April 26, 2010

Black Diamond Show Playlist for 4/26/10; WNHU, 88.7 FM, West Haven, CT & www.wnhu.net

A little under the weather today, so not much commentary--except that I enjoyed putting this show together for y'all. . . .
Thanks for your continued support!

1 Don Stover -- Black Diamond
2 Gibson Brothers -- Whisper in my ear
3 The Rhythm Rats -- Willow Garden
4 Three Stripped Gears -- Blackberry Rag
5 Kathy Louvin & Pamela Brown Hayes -- I wish you knew
6 Alison Krauss & Union Station -- Oh, Atlanta
7 Earl Scruggs, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, et al. -- Flint Hill Special
8 Hank Williams -- The Tennessee Border
9 Jim & Jesse & the Virginia Boys -- Gosh I miss you
10 Hedy West -- Don't go down that lonesome road
11 Red Allen, Frank Wakefield & the Kentuckians -- Deep Elum Blues
12 Big Medicine -- The Old Grey Mare
13 Dirk Powell -- Texas Bells
14 The Bluegrass Album Band -- Ocean of Diamonds
15 David Grisman & Tony Rice -- Good Old Mountain Dew
16 Kenny & Amanda Smith Band -- I've got more to go to heaven for
17 Double Decker String Band -- Cotton-Eyed Joe
18 Chris Brashear & Peter McLaughlin -- Where the City Ends
19 Red Parham & the Haywood County Ramblers -- All Bound Down
20 Clay Buckner & Beverley Cotton -- Colored Aristocracy
21 Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys -- Midnight on the Stormy Deep
22 Here Today -- The Children are Crying
23 Nashville Mandolin Trio -- Waltz for Bill Monroe
24 The Monroe Brothers -- When our Lord shall come again
25 Kenny Baker -- Festival Waltz
26 The Stanley Brothers -- I love no one but you
27 Chance McCoy & the Appalachian String Band -- Cranberry Rock
28 Merle Travis -- I like my chicken fryin' size
29 The White Brothers & Alan Munde (New Kentucky Colonels) -- I'm Blue and I'm Lonesome
30 The Chicken Chokers -- Polecat Blues
31 The Dreadful Snakes -- Linda Lou
32 Craig Johnson -- Ladies on the Steamboat
33 David Grisman & Tony Rice -- I don't want your mandolins, mister
34 Newfound Road -- My shoes sure know how to get around
35 Craig Johnson -- Lets hunt the horses
36 Flatt & Scruggs & the Foggy Mountain Boys -- I'm working on a road
37 Sierra Hull & Highway 101 -- Smashville
38 Lilly Brothers & Don Stover -- Neath that cold grey tomb of stone
39 Clarence White & Doc Watson -- Soldier's Joy
40 Don Stover -- Black Diamond

April 19, 2010

Black Diamond Show Playlist: 4/19/2010 (WNHU 88.7 FM West Haven, CT, & www.wnhu.net)

Today's show features a lot of interesting songs and tunes--well, I think so. Leon Chappelear's version of the "Crawdad Song" and Joe Hermann's version of "The Riddle Song" are both terrific songs for kids of all ages--from 8 months to 8 decades old! A lot of good old fiddle tunes work their way in, too, including Matt Brown and friends' version of "Billy in the Lowground" (Brittany Haas on the fiddle, Ben Krakauer on the banjo, Matt on guitar, and Mark Schatz on the bass), courtesy of our friends at 5 Strings Productions, and lots of other good stuff--how can you resist the hot dance tunes of Yankee Ingenuity????

The Mary McCaslin and Jim Ringer's version of the Louvin Brothers' "I don't believe you've met baby" is still one of my favorite versions of that tear-jerker. . . in spite of the drums. Speaking of favorite versions, Lefty Frizzell's "Long Black Veil" is THE version, in my opinion, and the Percolators tear up "Kansas City Reel."

Plenty of good bluegrass in today's show, too. The Warrior River Boys' "The gold rush is over" is rapidly becoming one of my favorite heartbreakin' honkey-tonk bluegrass songs. But you know me, Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, and the Stanley Brothers are here, too. . . .

Thanks for your support!

The Playlist:
Don Stover -- Black Diamond
Larry Sparks & the Lonesome Ramblers -- Dark Hollow
The Hoover Uprights -- Rye Straw
Red Knuckles & the Trailblazers (Hot Rize) -- Oh Mona
Merle Travis -- No Vacancy
Mark O'Connor w/ Kenny Baker -- Jerusalem Ridge
Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, & Original Bluegrass Boys -- Sweetheart, you done me wrong
Southern Schoolhouse Rascals -- Ain't got no honey baby now
Warrior River Boys -- The gold rush is over
Clay Allen -- I can't keep smiling
Dailey & Vincent -- Joshua fit the battle
Chance McCoy & The Appalachian String Band -- Lost Girl
Mary McCaslin & Jim Ringer -- I don't believe you've met my baby
Yankee Ingenuity -- Been to the East/ 17 Days in Georgia
Steep Canyon Rangers -- Waiting to hear you call my name
Leftwich & Higginbotham -- No one to bring home tonight
Alison Krauss & Union Station -- Love you in vain
Bob Walters -- Natchez under the hill
Johnson Mountain Boys -- Duncan and Brady
Hank Williams -- Noboby's lonesome for me
Karl Shiflett & Big Country -- Standing in the need of prayer
Art Stamper -- Old Joe Clark
Joe Hermann -- Riddle Song
Stanley Brothers -- Angel Band
The Percolators -- Kansas City Reel
Leon Chappelear & The Lone Star Cowboys -- The Crawdad Song
Paul Williams & the Victory Trio -- He Answered My Plea
Bluegrass Album Band -- Chalk up another one
Sierra Hull & Highway 111 -- Everybody's Somebody's Fool
Adam Hurt -- The Golden West
The Country Gentlemen -- Teach Your Children
Flatt & Scruggs & The Foggy Mountain Boys -- I'm Troubled
Matt Brown & friends -- Billy in the Lowground
Lefty Frizzell -- Long Black Veil
Harley Allen & Mike Lilly Band -- Suzanne
Jim Eanes & The Shenandoah Valley Boys -- I'll never love you anymore
Don Stover -- Black Diamond

April 12, 2010

Playlist for 4/12/10 Black Diamond Show (WNHU, West Haven, CT, 88.7 FM & www.wnhu.net)

I kept saying that this song was great, this one is one of my favorites, this one's terrific--if I do say so myself, if you missed this week's show, you missed a good one! Blue Moon Rising's "Freight Train" and Lonesome River Band's "(Dancing to the) Tune of a $20 bill" are two of my new favorite bluegrass songs. Pete Seeger's singing the old lullaby "Leatherwing Bat" with Bruce Molsky and Tony Trischka sent shivers down my neck. (My son would say that wouldn't happen if I'd turn the heat up!) And I love French Carpenter telling the story of the fiddle contest at Camp Chase before he plays the tune.

Heard from listeners in Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Italy today! Cool--although the traveler in Italy didn't get a chance to hear it on her hotel's network.

As always, thanks for your support!

The Playlist:

Don Stover -- Black Diamond
Longview -- I've lived a lot in my time
Jethro Burns & Red Rector -- I don't love nobody
Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys -- Bubbles in my beer
White Brothers w/Alan Munde (New Kentucky Colonels) -- Blackberry Blossom
Alecia Nugent -- Hillbilly Goddess
Critton Hollow String Band -- Wooden Nickel
Merle Travis -- Three times seven
Ricky Skaggs & Tony Rice -- Talk about suffering
Fuzzy Mountain String Band -- West Fork Girls
Orville Couch -- Weight's what broke the wagon
Blue Moon Rising -- Freight Train
Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys -- Molly & Tenbrooks
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver -- Monroe's Mandolin
The Monroe Brothers -- Little Joe
Art Stamper -- The old hen cackled
Blue Highway -- I am near the gate
The Hollow Rock Stringband -- West Fork Gals (via Lee Triplett)
John Reischman & the Jaybirds -- Say Darling Say
Jim Eanes & the Shenandoah Valley Boys -- Don't let your sweet love die
Hank Williams -- Setting the Woods on Fire
The Stanley Brothers -- Your saddle is empty
French Carpenter -- Camp Chase
Country Gazette -- Sweet Allis Chalmers
Foghorn Stringband -- Biddy
Roy Hall & His Blue Ridge Entertainers -- Can you forgive?
Del McCoury & The Dixie Pals -- Take me in chains
The Lilly Brothers & Don Stover -- Tragic Romance
Seldom Scene -- Sad Old Train
The New Pilot Mountaineers -- The Yellow Rose of Texas
The Louvin Brothers -- My Baby's Gone
Tony Trischka -- Salt Creek
Jim & Jesse -- Are you missing me?
Boiled Buzzards -- Grey-haired Dancing Girls
Lonesome River Band -- Tune of a $20 Bill
The Delmore Brothers -- Remember, I feel lonesome, too
Flatt & Scruggs & The Foggy Mountain Boys -- Legend of the Johnson Boys
Pete Seeger, Tony Trischka, & Bruce Molsky -- Leatherwing Bat
Jethro Burns & Red Rector -- Flop-Eared Mule
Don Stover -- Black Diamond

April 5, 2010

Black Diamond Show Playlist for 4/5/10 on WNHU (wnhu.net, 88.7 FM in West Haven CT)

Today's show doesn't have any theme per se, but it was deeply affected by my attempt to digitize one of my old Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver LPs, Quicksilver Rides Again--the one with four different "river" songs on it, including Mis'ry River--the track I REALLY wanted for today's show. Guess which track had a big old stick/skip in it--yup, Mis'ry RivRivRivRivRivRivRivRivRivRivRivRiv.... Sigh.

So I looked on line and found that the Sugar Hill record label had included it on their 2009 compilation Sugar Hill 50--which I immediately downloaded (legally from iTunes!). So along with Mis'ry River, you'll hear Mike Cross's ode to family love (Elma Turl), Bryan Sutton (Decision at Glady Rock), and Nickel Creek (When you come back down) from that collection.

Plenty of other good stuff, too! A lesson in Saturday night hygiene from Lefty Frizzell, Ivan Rosenerg's dobro work, plenty of old-time fiddle and banjo tunes. The opening set includes the White Brothers w/Alan Munde (recorded in Sweden in 1973), the Chicken Chokers, Perfect Strangers, and the Red Clay Ramblers--that'll give you an idea what to expect.

Two final highlights worth mentioning: A demo version of Kaw-Liga from the Hank Williams "Alone with his guitar" compilation and the Green Grass Cloggers dancing to Katy Hill as played by Bruce Molsky and friends. Both tracks included some false starts; I cut the false starts from Kaw-Liga but, since they were good-humored about it, left them in for the cloggers. Was also pleased to play the Green Grass Cloggers track since the track I played last week got a good response.

As always, thanks for your support!

And here's today's playlist:

4/5/10 1 Don Stover -- Black Diamond
4/5/10 2 Chicken Chokers -- Looking for Money
4/5/10 3 Perfect Strangers -- Evening Shade
4/5/10 4 Red Clay Ramblers -- Rabbit in the Pea Patch
4/5/10 5 The New Pilot Mountaineers -- Sugar Hill
4/5/10 6 Banjo Dan and the Mid-Nite Plowboys -- Logging Man
4/5/10 7 Jim & Jesse & The Virginia Boys -- Dill Pickle Rag
4/5/10 8 Mike Cross -- Elma Turl
4/5/10 9 Larry Sparks & the Lonesome Ramblers -- Long Journey Home
4/5/10 10 Snake Chapman -- Pat him on the back
4/5/10 11 Blue Sky Boys -- Are you from Dixie? (Live)
4/5/10 12 Bryan Sutton -- Decision at Glady Rock
4/5/10 13 Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver -- Mis'ry River
4/5/10 14 Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys -- Walls of Time
4/5/10 15 Green Grass Cloggers w/ Bruce Molsky et al. -- Katy Hill
4/5/10 16 Dailey & Vincent -- Hide me Rock of Ages
4/5/10 17 Doc Watson -- Walk on Boy
4/5/10 18 Red Allen, Frank Wakefield & the Kentuckians -- I'm just here to get my baby out of jail
4/5/10 19 Hedy West -- Hubbard
4/5/10 20 Monroe Brothers -- New River Train
4/5/10 21 Lost & Found -- Down the Road
4/5/10 22 Bluegrass Album Band -- Cheyenne
4/5/10 23 Hank Williams -- Kaw-Liga
4/5/10 24 Foghorn Stringband -- Lost Indian
4/5/10 25 Lefty Frizzell -- Shine, Shave, Shower
4/5/10 26 Jimmy Martin & the Sunny Mountain Boys -- Guitar-pickin' President
4/5/10 27 Lonesome River Band -- Give the Devil an Inch
4/5/10 28 Art Stamper -- Dance Around Molly
4/5/10 29 Nickel Creek -- When you come back down
4/5/10 30 The Dillards -- Travellin' Dobro Blues
4/5/10 31 The Stanley Brothers -- Cluck Old Hen
4/5/10 32 Ricky Skaggs -- I'll take the blame
4/5/10 33 The Country Gentlemen -- Tomorrow's my wedding day
4/5/10 34 Camp Creek Boys -- Honeysuckle
4/5/10 35 Fly By Night Stringband -- Old Joe
4/5/10 36 Ivan Rosenberg -- Get a message to you
4/5/10 37 Big Medicine -- Tie your dog, Sally gal
4/5/10 38 Nashville Bluegrass Band -- No Hiding Place Down Here
4/5/10 39 Don Stover -- Black Diamond