Category: The Blues

We’re at Midweek With Our Great ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP, Karla Bonoff and a New Playlist Tonight, Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We’ve hit midweek once again and we’ve got a full slate lined up for you today, including a new playlist to wrap up the day about the rain.

Here’s today’s lineup:

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

Folk brought us the music of both social justice and social unrest. In this EP you’ll hear from 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, The Carter Family, Harry Chapin, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Townes Van Zandt, Phil Ochs and more!

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Karla Bonoff

The second airing of Karla Bonoff as our featured singer-songwriter for this week.

8:00 p.m. Looks Like Rain: Various Artists NEW!

Not quite an EP, but with a great selection of artists. You’ll hear The Temptations, James Taylor, America, Willie Nelson, The Rascals, Linda Ronstadt, The Lovin’ Spoonful, the James Gang, Joni Mitchell, J.D. Souther, Gordon Lightfoot, Poco, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Carole King, Melanie, Maria Muldaur, The Beatles, The Eurythmics, Tom Waits, Fats Domino, Valerie Carter, Electric Light Orchestra, Creedence Clearwater Revival and more!

We’re halfway to the weekend again. They call this “hump day” for a reason. Great day to tune us in. No cost. No advertising. Just music.

Midweek Madness!

It’s Tuesday Bluesday With Our Biggest, Baddest Blues EP and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band ‘live’ in Boston, April 18, 2023

Good morning, bluesologists! It’s another Tuesday Bluesday in The Lounge and we’ve got some great blues programming wrapped around our great album of the week.

Here’s today’s blues programming:

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

This is the big kahuna. All the blues wrapped into one, big EP. You’ll hear Delbert McClinton, 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 Bluesbreakers, Koko Taylor, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, James Cotton, Marcia Ball, Susan Tedeschi, Roomful of Blues, Howlin’ Wolf, Tracy Nelson, Linda Ronstadt and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Carry Me Home by Mavis Staples and Levon Helm

The second airing of this great musical collaboration is here, built on a friendship forged during the making of The Band’s The Last Waltz. Not to be missed.

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

We’ve researched the depths of the Internet to find the actual date of this show, but to no avail. It matters not, the music is timeless. It’s an epic band playing at an iconic Boston muisc venue.

It’s always a busy day in The Mermaid Lounge on Tuesday Bluesday, so why not join in. We’re on 24/7 at no charge to you. We’re all about the music.

Tuesday Bluesday!

We Keep It Simple on Sunday With Our New AOW From Mavis Staples and Leon Helm, and After That We’re ‘Under The Influence’ on April 16, 2023

Good morning, weekenders. It’s another keep-it-simple Sunday today with just our latest Album of The Week and our ‘Under The Influence’ multi-artist EP, followed by our wide Open Stream with The Music Mermaid.

Here’s Sunday’s musical landscape:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Carry Me Home by Mavis Staples & Levon Helm NEW!

This masterpiece of an album was born out of the friendship developed during their work together while making The Big Waltz, the final hurrah for The Band. (For those who may not know, Levon Helm was The Band’s drummer.) The album was made from sessions recorded at Helms’ studio in Woodstock, New York, in 2011, shortly before his death. The album explores both political and religious themes as the two cover songs written by Curtis Mayfield, Bob Dylan, Roebuck “Pops” Staples, and The Band’s own Robbie Robertson. I have seen Mavis Staples live and she is a force of nature. As for Levon Helm, he was one of the creative driving forces (along with Robertson) of The Band, one of my all-time favorite musical acts.

3:00 p.m. Under The Influence: Various Artists

I keep on saying this,but it’s true. Whether your substance of choice is legal or illegal, we’ve all been here. And it is certainly a popular subject in the music world. During this EP you will hear Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Arlo Guthrie, The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, Bob Dylan, Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen, Donovan, Glen 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!

Kick off your shoes. Then tune in, turn on, and drop out. Some sage advice from Timothy Leary. It’s Sunday. If there’s a big guy up there, he even took the day off.

Keep It Simple Sunday!

It’s ‘Ladies Day Out’ in The Mermaid Lounge, the Final Airing of “No Dice,” and the Introduction of Karla Bonoff as Our Featured Singer-Songwriter on Saturday, April 15, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! We have reached the first full day of the weekend! We have a great day with our five-hour, all-women music extravaganza to kick things off!

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Ladies Day Out: Various Artists

Yes, the women of music own The Mermaid Lounge for a chunk of the day today. You will 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, Dolly Parton, Dusty Springfield, The Ronettes, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Norah Jones, Phoebe Snow, Nicolette Larson, Sheryl Crow, Valerie Carter, Susan Tedeschi and more!

5:00 p.m. Album of The Week: No Dice by Badfinger FINAL AIRING!

We bid a fond farewell to this great power pop album by Badfinger, the album that put them on the map, particularly in the U.S., and gave us the hit No Matter What. Tomorrow there’ll be a brand new album here for you.

8:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Karla Bonoff NEW!

Although Karla Bonoff has released several really wonderful albums, she is best known as one of the most brilliant songwriters of her generation. Linda Ronstadt feasted off Karla’s work, including Someone To Lay Down Beside Me, Lose Again, Trouble Again and others. Others who have sung Karla’s songs include Wynnona Judd, Lynn Anderson, and Bonnie Raitt (an amazing rendition of Home for one). Tonight, we get to hear Karla sing her compositions herself.

It is Saturday, folks, and we’ve made it to the weekend. Why not give yourself a real treat and tune us in. We’re on 24/7. We’re totally free of charge. We do not run any commercial advertising. And we offer great programming you won’t hear anywhere else. What’s not to love here?

Ladies Day Out!

Friday Brings a Tribute to The Queens, Steve Winwood’s Final Turn as Our Featured Singer-Songwriter and Some ‘Live’ Byrds, April 14, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! We’ve made it to the end of the work week (for most) and we’ve got a great lineup for you today.

Here’s Friday’s musical lineup:

11:00 a.m. The Byrds Live at The Fillmore, San Francisco, February 7-8, 1969

The Byrds recorded live over a two-night stint at the historic Fillmore West.

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

This is our farewell airing to Steve Winwood as our featured Singer-Songwriter for this week. Tomorrow we will introduce a brand new artist, and we’re sure you’re going to love her.

7:00 p.m. Long Live The Queens: Various Artists

We haven’t heard this one in a while, and it’s time. We pay tribute to Linda Ronstadt, the Queen of Rock, Aretha Franklin, the undisputed Queen of Soul, Irma Thomas, the Soul Queen of New Orleans, and Koko Taylor, Queen of The Blues. Don’t miss it.

Great day to tune us in, folks. We’ve got some great music on tap, and we’re totally free 24/7 with no commercial advertising. Just do it.

Long Live The Queens!

On Thursday It’s Our ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP, Our AOW, and a Brand New Playlist Called ‘Those Shoes’, April 13, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We’re on our way to the weekend with ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ which is our far-ranging soul and rhythm & blues EP to kick things off.

Here’s your Thursday programming:

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

This one isn’t just Motown, it’s our far-ranging soul and rhythm & blues EP 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 Box Tops, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Eddie Floyd, Ann Peebles, The Ad Libs, Arthur Conley, Joe Tex, Wanda Jackson, Percy Sledge, Al Green and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: No Dice by Badfinger

This is our next-to-last airing of this great album that put Badfinger on the map. The final airing will be sometime Saturday.

7:00 p.m. Those Shoes: Various Artists NEW!

This was a fun one to put together, a multi-artist playlist about shoes of all kinds from Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Jesse Winchester, Emmylou Harris, Elmore James, Leon Russell, Elton John, Townes Van Zandt, The Band, Elvis Costello, The Eagles, Laura Nyro, Norah Jones, Maria Muldaur, Betty Everett, Richie Havens, Traffic, Dan Fogelberg and more!

Get on board the music train, kids! You don’t need no stinking tickets. It won’t cost you a cent. All you need is a free tab and a mouse. We’re on 24/7 and we’re commercial free!

Just Push Play!

Midweek Brings the ‘Ode To Morning’ EP, Steve Winwood, and Volume Two of ‘Repeat After Me’ on Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We are at the midweek portion of the program here in what we call the ‘real world’ and we’ve got some great music on tap today! Read on for details!

Here’s your midweek lineup:

9:00 a.m. Ode To Morning: Various Artists

We’ve paid homage to evening, now it’s time for the morning light to receive its due. You’ll hear 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 Joni Mitchell, The Move, Fleetwood Mac, Foreigner, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Nina Simone and more!

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Steve Winwood

Steve Winwood returns for his second airing today as our featured singer-songwriter.

8:00 p.m. Repeat After Me, Volume Two: Various Artists

You heard the first volume earlier in the week and now we’ve got volume two on tap with The Mamas & The Papas covering the Shirelles, Tom Petty covering Fats Domino, Joe Cocker covering The Box Tops, The Eagles covering Jackson Browne, The Traveling Wilburys covering Del Shannon, Linda Ronstadt covering Kate & Anna McGarrigle, The Beatles covering The Isley Brothers and you should get the picture here.

After today, we get closer to the weekend (yeah, I know, not quite close enough yet), right? So it gets better from here. We’ll help you get there with less pain if you tune us in. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free. No lie. Try us.

We’re at Midweek!

It’s Tuesday Bluesday With Our ‘Best of Louisiana Blues’ EP, Our AOW and ‘Live’ Robert Cray Band Later, April 11, 2023

Good morning, bluesologists! We have another Tuesday Bluesday on tap here in The Lounge and we kick it off with five hours of uninterrupted blues from Louisiana!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

There’s nothing like music from Louisiana. It has its own style, and that includes da blues. You’ll hear Ray Charles, Lillian Glinn, Slim Harpo, Fats Domino, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Rodney Harris, Roosevelt Sykes, Shirley & Lee, Roy Brown, Papa Lightfoot, Guitar Slim, Annie Laurie, Fats Matthews, Big Joe Turner, Big Boy Myles, Little Walter, Mary Butler, Erline Harris, Marcia Ball, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Professor Longhair, The Neville Brothers, Irma Thomas, Dave Bartholomew and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: No Dice by Badfinger

We take just a slight break in the blues programming to give you the second airing of our Album of The Week, the album that put Badfinger on the map.

The Robert Cray Band Live at The Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA, December 2, 1995 NEW!

A live performance by Barack Obama’s favorite bluesman and his band billed as the 10th Annual Concert for Kids and broadcast on KFOG-FM closes out our blues programming for today.

It’s always a busy day on Tuesday Bluesday as we already have folks from Ireland, Greece, Italy, the UK, France, Australia, Spain, Portugal, Norway, The Netherlands and point beyond tuned in. Why not join them?

Tuesday Bluesday!

We’ve Got Mudcrutch Monday Madness, Maria Muldaur, and Volume One of ‘Repeat After Me’ on April 10, 2023

Good morning, Mudcrutch maniacs! Today we’ve got the full Mudcrutch slate of music (we’ll tell you why below) along with Maria Muldaur In the Spotlight and volume one of ‘Repeat After Me’ a playlist of covers by our favorite bands.

Here are today’s musical details:

10:00 a.m. Mudcrutch Monday Madness!

Tom Leadon, who was Tom Petty’s childhood friend and founding member and lead guitarist of Mudcrutch, passed away on March 22 from natural causes at the age of 70. He was also, at various times the bass player in Linda Ronstadt’s band. He was brother to Bernie Leadon, a founding member of The Eagles. This seems like a good time to break out the entire Mudcrutch catalogue in memory of Tom.

3:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Maria Muldaur

Maria Muldaur began her illustrious career as part of the great folk revival of the sixties, playing the Greenwich Village clubs with Bob Dylan and John Sebastian. She then joined the Jim Kweskin Jug Band. When they disbanded, she embarked on her solo career recording albums in the folk, blues, early jazz, gospel, country, and R&B traditions. She also provided backup and harmony vocals on several Linda Ronstadt albums. We love Maria here in The Mermaid Lounge and today we put her in the spotlight.

7:00 p.m. Repeat After Me: Various Artists

We haven’t heard this one in a while. We have two volumes of this one. You’ll hear the second one later in the week. We are also working on volume three for later this month. These are great fun because we get to hear different versions of the same song by different artists. In this one, we have The Heartbreakers covering The Byrds, Tracy Nelson covering Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris covering Simon & Garfunkel, Linda Ronstadt covering Little Feat, Three Dog Night covering Laura Nyro, The Beatles covering Barrett Strong, Joan Baez covering The Band…you get the idea.

A great rock and roll pioneer once sang that he hated blue Monday. Why not make yours better by tuning us in? We’re on 24/7 totally free and without commercial advertising. It’s nothing but wall-to-wall music here.

Monday, Monday

We Keep It Simple Today With Badfinger’s “No Dice” as Our AOW and ‘The Female Species’ EP, Sunday, April 9, 2023

Good morning, and if you’re celebrating, Happy Easter, Happy Passover and Happy Ramadan one and all! We’re keeping it simple as usual on this fine, sunny Sunday.

Here’s your holiday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Album of The Week: No Dice by Badfinger NEW!

I fell in love with Badfinger early on, and I supposed that’s because I could hear the influence of The Beatles. However, Badfinger was its own juggernaut, helping to create what is known as the power pop genre. It was the one band Apple Records signed that became a big time entity, in spite of the fact that their future held nothing but tragedy. Our album of the week, however, No Dice, was their third studio album released by Apple on November 9, 1970, and helped to expand the group’s popularity, particularly abroad. It was the first to feature lead guitarist Joey Molland. It also gave us the hit No Matter What, and the first recording of the song Without You, which would later become a huge hit for Harry Nilsson.

1:00 p.m. The Female Species: Various Artists

Nope. It’s not music by women, but it is music about women, girls, ladies, and chicks by artists like Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Talking Heads, Jackson Browne, The Boogaloo Swamis, John Mayall, Hot Tuna, The Eatles, Elvis Presley, Electric Light Orchestra, Fleetwood Mac, Percy Sledge, The Beatles, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, America, Roy Orbison, Billy Joel, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, The Beach Boys, The Temptations, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Marley & The Wailers, The Rolling Stones, Peter & Gordon, The Rascals and more!

Before, in between and after it’s our great wide Open Stream courtesy of The Music Mermaid. She’s always on duty and has impeccable taste in music, as you well know by now. In between your celebrations, tune us in. We’re on 24/7, no matter what day it is.

Happy Holidays!