We’re at Midweek With ‘A Little Bit O’Soul’, Live Bob Marley and Ry Cooder In the Spotlight, Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Good morning, musicologists. We’re at midweek and we’ve got our ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP, The Wailers at The Record Plant and a brand new Spotlight featuring Ry Cooder.

UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1970: Photo of Ry Cooder Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

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

This is the big kahuna of soul with Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Ronettes, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Jimmy Ruffin, 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, The Supremes, Sam Cooke, Edwin Starr, Fontella Bass, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Irma Thomas, The Box Tops, Jr Walker & The All Stars, Percy Sledge, Al Green and more.

4:00 p.m. Bob Marley & The Wailers Live at The Record Plant, Sausalito, CA, October 13, 1973

The Legend and his bandmates take over The Record Plant for a great performance.

Truly one of the most incredible artists of our time. To this day, Linda Ronstadt calls Ry Cooder the best guitarist she’s ever worked with. He is a master of the slide guitar, and is one of the most sought-after studio musicians. He is also known for his collaborations with a variety of artists from a variety of musical backgrounds, like Taj Mahal, The Chieftains, and Ali Farka Toure. Ry Cooder has earned his place In The Spotlight.

It’s Tuesday Bluesday With Our Big, Bad Blues EP, a Slim Harpo Spotlight Feature, and Live Muddy Waters, June 25, 2024

Good morning, bluesologists and welcome back to Tuesday Bluesday in The Mermaid Lounge. We start off with five hours of uninterrupted blues!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blues: Various Artists

Our biggest, baddest blues EP with Delbert McClinton, Robert Johnson, B. B. King, Little Walter, Slim Harpo, Ry Cooder, Canned Heat, John Lee Hooker, The Animals, Albert King, Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters, Little Feat, Bonnie Raitt, The Yardbirds, Janis Joplin, The Rolling Stones, Bobby “Blue” Bland, the Allman Brothers Band, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Elmore James, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Robert Cray Band, J. J. Cale, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, James Cotton, Koko Taylor, Marcia Ball, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Susan Tedeschi, Roomful of Blues, Howlin’ Wolf and more!

We’ve had this on our list for a long time and we’re happy it’s finally here. Slim Harpo was a great bluesman who was pretty popular in his time. He was also a master of the blues harp.

It’s a trip back in time in the Wayback Machine for this live performance at The Fillmore West, vintage 1966.

On Sunday It’s Jefferson Airplane, Our ‘Ode to Morning’ EP, and The Band Live in Japan, On June 23, 2024

Good morning, weekenders! We’ve got some great music today that includes a Jefferson Airplane Spotlight feature and The Band live from Kosei Nenkin Hall in Tokyo.

Here’s your Sunday lineup:

10:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Jefferson Airplane

Or, as we used to affectionately call them, The Airplane. The band was a true pioneer of the American psychedelic music genre, and we thank them for all their hard work.

1:00 p.m. Ode To Morning: Various Artists

This afternoon we have songs extolling the virtues of the morning from Cat Stevens, Hoyt Axton, The Beatles, Neil Young, The Rascals, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Gram Parsons, Simon & Garfunkel, Taj Mahal, Dan Fogelberg, Linda Ronstadt, Harry Chapin, Three Dog Night, Ry Cooder, Tim Buckley, Muddy Waters, Jonathan Edwards, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, Pure Prairie League and more.

8:00 p.m. The Band Live at Kosei Nenkin Hall, Tokyo, Japan, September 2, 1983

We close out a great day with a The Band live from Tokyo. They went from being Bob Dylan’s back up band to becoming one of the most influential bands in the evolution American popular music.

It’s an official ‘day of rest,’ so kick your heels of and join us. The Magic Button is below. It’s as simple as that.

It’s Our Multi-Artist Louisiana Blues EP, a Delbert McClinton Spotlight Feature, and Live SRV & Double Trouble on Tuesday Bluesday, June 18, 2024

Happy Tuesday, bluesologists! We’ve got a great lineup today starting with our ‘Best of Louisiana Blues’ multi-artist EP! Then it’s bluesman Delbert McClinton In the Spotlight and live Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble later.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

We take a trip to Louisiana for some bayou blues with Ray Charles, Lillian Glinn, Slim Harpo, Fats Domino, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Rodney Harris, Roosevelt Sykes, Shirley & Lee, Papa Lightfoot, Guitar Slim, Annie Laurie, Fats Matthews, Big Joe Turner, Big Boy Myles, Little Walter, Mary Butler, Erline Harris, Dave Bartholomew, Marcia Ball, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Professor Longhair, The Neville Brothers, Irma Thomas and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Delbert McClinton

Delbert McClinton is an American blues rock and electric blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, harmonica player, and pianist who has been singing the blues since 1962. Today, we put him In The Spotlight where he belongs.

8:00 p.m. Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY, October 4, 1984

We close out Tuesday Bluesday’s programming with Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble live in New York’s Carnegie Hall.

Every Tuesday is Tuesday Bluesday here in The Mermaid Lounge. Just use the button below for great blues programming at no cost to the listening public and with absolutely no commercial interruption ever.

Wednesday Brings ‘Are You Ready for The Country’, a Gram Parsons Spotlight Feature and Live Kris Kristofferson, June 12, 2024

Good morning, musicologists. We start out with our multi-artist country EP which delivers both traditional country as well as country-rock, then it’s a Gram Parsons Spotlight and Kris Kristofferson on Austin City Limits.

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Are You Ready for The Country: Various Artists

We’ve got five hours of country (real country; not bad pop bands with fiddles) and country-rock music to kick off the day with The Eagles, Asleep at The Wheel, The Byrds, Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Dolly Parton, Poco, Linda Ronstadt, Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Jerry Jeff Walker, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Carlene Carter, Rosanne Cash, The Desert Rose Band, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Gram Parsons, John Prine, Tom Rush, Townes Van Zandt, Hank Williams and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Gram Parsons

One of the best and a pioneer of country rock whose life ended far too soon. Gram Parsons was a member of The Byrds, The International Submarine Band, The Flying Burrito Brothers, a solo artist and a mentor to Emmylou Harris. This afternoon he’s In the Spotlight.

Singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson definitely in his prime recorded live at the Moody Theater for Austin City Limits.

Thursday Brings ‘Travelin’ Fever,’ Live Lucinda Williams, and a Staple Singers Spotlight Feature, June 5, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We’re on the downslide to the weekend and we’ve got some great stuff today, including a brand new Staple Singers Spotlight feature.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Travelin’ Fever: Various Artists

Life on the road is always a great musical subject, and that’s what we open with this morning. You’ll hear music from Canned Heat, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Box Tops, Arlo Guthrie, The Allman Brothers Band, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, The Doors, Tom Rush, The Byrds, Little Feat, The Band, Willie Nelson, Edwin Starr, The Traveling Wilburys, Del Shannon, Janis Joplin, Ray Charles, The Doobie Brothers, The Guess Who, Bob Dylan, The Eagles, Carole King, Cream and more!

4:00 p.m. Lucinda Williams Live at The Moody Theater, Austin, TX, December 5, 1998

The great singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams recorded live for Austin City Limits.

The Staple Singers are an American classic, a gospel, soul and R&B group started by Roebuck “Pops” Staples and his children that signed their first professional contract in 1952. They are best known for a string of hits in the seventies that included Respect Yourself, I’ll Take You There, If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me) and Let’s Do It Again. The Staple Singers have also been a steady voice in the civil rights movement. The Staple Singers have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1999) and The Gospel Music Hall of Fame (2018). They were also honored with a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail in Drew, Mississippi and were given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.

It’s Tuesday Bluesday With ‘Ladies Sing The Blues,’ a Stevie Ray Vaughan Spotlight and Some ‘Live’ James Cotton, June 4, 2024

Good morning, bluesologists and welcome to another Tuesday Bluesday. We’ve got some great stuff on tap for today, starting with our ‘Ladies Sing The Blues’ EP!

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Ladies Sing The Blues: Various Artists

We open it all up with the women of the blues, those who pioneered the blues and those who simply pay homage. We love them all. You’ll hear Billie Holliday, Big Mama Thornton, Ruth Brown, Nina Simone, Janis Joplin, Koko Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Christine McVie, Marcia Ball, Ellen McIlwaine, Susan Tedeschi, Irma Thomas, Tracy Nelson, Etta James, Linda Ronstadt, Sippie Wallace, Bessie Smith, Shawn Murphy, Angela Strelhi, Aretha Franklin, The Blues Broads and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Stevie Ray Vaughan

Stevie Ray Vaughan’s career spanned just seven years before his untimely death, but in that time he established himself both as one of the most influential artists in the history of the blues and one of the greatest guitarists on the planet.

7:00 p.m. James Cotton Live at Antone’s Night Club, Austin, TX, July 1987

This is one of those performances where an exact date is not found, but we do know it was July of 1987. A little live James Cotton is always a treat.

We’ve got another great Tuesday Bluesday on tap here in The Mermaid Lounge and The Music Mermaid will be overseeing the festivities today. We hope you’ll join us! All it takes is hitting the button below.

We End The Month With ‘Ladies Day Out,’ Janis Live at Winterland and a Brandi Carlile Spotlight, on Friday, May 31, 2024

Good morning, music lovers and welcome to Friday, where we celebrate the women of music with our ‘Ladies Day Out’ EP for starters. Then, it’s Janis live at Winterland Ballroom and a new Brandi Carlile Spotlight feature.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

We start out strong with five hours of uninterrupted women power from across all genres. You’ll hear Aretha Franklin, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Carly Simon, Emmylou Harris, Petula Clark, Laura Nyro, Cilla Black, Irma Thomas, 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, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Norah Jones, Phoebe Snow, Nicolette Larson, Sheryl Crow, Susan Tedeschi, Valerie Carter, Dusty Springfield, Dolly Parton and more!

4:00 p.m. Janis Joplin Live at Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA, April 12, 1968

We’ve got Janis Joplin captured live during a two-night residency at the famed Winterland Ballroom this afternoon.

I’ve been listening to and loving Brandi Carlile’s music for a while now and this has been a long time coming. Watching her perform the late, great John Prine’s Angel From Montgomery with one of my musical idols, Bonnie Raitt, during Mothership just this month certainly gave me the impetus to get this done. Her music has also been added to our standard rotation.

Tuesday Bluesday Returns With ‘Best of Louisiana Blues’, Muddy & The Stones, and Live John Mayall, May 21, 2024

Good morning, bluesologists and welcome to another Tuesday Bluesday. We’ve got a great blues program lined up starting off in Looosiana!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

We head down to Louisiana where the music is as good as the food. You’ll hear Ray Charles, Lillian Glinn, Slim Harpo, Ray Brown, Fats Domino, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Rodney Harris, Roosevelt Sykes, Shirley & Lee, Papa Lightfoot, Guitar Slim, Annie Laurie, Fats Matthews, Big Joe Turner, Big Boy Myles, Little Walter, Mary Butler, Erline Harris, Dave Bartholomew, Marcia Ball, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Professor Longhair, the Neville Brothers, Irma Thomas and more!

4:00 p.m. Muddy Waters & The Rolling Stones Live at The Checkerboard Lounge, Chicago, IL, November 22, 1981

We’ve got a live interlude this afternoon with Muddy Waters and The Stones live from the Checkerboard Lounge in Chicago.

7:00 p.m. John Mayall Live at Leicester Square Theatre, London, UK, November 1, 2010

We’ve got yet another live performance lined up to close out the programming with the great John Mayall, who is officially now retired from the road, in London.

It’s Tuesday Bluesday and the perfect day to check us out. We’re on 24/7. We’re totally free. And we play absolutely no commercials. Ever.

‘Are You Ready for The Country’, a Guy Clark Spotlight and ‘Live’ Lukas Nelson & POTR on Saturday, May 11, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We keep it on the country side today with our programming, both old school and country-rock, that great sound out of Laurel Canyon.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Are You Ready for The Country: Various Artists

Another EP out of mothballs this morning as we pay homage to the old standards and the country rockers with The Eagles, Asleep at The Wheel, The Byrds, Emmylou Harris, Neil Young, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Dolly Parton, Poco, Linda Ronstadt, Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Jerry Jeff Walker, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Carlene Carter, Rosanne Cash, The Desert Rose Band, Kris Kristofferson, Gram Parsons, John Prine, Tom Rush, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Townes Van Zandt and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Guy Clark

Surely one of the absolute best country singer-songwriters ever. I know I’ve told this story before, but one dreadfully snowy night my friend George and I were walking around Harvard Square freezing when we decided to go into a place called Passim’s Coffee House to warm up. We had no idea who Guy Clark was, but we paid the cover charge and went inside. It was undoubtedly one of the best things I ever did in my life. I was totally hooked. And he played a mean fiddle to boot.

8:00 p.m. Lukas Nelson & Promise of The Real Live at The Boathouse, Newport News, VA, June 14, 2018

We close out the country programming with Lukas Nelson and his great little band. Lukas comes from great country outlaw pedigree, so it’s no wonder we love him here in The Mermaid Lounge.

We’re here 24/7 for your listening pleasure, at absolutely no charge to you and with absolutely no commercial interruption. Ever. Just an occasional station I.D. bit courtesy of yours truly. That’s it. The button’s below.