While not as big a sub-genre in Americana as train songs, murder ballads are big just the same. Since I took an interest in folk music in my teens, I’ve been listening to songs about Stack-O-Lee and Franky and Johnny, Pretty Polly and Tom Dooley. … Read More
The word dulcimer derives from the Latin dulcis, meaning sweet and the Greek melos meaning song. Yesterday I featured the mountain or Appalachian dulcimer, but that isn’t the only kind of dulcimer around. The hammered dulcimer has been around a number of different musical traditions… Read More
Tonight’s Daily Dose features the mountain dulcimer, sometimes also called the Appalachian dulcimer. This is a fretted instrument that normally has either three or four strings. It belongs to the zither family of instruments. The Cuckoo – this is Jean Ritchie Here’s one of my… Read More
Your Daily Dose tonight is some music from a Zydeco band called Fernest and the Thunders, led by a button accordion player named Fernest Arceneaux. Mr Arceneaux is gone now, but I remember seeing him and his band live here in Toronto back in the… Read More
How many musicians can you think of who created a sound so definitive that it shaped an entire genre of music? Damn few. Earl Scruggs was one of those few. Earl Scruggs changed everything for banjo and for bluegrass music. He died this morning at… Read More
For tonight’s Daily Dose, I thought it was about time I featured Dusty Springfield here. Most people I know would recognize some of the songs she recorded, but only a few would recognize the singer – and it’s too bad because Dusty Springfield was a… Read More
Every now and again, I go on a little Jonathan Richman binge, listening to tunes like this one in my car. At times like that I think, this guy is such a great songwriter. And then one day one of his tunes will come on… Read More
For tonight’s Daily Dose, let’s go back to the dreaded 70’s. You know what I’m talkin’ about. The Wheels on the Bus (go round and round). Here are Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers.
Tonight’s Daily Dose features the late Don Walser, Western Swing singer extraordinaire. My buddy East Texas Red first introduced me to Mr. Walser’s fantastic music.
Busy day today, but I’m finding time for your Daily Dose friends. I know you’ve been waiting. Here’s the Hot 8 Brass band. Sexual Healing Rock with the Hot 8 Rastafunk
27th Street 