Category: Country Blues

Friday Brings Vintage Joni Mitchell, a Musical Trip to New Orleans, and a Surprise Byrds Reunion, April 12, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We have made it to the end of the week once again and we’ve got a great lineup for y’all today starting with the one and only Joni.

Here’s your musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. Joni Mitchell Live at Club 47, Cambridge, MA, January 10, 1968

Time to jump into the Wayback Machine again for this one at the famous Club 47 in my hometown. It would morph into Passim’s Coffee House, where I would spend a good deal of time hearing great music in Harvard Square. Many have passed through here on their way to their heralded musical careers, like Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt and Guy Clark. Then, there’s Joni Mitchell. And we’ve got that one today.

12:30 p.m. Down In New Orleans: Various Artists

Haven’t broken this one out in a while and it’s about damned time. We have authentic NOLA music mixed in with rock n’ roll artists who were born and raised there. You’ll hear BeauSoleil, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John. Buckwheat Zydeco, Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, Irma Thomas, Allen Fontenot, The Neville Brothers, Lucinda Williams, Boozoo Chavis, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Louis Armstrong, Queen Ida & The Bon Temps Zydeco Band, The Daywalkers, Jerry Lee Lewis and more!

8:00 p.m. The Byrds Live at The Boarding House, San Francisco, CA, February 9, 1978

Here’s the story on this great performance. Three of the Byrds’ founding members, Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark and Chris Hillman were touring the west coast, each playing a short solo set and then convening on stage for some vintage Byrds tunes. On this particular night, David Crosby joined them on stage for several tunes (I think it was 9 songs), making it the closest thing to a Byrds reunion as you can get. The only missing piece was drummer Michael Clarke. It’s here tonight.

We’ve got some great stuff on tap for today. Don’t know about the weather where you are but we’re at monsoon level today I hear. Lots of wind and rain. Great day to hunker down with some great tunes.

Down In New Orleans!

It’s Tuesday Bluesday With the ‘Best of Chicago Blues’ EP, Albert King & SRV, and ‘Live’ Blues Project, April 9, 2024

Good morning, bluesologists. It’s another Tuesday Bluesday here in The Mermaid Lounge and we kick the programming off with five hours of uninterrupted Windy City blues!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

We head to the Windy City today to hear blues from 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. Albert King & Stevie Ray Vaughn In Session, CHCH-TV Studios, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, December 6, 1983

A great blues session recorded live for television broadcast when Stevie Ray Vaughan was 29 and Albert King was 60.

7:00 p.m. The Blues Project Live at The Cafe Au Go Go, Greenwich Village, New York, November 24-27, 1965

We jump into the Wayback Machine for this one, recorded during their four-day residency at the famous Cafe Au Go Go.

We’re back with the blues today and there’s plenty of room for everyone here in The Mermaid Lounge. We’re on 24/7 at no charge and with no commercial interruption.

It’s Tuesday Bluesday!

It’s The First Tuesday Bluesday of a New Month With ‘Ladies Sing The Blues,’ Buddy Guy and Janis Joplin, April 2, 2024

Good morning, bluesologists and welcome to Tuesday Bluesday! We’ve got more blues every Tuesday now and we’ve got some great plans moving forward!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

The ladies take over The Lounge this morning and into the afternoon. 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 Strehli, Aretha Franklin, The Blues Broads and more!

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

Buddy Guy takes over the spot today that was once occupied by our AOW. Spend some time with a great blues guitarist and singer starting at 4:00 p.m.

8:00 p.m. Janis Joplin & The Kozmic Blues Band Live at The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Netherlands, April 11, 1969

We jump into the Wayback Machine for this one tonight as we go back to 1969 for a great Janis Joplin performance.

It’ll be a crowded house in The Mermaid Lounge today, but there is plenty of room for everyone. We’re here 24/7 totally free of charge. We don’t ask for credit cards or personal information, and we do not run commercial advertising. We’re all about the music.

Tuesday Bluesday!

We Head Toward The Weekend With Our House EP, Lucinda Williams & Linda Ronstadt, Thursday, March 28, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! Remember that great Heartbreakers song, It’s Raining Again? Well, it is here in Boston. But we’ve got our great House EP and a couple of amazing ladies to get us through today.

Here’s Thursday’s lineup:

9:00 a.m. The #BecomeUngovernable House Playlist: Various Artists

All the music that inspired the station. You’ll hear Barry McGuire, The Temptations, Edwin Starr, Peter Tosh, The Beatles, T. Rex, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Dylan, Country Joe & The Fish, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Joan Baez, CSNY, Pink Floyd, The Animals, Ten Years After, Plastic Ono Band, Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, Three Dog Night, Jimmy Cliff, Richie Havens, Marvin Gaye, The Association, Phil Ochs, Tom Rush, Pete Seeger, The Band, Nina Simone, Janis Joplin, Linda Ronstadt and more!

4:00 p.m. Lucinda Williams Live at The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA, November 20-22, 2003

We’ve got a live one from the woman whom Tom Petty called one of the greatest songwriters ever, and he should know because he’s one as well. This one is live from the fabled Fillmore.

7:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Heart Like A Wheel by Linda Ronstadt

We’re winding down on this magical album and on the AOW feature itself. The final performance will be sometime on Saturday.

We’re here rain or shine, folks, playing the greatest music on planet earth at no charge and with no commercial advertising to break up the flow. We’re streaming and dreaming.

The House EP!

It’s Tuesday Bluesday and Our Big, Bad Blues EP, Ronstadt’s AOW and ‘Live’ Paul Butterfield BB in Boston, March 26, 2024

Good morning, bluesologists and welcome to another Tuesday Bluesday. We kick things off with our biggest, baddest blues playlist and close it with some ‘live’ Paul Butterfield.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

This is our big one that encompasses all of the blues. You’ll hear 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, Tracy Nelson, Linda Ronstadt and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Heart Like A Wheel by Linda Ronstadt

Ronstadt takes her second spin as our final AOW artist with her 1974 masterpiece as we celebrate it’s 50th anniversary.

7:00 p.m. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band Live at The Unicorn Coffee House, Boston, MA, May 1966

We hop into the Wayback Machine for this live performance from an iconic Boston location. We had so many great musical venues here in Boston back in the day playing all kinds of diverse music. This was one of them.

Tuesday Bluesday is always a busy day here in The Mermaid Lounge, but there’s plenty of room left for you. All you need to do is hit the button below, folks!

Welcome to Tuesday Bluesday!

It’s Friday With ‘Live’ Steely Dan, ‘Everybody But Bob’ and Our ‘Train Tracks’ Multi-Artist Playlist, March 22, 2024

Good morning and welcome to the end of the work week! We’ve got some early ‘live’ Steely Dan and two outstanding multi-artist playlists for you today.

Here’s your Friday playlists:

10:00 a.m. Steely Dan Live at The Record Plant, Los Angeles, CA, March 20, 1974 NEW!

This live in-studio concert was part of a promotion run by ABC Dunhill Records around the release of Countdown To Ecstasy and the hits that were spawned by that album. It was broadcast live over now-defunct (sadly) rock station KMET.

3:00 p.m. Everybody But Bob: Bob Dylan Cover Songs

It should come as no surprise that the man who won a Nobel Prize for Literature for his songwriting would boast an impressive lists of artists who have covered his songs. You’ll hear Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, George Harrison, Linda Ronstadt, Joan Baez, Chrissie Hynde, Tracy Nelson, The Band, Johnny Winter, Shawn Colvin, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Fairport Convention, The Byrds, Hot Tuna and more.

8:00 p.m. Train Tracks: Various Artists

We close out the programming with a playlist of songs about trains, runaway and otherwise, with Steve Winwood, the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, New Riders of The Purple Sage, the Doobie Brothers, J.J. Cale, Chicken Shack, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Rosanne Cash, Allen Toussaint, The Eagles, Paul Simon, The Guess Who, Lucinda Williams, Guy Clark, Joni Mitchell and more!

While I am laboring in retail hell, you can be here listening to some of the best music on the planet! We’re on 24/7 with no interruption and at no cost to our listeners. We are also commercial-free rock n’ roll, soul, folk, blues, reggae, country and country-rock. Just hit the button below.

It’s Finally Friday!

Heading To the Weekend With ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’, Little Feat’s AOW, and ‘Live’ Music From The Band, Thursday, March 21, 2024

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to the downslide to the weekend. We are opening up the festivities this morning with our big, bad soul and R&B EP!

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

This is the big one; not just the sound of Motown, but also Atlantic, Stax and more 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 Four Tops, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Eddie Floyd, Percy Sledge, Joe Tex, Wanda Jackson, Ann Peebles, Al Green and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Feats Don’t Fail Me Now by Little Feat

We’re winding down on this one. The final airing will be sometime on Saturday. Get it while you can!

7:00 p.m. The Band Live at The Carter Baron Amphitheatre, Washington, D.C., July 17, 1976

From Bob Dylan’s backup band to one of the most influential musical acts in popular music history. The Band was nothing short of fantastic. In my mind, there wasn’t either a bad song or album these guys ever released. This was also broadcast live on the famous King Biscuit Flower Hour.

Just do it, people. We’re on 24/7 with no interruption from any kind of commercial advertising, and at no charge to anyone.

A Little Bit O’ Soul!

Today It’s Blues From the Bayou, Little Feat and Mr. High Energy Johnny Winter Live at The Bottom Line, Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Welcome to Tuesday Bluesday where we’ve got ‘The Best of Louisiana Blues’ and Johnny Winter to open and close. In between, it’s Little Feat’s AOW.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

There’s another thing that Louisiana has besides great food, and it’s some great blues artists. 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. Album of The Week: Feats Don’t Fail Me Now by Little Feat

We continue our 50th anniversary celebration with this great Little Feat album.

7:00 p.m. Johnny Winter Live at The Bottom Line, New York, NY, September 5, 1978

High energy is a mild description for this guy, a brilliant blues guitarist and singer, as well as a record producer. Tonight we close out our Tuesday Bluesday programming with a live performance from The Bottom Line.

It’s always a busy day in The Mermaid Lounge on Tuesday Bluesday, but there’s plenty of room for everyone. We promise.

It’s Tuesday Bluesday!

Monday, Monday Brings More Cowbell, Joni Mitchell and Warren Zevon To the Mermaid Lounge, March 18, 2024

Good morning, music lovers. Yes, the work week has returned, but it’s not all bad. We’ve got some great stuff going on in The Lounge today. So, tune us in if you can!

Here’s your Monday lineup:

10:00 a.m. More Cowbell, Please: Various Artists

Bet you never knew there were so many songs with cowbell. We’ve got just over three hours today with The Beatles (the best cowbell ever on “I Call Your Name”), The Alan Parson’s Project, Argent, Aretha Franklin, CSNY, Edgar Winter, The Eagles, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Electric Light Orchestra, Harry Nilsson, the J. Geils Band, Joe Walsh, The Move, Linda Ronstadt, Journey, The Pretenders, Steely Dan, The Move, Little Feat, Creedence Clearwater Revival and more.

4:00 p.m. Joni Mitchell Live at Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, CO, July 30, 1983

Nothing like a little ‘live’ Joni Mitchell in the afternoon, that’s what I always say. Today she’s live from the amazing natural surroundings of Red Rocks.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Warren Zevon

We haven’t aired this one in a while, so it’s time to break it out. Although a troubled soul through most of his life, he was a brilliant songwriter with a rich rock and roll voice.

This is the first day of the work week, and a good day to lock your office doors and tune in the music. I say ease yourself back into reality rather than jolt yourself. We’re waiting for you.

Monday, Monday

It’s Midweek With Our ‘What’s In A Name’ EP, The Big O, and The Allman Brothers Band, Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Good morning, music lovers. Still battling COVID, but definitely on the mend and feeling better. Sorry I’m running late, but trying to get a bit more sleep than usual.

Here’s your midweek music:

9:00 a.m. What’s In A Name: Various Artists

We love name droppers and we’ve got plenty here including Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Them, Janis Joplin, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beach Boys, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Donovan, Steve Winwood, Bonnie Raitt, Shawn Colvin, Carly Simon, Warren Zevon, Laura Nyro, Bobbie Gentry, The Kinks, Three Dog Night, The Association, Joni Mitchell, Badfinger, Linda Ronstadt, Steely Dan, Chi Coltrane, Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, James Taylor, Tony Joe White and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Otis Redding

The Big O was introduced to the world at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. Just months later he would be killed in a plane crash, only three days after recording “Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay.” It became the first posthumous No. 1 single in US chart history and sold over four million copies worldwide. We remember him today.

8:00 p.m. The Allman Brothers Band Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, March 12-13, 1971

We close out the programming tonight with a great performance by the brothers at the east coast venue of The Fillmore.

Get on board the music train, folks. We’re on 24/7, not just when we have programming scheduled, and we’re totally free of charge. No commercial advertising either because we don’t make a profit. Ever.

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