Guest Hosts Henry & Moggy
A Bit of Soul - Ray Charles; for the first half of this tune just imagine you're seeing Ray in a little club somewhere.
3 in 1, 2 Step - Susy and Eric Thompson; a tune that's even better than the title and it's got Eric Thompson on guitar - in real tight with that fiddle.
Newport Blues - Cincinnati Jug Band
Symphony Hall Rag - John Hartford
Ghost Riders in the Sky - Gov Schrivenor & Will Smith; there are so many versions of this song in so many settings - how about one by an "arm pit farting" virtuoso? Start practicing!
Cumberland Gap - New Lost City Ramblers; Mike Seeger in an ensemble situation where, to my ear, he seemed the most comfortable.
Royal Garden Blues - Kid Ory Creole Jazz Band
Blue Skies - Pete Seeger; one more example of how Mike's big brother can play it all but only gets credit for some.
The Train Carrying Jimmie Rogers Home - Greg Brown; thanks for the request, we hope you love this song half as much as we do.
Florida Blues - Ricky Scaggs; Ricky could have done this on fiddle just as well, if he'd wanted to
Old Fashioned Love - Butch Thompson & Duke Heitger; I don't listen to Prairie Home Companion very much anymore, but when I do Butch is never on. He was the star in my opinion.
Too Tight Rag - New Lost City Ramblers; one more example of Mike Seeger in a band.
Sophisticated Blues - Snooks Eaglin; he once was recorded under the banner of 'New Orleans Street Singer' which he was not. But he was a fantastic guitar player. Check him out on You Tube calling out the changes for 'Lucky Old Sun' to his bass player, George Porter Jr (The Meter's bassist & no slouch himself). It's called live at Rock & Bowl, which is a New Orleans bowling alley.
When the Saints Go Marching in - Willie Eason; those whimsical little stratospheric asides are what make the sacred steel "sacred".
Nobody's Sweetheart - McKensie & Condon's Chicagoans; Eddie Condon was a newspaper columnist, radio personality, saloon keeper, tenor guitarist, and bandleader. He said about his early tours playing the jazz he loved so much, & I quote; "We covered the circuit 3 times during the summer. By August the crops were so rich you could live by inhaling them. The people were so healthy dissipation was almost a medicine, something to keep them from jumping out of their skin. We gave them jazz, which they loved, & the popular tunes which were singeing the corn silk that summer: 'China Boy'..., 'Carolina In the Morning','Way Down Yonder in New Orleans'. Songs lasted more that a season then..."
Come Along Jody - Stairwell Sisters; this has that rattling sound that renders old-time so seductive.
Limehouse Blues - Rick O'Brien; not so bad for a hillbilly, huh?
Up Jumped the Devil - New Lost City Ramblers; here they are again.
Noah's Blues - Cannon's Jug Stompers; Noah Lewis died in the early 40's of a combination of hypothermia & malnutrition after playing some of the most inspired harmonica of the century.
Careless Love - Flatt and Scruggs; they have been accused of being more country than bluegrass. I think that's easier to hear in this tune without the vocals to distract your ear.
Grapefruit People - Pagan Jug Band; they're local, they're great & their song titles really mean something. You can see then live at Happy Hour at the Clinton Corner Cafe, Tuesdays from 6:30-8:30 PM.
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star - Cherokee Cowboys (Ray Price's Band); the band complained about playing shows in the East. The audiences just sat & listened, where-as in the west they danced, and that was a lot better. After hearing this I'd have to agree. It's got that live, lose & swingin' feel to it.
Blue Tailed Fly - Mike Seeger; Mike died last week. Goodbye Mike, and thanks for giving us what we never knew we were missing.
Honky Tonk Train Blues - Meade "Lux" Lewis; not only does he not need a band, he is the band - and the train, the track & the station.
Memphis Stomp - Blue Boys
Evening Prayer Blues - Floating Glass Balls; Spud Siegel got this off a Bill Monroe record. It's said that Bill got it from Deford Bailey early star of the Grand Old Opry. I can't believe that it's easy gentle lope mirrors the hard edged, take no prisoners style of Bill's. But, in my head, I can picture Deford playing it.
Little Rock Get Away - Hillbilly Jazz; an 'A' list band featuring Vasser Clements, David Bromberg & others of that caliber. If you've ever seen Vasser's fiddle, just think about this. John Hartford gave it to him. John must have really liked Vasser.
Midnight on the Water - Ralph Blizzard; Moggy's favorite version. This is for her. Ralph's technique was all wrong & this tune, and all his others, come out all right.
Piccolo Blues - Jed Davenport and Beale Street Band; the mouth trumpet doesn't get much better than this.
Avalon Quickstep - Fat City String Band; from the reunion of the band that was the kernel of the Highwoods String Band and everything that grew from that.
Henry & Moggy
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