Category: In The Spotlight

Friday Brings The Magnolia Sisters, Jesse Winchester and a Christine McVie Spotlight, December 15, 2023

We’ve got some great music for you today, including The Magnolia Sisters whom you probably won’t hear anywhere else unless you’re in New Orleans. But we have all their music here in The Mermaid Lounge. Today’s other two artists you, of course, should know.

Here’s today’s musical mayhem:

11:00 a.m. The Magnolia Sisters Live at The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, The Fair Grounds Race Course, New Orleans, LA, July 27, 2021 NEW!

I love New Orleans; it’s a hotbed of musical styles and innovation and you can hear all of it right on the streets every day. What we have here is an all-woman Cajun/Zydeco band from Lafayette, Louisiana, populated by Ann Savoy, Jane Vidrine, Anya Burgess, and Lisa Trahan. They play the full gamut of the musical style from dancehall Cajun to primitive Creole to a cappella. The first time I ever heard them, they knocked me out and I was hooked. Maybe you will be too.

3:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Jesse Winchester FINAL AIRING!

We bid farewell to Jesse Winchester’s singer-songwriter focus today, although I promise that all of his music is in our general rotation every day.

8:00 p.m.  In The Spotlight: The Music of Christine McVie

We close our programming tonight with the heart and soul of Fleetwood Mac (sorry, Stevie), the late, great Christine McVie. We include not only her Fleetwood Mac songs, but her early blues work with Chicken Shack and her solo work.

It’s officially Friday, the end of the work week (for some lucky people who don’t work retail). Tomorrow, you’re officially ‘weekenders’ here in The Mermaid Lounge! We’re on 24/7, we’re totally free, and we do not air commercial advertising. What could be better?

Just Push Play.

At Midweek It’s the ‘Music From Laurel Canyon’ EP, Jesse Winchester and Tim Hardin, Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! Today we give you five uninterrupted hours of music from Laurel Canyon, Jesse Winchester is our singer-songwriter, and we spotlight folk legend Tim Hardin later.

Here’s your midweek music:

9:00 a.m.  Music From Laurel Canyon: Various Artists

Back in the day, the British musicians were taken by our Laurel Canyon artists, and vice versa. It’s called cross-fertilization. And Laurel Canyon was the home for two generations of American musicians like The Mamas & The Papas, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, The Beach Boys, The Doors, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, CSNY, Manassas, John Mayall, J.D. Souther, Linda Ronstadt, Harry Nilsson, The Eagles, Canned Heat, Carole King, James Taylor, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Jimi Hendrix and more!

4:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Jesse Winchester

Jesse Winchester returns for his second turn as our featured singer-songwriter.

8:00 p.m.  In The Spotlight: The Music of Tim Hardin NEW!

Tim Hardin’s heroin addiction kept him from superstar status, but his songs found their way into the hands of many musicians during the sixties and seventies. Sadly, Hardin died in 1980 of a heron overdose at the young age of 39. Tonight, we put Tim Hardin in the spotlight where he belongs.

It’s midweek; also known as Hump Day. This is the perfect midweek break. Tune us in. All you need is a computer and a free tab. No credit card required.

Music From Laurel Canyon!

It’s Tuesday Bluesday With Our Chicago Blues EP, The Boogaloo Swamis, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, December 12, 2023

Good morning, bluesologists, and welcome to Tuesday Bluesday. Today we enjoy the blues from the Windy City to start off, then it’s our AOW and a Stevie Ray Vaughan spotlight.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

We’ve got the bluesy sounds of Chicago with 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. Album of The Week: Down At The Roadhouse by The Boogaloo Swamis

Some of the best Cajun-Zydeco music on the planet was delivered by this unknown, Boston-based band back in the days of the great music clubs that were all around the city and its suburbs. Today we share it with you.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Stevie Ray Vaughan

Stevie Ray Vaughan, with and without Double Trouble, is in our Spotlight to close out the Tuesday Bluesday programming.

Here we are again on one of the busiest days her in The Mermaid Lounge. Plenty of room for everyone here. No need to worry about the charges. We’re on 24/7 and we’re free 24/7.

Tuesday Bluesday!

Welcome to Monday, Monday With The Beatles, David Crosby and Our ‘Out In The Cold’ Playlist, December 11, 2023

Good morning, workers! We’ve got a great day lined up for you musically starting with one of our House Bands known as The Beatles.

Here’s your musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Beatles: Songs With John Lennon on Keyboards NEW!

A listener suggested we expand our Beatles horizon with some new playlists, so we’re doing just that. Today we kick one off with Beatle songs with Mr. Lennon playing all kinds of keys, like piano, electric piano, harpsichord, Hammond organ and any other kind of keyboard instrument you might find.

3:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of David Crosby

Haven’t cued this one up in a bit, so we’ve got it lined up for mid-afternoon. Personality conflicts abound in musical groups, and CSNY was no exception. Yet they managed to leave us an incredible body of music, and David Crosby was an influence for more than half a century as a solo artist, with CSNY and as a founding member of The Byrds.

7:00 p.m. Out In The Cold: Various Artists

Not an EP, but a great playlist about the weather with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Marshall Tucker Band, Bill Withers, The Beatles, The Doors, Joni Mitchell, Dr. John, Martha & The Vandellas and more!

Monday’s always better with good music, and we’ve got plenty of that here. We’re on 24/7; not just when we have scheduled programming. And we’re totally free to the public with no commercial interruption. Get on it! Don’t be left out in the cold (he, he, he).

Monday, Monday. (Sigh.)

The British Invasion is Back, So is Maria Muldaur. And Happy Birthday, Little Richard, Thursday, December 7, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! As I prepare to depart for my final opening morning of the week, I give you our musical lineup for the day. The Music Mermaid is in charge.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The British Are Coming: Various Artists

I made reference to The British Invasion in the opening, but this playlist goes beyond that. You’ll hear The Beatles, The Who, Dave Mason, Electric Light Orchestra, Petula Clark, The Zombies, The Hollies, Dusty Springfield, Small Faces, Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Kinks, Dave Clark Five, Bee Gees, Moody Blues, Rod Stewart, George Harrison, Them, Herman’s Hermits, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Badfinger, The Yardbirds, Traffic, Elton John, Lulu, Pink Floyd, Yes, The Animals, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, Spencer Davis Group, Cream, The Rolling Stones, Donovan, The Searchers and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Richland Woman Blues by Maria Muldaur

Maria Muldaur is another of those female singers of the sixties and seventies who refused to be pigeon-holed into one style of music. She drops by today with a great blues album with help from Bonnie Raitt, John Sebastian and others.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Little Richard HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Today we celebrate the birthday of one of the founders of rock and roll, Little Richard, who influenced so many of the British artists you’ll hear in today’s EP (including The Beatles and The Rolling Stones).

Well, kids, it’s another day of great music here in The Mermaid Lounge and we think you should take full advantage of it. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free of charge. Get on it!

Just Push Play!

It’s Bob Marley & The Wailers, ZZ Top and Linda Ronstadt (& Some Stone Poneys) on This Rainy Monday, December 4, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! If you have Monday off like I do and it’s rainy where you are like it is here, this is the perfect day to hunker down with some great music. And we’ve got it here.

Here’s your musical Monday:

10:00 a.m. Bob Marley & The Wailers Live at The Record Plant, Sausalito, CA, October 13, 1973

We start out the day with some Reggae vibes from the singer-songwriter who helped put Reggae on the map worldwide and his great band, The Wailers.

3:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of ZZ Top

We haven’t heard this one in a while. We’ve dusted this great ZZ Top Spotlight off and are ready for it this afternoon.

8:00 p.m. A Linda Ronstadt Retrospective: The Stone Poneys & The Early Solo Years

We take a trip in the Wayback Machine for this one as we feature the Queen of Rock’s early years with and without the Stone Poneys. Ronstadt paved the way for women, controlling her own career from the very start and defying those who told her what she should or should not sing. I think we can all agree it was quite a career.

We’re ready for the music today. I’m in The Lounge all day. No retail hell; no pushy, nasty Christmas customers (thankfully, we don’t get many of those). The festivities start at 11:00 a.m. but the music is 24/7.

Monday, Monday.

We Start a New Month With Dreaming, Fats & Dave and The Doors in The Spotlight on Friday, December 1, 2023

We’ve made it to Friday and we start the final month of the year with a bang! We’ve got our ‘In Your Dreams’ EP to start out, then we’ve got Fats Domino & Dave Bartholomew, and The Doors bring up the rear later.

Here’s your Friday lineup:

9:00 a.m. In Your Dreams: Various Artists

We start out the new month in a dream state with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Aerosmith, Crowded House, the Moody Blues, Van Morrison, The Eurythmics, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Nanci Griffith, the Electric Prunes, Fleetwood Mac, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Mamas & The Papas, Jimmy Buffett, the Alan Parsons Project, the Allman Brothers Band, Supertramp, Randy Newman, Aretha Franklin, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Widespread Panic, The Youngbloods, Jimmy Ruffin, Jackson Browne, Mudcrutch, Patsy Cline, Joe Walsh, Bruce Springsteen, k.d. lang, Dusty Springfield and more.

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Fats Domino & Dave Bartholomew FINAL AIRING!

Today is the final airing of our homage to two pioneers of rock n’ roll. Don’t miss it.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Doors

To close out the programming tonight, we play the music of one of the pioneers of the psychedelic and acid rock sounds. They were only together for four years, but they made an amazing impact on music.

It’s Friday and we’ve made it. It’s going to be a dismal day here, with rain, but we can transcend that with great music. We’ve got it here.

Streaming & Dreaming!

Our ‘Friends Of Mine’ EP, A Trio of Songwriters, and a Blood, Sweat & Tears Spotlight on Monday, November 27, 2023

Welcome to a rainy Monday here in the Boston area as I prepare to work a rare Monday shift. But The Music Mermaid has a great show lined up for you!

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Friends of Mine: Various Artists

This one has been waiting its turn for a bit. Songs to our friendships are in the pipeline today with The Guess Who, Willie Nelson, War, The Beach Boys, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Todd Rundgren, Linda Ronstadt, Queen, REM, Simon & Garfunkel, John Prine, Carole King, Grateful Dead, Lou Reed, Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, The Kinks, Joan Baez, The Beatles, Carly Simon, Tracy Nelson, The Byrds, Desmond Dekker, Jackson Browne, Steppenwolf, Elton John, Maria Muldaur, Argent, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Otis Redding and more.

4:00 p.m. Steve Earle, Townes Van Zandt & Guy Clark Live at The Bluebird Cafe, Nashville, TN, September 3, 1995

Three brilliant singer-songwriters playing a live show together at a nationally-renowned musical venue for songwriters. This show happened just 15 months before Van Zandt’s death.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Blood, Sweat & Tears NEW!

We’ve had this one on the burner simmering for months. It finally comes full circle today as we put one of the greatest jazz-rock bands on the planet In the Spotlight. Yet, there is a mystery surrounding what happened to this band that literally burst onto the scene and skyrocketed, and then just seemed to disappear. If you’re interested, here’s the story.

Let’s begin a new work week together. We’ve got a full list of ideas for the week simmering here, and we’ll have some new music as well as we head into December. Be there or be square.

Monday, Monday

At Midweek We’ve Got Our Folk Music EP, Becker & Fagan, and a Nanci Griffith Spotlight, Wednesday, November 22, 2023

One day before we here celebrate that the Pilgrims were a nasty lot of interlopers. (It’s time we own that shit.) But besides that, we’ve got ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ to start off our programming!

Here’s your midweek lineup:

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

We’ve got the musical genre that helped usher in the sixties protest movement with John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, The Band, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Jackson Browne, Guy Clark, James Taylor, Phil Ochs, Harry Chapin, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, The Carter Family, Neil Young and more.

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Walter Becker & Donald Fagan

One of the greatest songwriting duos of all time is back for a second spin here in The Lounge, as we divert to a couple of hours of jazz-rock.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Nanci Griffith

We close out the programming today with a Spotlight on a great folk singer-songwriter in Nanci Griffith.

Before I get into my usual crap at the end, let me remind all the readers that tomorrow (time TBD) will be our traditional airing of Alice’s Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie. And don’t forget that we’re on 24/7, continually streaming whether there’s programming or not.

Folk Music Day!

It’s Monday, Monday With ‘live’ CSNY and ELO, and Lucinda Williams In the Spotlight Mid-Afternoon, November 20, 2023

Good morning, workers. It’s a short week for starters, with Thanksgiving coming up. Today we start off that short week with two ‘live’ performances at the open and close of our programming.

Here’s Monday’s musical lineup:

11:00 a.m. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Live at Wembley Stadium, London, UK, September 14, 1974

We start things off with a live performance from one of the best supergroups on the planet, live from Wembley Stadium.

3:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Lucinda Williams

Lucinda Williams is one of the most accomplished singer-songwriters of her generation and today we’ve got her In the Spotlight at mid-afternoon.

7:00 p.m. Jeff Lynne’s ELO Live at Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA, February 3, 1976

We alternate here between calling them what they were (just Electric Light Orchestra) and what they are now called but, either way, they’re fantastic and Jeff Lynne is a music god.

What better way to ease your way back into the work week than with some great music, uninterrupted by commercial advertising? The short answer, of course, is that there is no better way. All you’ve got to do is hit that button.

Monday, Monday