Category: Swamp Music

Friday Brings Volume Two of ‘All About Blue,’ Live John Fogerty, and a John Lennon ‘Spotlight’ Feature, October 10, 2025

Good morning, musicologists! We’ve got a great Friday on tap, including a celebration of John Lennon’s life and music in honor of his birthday (yesterday).

Here’s your Finally Friday musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. All About Blue Too: Various Artists

I confess that blue is my favorite color, and that’s why this two-volume set of playlists exist. This one features The Rolling Stones, Robert Johnson, Jackson Browne, Laura Nyro, Shawn Colvin, Doc Watson, Phoebe Snow, Van Morrison, Marvin Gaye, The Association, John Lee Hooker, Electric Light Orchestra, The Kinks, Guy Clark, Little Feat, Linda Ronstadt, George Harrison, Buddy Guy and more!

4:00 p.m. John Fogerty Live at DAR Constitution Hall, Washington, D.C., November 8, 2013 NEW!

Brand new live music from the heart and soul of Creedence Clearwater Revival is an afternoon treat!

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of John Lennon

We close out the programming celebrating the life and music of one of the greatest of all time from the greatest band of all time. We also include his work with Plastic Ono Band and his solo work.

We’re on the cusp of the weekend, folks. We’re here 24/7. We’re free. We do not run commercial advertising. We don’t track you or ask you for personal information. We’re all about the music. Just hit the button below.

Happy Birthday, John!

On Friday It’s Live Burrito Brothers, Our Big New Orleans EP, and The Turtles ‘In the Spotlight’ Later, August 15, 2025

Good morning, musicologists. We woke up with the NOLA bug this morning, so we’re giving you our big New Orleans EP this afternoon!

Here’s your Finally Friday musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Flying Burrito Brothers Live at The Bottom Line, New York, NY, August 18, 1976

This is the iteration of the Burrito Brothers after both Gram Parsona and Chris Hillman left the band. This lineup includes Skip Battin, Gene Parsons, Gib Guilbeau, Joel Scott Hill, and “Sneaky” Pete Kleinow. To answer a question, no, Gene Parsons and Gram Parsons are not related in any way (either by blood or marriage). Gene Parsons is best known for his invention of the B-bender guitar and as the drummer for The Byrds.

1:00 p.m. Down in New Orleans: Various Artists

I love New Orleans on every level, but the music and the food stand out. This EP is a wide catch, not only delivering authentic Louisiana music, but also featuring the artists who were born and raised in New Orleans. You’ll hear BeauSoleil, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Buckwheat Zydeco, Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, Allen Fontenot, Aaron Neville, Lucinda Williams, Boozoo Chavis, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Louis Armstrong, Queen Ida & The Bon Temps Zydeco Band, The Daywalkers, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, La Touche, The Neville Brothers, Clifton Chenier, Chance Bushman, The Creole Zydeco Band, The (magnificent) Magnolia Sisters, and more!

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

Yeah, one of those sixties greats formed in 1965 that pumped out a bunch of hits in the late sixties. If Happy Together doesn’t make you sing loud while you’re driving with the windows down, there’s really something wrong with you. Tonight they’re ‘In the Spotlight.’

Once again, the standard closing: We’re here 24/7. We’re free of charge and with absolutely no commercial interruption. I’m the only DJ, and I don’t talk much. I’d rather play you music. The button is below.

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The Ladies Are In Charge on Tuesday Bluesday, Then It’s Live John Mayall, and a Marcia Ball ‘Spotlight’ on June 17, 2025

Good morning, blueologists, and welcome to another Tuesday Bluesday. We open with five hours of bluesy women, then it’s John Mayall live from the UK, and an interlude of swamp blues with a Marcia Ball ‘Spotlight.’

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

We start off with the ladies, some of them blues legends, some those who simply respected the blues and kept the genre fresh and current. You’ll hear Billie Holiday, 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. John Mayall Live at Leicester Square Theatre, London, UK, November 1, 2010

A true blues master visits us this afternoon, live from Leicester Square Theatre.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Marcia Ball

Marcia Ball is simply teriffic, an award-winning blues singer, songwriter and superb pianist whose music was described by The Boston Globe as “an irresistible celebratory blend of rollicking, two-fisted New Orleans piano, Louisiana swamp rock and smoldering Texas blues from a contemporary storyteller.” You’ll enjoy her ‘Spotlight’ feature.

We start and end the day with the ladies today, and that is always a good thing. We’re on 24/7 without commercial interruption, and with no chatty DJs to spoil the flow. The button is, as always, below!

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We Head Down to Loosiana on Friday, Then It’s a Norah Jones ‘Spotlight,’ and Live Jefferson Airplane On June 6, 2025

Good morning, musicologists. It’s not just the food that’s great in New Orleans. The music is too! It’s on every street corner every day. It’s in the bars on Bourbon Street. Today, it’s in The Mermaid Lounge!

Here’s your Friday musical mayhem:

9:00 a.m. Down in New Orleans: Various Artists

Yes, we’re due for an upgrade here and we’ll be getting to that soon. However, it’s pretty fantastic right now as we give you authentic NOLA music along with music from rock and rollers who were born and raised there! You’ll hear BeauSoleil, Clifton Chenier, Allen Toussaint, Buckwheat Zydeco, Fats Domino, Dr. John, The Neville Brothers, Tony Joe White(and his girl Polk Salad Annie), Professor Longhair, Irma Thomas (The Soul Queen of New Orleans), Lucinda Williams, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chance Bushman, Boozoo Chavis, The Magnolia Sisters, and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Norah Jones

This afternoon we hear from Norah Jones, a Grammy Award winning singer and songwriter who has a famous father and sister as well in Ravi and Anoushka Shankar. Not everyone knows that little piece of musical trivia.

8:00 p.m. Jefferson Airplane Live at The Matrix Club, San Francisco, CA, February 1, 1968

We’re in the Wayback Machine this evening as we head to San Francisco for a live performance from one of the groundbreaking psychedelic music bands in history fronted by the legendary Grace Slick.

We keep rolling along here in The Lounge with our vast musical library of more than 27,000 songs. We don’t just play the same 100-song set over and over like other stations, and we have a serious committment to the women of music. They’re not just an afterthought here. See for yourselves. The button is below.

Down in New Orleans!

Today It’s Our ‘On the Map’ Playlist, Guy Clark ‘In the Spotlight’ and Live Little Feat on Monday, January 6, 2025

Good morning, music lovers. Yes. It’s Monday all over again and the Orange Blob’s election is certified today, but the music is here to get you through.

Here’s your Monday musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. On The Map: Various Artists

Yesterday we had songs about life on the road; today it’s destinations. You’ll hear The Beatles, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Little Feat, America, The Beach Boys, Ray Charles, the Grateful Dead, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Johnny Rivers, Arlo Guthrie, Scott McKenzie, The Association, Fats Domino, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Rush, Glen Campbell, James Taylor, Paul Simon and more!

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

This guy was one of the best singer-songwriters on the planet, and I was exposed to his music quite by chance. My friends and I were out for a romp in Cambridge, Massachusetts on a very cold and snowy winter night and were looking for a place to land and get warm. We stopped at Passim’s Coffee House, paid the cover fee and watched one of the most amazing shows I’ve ever seen in my life. After that night, country rock was king and the fiddle was my new favorite instrument.

8:00 p.m. Little Feat Live From Neon Park, Various Locations Between December 12-20, 1995 NEW!

This is our very first live performance by Little Feat without the great Lowell George. Yes, they have kept the Feat’s spirit alive, but there will never be another Lowell George. The “Neon Park” is not real. It’s named after the artist who has created Little Feat’s album covers for decades. The music was recorded at Roseland Theater in Portland, The Fillmore in San Francisco, and The House of Blues in Los Angeles during their 1995 tour.

Before, in between and after our programmed selections we give you our big, wide Open Stream which continues to grow. We’re 100% free with no commercial advertising and no big-mouthed DJs. The button is below. See for yourselves.

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On Tuesday Bluesday It’s ‘Best of Louisiana Blues,’ Live Howlin’ Wolf and a Slim Harpo ‘Spotlight’, December 17, 2024

It’s another Tuesday Bluesday and we kick it off with blues from the bayou and beyond, Howlin’ Wolf live in Chicago and blues harp maestro Slim Harpo ‘In the Spotlight’.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

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

4:00 p.m. Howlin’ Wolf Live at Alice’s Revisited, Chicago, IL, January 26, 1972

We’ve got some live Howlin’ Wolf coming up this afternoon in a performance from Alice’s Revisited in Chicago.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Slim Harpo

We close it out with blues harp maestro, guitarist and proponent of the swamp blues, Slim Harpo ‘In the Spotlight.’

Another Tuesday Bluesday rolls around and we’ve got great music here for you today. It’s pouring rain here in the Boston area. It’s supposed to be snowing by now, but it has been more than three years since the New England area has seen its ‘normal.’ Nevertheless, we keep on keeping on here in The Mermaid Lounge.

Tuesday Bluesday!

Monday’s Back With a New Talking Heads Spotlight, Then Live Mudcrutch and The Magnolia Sisters, September 9, 2024

Good morning, music lovers and welcome to the work week once again. Today we’ve got a brand new Spotlight featuring Talking Heads for starters. It doesn’t end there!

Here’s Monday’s musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: Talking Heads NEW!

Yes, it’s one of our few trips into the 1980’s, even though I found the whole ‘big suit’ thing mildly disturbing at some level. Despite that suit, Stop Making Sense was one of the finest concert films ever made. Little Creatures was one of the finest albums ever made. The sixties and seventies we love; the eighties not so much but these folks definitely made the cut. We’ve got a brand new Spotlight feature for them today.

4:00 p.m. Mudcrutch: The 2016 Tour Best Live Performances

This is a great compilation of songs from Mudcrutch’s 2016 tour and includes the most incredible live performance of Hungry No More (my favorite Mudcrutch song) which was recorded at Boston’s House of Blues. I have two huge regrets in my musical life. Missing this concert was one of them. (The other was missing The Heartbreakers 2017 tour, which would be their last before Tom Petty passed.)

8:00 p.m. The Magnolia Sisters Live at The Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Festival, Rancho Santa Suzanna Community Park, Simi Valley, CA, May 23, 2015

It doesn’t surprise me that you probably don’t know this band. They do not play in the top ten, or even in the standard popular music arena. They are the only all-woman authentic Cajun Band led by legendary Ann Savoy, and they are amazing. We are definitely fans of Cajun/Zydeco music here in The Mermaid Lounge and these ladies deliver.

This is a pretty eclectic lineup today and it plays uninterrupted by commercial advertising. Expand your musical horizons. It won’t cost you a thing. The button is below.

New Talking Heads!

The Ladies Are in Charge, We’ve Got Allen Toussaint and Volume Three of ‘Summer of Love’, on Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We’ve got a great programming gig going to close the month of July as we put the ladies in charge for a good portion of the day. We also manage to squeeze in the final volume of ‘The Summer of Love’ playlist series.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

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

We’ve got the women of music large and in charge to start off the day. You’ll hear Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Carly Simon, Emmylou Harris, 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, The Supremes, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Norah Jones, Phoebe Snow, Nicolette Larson, Susan Tedeschi, Valerie Carter and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Allen Toussaint

This afternoon we feature the grand musical ambassador from New Orleans In The Spotlight.

8:00 p.m. The Summer of Love, Volume Three: Various Artists

We close out the month of July with volume three of our ‘Summer of Love’ playlist with Lulu, The Rascals, The Youngbloods, Janis Ian, The Who, The Doors, The Association, The Rolling Stones, The Turtles, The Beatles, Wilson Pickett, Vanilla Fudge, Jackie Wilson and more!

We’re here 24/7. When you get up in the middle of the night and can’t sleep, we’re here. We’re here in the in the morning. We are also totally free of charge and we do not run commercial advertising. The button’s below.

Ladies Day Out!

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 Monday and We’ve Got Linda Ronstadt, The Flying Burrito Brothers and a CCR Spotlight Later, March 25, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We are on a roll here with a bit of a new approach. We’ve got a lot of music already in our arsenal and we’re adding new live ‘gigs’ and Spotlights.

Here’s Monday’s music:

10:00 a.m. Linda Ronstadt Live at Television Center Studios, Hollywood, CA, April 24, 1980

Another great live performance by the undisputed Queen of Rock (sorry, Taylor). This was recorded at a time when Ronstadt was at the peak of her reign as America’s most popular singer.

3:00 p.m. The Flying Burrito Brothers Live at My Father’s Place, Roslyn, Long Island, NY, November 28, 1976

One of the pioneering bands of the country-rock genre whose members were ever present in the Laurel Canyon scene. Today they are live from an iconic venue.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Creedence Clearwater Revival

In 1969 alone, Creedence released 3 albums, had 4 hit US singles, performed on the Ed Sullivan show twice, toured the US and headlined the Woodstock Festival. They went on to become one of the most successful bands of its generation and the music has stood the test of time.

It’s supposed to be sunny here today, but as I look at my weather app, it ends there. Today will be followed by four days of rain. Nobody will convince me that the weather in the Boston area isn’t changing. Virtually no snow three years running, but plenty of rain. But I digress. Tune us in. We’re on 24/7. We’re totally free. And there’s no commercial advertising.

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