Month: April 2025

We Close the Month With All-Girl Programming Featuring Our Big EP, Ruth Brown, and Linda Ronstadt & Friends, On Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! We are closing out the month in style. Most stations don’t play this much women’s music in two months as we play in a week. For us, it’s a matter of routine. Read on as we close the month in full-female mode!

Here’s your all-girl midweek lineup:

9:00 a.m. Ladies Day Out: Various Artists

We start out with our big EP featuring Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Carly Simon, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Petula Clark, Laura Nyro, Cilla Black, Irma Thomas, Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Etta James, Janis Joplin, Carole King, Maria Muldaur, Lucinda Williams, Rosanne Cash, Eva Cassidy, Wendy Waldman, Shawn Colvin, The Ronettes, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Norah Jones, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Phoebe Snow, Susan Tedeschi, Nicolette Larson, Sheryl Crow, Valerie Carter, Dusty Springfield, Ann Peebles, Lulu, and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Ruth Brown NEW!

We finally get this one under our belt, as we give the late, great Ruth Brown her due. She was signed to Atlantic Records and dominated the scene during the fifties with a string of huge hits. As a result, Atlantic became knows as “the house that Ruth built.” Today, she’s in our ‘Spotlight.’

8:00 a.m. Linda Ronstadt & Friends: Duets & More

People who are Ronstadt watchers know that she loved singing with other people more than she enjoyed her solo career. Today she brings along her friends as we hear her duets and so much more. Her brilliant vocals dominate, and we here in The Mermaid Lounge miss her very much.

We’re here every day and today belongs to the women of music. We’re on 24/7. We’re totally free, and we do not run commercial advertising. The button is below.

Ladies Day Out Indeed!

Tuesday Bluesday Brings ‘The Best of Texas Blues’, Gunsmoke Blues, and a Peter Green ‘Spotlight’ (Finally), April 29, 2025

Good morning, bluesologists! We’ve got some great blues programming today. Our 4:00 p.m. slot has an interesting story. Read on for details!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Best of Texas Blues: Various Artists

We open it up with one of our great blues EPs featuring Johnny Winter, Bobby “Blue” Bland, T-Bone Walker, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Marcia Ball, The King Bees, Freddie King, Janis Joplin, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Doyle Bramhall II, Ally Venable, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Big Mama Thornton, Albert Collins, ZZ Top, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and more!

4:00 p.m. Gunsmoke Blues: Various Artists

This is the stuff of legends. While on a filming break from the Gunsmoke TV series in November of 1971, blues lover Link Wyler and some of his friends from the production crew took to the road and documented the blues barnstorming tour of the Pacific Northwest underaken by Big Mama Thornton, Muddy Waters, Big Joe Turner and George “Harmonica” Smith. This is the result.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Peter Green NEW!

This one has been coming for a while. We give you the music of the late, great Peter Green as a solo artist, as the co-founder of Fleetwood Mac (originally a blues band before Nicks and Buckingham joined), and Peter Green’s Splinter Group.

Before, in between and after we give you our big, wide Open Stream of more than 30,000 songs. We don’t keep playing the same hundred songs over and over ad nauseum. We also don’t cost you a thing, play commercial advertising or talk through the music. We’re anti-capitalist to the core. Join us. The button’s below.

Tuesday Bluesday!

On Monday It’s Live Derek & The Dominos, Then Our ‘Great Beginnings’ EP, and a J.J. Cale ‘Spotlight’ Feature, April 28, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! It’s Monday all over again, but all is not lost. We’ve got some great programming for you today.

Here’s your Monday musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Derek & The Dominos Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, October 23, 1970

Yet another Supergroup featuring Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock, Duane Allman and Jim Gordon. We’ve got them live from The Fillmore East to start the day.

1:00 p.m. Great Beginnings: Various Artists

This is the newest of our EPs, and it features songs with great openings. You’ll hear The Beatles, Elton John, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, the J. Geils Band, Aretha Franklin, Yes, Chicago, The Who, Johnny Rivers, Electric Light Orchestra, The Kinks, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Rolling Stones, The Allman Brothers Band, The Temptations, CSNY, Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, ZZ Top, Badfinger, Steely Dan, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Paul Simon, The Chambers Brothers and more!

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of J. J. Cale

One of the best right here. A pioneer of the “Tulsa Sound” which blended blues, rockabilly, country, and jazz. His bluesy guitar, whispery vocals, and shuffling beat defined the genre. He also wrote some of the best: Cocaine, After Midnight, The Old Man and Me, 13 Days, and Crazy Mama are among his compositions.

We’re here 24/7 without any commercial interruption. We don’t ask for a subscription, a credit card or your personal information. We don’t track or try to sell to you. What’s not to love? The button is below.

Monday, Monday

It’s Sunday Funday With ‘Color My World’, a Richard & Mimi Farina ‘Spotlight’ Feature, and Live Joan Baez, on April 27, 2025

Welcome to Sunday Funday here in The Mermaid Lounge and we are bringing in some new folk music for the resistance along with the ‘Color My World’ EP and live Joan Baez.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Color My World: Various Artists

We open with five hours of songs about all colors of the spectrum with music from James Taylor, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Donovan, Booker T & The MGs, Procol Harum, Electric Light Orchestra, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, John Hiatt, J.D. Souther, The Who, Sam & Dave, Bob Dylan, Amy Winehouse, Badfinger, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, The Hollies, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Cream, Marvin Gaye, Lucinda Williams and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: Richard & Mimi Farina NEW!

Not a lot of music, but some of the most inspiring music ever made. Richard Farina tragically died at the age of 29, never realizing his full genius potential. They were a fixture in the Boston-Cambridge (Massachusetts) folk scene, gracing the stage at Club 47, the Unicorn Coffee House, and other iconic venues. They appeared at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, and collaborated with some of the best, including Joan Baez. Today, we put them in the spotlight where they belong as part of our growing ‘protest music’ focus.

8:00 p.m. Joan Baez: Live in 1962

We close out the day with the great Joan Baez, no stranger to songs about social justice, recorded live at several venues during 1962 at the very beginning of a long and brilliant musical career.

We are committed to music, and we are committed to free music with no commercial avertising. We are also committed to meeting the moment and raising our voices through song. We vowed never to involve politics, but where we are is not a question of politics. It’s right vs. wrong. Truth vs. lies. We must all stand and deliver in some way. This is our way. The button is below.

Richard & Mimi Farina

Saturday It’s Volume Two of Our ‘Sixties Rotation’, Then It’s Live Warren Zevon, and a Valerie Carter ‘Spotlight’, April 26, 2025

Welcome, Weekenders! We’re here again on a Saturday with a great selection of programming sprinkled in with our big, wide Open Stream! It all starts out with volume two of our ‘Sixties Rotation.’

Here’s your Saturday musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Sixties Rotation: Volume Two

We cover the mid-to-late sixties (mostly) with this one with music from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Mamas & Papas, The Hollies, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, Tommy James & The Shondells, The Turtles, Three Dog Night, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Blind Faith, Linda Ronstadt, Chuck Berry, The Doors, Stevie Wonder, Vanilla Fudge, Bob Dylan, Steppenwolf and more!

4:00 p.m. Warren Zevon Live at The Roxy, Atlanta, GA, June 15, 1993

Warren Zevon certainly had his dark side and burned a lot of bridges in his lifetime, but he was a brilliant singer-songwriter and performer. Saw him at The Berklee Performance Center in Boston after Excitable Boy was released. He was three hours late, but it was worth the wait.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Valerie Carter

She is certainly a Mermaid Lounge musical muse. The little girl with the big voice who left us all far too soon. She opened for Linda Ronstadt once at the Orpheum here in Boston and I was lucky enough to be there. They spent some time together singing on stage and it was amazing. We’ll air that one soon.

It’s Saturday. The Orange Scourge is in Rome. We’re all stuck here with the mess he continues to make. And that’s why we’re picking up our protest music content. We’ve aired two segments this week and more are coming! Stay tuned. The button is below.

The Button

On Friday We’re ‘Under the Sun & Moon,’ Then Live Joni Mitchell, and a Roy Orbison ‘Spotlight’ Feature, April 25, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! In between all of this great programming we’ve got our big, wide Open Stream 24/7 with no commercial interruption!

Here’s your Friday musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. Under The Sun & Moon: Various Artists

We start out with a great playlist including music from Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Norah Jones, Bill Withers, Jimmy Cliff, The Traveling Wilburys, The Rolling Stones, Nina Simone, Cream, The Beatles, Neil Young, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, The Animals, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Rosanne Cash, Valerie Carter, Tom Rush, The Doors, Jonathan Edwards and more!

4:00 p.m. Joni Mitchell Live at Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, CO, July 20, 1983

This afternoon, we give you the legendary Joni Mitchell from Red Rocks on her World Refuge Tour.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Roy Orbison

We celebrate Roy Orbison’s birthday (April 23) today by putting him ‘In the Spotlight’ where he belongs covering his solo music and his music with The Traveling Wilburys.

We’ve made it to the end of the week. We’re in survival mode here, under the orchestration of The Orange Menace. It’s golf time, so the damage is minimized on the weekend. All we have to endure is his incessant, childish posting. But we’re here with great music to help you get through. The button is below.

The Button.

On Thursday We Open With ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul,’ Then It’s Live Allman Brothers Band, and a Laura Nyro ‘Spotlight’, April 24, 2025

We’re headed toward the weekend today. It’s all downhill from here. We open with five hours of soul and R & B music, then we’ve got the Allman Brothers Band live at the Beacon and Laura Nyro ‘In the Spotlight!’

Here’s your Thursday lineup:

9:00 a.m. A Little Bit O’ Soul: Various Artists

We start off with five uninterrupted hours of soul and R & B with Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, The Drifters, Chuck Berry, Stevie Wonder, Carla Thomas, James Brown, The Shirelles, Etta James, Curtis Mayfield, Sam & Dave, The Staple Singers, Nina Simone, LaVern Baker, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Edwin Starr, Sam Cooke, Fontella Bass, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Irma Thomas, The Box Tops and more!

4:00 p.m. The Allman Brothers Band Live at The Beacon Theater, New York, NY, March 10 & 11, 1992

The Brothers give yet another masterful live performance at The Beacon in NYC.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Laura Nyro

We close out the programming with a ‘Spotlight’ featuring the amazing Laura Nyro. She was a catalyst for many artists who covered her songs.

We are closer to the weekend, folks, and that means stability in a nation with a very unstable lout in office. Here in The Mermaid Lounge we play the best music on the planet and the journey is everything. The button is below.

A Little Bit O’Soul!

We’re at Midweek With ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’, Live Pete Seeger, and Joan Baez ‘In the Spotlight’, Wednesday, April 23, 2025

We’ve got a great day of folk programming coming up today as we increase our push on protest music and artists that include social justice issues as a large part of their musical focus.

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

We kick off the day with our multi-artist folk music EP featuring John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, The Band, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Jesse Winchester, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Phil Ochs, Harry Chapin, Townes Van Zandt, The Carter Family and more!

4:00 p.m. Pete Seeger Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY, June 8, 1963 NEW!

We debut live Pete Seeger this afternoon at his ‘We Shall Overcome’ concert at New York’s iconic Carnegie Hall.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Joan Baez

We close out the day with another folk icon who has always focused on issues of social justice in her music.

We’ve got it going today, folks, in a time of extraordinary upheaval here in the U.S. We cannot stay stationary on a sinking ship. Join us. The button is below.

We Shall Overcome

We Start Tuesday Bluesday in The Windy City, Then It’s Buddy Guy & SRV, and a Tedeschi Trucks ‘Spotlight’, April 22, 2025

Happy Tuesday Bluesday! We start the day with ‘The Best of Chicago Blues’, then it’s on to Buddy Guy & Stevie Ray Vaughan live in NY, and Tedeschi Trucks ‘In The Spotlight.’

Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi (center) are the musical power couple at the core of Tedeschi Trucks Band.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Best of Chicago Blues: Various Artists

We hit the Windy City once again and listen to the tunes of Otis Rush, Willie Dixon, Albert King, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Bo Diddley, Koko Taylor, Lowell Fulson, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, Magic Slim, Sonny Boy Williamson, Son Seals, James Cotton, Paul Butterfield, Elmore James, Jimmy Reed, Otis Spann and more!

4:00 p.m. Buddy Guy & Stevie Ray Vaughan Live at The Lone Star Cafe, New York, NY, April 14, 1986

We’ve got Chicago Blues meeting Texas Blues today at NYC’s Lone Star Cafe!

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Tedeschi Trucks Band

We close out Tuesday Bluesday with the biggest, baddest-ass blues band on the planet, powered by the dynamic duo of premier blues vocalist/guitarist Susan Tedeschi and the best damned blues-rock guitarist on the planet in Derek Trucks. Always a stand-out and always a pleasure.

It’s a great day here in The Mermaid Lounge once again from beginning to end. Before, in between and after it’s our big, wide Open Stream. The button is below.

Tuesday Bluesday!

We Begin the Week With ‘Ode To Morning’, Then Onto a John Hartford ‘Spotlight’, and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers at The Vic in Chicago On April 21, 2025

We kick off yet another work week with our ‘Ode To Morning’ EP, a brand new ‘Spotlight’ featuring the late, great John Hartford, and The Heartbreakers live at The Vic.

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Ode To Morning: Various Artists

Yesterday, we had songs about the night. Today it’s songs about the morning with Cat Stevens, Hoyt Axton, The Beatles, Neil Young, The Rascals, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Gram Parsons, Simon & Garfunkel, Taj Mahal, Harry Chapin, Linda Ronstadt, Dan Fogelberg, Three Dog Night, Ry Cooder, Tim Buckley, Muddy Waters, Jonathan Edwards, Bob Dylan, Badfinger, Townes Van Zandt, Pure Prairie League, Chris Hillman and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of John Hartford NEW!

John Hartford’s biggest hit was Gentle On My Mind, for which he scored three Grammies. The song was also listed in “BMI’s Top 100 Songs of the Century.” Hartford was a folk, country and bluegrass composer and musician who mastered both the fiddle and banjo and frequently switched between those and the guitar during his live performances. Like John Prine, he was also known for his witty lyrics and unique vocal style, and he had an extensive knowledge of Mississippi River folklore. He also invented his very own tap dance and frequently clogged on a piece of plywood as he sang and played. He was truly a minstrel and entertainer.

8:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Victoria, Chicago, IL, April 19, 2003

In 2003, The Heartbreakers played five nights at The Vic. Tonight we bring you their final performance of that residency.

We’ve got some great music for you today, including a ‘Spotlight’ we’ve been meaning to add for quite some time. We finally give the late, great John Hartford his due. We hope you’ll tune us in. We’re on 247 and we’re totally free all the time. The button is below.

Monday, Monday