August 29, 2011

Irene knocks Black Diamond Show off the air today (8/29)

WNHU and most of the University of New Haven campus are still without electricity today. The Black Diamond Show will not air today. But please do check out our list of Labor Day Festivals. We expect to be back on the air with a new show on Labor Day!
Thanks for your support.

August 28, 2011

Black Diamond Show: Playlist for 8/22/11

Don't forget to consult our list of Labor Day festivals!

Artist / Song / Album / Label / Date / Notes

• Don Stover / Black Diamond / Things in Life / Rounder / 1972 / Theme
• Country Gazette / Right Before My Eyes / Bluegrass Tonight / Flying Fish / 1986
• David Peterson & 1946 / Cold Wind / David Peterson & 1946 / self / 2008
• The Boiled Buzzards / Grey-Haired Dancing Girls / Old-Time Music on the Air / Rounder /1996
• Charlie Sizemore Band / Hey Moon / Good News / Rounder / 2007
• Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys with Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs / I’m Going Back to Old Kentucky / The Original Bluegrass Band / Rounder / 1946, 1978
• Sons of the West / Panhandle Shuffle / Wizards of the Country Guitar / JSP / 1941, 2011
• Flatt & Scruggs & the Foggy Mountain Boys / So Happy I’ll Be / The Complete Mercury Recordings / Mercury / 1958, 2003
• Guy Clark / Homegrown Tomatoes / Better Days / Warner Brothers / 1983, 2005
• Three Ring Circle / B Funky / Brothership / Reso Revolution / 2011
• Sam Bush, David Grisman, Ronnie McCoury, Ricky Skaggs, Buck White, Bobby Osborne, & Frank Wakefield with Del McCoury (gtr) / Dusty Miller / Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza / Acoustic Disc / 1999
• The String Fingers Band / Has the Whole Darn World Gone Mad? / Don’t Forget / Railroad Crossing / 2011
• Katie Wilson / Seashells on the Shore / Katie Wilson / self / 2009
• Phil Rosenthal / All the Good Times Are Past & Gone / A Treasury of Bluegrass & Country Songs / American Melody / 2009
• Mark Tamsula & Richard Withers / The Corn-Huskers / Up in the Batten House / Snappin' Bug / 2011
• Lonesome River Band / She’s No Lady / The Road With No End / Mountain Home Music / 2006
• Mark Dvorak / Reuben You Can Play Your Banjo / Time Ain’t Got Nothing on Me / Waterbug / 2011
• Hot Mud Family / Cabri Waltz / Buckeyes in the Brian Patch / Vetco / 1975
• Kathy Mattea / Green Rolling Hills of West Virginia, Wildwood Flower / Coal / Captain Potato / 2008
• Audie Blaylock & Redline / Cry Cry Darlin’ / I’m Going Back to Old Kentucky / Rural Rhythm / 2011
• Chris Jones & The Night Drivers / One Door Man / Cloud of Dust / GSM / 2009
• The Leake County Revelers / Leather Britches / The Cornshcuckers’ Frolic / Yazoo / 1927, 1999
• Brown’s Ferry Four / If We Never Meet Again / Merle Travis: Hot Pickin’ / Proper / 1946 / 2003
• Ken Kolodner & Brad Kolodner / Snow Drop / Otter Creek / Fenchurch Music / 2010
• Rhonda Vincent / Tonight My Baby’s Coming Home / Taken / Upper Management / 2010
• Willie Nelson / Seaman’s Blues / Country Music / Rounder / 2010
• Blue Flam String Band / Crowly Waltz / 25 Years of Strictly Country Magazine / Strictly Country / 1996
• Jim & Jesse & The Virginia Boys / I Like Trains / Y’all Come: The Essential Jim & Jesse / Sony BMG / 1969, 1998
• The Stanley Brothers / Life’s Railway to Heaven / Freight Trains Ride Again / Wango / c. 1965, 2000
• Reed Island Rounders / Jenny on the Railroad / Hand Me Downs / Burning Wolf / 2006
• Red June / Home Is A Railroad / Remember Me Well / self / 2010
• Josh Graves & Kenny Baker / High Country / The Puritan Sessions / Rebel / 1973, 1989
• The Kenny & Amanda Smith Band / Dig a Little Deeper / Always Never Enough / Rebel / 2005
• Johnson Mountain Boys / It Don’t Bring You Back to Me / Blue Diamond / Rounder / 1992
• Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys / Blue Bonnet Lane / Legends of Country Music: Bob Wills / Sony BMG / 1973, 2006
• Toby Stroud & The Blue Mountain Boys / Tragic Romance / Early Bluegrass Cuts 1931-1953 / JSP / 1953, 2004
• Sarah Jarosz / Fischer Store Road / Song Up In Her Head / Sugar Hill / 2009
• Don Stover / Black Diamond / Things in Life / Rounder / 1972 / Theme

August 22, 2011

Selected Labor Day Bluegrass Festivals in the Northeastern United States

To some, Labor Day weekend means "last chance for vacation." For others, it means "another soccer tournament." But it also means "lots of great bluegrass (and other) festivals." Here are links to information about 6 festivals I've mentioned on the Black Diamond Show. OK, strictly speaking, 2 of them are not quite bluegrass festivals, but these are all great places to go for Labor Day! All of these festivals are a day's drive or less from the greater New Haven area. Check out a festival! Support the music live!

  • County Bluegrass Festival, Fort Fairfield, ME. National and regional acts about as far north as you can go and still be in the USofA!

  • Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival, Woodstown, NJ. An amazing lineup of national acts to celebrate their 40th Anniversary.

  • Fiddlin' Bear Labor Day Musicians' Gathering, Lake Genero, Hamlin, PA. Old-time musicians love this gathering. Very little is organized--just people playing and playing and playing--and listening to each other and having a great time.

  • North Branch Bluegrass Festival, Bridgewater, VT. This looks like a fun little "regional" festival--spaghetti dinners, jamming, song-writer's contest, and lots of regional bands from New England.

  • Rhythm & Roots Festival, Charlestown, RI. This used to be a cajun AND bluegrass festival. Now cajun, creole, old-time, zydeco--if it's "folk" and it's danceable, you'll hear it there and get to dance to it, too.

  • Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Special, Brunswick, ME. A great line-up of national acts "where the music meets the sea."

August 14, 2011

List of Podunk Bluegrass Contest Winners AND Playlist for 8/15/11 Black Diamond Show (WNHU, West Haven, CT, 88.7 FM & www.wnhu.net)

First off, congrats to the winners in the Band and Songwriter Contests at the Podunk Bluegrass Festival, held the weekend of August 6 and 7 in East Hartford:
Band Contest:
1st - Travers Chandler and Avery County
2nd - Reunion Hill Band
3rd - The Grass Pistols
4th - Grace Adele & the Grand Band
5th - Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys

Songwriter Contest:
1st - Andrea Asprelli for Remington
2nd - Mary Muncey
3rd - Peter Nesbut

This week’s show includes a couple of tracks from Avery County’s latest CD and a couple of tracks from Terry McGill’s 2001 CD—Terry was the banjo player Travers Chandler brought north with him.

Streaming issues were repaired on Monday morning—so online listeners can listen noon-2pm on Monday or catch the repeat Thursday, August 18 on the WNHU2 stream at www.wnhu.net from 10pm to midnight EDT.

Here’s this week’s playlist. Thanks for your support of bluegrass & traditional country music—and for your support of WNHU.

Artist / Song / Album / Label / Date / Notes
• Don Stover / Black Diamond / Things in Life / Rounder / 1972 / Theme
• The Downtown Ramblers / I Never Planned / On the Other Side of the City / DTR Music Productions / 2011
• Art Stamper / Jenny Lind / Goodbye Girls I’m Going to Boston / County / 2000
• The 23 String Band / Raleigh & Spencer / Catch 23 / self / 2011
• Toby Stroud & The Blue Mountain Boys / Jesse James / Bluegrass Early Cuts: 1931-1953 / JSP / 1953, 2004
• Katie Wilson / The Weeping Widow / Katie Wilson / self / 2010 / Podunk Bluegrass Band Winner 2010
• Terry McGill / Bright Morning Stars / Straight Drive / Cabinwood / 2001
• Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys / The Girl I Left Behind Me / Legends of Country Music: Bob Wills / Sony BMG / 1941, 2006
• The Freight Hoppers / Kentucky Whiskey / Where’d You Come From, Where’d You Go? / Rounder / 1996 / David Bass, fiddle, Frank Lee, Banjo, duet
• Buzz Busby / Me and the Jukebox / 30 Essential Bluegrass Hits / Gusto / 1958, 2003
• Travers Chandler & Avery County / Mandolin Tango / State of Depression / Patuxnet Music / 2010 / A Buzz Busby composition from the Podunk Bluegrass Band Winner 2011
• Terry McGill / Honky-Tonk Blues / Straight Drive / Cabinwood / 2001
• Debbie Watson / Big Hair Down in Texas / Big Hair Down in Texas / Big Hair / 2005
• Charlie Sizemore Band / The Less That I Drink / Good News / Rounder / 2007
• Flatt & Scruggs & The Foggy Mountain Boys / Yonder Stands Little Maggie / Flatt & Scruggs at Carnegie Hall / Columbia / 1962, 1963
• Kitty Wells / It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels / The Devil’s Rejects (Soundtrack) / HIP-O / 1952, 2005
• Jimmy Martin & The Osborne Brothers / Chalk Up Another One / Early Bluegrass / RCA / 1954, 1969
• Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper / Sunday Morning Christian / Leavin’ Town / Rounder / 2008
• Chance McCoy & the Appalachian String Band / Dance All Night / Chance McCoy & The Appalachian String Band / Appalachian Music Group / 2008
• Critton Hollow String Band / April Waltz / The Dulcimer Collection / Yodel-Ay-Hee / 1988, 2005
• Larry Sparks / The Old Coal Mine / The Last Suit You Wear / McCoury Music / 2007
• Travers Chandler & Avery County / Black Dust Fever / State of Depression / Patuxnet Music / 2010 / Winner of the 2011 Podunk Bluegrass Band Contest
• Merle Travis / Dark As A Dungeon / In Boston / Rounder / 1959, 2003
• Valerie Smith / In Those Mines / That’s What Love Can Do / Bell Buckle / 2005
• Big Medicine / Hell Up Coal Holler / Fever In the South / Yodel-Ay-Hee / 2004
• Red Molly / Coal Tattoo / Never Been To Vegas / self / 2006
• The Steeldrivers / East Kentucky Home / The Steeldrivers / Rounder / 2009
• Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / Keep Your Eyes on Jesus / Help is on the Way / Horizon / 2008
• Spring Creek / Blue Sky Blue Water / Hold on Me / self / 2011
• Wolfe Brothers / Grey Eagle / Old Roads, New Journeys / Copper Creek / 2004
• The Gibson Brothers / One Car Funeral / Help My Borther / Compass / 2011
• Spring Creek / Kimono Cowboy / Hold on Me / self / 2011
• Laurie Lewis & Her Bluegrass Pals / Going to the West / Laurie Lewis & Her Bluegrass Pals / Rounder / 1999
• Red June / San Juan Hill / Remember Me Well / self / 2010
• Wayne Hancock / Goin’ Home Blues / Tulsa / Bloodshot / 2006
• Newfound Road / I Am the Man Thomas / Same Old Place / Rounder / 2009
• David Holt / Fisherman’s Hornpipe / Doc Watson, David Holt, & Richard Watson at the Philadelphia Folk Festival / Festivalink / 2007
• Don Stover / Black Diamond / Things in Life / Rounder / 1972 / Theme

August 11, 2011

Playlist for 8/8/11 Black Diamond Show (WNHU, West Haven, CT, 88.7 FM & www.wnhu.net)

It's late, but here's this week's playlist! Thanks for your support.

Artist / Song / Album / Label / Date / Notes

• Don Stover / Black Diamond / Things in Life / Rounder / 1972 / Theme
• The Steeldrivers / Can You Run / Reckless / Rounder / 2010
• The Morgantown Rounders / Going Across the Sea / The Morgantown Rounders / Banjos for Peace / 2006
• Dailey & Vincent / Class of ’57 /Dailey and Vincent Sing the Statler Brothers / Rounder, Cracker Barrel / 2010
• Hot Club of Cowtown / Joe-Bob Rag / Tall Tales / Hightone, Shout! / 1999
• Nashville Bluegrass Band / No Hiding Place / Bluegrass Class of 1990 / Rounder / 1987, 1990
• Jane Rothfield with Jimmy McCowan / Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho / iFiddle, they Banjo / iFiddle / 2008
• The Gibson Brothers / Jericho / Ring the Bell / Compass / 2009
• Lonesome Redwing / Harleys in Heaven / Fly, Fly, Fly / self / 2009
• Lonesome Redwing / Ook-Pik Waltz / Fly, Fly, Fly / self / 2009
• The Hillbenders / Red Stains / Down to My Last Dollar / self / 2011
• Matt Brown & Beverly Smith / Barbara Allen / Lone Prairie / 5-String Productions / 2006
• The Stanley Brothers / Sunny Side of the Mountain / The Best of the Stanley Brothers / Starday / 1960, 1975
• Jim & Jesse & The Virginia Boys / She Left Me Standing on the Mountain / Bluegrass Special / Columbia (Epic) / 1963
• Big Medicine / I Know Whose Tears / Fever In the South / Yodel-Ay-Hee / 2004
• Bill Boyd & His Cowboy Ramblers / I’ve Got Those Oklahoma Blues / Wizards of Country Guitar: Selected Sides 1935-1955 / JSP / 1936, 2011
• Jimmy Martin & various artists / Sunny Side of the Mountain / Will the Circle Be Unbroken / United Artists / 1972
• Newfound Road / I Am the Man, Thomas / Same Old Place / Rounder / 2009
• Hot Mud Family / Two Wide Nickels / The Complete Vetco Recordings / self / 1978, 2010
• David Peterson & 1946 / The Butcher Boy / David Peterson & 1946 / self / 2008
• The Georgia Mudcats / Willow Garden / Barefoot In The Hen House And Other Southern Delights / self / 2007
• The Kentucky Colonels / Chicken Reel / Long Journey Home / Vanguard / 1964
• Riley Puckett / Careless Love / Riley Puckett: Country Music Pioneer / JSP / 1934, 2011
• Roland White / Marathon: Love Come Home, 9 Pound Hammer, Shackles & Chains, Live & Let Live, Doin’ My Time, Sittin’ on top of the World / I Wasn't Born to Rock'n'Roll (But I Love to Cook) / Ridgerunner / 1976
• Red State Ramblers / Yellow Barber / Commonwealth / Old 97 / 2009
• Red Clay Ramblers / The Golden Vanity / Stolen Love / Flying Fish / 1975
• Acoustic Blue / I’ll Break Out Again Tonight / This is Now / self / 2009
• Old & In the Way / Kissimee Kid / Breakdown / Acoustic Disc / 1973, 1997
• Bill Emerson / Coast to Coast / Eclipse / Rural Rhythm / 2011
• John Reischman & The Jaybirds / You’ll Find Her Name / The Road West / Corvus / 2005
• David Davis & The Warrior River Boys / I’ve Been All Around This World / Two Dimes and a Nickel / Rebel / 2009
• Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys / Red Hot Gal of Mine / Legends of Country Music: Bob Wills / Sony BMG / 1938, 2006
• Merle Travis / Saturday Night Shuffle / In Boston / Rounder / 1959, 2003
• Grasstowne / Anchor in the Storm / Kickin’ Up Dust / Rural Rhythm / 2011
• The Dillards / I’ll Fly Away / Wheatstraw Suite / Collector’s Choice / 1968, 2002
• Don Stover / Black Diamond / Things in Life / Rounder / 1972 / Theme