Today We’ve Got Our ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP, a New Marcia Griffiths ‘Spotlight’ Feature, and Laura Nyro Live at Carnegie Hall, On Friday, May 23, 2025

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to Friday. We’re on the cusp of the weekend, and we’ve got some great music here today, including a new ‘Spotlight’ from a reggae legend!

Here’s your week’s end musical lineup:

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

This is one of our favorite EP’s with music from the folk legends as well as the artists who keep the genre alive, including John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, 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, Bob Dylan, Harry Chapin, Townes Van Zandt, The Carter Family and more!

Today we introduce a brand new ‘Spotlight’ featuring a six-decade legend in Reggae music. Marcia Griffiths has been on the scene not only as a solo artist for decades, but also as a fierce collaborator with other reggae artists. She was a member of the I-Threes (who also have a ‘Spotlight’ here) along with Rita Marley and Judy Mowatt. Together, they were Bob Marley’s back-up singers and one of the most influential Reggae acts in the genre. Today she’s in our ‘Spotlight.’

8:00 p.m. Laura Nyro Live at Stern Auditorium, Carnegie Hall, New York, NY, March 31, 1976

Speaking of music legends, here’s another. Her compositions put many, many artists on the map and on the charts, but there is nothing like hearing her sing them herself. Tonight you can!

Once again, allow me to remind you all. We’re on 24/7 and we’re completely free. No strings. No surprises. No credit card required, nor is there a required subscription. We’re anti-capitalist, anti-fascist, and all about the music. The button is below!

Saturday It’s Our Big Folk Music EP, Live Heartbreakers in N.C., and a Doris Troy ‘Spotlight’ Feature, March 22, 2025

Good morning, Weekenders! We’ve made it to Saturday and we’ve got ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers live in North Carolina, and a Doris Troy ‘Spotlight’.

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

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

Today we begin with the musical genre responsible for the protest song, quite appropriate in these trying times. You’ll hear both the legends of the genre and those who keep it alive, like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Dave Van Ronk, John Prine, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Cat Stevens, The Beatles, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Arlo Guthrie, Bonnie Raitt, The Band, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Led Belly, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Townes Van Zandt, The Carter Family and more!

We’ve added a brand new Heartbreakers live performance to our collection and it debuts today!

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

Doris Troy is known here for her 1963 hit, Just One Look. She was a one-hit wonder; some immensely talented musicians seem to fall through the cracks. However, she eventually moved to England and signed with Apple Records and enjoyed considerable success there. She was known affectionately as Mama Soul. Today, we put her ‘In the Spotlight’ where she belongs.

Before, in between and after our programmed music, we give you our big, wide Open Stream totally free of charge. No strings. No hidden agenda. No tracking. See for yourselves. The button is below.

On Friday It’s Folk Music With Our EP, a New Eric Andersen ‘Spotlight’, and The McGarrigle Sisters, February 21, 2025

Good morning, folk music lovers! That’s the prevailing programming today with our big folk music EP, a long-planned Eric Andersen ‘Spotlight’ and some rare stuff from Kate & Anna McGarrigle!

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

One of our favorite genres here in The Lounge…the genre that essentially birthed the protest song and social justice awareness. You’ll hear Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Arlo Guthrie, The Beatles, 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, Richie Havens, Simon & Garfunkel, Phil Ochs, Harry Chapin, The Carter Family, Townes Van Zandt and more!

A veteran of the Greenwich Village folk scene, singer-songwriter Eric Andersen has had his songs recorded by Johnny Cash, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, The Grateful Dead, Rick Nelson and so many others. Today, we’ll hear him sing them himself.

8:00 p.m. Tell My Sister: The Unreleased Recordings, Kate & Anna McGarrigle

Tonight a real treat as we hear some rare music from Kate & Anna McGarrigle, the folk singer-songwriter duo who also provided many songs for others to record, including the aforementioned Linda Ronstadt.

We’ve got a great day of music lined up after a day off to pull some new music together. We hope you enjoyed your Open Stream day. We remind you that Open Stream covers most of the hours of our programming, and we’re totally free 24/7 with no commercial interruption. The button is below.

It’s Saturday in The Lounge With ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’, Jesse Winchester and Jefferson Airplane, June 29, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We’re making our way into the dog days of summer. But we’re cool in The Lounge with a folk music start and a psychedelic finish.

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

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

Songs about hope and bravery is what the early folk music movement was all about. In this EP, you’ll hear 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, Tom Rush, Joan Baez, The Band, Eric Andersen, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Phil Ochs, James Taylor, Townes Van Zandt, The Carter Family, Neil Young and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Jesse Winchester

We continue the folk music vibe before we swing into something a bit more…psychedelic. I was fortunate enough to have seen Jesse Winchester perform twice, the first time as the opening act for Emmylou Harris; the second as the headliner. Bob Dylan, the master songwriter himself, once said of Jesse Winchester, “You can’t talk about the best songwriters and not include him.” Indeed.

We had the Airplane soaring high over Golden Gate Park as we were moving out of the sixties and into the next decade. However, I beg to differ with people out there talking about 1969 as the ‘Summer of Love.’ Not true. The ‘Summer of Love’ happened in 1967. We have definitive proof, so stop spreading musical misinformation. But I digress, and I apologize.

We Keep It On Folk Today With Our Multi-Artist EP, a Nanci Griffith Spotlight, and Live Joan Baez, Thursday, May 30, 2024

Good morning, music lovers. We’re focusing on the folk side of music today with our ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP, along with Nanci Griffith and Joan Baez.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

Folk music has a place in history beyond just being a music genre; it represents the birth of the protest song. This EP is as big as you can get, crossing generations. You’ll hear 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, Phil Ochs, James Taylor, The Carter Family, Neil Young, Townes Van Zandt and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Nanci Griffith

Nanci Griffith was a singer-songwriter and guitarist who had one foot firmly planted in folk and the other planted in country. It was a beautiful crossover combination.

Yes, that’s simply what it is. No venues listed; no dates which someone like me finds disturbing because I’m ridiculous about that stuff. But it’s the music that really counts. Here we have a collection of songs recorded long ago that reflect Joan Baez’s 1962 live performances. We have a 1963 collection we’ll air a bit down the road.

We’re at Midweek With a Focus on Folk Music, and a Visit From Delbert McClinton, Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Good morning, folk-ologists! We’re focused on folk today as we open and close with folk music pioneers and those who continue to support the genre.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

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

Today we salute the pioneers of folk, those who have kept the genre flourishing, and those who pay it homage. You’ll hear 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, Led 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 Delbert McClinton

Delbert stops by at 4:00 p.m. for his second spin as our featured singer-songwriter.

Ian & Sylvia was a true folk duo that performed together from 1959 to 1975; after moving to Nashville, they were also instrumental in helping the country-rock genre take hold. They were pretty well respected in their time, but have somehow fallen through the cracks. But today, we put them In The Spotlight where they belong.

Friday Brings Our Big Folk Music EP, Henley & Frey’s Swan Song, and ‘Live’ Emmylou Harris, December 22, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! Are we in the Christmas spirit yet? We’ll make your day better with our big folk music EP, the final airing of Don Henley & Glen Frey and Emmylou Harris bring up the rear.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

Yes, citizens, the music that helped spread social justice and consciousness. You’ll hear Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Joan Baez, 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, 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, Harry Chapin, Townes Van Zandt, The Carter Family, Neil Young and many more!

4:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Don Henley & Glen Frey FINAL AIRING!

We bid a fond farewell to Don Henley and Glen Frey today, the musical songwriting genius behind The Eagles.

8:00 p.m.  Emmylou Harris & The Desert Rose Band Live at Nevada County Fairgrounds, Grass Valley, CA, August 8, 1986

Emmylou Harris has traveled the world both assembling great bands and joining others. This time she’s on stage with Byrds founding member Chris Hillman and his Desert Rose Band.

We’re getting closer to both the weekend and the Christmas holiday! What better way to take the edge off than with great music. Hell, here we are. Give yourself a Christmas gift. It won’t cost you a penny.

It’s Sunday in The Mermaid Lounge and We’ve Got ‘Venus And Mars’ as Our AOW and ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ Later, on March 19, 2023

Good morning, music lovers and weekenders! Sundays are quite simple here as we give you plenty of wide Open Stream and some excellent programming.

Here’s your Sunday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Venus And Mars by Paul McCartney & Wings NEW!

This was the fourth studio album by Wings and McCartney’s sixth solo album after the breakup of The Beatles in 1970. It was a follow-up to the great Band On The Run album, and the first to be released on Capitol as opposed to Apple Records. It was recorded in London, New Orleans and Los Angeles, and released in May of 1975. It also resulted in the launch of a massive worldwide tour. I damned near wore this vinyl out, and my favorite song? Call Me Back Again, hands down.

3:00 p.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

Our big folk music extravaganza is back! We’ve got some classic folk artists as well as bands and artists who have embraced the musical genre and done their part to keep its spirit alive. You’ll hear Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Linda Ronstadt, Phil Ochs, Townes Van Zandt, 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 and more!

What’s better than great music for free? It is true that we can’t accommodate requests, and you can’t build your own playlists here, but this is radio. You don’t know what song is coming next. It’s a throwback to my childhood without the commercial advertising. We’re not all things to all people, but we’re trying to be great music for all people.

It’s Saturday and We Start Out With Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Then It’s On To Our ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP and the Final Airing of The AOW, February 18, 2023

Good morning, folkies! We’ve got a real treat for you today as our programming is all folk with a little touch of the blues at the end. The big ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP is smack in the middle.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Kate & Anna McGarrigle NEW!

The Canadian-born musicians from Quebec are a true gift to the music world. While Kate was studying engineering and Anna was studying art, they began performing together and writing their own songs. It wasn’t until singers like Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and Judy Collins began covering their songs that they received their own recording contract in 1974. Not surprisingly, this was when Linda Ronstadt exploded onto the music scene in full force with her Heart Like A Wheel album, the title song being a McGarrigle composition. The sisters continued writing and making albums up until Kate McGarrigle’s death in 2010.

12:00 p.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

Folk music gave birth to protest songs long before the sixties, and musicians from the sixties and subsequent generations have kept the folk music tradition alive. The artists featured in this EP include 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, Linda Ronstadt, Phil Ochs, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, Kate & Anna McGarrigle and more!

8:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Brother Johnny by Edgar Winter FINAL AIRING!

We bid a very fond farewell to this great album today, but it is in our standard rotation now and you will be hearing airings down the road. We promise. Tomorrow when you roll out of bed, there’ll be a brand new album waiting.

Yes, we’ll tell you to give us a listen again today. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free. We do not clog up the airwaves with commercial advertising or endless chatter. We’re all about the music.

Today It’s the Final Airing of Our AOW, the ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP, and We Introduce Shawn Colvin as Our Featured Singer-Songwriter, Saturday, January 21, 2023

Here’s today’s musical landscape:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: A Night of Blistering Blues by B. B. King & Friends FINAL AIRING!

We send this one off into the sunset today. Tune in to hear B. B. King, Gladys Knight, Etta James, Chaka Khan, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan and more deliver some kick-ass blues. Recorded live in L.A. in 1987. Tomorrow, we’ll have a brand new selection when you finally roll out of bed.

11:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

If you’re wondering about the graphic, you shouldn’t be. Folk music gave birth to protest music with artists like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Odetta, Phil Ochs, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly and Bob Dylan. In additon, you’ll hear those who followed and carried on the tradition in various ways, including John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Shawn Colvin, Peter, Paul & Mary, Townes Van Zandt, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, The Band, Eric Andersen, Bonnie Raitt, The Beatles, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Jackson Browne, Guy Clark, James Taylor, The Carter Family, Harry Chapin, Linda Ronstadt & The Stone Poneys and more!

8:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Shawn Colvin NEW!

Speaking of folk music, this evening we introduce our new featured singer-songwriter, Shawn Colvin, A veteran of the Fast Folk Cooperative of Greenwich Village, Colvin is a three-time Grammy winner. She is best known for her song Sunny Came Home, which won Grammys for both Song and Record of the Year in 1998. She has been composing, singing, recording and performing live for decades and is rightfully our new featured singer-songwriter.

Come on, folks, it’s the weekend. What better time to kick back and relax and get into some good music. We are totally free of charge with no commercial advertising. Just music. So, just do it. All you need is a tab and the button below.