Category: In The Spotlight

We Start The Day With Our ‘Under The Influence’ EP and Close It With Bob Marley & The Wailers, On Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We start out the day Under The Influence with our many friends who sing about those mind-altering vices, and get back to Reggae with Bob Marley & The Wailers tonight.

The Caterpillar knows best.

Here’s today’s midweek lineup:

10:00 a.m. Under The Influence: Various Artists

Let’s all admit that we’ve been here, whether or not our vices of choice are legal or illegal. You’ll hear many a tale from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Arlo Guthrie, The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, Bob Dylan, Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen, Donovan, Glenn Frey, John Lee Hooker, Jonathan Edwards, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, The Traveling Wilburys, The Temptations, Small Faces, Steely Dan, Talking Heads, The Beatles, Neil Young, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones, Dave Van Ronk, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Jackson Browne, Steve Winwood, Led Zeppelin, Harry Chapin, The Band, The Fraternity of Man and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Bob Marley & The Wailers

Known as ‘The Legend’ among Reggae fans, Bob Marley is perhaps the most visual and storied ambassador of Reggae, Ska, Rocksteady. In 1963, he formed The Wailers with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. By late 1963, Junior Braithwaite, Beverley Kelso, and Cherry Smith had joined the group. The rest, as they say, is history as they became the most influential band in Reggae music.

Come on, music lovers. What’s not to love here? We don’t spread endless chatter while we should be playing music. We simply play music. No cost to you. Ever. And no reason to ask for personal information or a credit card. I know you probably find that hard to believe, but hey, why not see for yourself?

Reggae Week!

It’s Tuesday Bluesday With Our ‘Best of Chicago Blues’ EP and Tracy Nelson In The Spotlight Later, In Between It’s The AOW, August 16, 2022

We are clearly rolling on through August, Bluesologists, and it’s time once again for our trip to the blues clubs of Chicago (at least in our minds).

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Best of Chicago Blues: Various Artists

They always say that Chicago blues ain’t like any other blues. We put that to the test to day 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!

5:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Songs for Judy by Neil Young

It’s a longer than usual AOW; almost like a concert. This is an amazing compilation of Neil Young’s opening acoustic set from his 1976 tour with Crazy Horse. This is our second airing. You definitely want to get this one in by Saturday.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Tracy Nelson

Tracy Nelson has had a storied career and started out in band called Mother Earth. She’s sung some country-rock and a whole lot of blues. She also wrote one of my all-time favorite Linda Ronstadt tunes, Down So Low. We put Tracy Nelson in the spotlight tonight.

Tuesday Bluesday is always a good day to tune us in, but we say that every day. We’re totally free 24/7 with no strings and no surprises. We do not accept commercial advertising, so we actually have no money to spend on advertising. So, if you tune us in and you like what we do here, please share with your friends!

Tuesday Bluesday is Back!

It’s Monday, Monday as We Open Up Reggae Week Here in The Mermaid Lounge! Read On for Details, August 15, 2022

Good Morning, Reggae-ologists! It’s Reggae Week (we are also Ska and Rocksteady inclusive here in The Mermaid Lounge) and that means a little bit of Reggae sunshine in your day nearly every day (the exception will be Tuesday Bluesday), as we bolster our rotation.

L to R: Bob Marley & The Wailers, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Toots & The Maytals.

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

11:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Jimmy Cliff NEW!

Often called the Grandfather of Reggae, Jimmy Cliff is a Reggae, Ska, and Rocksteady multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter who began his musical journey when he was still in primary school. He also starred in the movie The Harder They Come, which helped to propel Reggae to popularity around the world. He is the only living Reggae musician to receive the Order of Merit, the highest honor you can receive from the Jamaican government for achievement in the arts & sciences. He was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. We kick off Reggae Week by putting him In the Spotlight.

3:00 p.m. The Allman Brothers Band Live at A & R Studios, New York, NY, August 26, 1971

This afternoon, we take some time with The Brothers live and on stage in NYC. They are always a treat. I’ve seen them ‘live’ several times myself in my lifetime, and have never been disappointed.

7:00 p.m. For Foodies Only: Various Artists

Here’s a fun multi-artist playlist with the mention of food of all kinds in the title, lyrics or both. You will hear The Rolling Stones, Little Feat, The Beatles, Van Morrison, Judy Collins, Steely Dan, Harry Nilsson, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Strangeloves, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Supertramp, Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, Guy Clark, Tom Petty, Jimmy Buffett, The Kinks, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Fats Domino, The Four Tops, Booker T. & The MGs and more!

Start your day the Reggae way! We hope to broaden your musical horizons this week. We are totally free with absolutely no strings and no surprises. There are no financial commitments. There is no personal information requested. And nothing to fill out. And we run 24/7, not just when we have programming. That’s because we have a big, wide Open Stream of more than 27,000 songs to share with you.

Reggae Week is Here!

We Slide Toward The Weekend With The Rascals, ‘Live’ Neil Young & The International Harvesters, and Our AOW, Thursday, August 11, 2022!

Good Morning, Musicologists! We are on a roll here today with a great sixties band on tap, some ‘live’ Neil Young and another of his great road bands, and our Album of The Week.

Here’s today’s musical landscape:

10:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Rascals

The Rascals were, in short, one hell of a band, not to mention a hit machine in the sixties. I prefer to call them a rock n’ soul band, but that’s just me. What should be mentioned here is that between 1966 and 1968, this band reached the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 nine times. They were no joke.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Aftermath by The Rolling Stones

We have reached our next-to-last airing of this great Stones breakthrough album, their first where all songs were written by Jagger-Richards. Our final airing will be sometime on Saturday!

7:00 p.m. Neil Young & The International Harvesters Live at The Moody Theater, Austin City Limits, Austin, Texas, September 25, 1984

Neil Young is famous for his touring bands. This was one of them. And this was such a great entry into the legacy of Neil Young. I can’t describe this band better than Rolling Stone did,

The International Harvesters remain the most unique and misunderstood of his many touring bands: a large ensemble of studio and touring sidemen with top-shelf Nashville, Memphis and Cajun credentials, including R&B songwriter and pianist Spooner Oldham, the Grand Ol’ Opry fiddler Rufus Thibodeaux and J.J. Cale drummer Karl Himmel. Bassist Tim Drummond, who was in the ’84 lineup of the Harvesters, played with both James Brown and Conway Twitty before cutting his first sessions with Young for 1972’s Harvest. And when Oldham wasn’t available in ’85, Young scored a rare coup, coaxing the prolific Nashville session pianist Hargus “Pig” Robbins out of the studio and on tour. “He hadn’t been on the road that much, but he loved it,” Young insists, still delighted. “He wanted to go. They all did.”

Rolling Stone Magazine, June 14, 2011

Needless to day, it’s a performance you should not miss!

It’s another music-filled day here in The Mermaid Lounge. We are experimenting with some of these programs getting an earlier start for our worldwide listeners as they are generally on overnight and in the morning. But as always, we remain free of charge with no surprises and no strings. And we accept no commercial advertising. So, give us a shot. You won’t regret it.

Cursor Here Please!

We’re at Midweek With Our ‘Ode To Morning’ EP, and Our Brand New Spotlight Featuring Joan Baez, on Wednesday, August 10, 2022

We’re hitting the infamous midweek stride here in The Mermaid Lounge as we pay homage to the sunrise and mornings through music, and give you a brand new ‘Spotlight’ later featuring Joan Baez.

We begin the day with our multi-artist ‘Ode to Morning’ EP!

Here’s your midweek lineup:

10:00 a.m. Ode To Morning: Various Artists

We began the month with ‘Here Comes The Night’ and now we’ve got the flip side for you. You’ll hear Joni Mitchell, The Move, Fleetwood Mac, Foreigner, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Nina Simone, Cat Stevens, Hoyt Axton, The Beatles, Neil Young, The Rascals, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Gram Parsons, Simon & Garfunkel, Taj Mahal, Dan Fogelberg, Harry Chapin, Three Dog Night, Ry Cooder, Tim Buckley, Muddy Waters, Linda Ronstadt, Jonathan Edwards, Townes Van Zandt, Pure Prairie League, Bob Dylan, Chris Hillman, Badfinger and more!

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Joan Baez NEW!

Joan Baez is an American folk music legend, a singer-songwriter whose music has never left behind the spirit of protest and social justice. She recently retired after more than 60 years of playing and touring, and has released more than 30 albums. Tonight we put her In the Spotlight where she belongs.

Before, in between, and after, The Music Mermaid gives you our wide Open Stream with no commercial interruption and no chatty DJs. Just music. Totally free 24/7. No lie. See for yourself.

Morning Has Broken!

We Start Off The Week With The Neville Brothers, The Soul Men, and Bonnie Raitt & Friends at Ultrasonic, Monday, August 8, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers across the globe! We’re kicking off the work week in fine style today, starting off with the musical flavor of New Orleans in The Neville Brothers.

The Neville Brothers will be here to start your day promptly at 11:00 a.m.

Here’s your Monday lineup:

11:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of The Neville Brothers

Aaron, Art, Cyril and Ivan are The Neville Brothers, a great R & B, soul and funk band formed in New Orleans in 1977. I may never have known this band had I not spent the better part of a decade traveling to New Orleans on business. That’s when I fell in love with the city and its music.

4:00 p.m. The Soul Men, Volume 1: Various Artists

Last week we gave you The Soul Sisters and this week we give you their male counterparts. You’ll hear Jimmy Ruffin, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Ben E. King, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Stevie Wonder, Clarence Carter, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Al Green, Bill Withers, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Fats Domino and more!

8:00 p.m. Bonnie Raitt, Lowell George & Friends Live at Ultrasonic Studios, Hempstead, NY, October 17, 1972

Bonnie Raitt and Lowell George were joined by John Hammond and long-time bass player Freebo (Daniel Friedberg) for a concert at the famed Ultrasonic Studios that was broadcast on WLIR-FM. Although Freebo is known mostly for his work with Bonnie Raitt, he has played with Aaron Neville, Maria Muldaur, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Ringo Starr, John Mayall, Dr. John and many others. He’s a Class-A session musician if ever there was one.

Your week will always start out better with great music, and we’ve got you all set up for today. Don’t squander this opportunity or you’ll have to wait until next week to start your week out right!

It’s Monday, Monday

We Head Toward The Weekend With The Kinks In The Spotlight, Some ‘Live’ Doors, and Dr. John With Our AOW, Thursday, August 4, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We are making our way to the weekend with some great sixties sounds today from two anchor bands of that musical generation. For good measure, we toss in Dr. John, the Nitetripper, with our AOW.

Here’s Thursday’s musical landscape:

11:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of The Kinks

Here we are with the fighting Davies brothers of Muswell Hill. Regardless of their reputation for feuding and pounding each other out backstage, the Kinks were a musical force that distinguished itself as one of the most influential bands of the sixties.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Creole Moon by Dr. John

We’re winding down on this week’s selection, this being our next-to-last airing. Our final airing will be sometime on Saturday and, by Sunday, it will be a memory. We’ll have a brand new selection for you when you wake up, so don’t miss your chance here.

7:00 p.m. The Doors Live at The Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, June 6, 1970

The Doors were another force during the sixties, and probably would have been into the seventies. But Jim Morrison would pass away in Paris just a little over a year from this performance. The cause was listed as heart failure, although no autopsy was performed. Here’s a little bit of music trivia for you: The infamous photo of Jim Morrison’s ghost shot at his burial site in Paris was rumored to have been shot by Tom Petty. However, it should be noted that Mr. Petty never made that claim himself anywhere. It remains a mystery. But maybe they’re hanging out together talking about music in Rock n’ Roll Heaven.

Why not join your friends from around the globe today? With temperatures in the Boston area nudging 100 degrees today, I ‘d say hunkering down in air-conditioned comfort with some great music would be a great choice. And we won’t cost you a cent. Your money is absolutely no good here. Give it a shot.

Cursor Here, Please!

We Hit The Midweek Stride With Our ‘Music From Laurel Canyon’ EP and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young In The Spotlight, Wednesday, August 3, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! Today we take a trip to Laurel Canyon where so many bands of the sixties and seventies banded together to make some brand new sounds heard ’round the world. It also birthed the country-rock genre. We are starting a bit earlier than usual with the programming, so read on for the details!

Take a trip to Laurel Canyon with us today!

Here’s today’s music lineup:

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

The Laurel Canyon music scene was like a giant musical commune where artists got together to both party and develop their musical chops. The shared energy from these bands changed the face of popular music, inspiring a host of future musical generations. You’ll hear The Byrds, The Mamas & The Papas, Linda Ronstadt, Buffalo Springfield, The Beach Boys, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Doors, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, CSNY, Manassas, John Mayall, The Eagles, J.D. Souther, Harry Nilsson, Canned Heat, Carole King, James Taylor, Souther-Hillman-Furay and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

We keep with that Laurel Canyon family tonight as we put one of the finest supergroups on the planet In the Spotlight in CSNY with their unmistakably unique sound. Neil Young was off-and-on a part of this great quartet, but they were always better for his presence.

Before, in between, and after we give you that great wide Open Stream, and we’re even throwing in some unannounced afternoon Trifectas. So, you’re just going to have to tune us in to find out who those might be from! We are totally free of charge 24/7 with no commercial interruption. No strings. No surprises. We promise.

Echoes From The Canyon!

It’s Tuesday Bluesday Here With Roomful of Blues, Tedeschi Trucks, and Dr. John With Our AOW, August 2, 2022

Good Morning, Bluesday Listeners! We’ve got some great music lined up for you today with the only break in the Blues being Dr. John’s Album of the Week, which happens to be New Orleans R & B. You can’t go wrong here.

We have two BIG bad-ass blues acts up for you today with Tedeschi Trucks Band and Roomful of Blues!

Here’s your Bluesday lineup:

11:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Roomful of Blues

This big-sound blues swing band has been at it for more than half a century now. I remember going to these great small local venues when I was young to see these guys perform. I can’t imagine you haven’t heard of them but, if that’s the case, you should tune us in at 11:00 a.m. EST for this one.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Creole Moon by Dr. John

This is the second airing of Creole Moon and, while it is Tuesday Bluesday, we contend that this qualifies. It qualifies because Dr. John returns to his New Orleans Rhythm & BLUES roots with this effort.

7:00 p.m. Tedeschi Trucks Band Live at Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, CO, August 30, 2012

Here we have the biggest, baddest blues-rock band on the planet with the best damned guitarist of his generation in Derek Trucks. Let’s not forget Susan Tedeschi, however. She’s the other anchor of this great band. They have long been known as a great stage band, but they established themselves as a great album band with Revelator.

Yes, folks. It’s a fine Tuesday Bluesday here. This is always a high turnout day for listeners and it’s proving to be that again. We’re totally free of charge, and there are no surprises and no strings. We don’t even ask for your credit card or require you to “sign up” to listen. Just pull up a tab and tune in, turn on, drop out.

Tuesday Bluesday!

Today We’re ‘Between Heaven & Hell’ and We Celebrate Jerry Garcia on His 80th Birthday! Monday, August 1, 2022

Good Morning, Deadheads! Today we celebrate what would be Jerry Garcia’s 80th birthday with a little Grateful Dead and some ‘live’ Jerry Garcia Band later! It’s Monday, so we start off somewhere between heaven and hell. (Mostly hell.)

Here’s your Monday musical lineup:

11:00 a.m. Between Heaven & Hell: Various Artists

We haven’t broken this one out in a while. We give you songs with references to heaven and/or hell in the title, lyrics or both. You’ll hear Donovan, The Eagles, Led Zeppelin, The Byrds, ZZ Top, Van Morrison, Lucinda Williams, Elvis Presley, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Fats Domino, Foo Fighters, The Grateful Dead, Townes Van Zandt, Emmylou Harris, The Grass Roots, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Steve Winwood, Maria Muldaur, Roberta Flack, Bruce Hornsby, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils and more!

3:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Best of The Grateful Dead

We’re dusting off this one as well as we give you the best of the Dead’s studio work, often underappreciated because they were such a great jam band.

7:00 p.m. Jerry Garcia Band Live at The Roseland Ballroom, New York, June 1, 1983 NEW!

This is brand new to the station, and we’ve decided that it’s only fitting that we premier this on what would be Jerry Garcia’s 80th birthday.

Join us today as we celebrate Jerry Garcia’s musical life. It was immense, and he left us all far too soon. But his music lives on, particularly here in The Mermaid Lounge.

Happy 80th Birthday, Jerry!