Tag: In The Spotlight

We Have a Trifecta Tuesday Bluesday Here With New ‘Live’ Music From the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Janis With Our AOW, and Marcia Ball In the Spotlight, November 15, 2022

This is your day, Blues Lovers! All of our programmed music time today is devoted to da blues. We’re cooking with gas today as we kick it all off with some brand new ‘live’ music from the premier power blues band, Tedeschi Trucks.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday programming:

11:00 a.m. Tedeschi Trucks Band Live at The Fox Theatre, Oakland, CA, September 8th & 9th, 2016 NEW!

The premier big, bad blues-rock sound of this fabulous band is unbeatable, led by the best blues guitarist on the planet in Derek Trucks and blues singer and guitarist Susan Tedeschi. Today we’ve got them live from the Fox Theatre in Oakland.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama by Janis Joplin

At mid-afternoon it’s the second airing of the only solo album released by Janis Joplin in her lifetime. This was recorded right after she left Big Brother & The Holding Company. She invited the Kozmic Blues Band to back her on the album and Janis saddled up and rode with them for a while.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Marcia Ball

Marcia Ball is a blues singer, songwriter and pianist extraordinaire who was born in Orange, Texas and raised in Vinton, Louisiana. USA Today described Marcia Ball’s music as being “where Texas stomp-rock and Louisiana swamp-blues meet.” She has been at this for fifty years and is still going strong! You can learn all about Marcia Ball here on her website.

Come on, kids, get your musical shit together and join us for Tuesday Bluesday, a day where we always have a full house here. We won’t cost you a penny and you don’t have to fill out any forms or provide any personal information to listen in. We do not require subscriptions or memberships. No lie and no surprises. Just do it.

Tuesday Bluesday is Back!

The Work Week Rears Its Ugly Head But We’re All Set Here With John Prine, Al Green, and ‘Live’ Emmylou Harris With The Nash Ramblers To Get You Through Monday, November 14, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We are back in The Mermaid Lounge to help you through yet another work week. And even better, the teeming masses start to follow the sales around in preparation for pissing away holiday money on gifts that will be obsolete in about an hour (if you have kids, that is).

Here’s today’s line-up:

10:00 a.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of John Prine

We’ve got our second airing of this week’s Singer-Songwriter Series featuring John Prine, one of the most amazing songwriters of all time whose Angel From Montgomery became Bonnie Raitt’s calling card. That’s what great singer-songwriters do. They create the vehicles for great vocalists.

3:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Al Green

At mid-afternoon, we’ve got the smooth soul sound of the great Al Green who brought us so many great hits like Let’s Stay Together, Take Me To The River, You Ought To Be With Me and more!

7:00 p.m. Emmylou Harris & The Nash Ramblers Live at The Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN, April 30-May 2, 1991

Emmylou Harris put together an acoustic band for this event at the old home of the Grand Ole Opry over a three day period. This single event and the acclaim the resulting album brought was the impetus for renewed interest in The Ryman and led to its renovation after 20 years of being abandoned. It is now a concert hall. By the way, the resulting album from these shows won the Grammy for Best Album in 2017.

We’ve cut a wide swath here today with all kinds of musical programming coming your way, from folk to soul to country. And in between, we give you that great wide Open Stream! Close that office door pull up a tab and enhance your work environment. It’s not illegal. Yet.

Cursor Here, Please!

It’s Another Fine Tuesday Bluesday With Our ‘Best of Chicago Blues’ EP, Our AOW, and B. B. King In the Spotlight, November 8, 2022

Blues lovers, it is your day as we start it off with our ‘Best of Chicago Blues’ EP and close it out with B. B. King. In between, it’s our Album of The Week.

We are the House of Blues every Tuesday and here’s today’s lineup:

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

There’s nothing like Chicago for blues and this multi-artist EP brings you Otis Rush, Willie Dixon, Albert King, Muddy Waters, Little Water, 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!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Sweet Harmony by Maria Muldaur

Technically, this album fits just fine on a Tuesday Bluesday since Maria Muldaur refuses to be defined by any single genre of music and has successfully combined a bit of blues, jazz and folk in this fine album. See for yourself this afternoon.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of B. B. King

B. B. King was a pioneer who defined the blues for a worldwide audience. As a guitar innovator, King developed an intricate style of blues solo playing based on fluid string bending, shimmering vibrato, and staccato picking with the help of the most important woman in his life, Lucille. This style would inspire future blues guitarists, and it’s here tonight at 7:00 p.m. EST.

It’s always a full house on Tuesday Bluesdays and we’ve got listeners from Greece, Italy, France, the UK, Norway, Denmark, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Russian Federation, Faroe Islands, Australia, Texas, California and New York this morning. Join our international community!

Tuesday Bluesday!

Back to The Weekly Grind, But We’ve Got The Music To Help You Out: The Second Airing of Singer-Songwriter Lucinda Williams, The Supremes In the Spotlight, and a Brand New Playlist Tonight, Monday, November 7, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! Have you ever seen anything roll around as fast as a Monday? The good news is that we’ve got the music here to help you through. Just lock that office door and pull up a tab. If you’re lucky enough to work at home, even better!

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Lucinda Williams

Lucinda Williams is back for her second airing as our featured Singer-Songwriter this week. We’ll have one more airing a bit later this week as well. Tune her in. She was a friend of Tom’s and he rightfully championed her as someone who must be heard. He could recognize a great songwriter. Lucinda Williams also opened for him on several tours, including his very last one, the 40th Anniversary Tour.

3:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Supremes

There were bands that were instrumental in developing the Motown sound. Diana Ross & The Supremes were certainly one of those acts. We’ve got them In the Spotlight this afternoon.

7:00 p.m. More Cowbell, Please: Various Artists NEW!

We carry you in to this evening with a brand new multi-artist playlist for all percussion lovers out there. This one is all about the cowbell. It opens with what we consider the finest example of a song where the cowbell reigns supreme. You will hear from The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, the Alan Parsons Project, Bob Dylan, Harry Nilsson, Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt, Warren Zevon, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Move, Elton John, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Electric Light Orchestra, Joe Walsh, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Journey. Stephen Stills, Grateful Dead, J. Geils Band, Queen, Steely Dan, Little Feat, The Turtles and more!

Come on, people, let’s start the day off on a fine note by joining us and your friends around the world here in The Mermaid Lounge. We’ve got a great lineup for you today and we won’t cost you one cent. No lie. No surprises. No bullshit.

More Cowbell, Please!

We Start a New Month With Tuesday Bluesday and Albert King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and a Woman Named Ellen McIlwaine, November 1, 2022

Good Morning, Bluesologists! We kick off a new month with da blues, including someone you may or may never have heard. Her name is Ellen McIlwaine. If you’ve never heard her, you can get to know her today.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Albert King & Stevie Ray Vaughan In Session at CHCH-TV Studios, Canada, December 6, 1983

This little blues session was filmed for television at CHCH-TV studios in Hamilton, Ontario back in 1983. At the time of the filming, Stevie Ray was 29 years old and King was 60. Two great bluesmen together is always a thing of joy.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Revolver (2022) by The Beatles

Today is the second airing of the Giles Martin curated edition of this great Beatles album that is part of the just-released boxed set. We will be adding all of the tunes from the 5-CD pack to our general rotation tonight.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Ellen McIlwaine NEW!

We finally bring this great Canadian blues singer to The Mermaid Lounge. I remember her in my youth. We were as dumb as rocks back then. We “didn’t like” her because we thought she was imitating Bonnie Raitt. In truth, Ellen McIlwaine was always her pure self, and maybe that’s what kept her from hitting it big in the states, even though she found a measure of success in Canada. I had almost forgotten her until I read her obituary in The Washington Post. We leave you that obituary here because it’s much more than an obit. It’ll give you plenty of background on the woman known as the Goddess of The Slide Guitar.

We’ve got a brand new month on the horizon and a great Tuesday Bluesday all lined up. We have listeners on from Canada, India, Germany, the UK, France, Italy, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, The Netherlands, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Russian Federation, New York, California, Texas, Pennsylvania and beyond this morning. Join your community of friends with excellent musical taste.

It’s Tuesday Bluesday!

It’s Halloween and We’ve Got Some Scary Good Stuff On Tap With Our ‘M is For Motown’ EP, Our Finale For Tom Petty Month, and a New Playlist, Monday, October 31, 2022

Good Morning, Gang! We are running a bit behind the eight ball this morning due to a brief power failure here but we are never a dollar short. We’ve got some great Halloween programming for you today!

Here’s today’s musical landscape:

8:00 a.m. M is For Motown: Various Artists

We give you five hours of uninterrupted soul and R & B today with Barrett Strong, Eddie Kendricks, Eddie Holland, Edwin Starr, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Jackson Five, Kim Weston, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Marvin Gaye, Martha & The Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Four Tops, The Isley Brothers, The Temptations, The Contours, Mary Wells, Rare Earth, Tammi Terrell, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Marvelettes, The Spinners, Jimmy Ruffin and more!

3:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Stephen C O’Connell Center, Gainesville, FL, September 21, 2006

The Heartbreakers on their 30th Anniversary Tour, and what a great performance this was.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Jefferson Airplane NEW!

We admit we’ve been on a bit of a psychedelic music bender recently, so this one fits. This playlist has actually been a long-time coming, and it’s finally here. The Music Mermaid can only do so much. We apologize for being so remiss.

Tune us in. It’s a great day to do it. After all, it’s Monday and nothing can improve the prospects for a Monday more than great music as your backdrop.

Happy Halloween!

Jeff Lynne’s ELO ‘Live’ at Wembley, The Lovin’ Spoonful In the Spotlight, and the Second Airing of Joni Mitchell as Our Featured Singer-Songwriter, Monday, October 24, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We’ve got a fine Monday all lined up for you today to get you back into the work week with an ever-so-gentle nudge.

Here’s today’s musical lineup:

11:00 a.m. Jeff Lynne’s ELO Live at Wembley Stadium, London, UK, June 24, 2017

Jeff Lynne, musician extraordinaire, a Wilbury Brother, and producer of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, took the stage at Wembley in 2017 with his main band, Electric Light Orchestra, one of the finest bands to come out of the seventies. We have it live here for you later this morning.

3:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of The Lovin’ Spoonful

Formed in New York City by singer-songwriter John Sebastian and guitarist Zal Yanovsky, the Spoonful was one of the best bands of the Laurel Canyon scene. They were known for a string of masterful hits from the mid-to-late sixties. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2006. We put them In the Spotlight today.

7:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell gets her second airing as our featured artist in the Singer-Songwriter Series this evening. She will make another appearance later in the week as well.

Mondays always go better when you’ve got good music to help you through. Hey, close that office door, pull up a tab and click on the button below. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free to you. We don’t require a “subscription,” we don’t ask for your credit card, and we certainly don’t ask for any personal information. We’ve got a lot of worldwide listeners from places like Israel, Italy, Haiti, Greece, Spain, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, France, the UK, Germany and Brazil. They are all on already this morning. Come and join the fun.

Mondays are Better Here!

We’re at Midweek With Our Multi-Artist ‘Folk Music From A-to-Z’ EP and Chuck Berry In The Spotlight, Wednesday, October 19, 2022

We hit our midweek stride with a great EP focused on folk music and folk-rock. We play both the great pure folk artists (like Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan), along with those who pay homage to the musical genre (like The Beatles and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers). Later, we put Chuck Berry front and center.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

10:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-to-Z: Various Artists

We’ve got them all here in this playlist. 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, Jackson Browne, Guy Clark, James Taylor, The Carter Family, Harry Chapin, Linda Ronstadt, Phil Ochs, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Chuck Berry NEW!

Tonight we put a rock n’ roll pioneer, one of its Founding Fathers, In the Spotlight as we celebrate his birthday (belatedly, it was October 18). John Lennon once said this about Chuck Berry, “If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it ‘Chuck Berry.'” Indeed.

Before, in between, and after we’ve got that great wide Open Stream all day and all night long, because we run 24/7, not just when we have programming. You are in the hands of The Music Mermaid who, as you well know, has impeccable taste in music.

Happy Birthday, Chuck Berry!

Monday is Back and So Are We With The Temptations In the Spotlight, Some ‘Live’ Badfinger, and a Repeat Performance of Our New Singer-Songwriter Series, October 17, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! Another work week rolls around, but we’ve got you covered musically. We have a second airing of our first Singer-Songwriter feature with Paul Simon. We’ll be airing these on Saturday nights at 10:00 p.m. and will repeat them at different time slots a couple of times during the week.

One of Motown’s finest, The Temptations, are In the Spotlight to start our programming.

Here’s Monday’s lineup:

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

The Temptations hailed from Detroit, Michigan, and had an amazing string of hits for the fabled Motown Records during the sixties and seventies. They originated the ‘psychedelic soul’ genre with their Cloud Nine album.

3:00 p.m. Badfinger Live at The Cowtown Auditorium, Kansas City, MO, April 7, 1972

Truly the one band signed by Apple Records that had star power. Under the guidance of the Beatles, Badfinger delivered the goods, resulting in an amazing string of hits. Unfortunately, Apple Records eventually fell apart, and this forced Badfinger out from under the Beatles’ wing. This is where the band’s demise began, eventually resulting in the suicide of Pete Ham who had become the heart and soul of Badfinger. It should be noted that Ham had exhibited deteriorating mental health before this stress occurred, but it certainly didn’t help. He would not be the last member of Badfinger to commit suicide. Their story is told here. Badfinger is definitely a Mermaid Lounge favorite.

7:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: Paul Simon

The second airing of the first airing of our new Saturday night feature on singer-songwriters. We will run these a few times during the week at different times. The debut show features Paul Simon, an artist whose career spans six decades.

It’s the beginning of the week, and you might need a boost to get yourselves going. We’re on 24/7 at absolutely no cost to you. We have no “joining fees,” no “subscription” requirements or any financial surprises coming your way. We are all about the music.

Monday, Monday. Sigh.

We Hit Our Midweek Stride With The ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP and John Prine In the Spotlight, Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Here we are hitting our midweek stride with some great soul and R & B to kickstart your day. We follow that up with John Prine In the Spotlight later.

Here’s today’s programming:

10:00 a.m. A Little Bit O’ Soul: Various Artists

Today we pay homage to all of those soul and R & B artists who made America get off its seat. You’ll hear Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Ronettes, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Jimmy Ruffin, The Drifters, 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, The Ad Libs, Arthur Conley, Joe Tex, Wanda Jackson, Percy Sledge and more!

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of John Prine

October is a busy month, and the late, great John Prine would have celebrated his birthday on October 10. He is one of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time who had a unique wit and perspective on life. We’re celebrating his life today by putting him In The Spotlight.

Before, in between and all night long we’ve got all the non-programming filled in with wide Open Stream under the expert guidance of The Music Mermaid. You know her reputation already: She has impeccable taste in music and is ready to share it with you.

A Little Bit O’ Soul