January 27, 2011

Playlist: Black Diamond Show 1/24/11

As I looked over my notes, I realized that I'd played a lot of title tracks to albums today. Not sure that that means anything. Bryan added a good tune by 3 Fox Drive (formerly the Fox Family) at the 1pm break today. Good choice! Here's the playlist.

Thanks, as always, for your support!

Artist / Track / Album / Label / Year (Recorded, Released if different) / Notes

• Don Stover / Black Diamond / Things in Life / Rounder / 1972 / Theme
• Longview / Old Log Cabin / Deep in the Mountains / Rounder / 2008
• The Freight Hoppers / Hound Chase / Mile Marker / Baketown / 2010
• Leon Mcauliffe / Tulsa Straight Ahead / Tulsa Straight Ahead / Bear Family / 1950, 2009
• Paul Williams & the Victory Trio / Just a Little Closer Home / Just a Little Closer Home / Rebel / 2010
• Randy Morrison & the Flatt River Band / Good Old Bluegrass For Fun / North to Ontario 2010 / Coot Music / 2010
• Patsy Montana / I Want to be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart / Country Volume 3 / Baiele / 1935, 2007
• The Virginia Mountain Boomers / Say Darlin’ Say / The Story the Crow Told Me, Volume 1 / Yazoo / c. 1933, 2000
• Blueridge / Appalachian Queen / Common Ground / Sugar Hill / 2006
• Alice Gerrard & Mike Seeger / You Done Me Wrong / Bowling Green / 5-String Productions / 1971, 2008
• David Peterson & 1946 / Prayin’ Shoes / In the Mountaintops to Roam / self / 2005
• Jim Vancleve, Jim Hurst, Micky Harris, Wayne Benson, & Kristin Scott Benson / The Woodchopper’s Reel / More Ultimate Pickin’ / Pinecastle / 2009
• Flatt & Scruggs & The Foggy Mountain Boys / Jimmy Brown the Newsboy / Earl Scruggs Classic Bluegrass / Vanguard / 1960, 2002
• David Grisman Quintet / Minor Swing / The David Grisman Quintet / Kaleidoscope / 1976
• Chris Stuart & Backcountry / Jimmie Brown Revisited / Saints and Strangers / Backcountry / 2003
• Ricky Skaggs / God Holds the Future in His Hands / Songs My Dad Loved / Skaggs Family / 2009
• Shoregrass / Glorious Day / Going Home / Shaw Family / 2007
• Jay Ungar, Molly Mason, & Peter Amidon / Marching Through Georgia / The Civil War / Nonesuch / 1990
• 3 Fox Drive / It Always Rains When I’m Lonesome / Listen to the Music / Koch / 2005 / The station manager picked this one out to play in lieu of promos and PSAs.
• The Hot Mud Family / John Lover’s Gone / Complete Vetco Recordings / self / 1974, 2010
• Dry Branch Fire Squad / Good Neighbors and Friends / Good Neighbors and Friends / Rounder / 1985
• Cahalen Morrison & Eli West / Over There / The Holy Coming of the Storm / self / 2011
• Merle Travis / Spoonin’ Moon / Hot Pickin’ / Proper / 1950, 2003 / with the Whippoorwills, Judy Hayden in the vocal duet with Travis.
• Jim & Jesse / Is it True? / The Best of the Early Years / Master Classics / 1952, 2009
• Joe Newberry / Rambling Hobo / Two Hands / 5-String Productions / 2005
• Rodney Miller / Contrazz, Old Joe / Airplang / Rounder / 1985
• Jiri Kralik & The Rowdy Rascals / Ida Red / 10 Years of European World Bluegrass / Strictly Country / 2007, 2008 / A Czech bluegrass band.
• Newfound Road / Damascus Road / Newfound Road / Mountain Home / 2002
• Kirk McGee & Blythe Poteet / C-H-I-C-K-E-N Spells Chicken / Good for What Ails You / Old Hat / c. 1932, 2005
• The Monroe Brothers / Rollin’ On / Feast Here Tonight / RCA Bluebird / 1938, 1978
• Chris Brashear & Peter McLaughlin / Sockdolager / So Long Arizona / Dog Boy / 2007
• Mark Graham / Jonah and the Whale / Southern Old-Time Harmonica / self / c. 1988, 2000
• The Morgantown Rounders / Big Scioty / The Morgantown Rounders / Banjos for Peace / 2006
• Dolly Parton / Steady as the Rain / The Grass is Blue / Sugar Hill / 1999, 2006
• The Stanley Brothers & The Clinch Mountain Boys / Our Last Goodbye / Best of Bluegrass Volume 1 / Mercury / 1953, 1991
• Arthur Smith Trio / Pig at Home in the Pen / The Story the Crow Told Me, Volume 2 / Yazoo / c. 1935, 2000
• The Warrior River Boys / Never Again / Sounds Like Home / Rounder / 1992
• Don Stover / Black Diamond / Things in Life / Rounder / 1972 / Theme

January 21, 2011

Carolina Chocolate Drops in Norfolk, CT on Th 2/3

The Carolina Chocolate Drops will be appearing at Infinity Hall in Norfolk on Thursday, February 3. Great old-time music--with an emphasis on material derived from old African-American string bands. If you get a chance to hear them, do so. I'll play some of their music on the Jan 31 edition of the Black Diamond Show so you can hear 'em. Or visit their web site! Or check out one of their YouTube videos!

Carolina Chocolate Drops web site

Infinity Hall web site

Carolina Chocolate Drops on YouTube

January 17, 2011

Playlist: Black Diamond Show 1/17/11, WNHU 88.7 FM West Haven, CT, and www.wnhu.net

Today's show features an interview with the Honey Dewdrops, appearing in New Haven at the Public Library on Wed 1/19. (See a previous blog posting for more information. Full interview [51.5 Mb mp3 file])

But there's plenty of other good music in today's show, too. I always crack up when the Stanley Brothers do their "turn the cow" routine. . . . And, yes, in the last half-hour, you indeed hear what bluegrass sounds like in Dutch. The show also includes a track from Randy Burns who used to sing all over Southern CT but now plies his trade in New York. As I was digitizing old records a couple of weeks ago, I ran across a Wild Aspargus LP--and yes, they are still playing for contra dances in Western MA and occasionally across the US. And the show closes down with one of my favorite Louvin Brothers' Songs. So I hope it has a little something for everyone!

Thanks, as always, for your support.

Artist / Song / Album / Label / Date / Notes

Don Stover / Black Diamond / Things in Life / Rounder / 1972 / Theme

Joe Val & The New England Bluegrass Boys / The Prisoner’s Song / 25 Years of Strictly Country Music / Strictly Country / 1981, 1996 / Recorded in Holland.

Red June / Callahan / Remember Me Well / self / 2010

Tex Ritter / The Old Chisholm Trail / Country Masters, Volume 1 / Mbop Direct / 1942, 2008

Blue Moon Rising / The Old Time Preacher / On The Rise / Lonesome Day / 2005

The Stanley Brothers / How Far to Little Rock? / The Best of the Stanley Brothers / Starday / c. 1960, 1975

The Hot Mud Family / Somewhere Down Below the Dixon Line / The Complete Vetco Recordings / self / 1978, 2010 / Best as I can tell, the former bandmates have the rights to these tracks and have issued this collection themselves.

Wild Asparagus / Congress Reel, Fisherman’s Island, Return to Milltown / Call of the Wild / Great Meadow Music / 1983, 1990

The Johnson Mountain Boys / Darlin’ I’m Coming Home / Walls of Time / Rounder / 1982

The Honey Dewdrops / Bluest Blue Eyes / The Sun Will Shine / self / 2009 / Aired as part of an interview with the Honey Dewdrops.

The Honey Dewdrops / Can’t You Hear Me Calling / YouTube Video / self / 2008 / Aired as part of an interview with the Honey Dewdrops.

The Honey Dewdrops / Amaranth / These Old Roots / self / 2010 / Aired as part of an interview with the Honey Dewdrops.

The Honey Dewdrops / Can’t Take a Letter Home / These Old Roots / self / 2010 / Aired as part of an interview with the Honey Dewdrops.

The Honey Dewdrops / Test of Time / These Old Roots / self / 2010 / Aired as part of an interview with the Honey Dewdrops.

The Honey Dewdrops / Nobody in This World / These Old Roots / self / 2010 / Aired as part of an interview with the Honey Dewdrops.

Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys / Highway of Sorrow / High Lonesome Sound / MCA / 1964, 1973

Ginny Hawker & Tracy Schwartz / Little Willie / Draw Closer / Rounder / 2004

The Morgantown Rounders / Ducks on the Mill Pond / The Morgantown Rounders / Banjos for Peace / 2006

The Wolfe Brothers String Band / Natural Bridge Blues / Old Roads, New Journeys / Copper Creek / 2004

Sam Bush / Out on the Ocean / Circles Around Me / Sugar Hill / 2009

Randy Burns / Hobo’s Lullaby / Hobos and Kings / self / 2010

The Sadies / Ridge Runner Rag / Tremendous Efforts / Bloodshot / 2001

Del McCoury / Don’t Let Your Sweet Love Die / Collector’s Special / Grassound / 1971, 1975

Kenny Baker & Joe Greene / Goldenrod Waltz / High Country / County / 1967

David Grisman / Little Cabin Home on the Hill / Home is Where the Heart Is / Rounder / 1987 / Tony Rice and Curly Seckler on vocal

Dierks Bentley / A House of Gold / How Great Thou Art, Gospel Favorites Live from the Grand Ole Opry / RCA Nashville / 2008

De Stroatklinkers / Zoltkamp / 10 Years of European World Bluegrass / Strictly Country / 2000, 2008

Paul Brown / Lazy John / Red Clay Country / 5-String Productions / 2006

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper / When You Were Mine / Leavin’ Town / Rounder / 2008

The Louvin Brothers / Cash on the Barrelhead / Louvin Brothers Encore / Capitol Nashville / 1956, 2007

Don Stover / Black Diamond / Things in Life / Rounder / 1972 / Theme

January 9, 2011

Two upcoming concerts in CT: Honey Dewdrops; Carolina Chocolate Drops

Usually on the Black Diamond Show, I refer you to the list of Selected Bluegrass and Old-Time Music links to the right hand side of this blog to find what's going on. As of 1/9/11, the CTBMA concert listing was missing two concerts that I think BDS listeners would enjoy.

First, The Honey Dewdrops will be touring in New England this month. The CTBMA lists their stop in Hartford at the Firebox on Sunday 1/16, but doesn't list their stop in New Haven on Wednesday, January 19, at the New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm Street, at 6:30 pm. An interview with Laura and Kagey will appear on the 1/17 Black Diamond Show. Here's the info from the Library's Calendar: Jan 19, 2011, 6:30 PM, Ives Library (Main). "The Honey Dewdrops (husband and wife team of Kagey Parrish and Laura Wortman) in concert! Winners of the 2008 Prairie Home Companion Talent Show. Focusing on vocal harmonies and tight instrumentation."

Second, the Carolina Chocolate Drops will be appearing at Infinity Hall in Norfolk on Thursday, February 3. Great old-time music--with a lot of material derived from old African-American string bands.

Both acts are superb performers. Highly recommended.

Playlist for Black Diamond Show 1/10/11 (WNHU, 88.7 FM, West Haven, CT, and www.wnhu.net)

Heard from a lot of people this past week: CT, PA, DE, MI, TN, and MA were represented. Thanks for all your support! Here's the playlist for the 1/10/11 show. At one point, the mining songs just kept a-coming. . . . Enjoy!

Artist / Song / Album / Label / Date / Notes

Don Stover / Black Diamond / Things in Life / Rounder / 1972 / Theme

Delia Bell & Bill Grant / Dreaming / Cheer of the Home Fires / Rounder / 1984

The Hoover Uprights / Devil Ate the Groundhog / Known for their Reputation / 5-String Productions / 2006

Merle Travis / That’s All / Hot Pickin’ / Proper / 1946, 2003

Ricky Skaggs / Can’t You Hear Me Callin’ / Highways and Heartaches / Epic / 1982

Kathy Mattea / Dark as a Dungeon / Coal / Captain Potato Records, RED Distribution / 2008

Bill Harrell / The L&N Don’t Stop Here Anymore / Freight Trains Ride Again / Wango / 2000

Big Medicine / Hell Up Coal Holler / Fever In the South / Yodel-Ay-Hee / 2004

Red Molly / Coal Tattoo / Never Been to Vegas / self / 2006

Hubie King / Coal Creek March / There are no Rules! / self / 1995

Phyllis Boyens / Dream of a Miner’s Child / Mama’s Hand / Rounder / c. 1980, 2002

Perfect Strangers / The Hermit Miner / The Perfect Strangers / Rebel / 2000, 2003

Kenny Baker / The Gold Rush / Master Fiddler / County / c. 1973, 1993

Phyllis Boyens / Blue Diamond Mines / Coal Mining Women / Rounder / c. 1978, 1997

Quebe Sisters Band / Red Wing / Texas Fiddlers / self / 2003

Don Stover / Things in Life / Things in Life / Rounder / 1972

Seldom Scene / Life is Like a Mountain Railway / Way Down In My Soul, Best of Sugar Hill Gospel, Volume 2 / 1979, 1993

Chris Jones & The Nightdrivers / Come on Little Children / Cloud of Dust / GSM / 2009

Blueridge / Sugar-Coated Love / Come Along With Me / Sugar Hill / 2006

D.L. Menard / Wedding Bells / Cajun Saturday Night / Rounder / 1984

Norman Blake / Over the Waterfall, Opera Reel, Cherokee Shuffle / The Rising Fawn String Ensemble / Rounder / 1979 / Nancy Blake, cello & James Bryan, fiddle

Wayne Hancock / Your Love and His Blood / Viper of Melody / Bloodshot / 2009

Chris Stuart & Backcountry / Just Tell a Lie / Saints and Strangers / Backcountry / 2003

Matt Brown, Paul Brown, & Beverly Smith / Grub Springs / Lone Prairie / 5-String Productions / 2006

Red June / Biscuits & Honey / Remember Me Well / self / 2010

Phil Rosenthal / Three Mandolins / A Treasury of Bluegrass and Country Songs / American Melody / 2009

Jim Nunally / Across the Great Divide / Gloria’s Waltz / FGM / 2006

John Reischman & The Jaybirds / Say Darlin’ Say / Field Guide / Copper Creek / 2002

The Honey Dewdrops / Nobody in This World / These Old Roots / self / 2010

Country Cooking / Huckling the Berries / Rounder Banjo / Rounder / 1987

Country Gazette / Hound Dogs Never Die / Bluegrass Tonight! / Flying Fish / 1986

Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys / The Golden West / Bill Monroe & Friends, The Stars of the Bluegrass Hall of Fame / Raven / 1985, 2010 / Bobby Hicks & Glen Duncan are the twin fiddlers.

The Stanley Brothers / Your Saddle is Empty Old Pal / Long Journey Home, The Stanley Brothers of Virginia, Volume 2 / County / 1964, 1973

David Davis & The Warrior River Boys / Where Were You? / Two Dimes and a Nickel / Rebel / 2009

Don Stover / Black Diamond / Things in Life / Rounder / 1972 / Theme

January 3, 2011

Playlist: Black Diamond Show 1/3/11, WNHU 88.7 FM West Haven, CT, and www.wnhu.net

Here's the playlist for the first show of 2011. Thanks for your support!


Artist / Track / Album / Label / Year (Recorded, Released if different) / Notes

Don Stover / Black Diamond / Things in Life / Rounder / 1972 / Theme

Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys / Sugar-Coated Love / The High Lonesome Sound of Bill Monroe / MCA / 1951, 1973

The Stanley Brothers / It’s Raining Here This Morning / The Best of the Stanley Brothers / Starday / c. 1960, 1975

Nate Grower / Cattle in the Cane / Nate Grower / Patuxent Music / 2010

Milton Brown & His Musical Brownies / Little Betty Brown / Daddy of Western Swing, Volume 2, Brownie Special / Proper / 1935, 2003

Ricky Skaggs / Heartbroke / Highways & Heartbreaks / Epic / 1982

Blueridge / Rock Hearts / Come Along With Me / Sugar Hill / 2006

Naomi Sommers / Sea of Heartbreak / Gentle As the Sun / American Melody / 2008

Caleb Klauder / Hole in My Heart / Western Country / Padre / 2010

Banjo Dan & The Mid-Nite Plowboys / Back When the Old Folks Were Young / Some Rust, Runs Good / self / 2000

Winterline / Two Times Too Many / North to Ontario 2010 / Coot Music / 2010

The Maddox Brothers & Rose / Dim Lights, Thick Smoke, and Loud, Loud Music / Live On the Radio / Arhoolie / 1953, 1998

Red Mountain / Last of the Mexican, Laughing Marj / Throw the Old Cow Over the Fence / Whoop It Up! / 2009

Peter McLaughlin / Cole Younger / Cliffs of Vermilion / Dog Boy / 1996

Here Today / Green Pastures / Here Today / Rounder / 1982

The Louvin Brothers / The Great Atomic Power / The Louvin Brothers, Rounder Special Series / Rounder / 1952, 1978 / One of the many reissues of Capitol’s 1956 LP, Tragic Songs of Life.

Bill Keith / Sugarfoot Rag / Something Auld, Something Newgrass, Something Borrowed, Something Bluegrass / Rounder / 1975

Alison Krauss / Foolish Heart / Bluegrass Class of 1990 / Rounder / 1990

Donna Ulisse / Child of the Great Depression / Walk This Mountain Down / Hadley Music Group / 2008

Sierra Hull / If You Can Tame My Heart / Secrets / Rounder / 2007

The Quebe Sisters Band / Shame on You / Timeless / FiddleTone / 2007

Flatt & Scruggs & The Foggy Mountain Boys / I’m Gonna Sleep With One Eye Open / The Golden Era / Rounder / 1955, 1977

Phil Rosenthal / Rye Whiskey / A Treasury of Bluegrass & Country Songs / American Melody / 2009

Lefty Frizzell / All of me Loves All of You / Look What Thoughts Will Do / Columbia Legacy / c. 1953, 1997

Hoover Uprights / Rye Straw / Known for Their Reputation / 5-String Productions / 2006

The Bluegrass Cardinals / Ridin’ on the L&N / Freight Trains Ride Again / Wango /2000

Big Medicine / Sharp’s Three-Way Hornpipe / Fever in the South / Yodel-Ay-Hee / 2002

Hank Williams / My Son Calls Another Man Daddy / The Complete Hank Williams / Mercury Nashville / 1950, 1998

Emmylou Harris / Alone and Forsaken / Hank Williams Timeless / Lost Highway / 2001

The Honey Dewdrops / When was the War? / If the Sun Will Shine / self / 2009

Matt Brown / Billy in the Lowground / My Native Home / 5-String Productions / 2010

Country Gazette / Poison Love / Bluegrass Tonight! / Flying Fish / 1986

Del McCoury / Golden Slippers / Collector’s Special / Grassound / 1971, 1975 / Buddy Spicher & Jimmy Buchanan on twin fiddles.

Merle Travis / No Vacancy / Hot Pickin’ / Proper / 1946, 2003

Ill-Mo Boys / Valley Forge / The Marimac Anthology, Deep in Old-Time Music / Rounder / c. 1987, 1996

Del McCoury Band / Katy Hill / RockyGrass / Blue Planet Music / 1994, 1995

Don Stover / Black Diamond / Things in Life / Rounder / 1972 / Theme