HomeAmazon
11Artie ShawDr. Livingstone, I Presume?The Artie Shaw Story – Disc 3 – FrenesiAmazon
12Benny GoodmanDr. Heckle and Mr. JibeTexas Tea PartyAmazon
13Daddy Stovepipe & Mississippi SarahThe SpasmGood For What Ails You: Music Of The Medicine Shows 19261937Amazon
14Walter SmithThe Cat's Got the Measles, the Dog's Got the Whooping CoughGood For What Ails You (2) Music Of The Medicine Shows 1926-1937Amazon
15Bert MaysSnake Doctor BluesBlues From The Vocalion VaultsAmazon
16Memphis MinnieDoctor, Doctor BluesMemphis Minnie – Queen of Country Blues, 1929 – 1937 [Disc 4]Amazon
17South Memphis Jug BandDoctor MedicineFolks, He Sure Do Pull Some Bow!Amazon
18Bill Nettles & His Dixie Blues BoysHadacol Boogie (Doctors)Bob Dylan Presents: Radio Radio, Theme Time Radio Hour, Vol. 3Amazon
19Shorty GodwinJimbo Jambo LandGood For What Ails You: Music Of The Medicine Shows 19261937Amazon
20Rev. Johnny L. JonesI Don't Need A Doctor (Sermon Excerpt)The Hurricane That Hit AtlantaAmazon
21Boyd RiversYou Gonna Take Sick and DieLiving Country Blues: An Anthology Disc 1Amazon
22Skip JamesSick Bed Blues [Album Version]Hard Time Killing Floor BluesAmazon
23Casey Bill WeldonLady Doctor BluesBottleneck Guitar Trendsetters Of The 1930sAmazon
24Mance LipscombMother Had A Sick ChildAsh Grove 12/6/1964Amazon
25Mississippi SheiksWhen You're Sick With The BluesComplete Recorded Works Vol. 3Amazon
26Warren ZevonDon't Let Us Get SickLife'll Kill YaAmazon
27Willie NelsonToo Sick To PrayOne Hell Of A RideAmazon
28Dan Hicks & The Hot LicksI Asked My DoctorLast Train To Hicksville… The Home Of Happy FeetAmazon
29The Rolling StonesDear DoctorBeggars BanquetAmazon
30J.J. CaleCall The DoctorNaturallyAmazon
31Guada La Habrians/Phil AlvinOh, DoctorCounty Fair 2000Amazon
32Boz ScaggsSick And TiredCome On HomeAmazon
33Otis ReddingI'm Sick Y'AllComplete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of SoulAmazon
34Irma ThomasDoctor FeelgoodThe Story of My LifeAmazon

Back to Bakersfield

Back To Bakersfield
Back To Bakersfield

Deeper Roots heads down the long hot stretch of 99 to California’s Central Valley to visit the country sound that blew in from every direction…starting with the Dust Bowl. Bakersfield was a first step, a way station, for migrant workers coming into California to escape hard times in the Midwest; their treatment by the small minds of fearful communities being little different than those migrants we think of today. “In the years following World War II, Bakersfield had plentiful honky-tonks including the soon-to-be-famous Blackboard Cafe. People drank, danced, and even fought to Western swing music.” The sound of Nashville began to become watered down, losing its appeal to some who thought it had lost a reverence for the heart and soul of working class Country. We’ll hear from Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Wynn Stewart, Tommy Collins, and Billy Mize and tip our cap to a great book on the subject of the Bakersfield sound and the history of Country Music: Workin’ Man Blues written by local author and Central Valley native, Gerald Haslam.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1Merle HaggardWorkin' Man BluesCapitol Collector's SeriesAmazon
2Hank ThompsonWaiting In The Lobby Of Your HeartMost Of AllAmazon
3Slim WhitmanSong Of The Old Water WheelVintage CollectionsAmazon
4Billy BartonBlues in the Blue of NightThe Other Side of Bakersfield, Vol. 1; 1950s & 60s Boppers and Rockers from 'Nashville West'Amazon
5Fuzzy OwenArkie's Got Her Shoes OnThe Other Side of Bakersfield, Vol. 1; 1950s & 60s Boppers and Rockers from 'Nashville West'Amazon
6Tommy CollinsUntiedThe Other Side of Bakersfield, Vol. 1; 1950s & 60s Boppers and Rockers from 'Nashville West'Amazon
7Tommy CollinsYou Better Not Do ThatHillbilly Fever: Vol. 4 – Heroes Of Country Music – Vol. 4: Legends Of The West CoastAmazon
8Tommy CollinsErnest Tubb 78sOne More Record PleaseAmazon
9Billy MizeSolid SenderThe Other Side of Bakersfield, Vol. 1; 1950s & 60s Boppers and Rockers from 'Nashville West'Amazon
10Bonnie Blue Bell & Leon Reach & Chic Adams BandLet's GoThe Other Side of Bakersfield, Vol. 1; 1950s & 60s Boppers and Rockers from 'Nashville West'Amazon
11Bill WoodsGo Crazy ManThe Other Side of Bakersfield, Vol. 1; 1950s & 60s Boppers and Rockers from 'Nashville West'Amazon
12Buck OwensHot Dog (with Danny Dedmon)The Other Side of Bakersfield, Vol. 1; 1950s & 60s Boppers and Rockers from 'Nashville West'Amazon
13Buck OwensTake Me Back AgainBuck OwensAmazon
14Buck OwensAct NaturallyThe Buck Owens Collection (1959-1990) [Disc 1]Amazon
15Buck OwensDown, Down, DownBuck 'Em: The Music of Buck Owens (1955-1967)Amazon
16Wynn StewartBig Big LoveCalifornia CountryAmazon
17Wynn StewartAnother Day, Another DollarCome On – Gonna Shake This ShackAmazon
18Wynn StewartYou're That Someone ElseCome On – Gonna Shake This ShackAmazon
19Merle HaggardThe Roots Of My RaisingCapitol Collector's SeriesAmazon
20Merle Haggard And The StrangersToday I Started Loving You Again (2006 Digital Remaster)Hag: The Best of Merle HaggardAmazon
21Merle Haggard; Ray Price; Vince Gill; Willie NelsonHeartaches by the NumberLast of the Breed Disc 1Amazon
22Jean ShepardA Dear John LetterHillbilly Fever: Vol. 4 – Heroes Of Country Music – Vol. 4: Legends Of The West CoastAmazon
23James Burton And Ralph MooneyI'm A Lonesome FugitiveCorn Pickin' And Slick Slidin'Amazon
24Ferlin HuskyHeart of Stone1949-1950 (Warped 498F)Amazon
25Ferlin HuskyFreckles and Polliwog DaysFerlin Husky SinglesAmazon
26Connie SmithAin't Had No Lovin'The Essential Connie SmithAmazon
27Dwight Yoakam & Buck OwensStreets Of BakersfieldThe Best Of Classic Country 80'sAmazon
28Dwight YoakamThe Sad Side of TownTomorrow's Sounds TodayAmazon
29Dwight YoakamGuitars, CadillacsReprise Please Baby: The Warner Bros. Years Disc 1Amazon
30The BlastersBlue ShadowsTestament: The Complete Slash Recordings (1981-1985) (1 of 2)Amazon
31The BlastersHey, GirlTestament: The Complete Slash Recordings (1981-1985) (2 of 2)Amazon
32The BlastersAmerican MusicTestament: The Complete Slash Recordings (1981-1985) (2 of 2)Amazon
33Dave AlvinCalifornia's BurningDave Alvin and The Guilty WomenAmazon
34Dave AlvinOut in CaliforniaInterstate CityAmazon
35Merle Haggard And The StrangersThe Legend Of Bonnie And Clyde (2006 Digital Remaster)Hag: The Best of Merle HaggardAmazon
36Wynn StewartWishful ThinkingGolden Age of Country Volume 2: Hard-to-Find Hits [Disc 2]Amazon
37Buck OwensThe Band Keep's Playin' OnBuck 'Em: The Music Of Buck Owens (1955-1967)Amazon

Songs of the Century – Misses

Songs of the Century - The Misses
Songs of the Century – The Misses

Join us on our second of two episodes exploring the Top 30 songs of the 20th century as it is so suggested by the Record Industry Association of America (RIAA)…this time, however, Dave Stroud suggests 30 that he believes were worthy of the list but which either a) did not make the list or was b) buried further down the larger list of 365. The fun continues. Last week we discovered that “Over the Rainbow” was #1 and that “Rhapsody in Blue” was nowhere to be found on the larger list. This week we get payback and find songs like “Blue Moon of Kentucky”, “Rocket 88″, and “West End Blues” our own list. Our list too is not without controversy.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1The BeatlesNorwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)Rubber Soul [Capitol Album]Amazon
2Artie Shaw & His OrchestraBegin The BeguineKen Burns Jazz [Disc 3]Amazon
3Paul RobesonOl' Man RiverColumbia Records' 125th Anniv.Amazon
4Bob DylanLike a Rolling StoneBiograph Disc 1Amazon
5Ray CharlesGeorgia on My MindGenius & Soul: The 50th Anniversary Collection Disc 2Amazon
6Carl PerkinsBlue Suede ShoesBob Dylan Presents: Cover to Cover – The OriginalsAmazon
7Elvis PresleyMystery TrainArtist of the Century Disc 1Amazon
8Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass BoysBlue Moon of KentuckyColumbia Records' 125th Anniv.Amazon
9Sidney BechetSummertimeSummertimeAmazon
10Jackie BrenstonRocket 88Martin Scorsese Presents The BluesAmazon
11Dave BrubeckTake FiveTime Signatures: A Career RetrospectiveAmazon
12Patsy ClineCrazyI Got A Woman : Gems From The Decca Vaults [Disc 1]Amazon
13Big Joe TurnerShake, Rattle & RollLoud, Fast & Out of Control: The Wild Sounds of the '50s [Box] Disc 1Amazon
14Cab Calloway & His OrchestraMinnie The Moocher (Brunswick Version)Jukebox Hits 1930-1950Amazon
15Hank WilliamsYour Cheatin' Heart24 GreatestAmazon
16Glen CampbellGentle On My MindGlen Campbell 20 Greatest HitsAmazon
17Fisk Jubilee SingersSwing Low, Sweet ChariotRecordings In Chonological Order, Vol. 2: 1915-1920Amazon
18Vernon DalhartThe Prisoner's SongNipper's Greatest Hits: The 20'sAmazon
19Led ZeppelinStairway To HeavenLed Zeppelin IVAmazon
20Johnny CashI Walk The LineOriginal Greatest HitsAmazon
21The BeatlesWith a Little Help from My FriendsSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club BandAmazon
22Fats WallerAin't Misbehavin'Fats Waller Greatest HitsAmazon
23Bob Wills & His Texas PlayboysSan Antonio RoseColumbia Records' 125th Anniv.Amazon
24Original Dixieland Jazz BandTiger RagRCA Victor Jazz/The First Half-Century: The 20'sAmazon
25Billie HolidayGod Bless the ChildColumbia Records' 125th Anniv.Amazon
26Louis ArmstrongHeebie JeebiesThe Complete Hot Five And Hot Seven Recordings [Disc 1]Amazon
27Louis Armstrong & His Hot FiveWest End BluesColumbia Records' 125th Anniv.Amazon
28Elvis PresleyHeartbreak HotelElvis' Golden Records (Volume 1)Amazon
29Paul WhitemanRhapsody in BlueGreatest HitsAmazon
30W.C. HandySt. Louis BluesJazzin' the BluesAmazon

Songs of the Century

Songs of the Century
Songs of the Century

The Record Industry Association of America (RIAA) produced a list a few years back that they called the “Songs of The Century”. It was concocted based on a questionable set of sampling and was to represent and “promote a better understanding of America’s musical and cultural heritage.” The voting pool was a strange mixture elected officials, school students and teachers, as well as industry professionals. The respondent pool was about 200. The list is woefully inadequate but certainly worth discussing. Deeper Roots will spend this week exploring the top 30 (of 365) and follow up with its own list in a second episode next week. Listen in as we stretch the imagination.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1John LennonImagineImagineAmazon
2Gladys Knight & The PipsMidnight Train To GeorgiaSingers And Songwriters: 1973-Amazon
3The BeatlesI Want to Hold Your Hand [Stereo]The Capitol Albums, Vol. 1 Disc 1Amazon
4Chuck BerryJohnny B. GoodeJohnny B. Goode-His Complete 50's Chess RecordingsAmazon
5Lena HorneStormy Weather (From "Stormy Weather")The Essential Lena Horne – The RCA YearsAmazon
6Ben E. KingStand By MeMalt Shop Memories Save the Last Dance for MeAmazon
7The Beach BoysGood VibrationsEndless SummerAmazon
8Tony BennettI Left My Heart in San FranciscoThe Essential Tony Bennett [Columbia/Legacy] Disc 1Amazon
9Otis Redding(Sittin' On) The Dock of the BayThe Very Best of Otis Redding, Vol. 1Amazon
10Marvin GayeI Heard It Through the GrapevineMotown: The Classic Years Disc 2Amazon
11John Philip SousaStars And Stripes ForeverThe March King: John Philip Sousa Conducts His Own Marches and Other Favorites (An Historical Recording)Amazon
12Kate Smith With OrchestraGod Bless AmericaNippers 30's-Vol.1Amazon
13Fats DominoBlueberry HillOut Of New Orleans, Vol. 4Amazon
14Duke Ellington & His OrchestraTake The "A" TrainKen Burns Jazz [Disc 3]Amazon
15The Rolling Stones(I Can't Get No) SatisfactionSingles Collection: The London Years Disc 1Amazon
16Bobby DarinMack The KnifeMagic Moments: Best Of 50's Pop (Disc 3)Amazon
17Jimmie DavisYou Are My SunshineBob Dylan Presents: Cover to Cover – The OriginalsAmazon
18Louis Armstrong & His OrchestraWhen The Saints Go Marching InPete Fountain Presents The Best Of Dixieland: Louis ArmstrongAmazon
19Bill Haley & His Comets(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock (Single Version)Rock Around The ClockAmazon
20Glenn Miller & His OrchestraIn the MoodThe Centennial Collection Disc 1Amazon
21Scott JoplinThe Entertainercompliments of grimriper2u@yahoo.comAmazon
22The Righteous BrothersYou've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'Malt Shop Memories: All I Have To Do Is Dream (Disc 2)Amazon
23Billy Murray & Haydn QuartetTake Me Out To The Ball Gamewww.allaoijr.comAmazon
24Leonard BernsteinWest Side Story OvertureWest Side StoryAmazon
25The Andrews SistersBoogie Woogie Bugle Boy20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection – The Best Of The Andrews SistersAmazon
26Don McLeanAmerican PieAmerican Pie [Bonus Tracks]Amazon
27Aretha FranklinRespect30 Greatest Hits [Disc 1]Amazon
28Woody GuthrieThis Land Is Your LandThis Land Is Your Land: The Asch Recordings Vol. 1Amazon
29Bing CrosbyWhite ChristmasBing Crosby's Greatest HitsAmazon
30Judy GarlandOver The RainbowThat's Entertainment! The Best Of The MGM MusicalsAmazon
31George GershwinRhapsody in BlueNipper's Greatest Hits: The 20'sAmazon

Songs of Protest

Songs of Protest
Songs of Protest

This week’s show on KWTF runs down a century’s worth of protest music. We’ve got some of the familiars, but we’ve also got some of the not-so-familiars.  Out playlists will focus on a couple of the major issues of half century ago that we find ourselves embroiled in today. We’ll hear civil rights anthems and performances from some of the more emphatic musical voices of the sixties that were railing against a war. You’ll also hear topics of union organizing and social justice including the sounds of Nina Simone, Bob Dylan, Billie Holiday, Pete Seeger, the SNCC Freedom Singers, Marvin Gaye, and many others.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1Pete SeegerWaist Deep In The Big MuddyThe Essential Pete SeegerAmazon
2Joseph Crawford and unidentified vocalistThere's A Meeting Here Tonight2- The Long Road To Freedom : An Anthology Of Black MusicAmazon
3Sncc Freedom SingersWe Shall OvercomeVoices Of The Civil Rights Movement, [Disc 2] (Ensembles)Amazon
4Billie HolidayStrange FruitKen Burns Jazz [Disc 2]Amazon
5Josh WhiteStrange FruitJosh White – The Remaining Titles (1941-1947)Amazon
6Mavis StaplesWe Shall Not Be Moved (Cd)We'll Never Turn BackAmazon
7Hollis WatkinsOh FreedomVoices Of the Civil Rights MovementAmazon
8Aaron NevilleOh FreedomI Know I've Been ChangedAmazon
9SNCC Freedom Singers; Reagon, CordellWhich Side Are You On?Voices Of The Civil Rights Movement, [Disc 2] (Ensembles)Amazon
10Phil OchsI Ain't Marching AnymoreFarewells & Fantasies [Disc 1]Amazon
11The Almanac SingersWhich Side Are You OnDust Bowl Blues: Essential American Folk [Disc 2]Amazon
12Curtis Mayfield & The ImpressionsPeople Get ReadyAkeelah And The Bee (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)Amazon
13Jean RitchieBlack WatersTroubadours: Folk And The Roots Of American Music 4: 11 The SouthAmazon
14Bob DylanBlowin' In The WindFolk, Gospel & Blues Will The Circle Be Unbroken Disk 2Amazon
15Bruce SpringsteenEyes on the PrizeWe Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions [DualDisc] Disc 1Amazon
16Barry McGuireEve Of DestructionEve Of DestructionAmazon
17Tom PaxtonLyndon Johnson Told The NationBest Of Tom Paxton: I Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm BoundAmazon
18Buffalo SpringfieldFor What It's WorthRetrospective – The Best of Buffalo SpringfieldAmazon
19Creedence Clearwater RevivalFortunate Son36 All – Time Greatest Hits 3 CD Set (Disk 3)Amazon
20Marvin GayeInner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)The Promised Land – Original Soundtrack [Disc 2]Amazon
21Sam CookeA Change Is Gonna ComePortrait Of A Legend 1951-1964Amazon
22Nina SimoneI Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be FreeSilk and Soul (Expanded Edition)Amazon
23Ethel WatersWhat Did I Do to Be So Black and Blue?Ethel Waters 1929 -1939 (feat. Duke Ellington & Benny Goodman)Amazon
24Peter, Paul & MaryWhere Have All The Flowers GonPeter, Paul & MaryAmazon
25OdettaSometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child7 Classic Albums Plus Bonus Radio TracksAmazon
26Paul RobesonNo More Auction BlockClassic Folk Music From Smithsonian FolkwaysAmazon
27Southern SonsLift Every Voice And Sing (1942)1940's Vocal Groups: Southern Sons (1941-44) & Richmond's Harmonizing Four (1943)Amazon
28Bruce CockburnIf I Had A Rocket LauncherWaiting For A Miracle: Singles 1970-1987Amazon
29Pete Seeger & The Almanac SingersUnion MaidAmerican Roots- A History Of American Folk Music: [Disc 4]Amazon
30Bob DylanMasters of WarBiograph Disc 1Amazon
31Crosby, Stills, Nash & YoungOhioSo FarAmazon
32Woody GuthrieThis Land Is Your LandThis Land Is Your Land: The Asch Recordings Vol. 1Amazon

Connections II

Connections II
Connections II

We take another trip down the roots rabbit hole with the usual selections of blues, bluegrass, country, gospel, and tradition in a show that follows a thread that begins with The Del McCoury Band’s bluegrass cover of Mama’s Hungry Eyes and winds its way to conclusion down the endless black ribbon. In between we’ve got kind words and last words, chain gangs and jailers, and songs about bird dogs and mockingbirds. The show is a special ‘stream of musical roots consciousness’ called “Connections”.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1Del McCouryMama's Hungry Eyes (feat. Emmylou Harris)MoneylandAmazon
2Merle HaggardMama TriedThe Lonesome Fugitive: The Merle Haggard Anthology 1963-1977 [Disc 1]Amazon
3Sugar Pie DeSantoMama Didn't Raise No FoolDown In The BasementAmazon
4Rodney CrowellFamous Last Words of a Fool in LoveTarpaper SkyAmazon
5David JohansenThe Last Kind WordsShakerAmazon
6Rhiannon GiddensLast Kind WordsTomorrow Is My TurnAmazon
7Geeshie WileyLast Kind WordsMississippi MastersAmazon
8Geeshie Wiley and Elvie ThomasPick Poor Robin CleanMississippi MastersAmazon
9Gennett Sound EffectsMocking Bird…I Listen to the Wind That Obliterates My TracesAmazon
10The Nitty Gritty Dirt BandListen To The MockingbirdStars And Stripes ForeverAmazon
11Doc WatsonBird DogDocabillyAmazon
12The Everly BrothersI'm Here To Get My Baby Out Of JailSongs Our Daddy Taught UsAmazon
13Steve Earle & The V-RoysIn The Jailhouse NowThe Songs Of Jimmie Rodgers: A TributeAmazon
14Johnny CashI'm Free from the Chain Gang NowAmerican V: A Hundred HighwaysAmazon
15Wynona SweetPlease Mr. JailerCry-BabyAmazon
16Johnny TillotsonJailer Bring Me WaterThe Tillotson TouchAmazon
17Doyle Lawson & QuicksilverJesus Gave Me WaterJubilation! Great Gospel Performances: Vol. 3: Country GospelAmazon
18Elvis PresleyBosom of AbrahamHe Touched Me: The Gospel Music of Elvis Presley Disc 2Amazon
19The Golden Gate QuartetRock My SoulRock My Soul & Other Gospel FavoritesAmazon
20Louis ArmstrongRock My SoulLouis And The Good BookAmazon
21Bob DylanHighway 61 RevisitedHighway 61 RevisitedAmazon
22Band Of RuhksLost HighwayBand Of RuhksAmazon
23Hank WilliamsLost HighwayBob Dylan Presents: Cover to Cover – The OriginalsAmazon
24Steve Earle & The Dukes (& Duchesses)Down The Road Pt IIThe Low Highway [+digital booklet]Amazon
25Tiny HarrisEndless Black RibbonLonesome Highway SongsAmazon
26Nat King ColeA Little Yellow RibbonChronological Classics: Nat King Cole 1949Amazon
27Sonny James & Taylor*KarlaTie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak TreeClassic Country DuetsAmazon
28Connie SmithRibbon Of DarknessThe Essential Connie SmithAmazon
29Willie NelsonScarlett RibbonsStardust [Bonus Tracks]Amazon
30Grateful DeadScarlet BegoniasGrateful Dead From the Mars HotelAmazon
31Gillian WelchScarlet TownThe Harrow & The HarvestAmazon
32David OlneyOne Tough TownOne Tough TownAmazon
33Fats WallerLulu's Back In TownHoneysuckle RoseAmazon
34Nathan Glantz & His Orchestra (v: Chick Straun)Don't Bring Lulu [1925]The Charleston EraAmazon