This Week on the Front Porch - First Hour

11-17-07 Show

Another great show lined up today of music from the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, and right up to 2007. This morning we go from Murray to Paducah, Boston to California, and Scotland to Ireland all in three hours.


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Carolina Chocolate Drops - "Georgie Buck" - Dona Got A Ramblin Mind (Music Maker 2006)
Getting things started off this week is a three-piece African-American old-time stringband from North Carolina called the Carolina Chocolate Drops. The bands' name comes from a predecessor of the same style of music, the Tennessee Chocolate Drops. These cats bring amazing energy and precision to fiddle and banjo music of the Piedmont region which is more banjo driven than that of appalachian influence. Two of the members, Rhiannon Giddens (fiddle, banjo) and Justin Robinson (fiddle), are from the Carolinas, and the third, Dom Flemons (guitar, jug, harmonica, percussion, banjo), is an Arizona native.

www.carolinachocolatedrops.com

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Doc Watson - "Tom Dooley" from Doc Watson (Vanguard 1964)

Doc Watson's orginal self-titled release was first published in 1964 by Vanguard. Watson's splash on the folk scene began in 1963 Newport Folk Festival and the release of this self-titled album the following year began an influencial career that continues today.

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Mississippi John Hurt - "Make Me A Pallett on Your Floor" - The Best of... (Vanguard 1989)

A live recording from a complete concert from Oberlin College on April 15, 1965 showcases Mississippi John Hurt at his finest. John Hurt grew up in the Mississippi hill country town of Avalon, population under 100, north of Greenwood, near Grenada. Hurt was a huge influence on Doc Watson and his music who, in-turn, influenced folk and bluegrass music for years to come.

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Marty Stuart - "Rabbit in the Log" - The Legend Lives On: A Tribute to Bill Monroe (Audium 2003)

Philadelphia, MS native Marty Stuart brings us a cut from the Bill Monroe tribute album that was recorded in April of 1997 at astar-studded concert at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium.

www.martystuart.net

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A few songs here that showcase our WKMS Front Porch concert January 19 at 7:00 PM at Lovett Auditorium on the campus of Murray State University. Bawn in the Mash opens for the Peter Rowan and Tony Rice Quartet to make for a great night of music. Tickets go on sale Monday, November 19. For more information go to www.wkms.org.




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Tony Rice Unit- "Mr. Diffenbach" - Still Inside (Rounder 1981)

The Tony Rice Unit always featured some of the best acoustic musicians on the scene. This version of the lineup included mandolin player John Reischman, violinist Fred Carpenter, and bassist Todd Phillips. This was one of the best albums available by the Unit.

www.tonyrice.com

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Bawn in the Mash - "Big Poppa Reel" - Hurry Up and Wait

Bawn in the mash continue to tour in support of their new album Hurry Up and Wait. The second album by "The Mash" displays a more evolved approach to their perceptions of americana music. Bawn in the Mash open for the Peter Rowan and Tony Rice Quartet at our January concert.

www.bawninthemash.com

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Peter Rowan & Tony Rice - "To Live Is To Fly" - Quartet (Rounder 2006)
The second album that has renewed the musical friendship of two giants in the acoustic music scene.

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Dan Knowles - "They Have Wings" - Return to Baptist Alleyway (Family Claw 2007)
A sneak peek into the upcoming release from Dan Knowles. Knowles is an incredible banjo man who keeps as many irons in the fire as anyone. From being a luthier to performer to artist to producer Knowles stays relevant in the local music scene. The new album will bring old and new from Knowles and welcomes many guests from Josh and Eddie Coffee (Bawn in the Mash), Billy Lilly, Tim May, Mark McWherter, Kyle Reeder and former Nickel Creek bassist Scott Thile.

www.danknowles.net

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Gillian Welch - "Wichita" - Music From the Revelator Collection (Acony 2006)
This release features 8 live cuts from Gillian Welch and David Rawlings and is only available via download.

www.gillianwelch.com

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Hem - "Old Adam" - Funnel Cloud - (Nettwerk 2006)
This New York group began when songwriter Dan Messe teamed up with producer/engineer Gary Maurer to make a record that would explore their interests in traditional American music. Four albums later and the band continues to build on that initial concept of traditional music presented in a modern format with out losing it feel of the past. Funnel Cloud proves that this bands growth continues into possibly their best effort yet.

www.rabbitsongs.com

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The Waybacks - "Hot Kranski" - From the Pasture to the Future (Compass 2006)
The third album from The Waybacks is the first for this San Francisco based band that can take on multiple genre's of music and still sound convincing. From jazz to rock to bluegrass to celtic these guys know how to deliver and its all there fitting nicely in this album.

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The Country Gentlemen - "Fox on the Run" - Live in Japan (Rebel 1970)
The Washington, DC based Country Gentlemen are on of the bands that changed the face of bluegrass during the folk music revival of the late 1950's. This version of the lineup included Charlie Waller (guitar, vocals), Doyle Lawson (mandolin, vocals), Bill Emerson (banjo, vocals), and Billy Yates (bass, vocals). This live album features the bands abilities on-stage with strong vocal harmonies and impeccable musicianship.

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Claire Lynch - "The Day That Lester Died" - Crowd Favorites (Rounder 2007)
A track from the latest Claire Lynch album that, as the album title states, brings some of the most popular songs she has recorded to date.

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The Del McCoury Band - "All Aboard" and "Goldbrickin'" Del and the Boys (Hollywood 2001)
This McCoury album was on the tail-end of a 13-year run where the Del McCoury Band was the hood ornament of bluegrass music. Other than a less than stellar Cold Hard Facts album in 1996 there were six straight albums beginning in 1988 with Don't Stop the Music and included the almost perfect bluegrass music album A Deeper Shade of Blue in 1993. Their live performances were impeccable and full of energy as the band had found that magical mix that every band tries so hard to find.

Video Playlist

I have added a new video playlist at the bottom of the page. Just scroll down and you can either choose the ones you want to watch or just click play and sit back as they all play in succession. Enjoy!

This Week on the Front Porch (Third Hour)

Continuing on with our third hour we get started with local favorites Bawn in the Mash and move through some progressive bluegrass and into a bit of folk.

1. "Heady Daze" from the new Bawn in the Mash release Hurry Up and Wait.

2. "Little Piece of Paper" also from the new Bawn in the Mash release Hurry Up and Wait.

Bawn in the Mash has been busy of late touring in support of their new release Hurry Up and Wait. The album was produced by Grammy winning recording engineer Phil Harris. It features 16 tracks that are rooted in a traditional theme but you will find more flavor to the punch throughout the album. Check them out at www.bawninthemash.com where you find their music, a tour schedule and more.


3. A bit of New Grass Revival from their 1984 Live CD from Sugar Hill. "Reach" presents Sam Bush's vocals joined by new band mate John Cowan. This was the first recording from the guys that saw the additions of Cowan on bass and vocals as well as Bela Fleck on banjo and Pat Flynn on guitar. The energy level of the band reaches new heights with these additions.


4. Austin, TX stompers Bad Livers bring us the hopping cut "Shufflin' to Memphis" from their 1997 Sugar Hill release Hogs on the Highway. This was the bands debut album on Sugar Hill after three releases on the Quarterstick label and it saw a bit of a move away from the bands punk rock influences and toward more of a traditional approach. The band still was able to stomp across the CD with rousing cuts and the album ended up being one of their finest releases.

5. Tim May and Cody Kilby help me out by backing me up in the break with "Lonesome Fiddle Blues" from the same album that we heard Larry Keel and Wyatt Rice in the second hour. Flatpicking Favorites: Hot and Spicy is a great compilation album that was relased in 2004 and is still available on the FGM label. Others on the album include Bryan Sutton, Jim Hurst, David grier, Kenny Smith, Chris Eldridge, Andy Falco, Bull Harman, Scott Nygaard and Tim Stafford among many others.


6. "Cocaine Blues" from the latest Old Crow Medicine Show album Big Iron World (2006, Nettwerk) is a song that a buddy of mine has been hounding me to cue up on hour for months. Of course in the atmosphere of the day I have been a bit reluctant but I finally gave in. Its a great song by all accounts... just a scary topic to throw out to the masses I suppose. Luckily I caught no flack.

You can catch Old Crow on Austin City Limits the weekend of December 22 on your public television station. www.crowmedicine.com


7. Yonder Mountain String Band brings us "Old Plank Road" from their sixth release Mountain Tracks, Volume 3 [Live] (2004, Sci Fidelity). I thought it only fitting to follow a song about cocaine dependency with one about the bottle. www.yondermountain.com


8. Uncle Earl's "Wish I Had My Time Again" from the 2007 Rounder release Waterloo, Tennessee is next. Uncle Earl is a band that almost didn't make it to their fifth release. Keeping members together as a unit has been a struggle due to their differing geographical locations and numerous side projects. K.C. Groves continued to persevere and with a new lineup in 2005 and Dirk Powell producing She Waits For Night reestablished the band as a force. The 2005 release received such positive response that Rounder brought them aboard. The 2007 album Waterloo, Tennesee moved Uncle Earl farther up the ladder of the pecking order of the finest American roots bands out there today. They have become a festival favorite for both old and new with their ability to take traditional tunes and modernize them without coming of in a pretentious manner. www.uncleearl.net

Watch Uncle Earl perform at Lotusfest!




9. King Wilkie up next with "Crazy Daisy" from their latest release Low Country Suite (2006, Zoe). The guys reported on their website that they had finished the basic tracks for 5 new songs. Sounds to me like a new album is in the works and probably due out in the late spring. www.kingwilkie.com


10. and 11. Dirk Powell assists in the break with "Near and Far" and "A Tune For Paul" from his 1999 Rounder release Hand Me Down. www.dirkpowell.com

12. Gillian Welch with "Caleb Meyer" from her 1998 Acony Records release Hell Among The Yearlings. Welch grew up in the shadows of the Carol Burnett Show as her parents were both writers for the popular comedy television show. Did you know that Gillian Welch played drums on the Old Crow Medicine Show album Big Iron World? Yup... go figure. www.gillianwelch.com


13. Kate Rusby brings us "Mary Blaize" from her 2005 Compass Records release The Girl Who Couldn't Fly. Rusby has a new album out called Awkward Annie that I will definitely be adding into the rotation in the coming weeks. Rusby produced the album herself and she has written more of the songs on the album than she has in the past. Unfortunately Rusby has also split with her husband, bandmate and usual record producer John McKusker. her website reports that a new lineup for the band is in the works for December of this year and than a rare US tour is trying to be worked out for the spring of 2008. www.katerusby.com


14. From Claire Lynch's 2007 Rounder release Crowd Favorites we hear "Fallin' in Love". Lynch, who really got into bluegrass because of her husband's forming of a college bluegrass band called Hickory Wind, brings us a kind of greatest hits release with Crowd Favorites. www.clairelynch.com


15. Storyhill makes their Front Porch debut with "Fallen from their 2007 Red House Records self-titled release. Storyhill is Chris Cunningham and John Hermanson who met in the seventh grade in Bozeman,MT. Their lives seem to weave in and out as they both grew up, spent brief time together as a music act, went their separate ways and returned again to once again perform together. Hermanson ended up in college in Minnesota while Cunningham was in Spain. Hermanson continued to perform and move the wares the duo had recorded which caught on and caused Cunninghams return. Red House brought them on board for this recording and they are now touring in support of the new release. www.storyhill.com


16. Finishing off the week with "Angeline the Baker/John henry" from the 1999 Rounder self-titled release from Tony Furtado and Dirk Powell.

That's it for this week. Mark Welch is in next week and I'll return in two to share what I have found in the meantime. Thanks for lending an ear and I hope you found something you want to add to your musical library! Hey and don't forget to scroll down and check out my new video playlist at the bottom of the page!

Nickel Creek Farewell (For Now) Concert on NPR

With their Farewell For Now tour winding down your chance of catching Nickel Creek Live is dwindling. Fear not as NPR has you covered. Listen to the concert recorded by NPR on Friday, November 2 at the 9:30 Club in Washington D.C..

This Week on the Front Porch (Second Hour)

Continuing on with the second hour of the Front Porch.

1. Lyle lovett checks in with "Up in Indiana" from his eighth album titled It's Not Big It's Large. This is just one of 12 tracks on the album that are typical Lyle Lovett. www.lylelovett.com.

2. From the very first Seldom Scene album Act 1 (1972, Rebel) comes the opening cut of 12 songs that make up an impeccable album. "Raised by the Railroad Line" sets the stage for the album that started a run for Seldom Scene that included three straight "must-have" albums. www.seldomscene.com

3. "Radio Boogie" is the title cut from the second album from Hot Rize (1981, Flying Fish). Hot Rize is Tim O'Brien, Nick Forster, Charles Sawtell and Pete Wernick.

4. Atlanta-based bluegrass band The Dappled Grays play "Night Life" From their new release Doin My Job (2007, Band Ranch). www.dappledgraysmusic.com

5. As far as I know Larry Keel makes his debut on the Front Porch by teaming up with Wyatt Rice to do "Lonesome Rueben" from the compilation album Flatpicking Favorites: Hot and Spicy (2004, FGM).

6. Massachusetts native Deb Talan presents "Comfort" from her 2004 solo work A Bird Flies Out. Talan is also a member of the pop group The Weepies.

7. Steve Earle with "Sparkle and Shine" from his latest release Washington Square Serenade (2007, New West). www.steveearle.com

8. Throughout the '90s, Boston-based singer and fiddler Rani Arbo was a member of Salamander Crossing. Around 2000 Arbo set out on her own with supporting band Daisy Mayhem. We hear the title cut from her third album Big Old Life (2007, Signature Sounds). www.raniarbo.com

9. The Grass Cats have to be the first bluegrass band to cover Pete Townsends' song "Let My Love Open the Door". This comes from their 2006 release Home to Carolina (New Time). www.grasscats.com

10. From Russ Barenberg's 1988 Rounder Records album Moving Pictures we hear "Through the Gates".

11. Another in a long line of Boston influenced folk artists Christine Kane debuts on the Front Porch with "Made of Steel" from her 2004 release Right Outta Nowhere. Kane graduated from Boston College before relocating to North Carolina to pursue her recording career. Right Outta Nowhere is the 5th of her albums and she also has a new live CD available titled A Friday Night in One Lifetime (2007, Firepink). www.christinekane.com

12. John Hartford plays "Where Does an Old Time River Man Go" from the Live at Mountain Stage album which was recorded between 1994 and 1996 and released on Blue Plate Music in 2000. It was only the second time that Mountain Stage had released an album that concentrates on one artist (the first featured Bill Monroe).

Take a gander at Hartford in this video from a different performance but doing the same song with Mark O'Connor on mandolin, Vassar Clements on Fiddle, Tony Rice on guitar and Jerry Douglas on dobro. MAN! What a lineup!

13. "It's Not You It's Me" is a swinging little ditty that comes from the incredible 2003 self-titled release from The Little Willie's(Milking Bull). The band consists of Lee Alexander on bass, Jim Campilongo on electric guitar, Jon Dryden on organ and accordion, Norah Jones adding piano and vocals, Richard Julian on guitar and vocals, and Dan Rieser on drums. www.thelittlewillies.com

14. John Prine checks in with the cut "Long Monday" from his 2005 Oh Boy Records release Fair & Square. www.johnprine.net

15. From her 2004 Red House Records project Land of Milk & Honey Eliza Gilkyson brings us "Tender Mercies".

16. Closing out the second hour is Psychograss with "Look What the Dogs Brought Home" from the album Now Hear This (2005, Adventure Music). www.darolanger.com/psychograss.html


More to come in the third hour but I probably won't get the notes blogged until later tonight so check back.

This Week on the Front Porch

This week on the Front Porch brings exciting news! The Peter Rowan and Tony Rice Quartet are officially signed for the January 19th Front Porch concert. Opening the night will be local favorites Bawn in the Mash. It should be a great night.

We will be playing quite a bit of Rowan and Rice in the weeks to come but I'm celebrating right out of the gate with a set from the guys!

FIRST HOUR

1. Of course I always open with Nickel Creeks' "Old Cold Coffee on the Dashboard".

2. Peter Rowan and Tony Rice Quartet with "The Sunny Side of the Mountain" from their 2006 Rounder Release Quartet.

3. From his 1970 release Guitar Tony Rice does "Freeborn Man".

Check Out Tony playing "Freeborn Man in this Youtube video.

4. Back to Peter Rowan as he does the title cut from his album Dust Bowl Children.

5. Closing out the opening set with another from Peter Rowan and Tony Rice. This time its from their first Quartet album You Were There For Me with "Wild Mustang".

6. The Tony Rice Unit backs me up in the break with "Jerusalem Ridge" from the 2000 Rounder Release Unit of Measure.

On November 29 Swiss natives The Kruger Brothers come to Murray, KY to perform Music from the Spring: A Romantic Serenade for Banjo, Guitar, Bass & Orchestra with the Murray State Orchestra. You can read more about the Kruger Bothers, this show, their music and their upcoming release The Suite at www.krugerbrothers.com.

This set presents a sampling of the Kruger Brothers work over the years.

7. The Kruger Brothers with "Carolina in the Fall" from their 2002 Double Time Music Release Up 18 North.

8. Jens Kruger does "Cork Harbor" from his 1999 album The Bridge.

9. Back to The Kruger Brothers with the Dylan cover "Don't Think Twice" from their 1998 release Travel the Gravel.

10. and 11. From Jens Krugers' 1998 album Profile we have two instrumentals including "Slow Lights" and "Piney Creek".

Take a look at The Kruger Brothers as they Play Up 18 North at the Owensboro, KY ROMP Fest in 2005.




11. In September Jim Lauderdale released his 16th album, his third with Yep Roc Records. Bluegrass Diaries presents Lauderdale's forceful voice in front of well penned bluegrass songs that share both a traditional and progressive attitude. "This is the Last Time I'm Ever Gonna Hurt" is the rousing opening cut on the album that features 11 Lauderdale originals. www.jimlauderdale.com.

12. Floyd County, Kentucky native Tommy Webb checks in with "If It Weren't For Bluegrass Music" from his brand new release Eastern Kentucky.

13. The Stanley Brothers bring us "Hey, Hey, Hey" from their 1961 release Sing the Songs They Like the Best.

14. This Flatt & Scruggs album offers up music recorded between 1948 and 1950. Foggy Mountain Breakdown is a 2001 release from Country stars and we hear My Little Girl in Tennessee.

Check out this great Flatt & Scruggs video of the fellas playing the Randy Lynn Rag!





15. The final cuts of the first hour, "Alabama Jubilee" and "Fog Rolling Over The Glen", comes from David Griers' album Freewheeling.