Lunchtime Music – John Gorka – “People My Age” Oh My!

John GorkaOk so on Wednesday, my wife moved closer to that magical life milepost the big 60! I won’t say how close she is because if I did she’d say “Well, I’ll still never be older than you!” And she’s right because as you may know, I passed that mile post a couple of years ago! Anyway over the last couple of weeks I keep flashing back to the folksingers that I have loved over the years. This morning I remembered the said passing of Steve Goodman and on this date but in 1973, Jim Croce died in that tragic plane crash. Read More

2013 Americana Music Association Awards

Americana Music AssociationSo the Americana Music Association had there awards show last night in Nashville. From USA Today:

NASHVILLE — Teamwork was the name of the game at Wednesday’s Americana Music Honors & Awards. Duos picked up most of the night’s big awards, and collaborations made the ceremony, held at the historic Ryman Auditorium, special. Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell were honored as duo of the year, and their Old Yellow Moon was chosen as album of the year. “This album was conceived almost 40 years ago, when Rodney and I first met and started collaborating,” Harris said. Crowell played in Harris’ Hot Band in the ’70s before signing his own record deal. Read More Read More

Lunchtime Music from Batdorf and Rodney – “One Day”…..

Off the ShelfSo sometime in 1971 or 72, I was walking through the  Graham Area lobby at the University of Florida and two guys were playing guitars and singing. I sat down and listened and was blown away by the songs. When they finished, I asked if the songs were theirs and they said, no they were covering Batdorf and Rodney. Within a matter of days, you know I was at the local record store looking for their album!! What I found was Off the Shelf and that album has been “off the shelf” and on my record player, in my CD player and now on my mp3 player for the last forty years. Read More

Lunchtime Music: From Wes Nickson Band “Louise”

So on a sad note, Max Stalling posted this to his Facebook Page this AM:

Folks, on a somber note, I’d like to take a moment to note the passing of Bruce Kidder, former DJ at KHYI 95.3 The Range (OFFICIAL) in Dallas (and KFAN/Fredericksburg prior to that). He was crusty and cranky on air and only partly like that in real life. He was a supporter of music and songwriters and became my friend. He was an old school DJ/radio personality with real opinions and attitudes about music and topics. He picked up on my music and put it into regular rotation. I will miss him and my condolences go out to his wife Julie, all his family and anyone else who had the good fortune of knowing him. Read More

New Bluegrass – Tiger Maple String Band – Coming Home

So last night I was checking out the Roots Music Report for some new music, and there at No 45 sat a band named Tiger Maple String Band. Their name looked interesting. I usually like bands with String Band in their name because that evokes in me thought of old timey music and tthat’s what I heard when I gave their recent release Coming Home a listen. I recognized a couple of old Appalachian standards mixed in with some great instrumentals. I love those instrumentals Here’s what they say about their music – from their website:! Read More

Lunchtime Music – Buskin & Batteau – The Boy with the Violin”

In the early 70s I picked up an album In California, by a duo Compton & Batteau. The album spent a fair time in the rotation but then fell by the wayside as I moved on to other albums. About fifteen plus years later, I bought a Tom Rush album  Late Night Radio a live concert broadcast of Club 47 from Symphony Hall in Boston, and Robin Batteau appeared again on my record player this time performing with David Buskin as Buskin & Batteau. (Now you probably know Robin Batteau even if you’ve never heard his music, bacuse you’ve heard his jingles form commercials. How about “I’m Lovin’ It” for McDonalds and “The Heartbeat of America” for Chevrolet.)   In the 70s I had also become a fan of  David Buskin’s from his self-titled album and the song “Come With” along with all the other great songs on that album! (Buskin also a jingle writer, wrote the jingle for NBC for which he won a Clio Award in 1983. He co-wrote All Aboard America for Amtrak, and did work for Burger King, JC Penny, and the US Postal Service)  But back to the music, on the album they performed “A Boy with a Violin” and through the years that song along with the following track on the album “Beam Me Up Scotty” have been favorites.  So when I was trolling for music this morning, I came across this performance of the song from the 2009 Philadelphia Folk Festival! So here’s some lunchtime music from the duo of Buskin and Batteau “The Boy with a Violin” Read More

Lunchtime Music – Dave Potts – Live at Sundilla

So this morning I had to go to the store and get some food, before my daughter started complaining again about lack of food in the house. So I put the iPod on the new Dave Potts’ album Live at Sundilla.  According to his website, Dave was born and raised out west in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains  and then one day he stumbled across Auburn, Alabama, well I’ll let him tell it: Read More