Category: The Blues

It’s Tuesday Bluesday With The Allman Brothers, Elton John’s AOW, and Tracy Nelson, January 30, 2024

Good morning, bluesologists! We’ve got a great lineup today with Elton John being the one off-blues program. We open with The Allman Brothers Band and close with Tracy Nelson.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m.  The Allman Brothers Band Sing The Blues

We’ve got just over two hours of The Allman Brothers Band singing some traditional blues music, and it’s a thing of beauty. Today is Volume One; we’re working on scheduling Volume Two.

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Caribou by Elton John

I will agree that this particular album may not have been up to the standards of what Elton John produced during the 70’s, but it’s a pretty damned good album nonetheless. This one holds a few of my favorite Elton songs of all time.

7:00 p.m.  In The Spotlight: The Music of Tracy Nelson

She’s a little bit country and a lot of blues. Tracy Nelson started off with a band called Mother Earth. I loved them. But over the span of a career that began in 1965, Tracy Nelson evolved into a pretty great blues singer and made more than 20 albums over that span.

It’s Tuesday Bluesday. Join us in The Mermaid Lounge, where it’s always jumping on this particular week day.

Tuesday Bluesday!

Today We Head Down to New Orleans, Then It’s Jefferson Airplane and Dan Fogelberg on Monday, January 29, 2024

Welcome to another work week, and we start it out with a trip to New Orleans, where the only thing as good as the food is the music. Then we put Jefferson Airplane In the Spotlight and introduce the underrated Dan Fogelberg as our featured singer-songwriter.

Here’s your Monday musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. Down In New Orleans: Various Artists

This is a great playlist. Not only do you get authentic New Orleans music, but you get music from artists who were born and raised there. You’ll hear Allen Toussaint, BeauSoleil, Clifton Chenier, Dr. John, Buckwheat Zydeco, Irma Thomas, Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Aaron Neville, Allen Fontenot, Lucinda Williams, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Kermit Ruffins, Louis Armstrong, The Daywalkers, The Neville Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chance Bushman, The Boogaloo Swamis, Queen Ida & The Bontemps Zydeco Band, Marcia Ball, The Magnolia Sisters and more!

4:00 p.m.  In the Spotlight: The Jefferson Airplane

One of the anchor bands of the sixties, and the band that helped to advance and solidify the status of psychedelic music, led by the great Grace Slick

8:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Dan Fogelberg NEW!

Dan Fogelberg was as important an artist to seventies music as anyone, yet he remains an outsider who has not been given his due. He belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame like many of his peers. There is even a petition campaign out there from his fans. Today we introduce him as this week’s featured singer-songwriter.

Before, in between and after we give you our big, wide Open Stream 24/7 at no charge. We ask for no personal information. Simply tap the button below!

Down In New Orleans!

It’s Simply Sunday With EJ’s AOW and Volume Two of Our Sixties Rotation, January 28, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! Sundays are simple here: A couple of programs and our big, wide Open Stream. We start things off with another album celebrathing it’s 50th birthday.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Caribou by Elton John NEW!

This was Elton John’s eighth studio album, released in June of 1974. It was his fourth no. 1 album in the U.S. and his third in the UK. The critics didn’t like it much, but his fans sure did as it went double platinum. Do I think it’s his best? Nope. But there were more good than bad songs on this one, and I’m talking about good songs beyond the two singles: The Bitch Is Back (one of my favorite Elton John songs) and Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me. Happy 50th Birthday, Caribou.

3:00 p.m.  The Sixties Rotation, Volume Two: Various Artists

We’ve got the second volume of our great sixties rotation this afternoon with The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Roy Orbison, The Yardbirds, The Animals, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Blind Faith, Spencer Davis Group, Elvis Presley, The Box Tops, The Doors, Marvin Gaye, B. B. King, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Wilson Pickett, The Band, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, The Ronettes, The Kinks Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jimmy Cliff, Velvet Underground and more!

Sunday is the official day of rest for everyone. At one time, the stores were all closed and it was a day to stay out of the rat race. Not anymore. But I refuse to work Sundays, regardless of the time-and-a-half pay. They don’t need to shop on Sundays. And I certainly don’t need to serve. Join us.

The Sixties Rotation 2

Welcome Weekenders! We’ve Got Jackson Browne, Our House EP and ‘Live’ Dan Fogelberg, Saturday, January 27, 2024

Good morning and welcome to the weekend here! Today we say farewell to our Album of The Week, hear the music that inspired the station and ‘live’ Dan Fogelberg later.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m.  Album of The Week: Late For The Sky by Jackson Browne FINAL AIRING!

Today we say farewell to the first album in our ’50th Birthday’ series. Tomorrow we will celebrate another album’s 50th!

11:30 a.m. The #BecomeUngovernable House EP: Various Artists

The music that has long been emblazoned in my psyche and was the impetus to start this whole thing. 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, The 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 and more!

8:00 p.m.  Dan Fogelberg Live at The Universal Amphitheater, Los Angeles, CA, August 15, 1985

The very first Spotlight list we built was for this guy, a most underappreciated singer-songwriter; one of the best of his generation. He belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but that honor seems to have eluded him, in spite of the fact that they’ve managed to induct The BeeGees, Funkadelic, AC/DC, The Clash, Aerosmith, Tupac, Jay-Z and the other “stars” of music. Fogelberg has been ‘eligible’ since 1998; it’s 2024, folks. Figure it the fuck out.

Sorry. Had to get that out. It pissed me off how long it took for them to induct Linda Ronstadt. They waited until she lost her magnificent voice. Give me a break. Anyway, I digress. We are here. It’s our third day of rain. Gloomy. But not here in The Lounge where The Music Mermaid resides. She’ll be in charge today as I work my last shift of the week.

Our ‘House’ EP!

It’s Friday and We’ve Got ‘Paint It Black’, Delbert McClinton and Doris Troy On The Docket, January 26, 2024

Happy Friday, music lovers! We are on a Friday, and that means plenty of wide Open Stream from The Music Mermaid wrapped around this great programming.

Here’s your Friday Funday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Paint It Black: Various Artists

Time to crank this one up: Songs with the color black in the title, lyrics or both with The Rolling Stones (of course), The Beatles, The Move, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, James Brown, Steely Dan, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Nina Simone, Them, Long John Baldry, Fairport Convention, Dr. John, The Kinks, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Laura Nyro, Jackson Browne, k.d. lang, Linda Ronstadt, Jethro Tull and more!

4:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Delbert McClinton FINAL AIRING!

Delbert McClinton takes his final spin as this week’s featured singer-songwriter. On Monday, we will introduce another!

8:00 p.m.  In The Spotlight: The Music of Doris Troy NEW!

I’ll bet some people don’t even know her name, but they just might recognize her voice. She had one very big hit here in the U.S. called Just One Look, which she also co-wrote. But Doris Troy never found an artistic footing in the U.S. for some unnamed reason. She did, however, find her mojo in the UK where she found she was a favorite of a guy named George Harrison, who signed her to a contract with Apple Records. He even gave her an office with a piano at Apple Records, and she spent time writing music with George and Ringo. Give her a listen. You’ll like her.

Yes, the weekend is just around the corner now. We’re nearly there. It’s a new year and you see we’ve got some new music with more coming your way. We’ve expanded our general rotation, adding new music and new artists. And we are going to expand our programming hours for our global audience. It gets better from here.

It’s Friday!

We’re in the Wayback Machine Heading for the Sixties, and We’ve Got Jackson Browne’s AOW, Thursday, January 25, 2024

Good morning, time travelers. We’re headed back to the early sixties today with ‘The Original Sixties Rotation’ EP, and we’ve also got some rare ‘live’ Hendrix.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m.  The Original Sixties Rotation: Various Artists

Personally speaking, the sixties and early seventies were the best of times in music. It is why I started the station to begin with. This EP features Del Shannon, Little Eva, The Drifters, The Beatles, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Hollies, The Walker Brothers, Mary Wells, Dusty Springfield, The Searchers, The Monkees, Sonny & Cher, Petula Clark, Glen Campbell, Johnny Rivers, The Dave Clark Five, The Supremes, Harry Nilsson, The Band, The Yardbirds, The Kinks, Simon & Garfunkel, Blind Faith, Janis Joplin, Chuck Berry, The Temptations, Elvis Presley, Marvin Gaye, The Who, Bob Dylan, Tony Joe White, Barry McGuire, Fats Domino and more!

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Late For The Sky by Jackson Browne

Jackson Browne’s Late For The Sky, his third studio album, is the first album in our ‘Happy 50th Birthday’ series of albums to open up the new year.

7:00 p.m.  Jimi Hendrix Live in Maui, Hawaii, July 30, 1970 NEW!

Yes, there’s no venue in the title because this show was held on a farm on the lower slope of the Haleakala volcano on a makeshift stage. The only audience were a few hundred Maui residents who heard the show was happening and showed up. These folks got to see a rare, little-known Hendrix performance. There’s a long story behind how this show came about and why it was so “secret” to begin with. It’s explained here much better than I could ever manage.

Another day dawns here in The Mermaid Lounge, and it marks the final opening shift of my week. The Music Mermaid is fully in control and, as you know, she has impeccable taste in music. You are in good hands.

The Sixties!

Tuesday Bluesday Brings Our Big, Bad Blues EP, Jackson Browne and Buddy Guy & SRV ‘Live’, January 23, 2024

Welcome to another Tuesday Bluesday here in The Mermaid Lounge. We’ve got some great blues programming today, along with the second airing of our AOW.

Here’s your musical 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, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Marcia Ball, Duane Allman, Roomful of Blues, Howlin’ Wolf, Tracy Nelson, Linda Ronstadt and more!

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Late For The Sky by Jackson Browne

We celebrate this album’s 50th birthday with it’s second airing as our AOW.

7:00 p.m.  Buddy Guy with Stevie Ray Vaughan Live at The Lone Star Cafe, New York, April 14, 1986

Two blues greats together at one vaunted venue. What could be better? This is one of those shows I wish I had seen.

Before, in between, and after we’ve got our big wide Open Stream on a 24-hour basis, completely free of advertising. All you need to do is make use of the button below.

It’s Tuesday Bluesday!

On Monday We’ve Got ‘Wheels’, The Beatles Characters and Delbert McClinton As Our Singer-Songwriter, January 22, 2024

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to the first day of yet another work week! We kick off the week with some great playlists in between all that great Open Stream!

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Wheels: Various Artists

Since being on the road is a popular song subject, it only follows that cars and modes of transport would be as well. You’ll hear from Chuck Berry, Paul McCartney, Bo Diddley, Joni Mitchell, War, T. Rex, The Who, The Eagles, Janis Joplin, John Prine, The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Mudcrutch, The Beatles, Steppenwolf, Wilson Pickett, The Kinks, Alice Cooper and more!

3:00 p.m.  The Beatles: Songs With Characters  UPDATED!

The man in the mack, the barber showing photographs, a lonely person named Eleanor Rigby, a murderous student named Maxwell Silver Hammer, the fool who hangs out on the hill, the banker who doesn’t wear a mack in the pouring rain are all here. And then some.

7:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Delbert McClinton NEW!

The amazing Delbert McClinton is an American blues rock-electric blues singer, songwriter, guitarist, harmonica player and pianist. He has been at his craft since 1957 and is still active, his most recent album released in 2022. He has won four Grammys, is in the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame, and was honored by the historic Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas with the fifth star in their Walk of Fame. This evening he is most deservedly introduced as this week’s featured singer-songwriter.

Look, there simply isn’t a better way to begin another tedious work week than finding a way to tune us in. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free. There is no commercial advertising ever.

Just Push Play.

Sunday Brings “Late For The Sky” As Our AOW Plus A Trip On ‘The Psychedelic Express’, January 21, 2024

Good morning, music lovers. Today we begin a run of albums that turn 50 years old in 2024, and we start with a great Jackson Browne release. Then, it’s a trip back in time on ‘The Psychedelic Express’.

Here’s your musical lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Late For The Sky by Jackson Browne NEW!

Our first entry into the 50 Club is a great Jackson Browne LP released on September 13, 1974. It was Browne’s third studo release, and peaked at no. 14 on Billboard’s Pop Charts. In 2020, the album was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry.

The album would also continue to build Jackson Browne’s legend as a premier songwriter. The title track would be used in the Martin Scorcese film Taxi Driver. Both Fountain of Sorrow and Before the Deluge would be covered by Joan Baez. For A Dancer would be covered by Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris on their Western Wall album.

3:00 p.m.  The Psychedelic Express: Various Artists

It’s time for a trip on The Psychedelic Express once again. You don’t need no tickets to hear The Beatles, The Chambers Brothers, Vanilla Fudge, Electric Prunes, The Animals, Jefferson Airplane, Blues Image, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Donovan, Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Byrds, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Traffic, Cream, Dr. John, Procol Harum, Fleetwood Mac, The Who, Canned Heat, Electric Light Orchestra, Tommy James & The Shondells, Mudcrutch, Blind Faith, Grateful Dead, Velvet Underground, Big Brother & The Holding Company and more!

Before, in between and after we give you that big, wide Open Stream 24/7 at no charge to the public and without commercial interruption. We’re all about the music.

Simply Sunday!

The Ladies Open and Close the Programming Today; Kristofferson is the Mid. Saturday, January 20, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We essentially turn the lounge over to the ladies today, as ‘Ladies Day Out’ opens the day and the Queen of Soul closes it out later.

Here’s Saturday’s lineup:

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

We know that no other station plays women’s music like we do. That’s why we do it. You’ll hear five hours uninterrupted with Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, 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, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Norah Jones, Phoebe Snow, Nicollette Larson, Valerie Carter, Sheryl Crow, Susan Tedeschi, Dusty Springfield and more!

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Jesus Was A Capricorn by Kris Kristofferson FINAL AIRING!

We say goodbye to this album today, but we’ll have another tomorrow. Programming Note: Tomorrow we begin a spell of great albums that will turn fifty years old in 2024. Only a few on this list have been aired as an AOW before, but it was quite a long time ago (we’ve been running this feature for five years now), so they will repeat. But I promise they’ll be like new.

8:00 p.m.  In The Spotlight: The Music of Aretha Franklin

The undisputed Queen of Soul was first noticed singing gospel in her father’s church. Over six decades, she would dominate the world of soul and R&B, with Rolling Stone twice calling her the greatest singer ever. She was the very first female inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Tonight we put Aretha In The Spotlight.

Well, weekenders, we’ve made it to Saturday. I have this one final day to go. My weekend is Sunday/Monday. However, fear not. The Music Mermaid is large and in charge here when I’m not around. You’re in safe fins.

Welcome Weekenders!