Howdy
friends and neighbors! This is your host, Jack
Lewis, letting you know that my show audience
continues to grow. I want to thank all of you
for listening. If you're new to my show then I
want to welcome you and let you know that I'm
trying to introduce you to the music of unsigned
bluegrass, old time and gospel music bands, discuss
their style of playing and let you know where
to go to hear these bands live. I think you'll
find the show both entertaining and educational.
Others have had some very kind words to say about
my show and I surely do thank them for their comments.
Enabled (What's
this?) - Well, in keeping up with the
times, these shows are made available as a podcast
so you can automatically download the shows and
listen to them on their mp3 player or computer
when you have the time. And if you want to, you
can download and listen to a show right now simply
by clicking on a download link below. Got iTunes?
Then click the iTunes button to read reviews of
my show and to subscribe to the podcast. If you
don't have iTunes then click the orange button
labelled "XML".
Read reviews and subscribe to the Podcast using Tunes
Subscribe
to the Podcast using other feed readers
Join in on the fun. Today I have at least 
Show #26 - January
11, 2007 -- Here's a Christmas story you should
never forget! My wife and I spent Christmas day
2006 on a pilgrimage to the banks of the Delaware
River to celebrate George Washington's crossing
and the historic battle with British forces in
Trenton, New Jersey. That turning point battle
came at a time when most felt the American Revolution
was over. Washington's Continental Army had been
badly beaten during the summer and fall of 1776
and the army reduced from 26,000 to just 4,000
men. Those left were tired, demoralized and their
enlistments were about to expire at the end of
December. All seemed lost. Listen to the story
set to music of the time. Download
now (12.2 Mb - 35 minutes).
Here are websites mentioned in this podcast:
American
Revolution - The Complete History
Henry
Knox Brings Cannon to Boston
Thomas
Paine - The American Crisis
Washington's
Crossing by David Hackett Fischer
David and Ginger Hildebrand - The Colonial Music Institute
Trenton's
Patriot Week
Cecilia
Brauer playing the Armonica
About the Armonica
Virtual
Armonica
Show #25 - December
20, 2006 -- Christmas time is comin'. Here's a
variety of Christmas songs performed by old time
and bluegrass bands for your holiday enjoyment.
Merry Christmas to all and have a wonderful New
Year. Download
now (14.6 Mb - 46 minutes).
Show #24 - October
30, 2006 -- The Blue Mountain Boys, a Swedish
hard-driving, high and lonesome bluegrass band
in the tradition of Bill Monroe, is featured in
this episode. I play songs from their new album
"Tall och Gran" (In the Pines) and discuss the
influence Sweden has, and continues to have, on
America. You’re going to like the Blue Mountain
Boys not only for their talent, but also for the
fact they have their music for sale on CDbaby.com.
Check out the websites. Download
now (9.2 Mb - 26 minutes). Here are websites
mentioned in this podcast:
Blue
Mountain Boys website
Blue
Mountain Boys album Tall & Gran on
CDbaby.com
Blue
Mountain Boys on YouTube.com
Blue
Mountain Boys on MySpace.com
Swedes
in America
The
Swedish Colonial Society
Swedish
American - Wikipedia
Show #23 - October
11, 2006 -- Original Formula, a stimulating duet
with wonderful vocals and expert guitar pickin',
is featured in this episode. Alton Elliot (guitar
and vocals) and Robert Perkins (lead guitar and
vocals) will thrill you with music that harkens
back to duets like the Blue Sky Boys, the Louvin
Brothers, the Stanely Brothers and the Everly
Brothers. Through my interview with Alton and
Robert, you will also learn about Nick Lucas and
his amazing role in the origins of guitar playing
in every musical style we know today. You’re going
to like Original Formula not only for their talent,
but also for the fact they have their music for
sale on iTunes and CDbaby.com. Check out the websites.
Download
now (16.1 Mb - 46 minutes). Here are websites
mentioned in this podcast:
Original Formula website
Original Formula songs and albums on iTunes
Original Formula album Radio-Active on CDbaby.com
Original Formula album Live
at the Rex Theater on CDbaby.com
Original Formula album Sound Doctrine on CDbaby.com
Nick Lucas website
Damian Griffiths' Linguagum website
Show #22 - September
22, 2006 -- Songwriters, who needs them? Well
just everyone who loves music and that means you
and me. This episode contains a number of bluegrass
and old time songs written by living songwriters.
They're not real popular and you may not have
heard of them, but then how many people think
of who wrote the song they just heard and liked?
Listen to the songs these people wrote and remember
their names. Who knows, maybe ten years from now
they will be famous. Download
now (7.3 Mb - 42 minutes). The websites of
songwriters and bands mentioned in this podcast
follows:
James Lindsey:
The Mountain Ramblers
Songs: The Vision and Clear Cold Water
Album: Visions
Betty Jo Rockwell:
Allegheny Uprising
Songs: In Love With You Before and Frosty
Mountain
Album: Pretty Little Dog
Rita Parady:
Oriskany Strings
Songs: Bluegrass Harmony
Album: Live
at the Rex, Volume 1
James Christian:
Craig County Boys
Songs: Springtime on the Mountain and Home
I Used To Call Mine
Album: Springtime
on the Mountain
James Christian:
Oriskany Strings
Songs: Jesus is Hiring and If These
Walls Could Talk
Album: The
Train Don't Run Here Anymore
Show #21 - August
31, 2006 -- The new Blue
Ridge Music Center is the subject of this
1.5 hour episode. I recently held an interview
with Joe
Wilson and Debbie
Robinson of this fantastic mountain music
show case when my band, the Oriskany
Strings, and another nearby band, the Craig
County Boys, played there. The Blue Ridge
Music Center is a part of The
Ridge Parkway National Park and is located
at Mile Post 213 near Galax,
Virginia and Mt.
Airy, North Carolina. Joe Wilson is a magical
person and I know you will enjoy listening to
this educational interview about the center and
mountain music. The interview is interleaved with
the music of the three bands that played at the
center the evening of August 19, 2006. Download
now (16.3 Mb - 93 minutes).
Show #21 Slide Shows: Blue
Ridge Music Center, Oriskany
Strings, Craig
County Boys
Show #20 - August
15, 2006 -- The Athy
(Ireland) Bluegrass Festival 2006 is the subject
of this episode. I recently learned that bluegrass
music is alive and well in Europe, so I contacted
Tony O Brien (songwriter, vocalist and musician)
who manages this festival. Tony sent me two CDs
loaded with music from the festival and I was
blown away with the quality of the bluegrass and
old time music played at the festival. The
Bluegrass Patriots from Fort Collins, Colorado
was the first headline band and the No. 1 European
Bluegrass Band, 4
Wheel Drive, was the second headline band.
There are plenty of great Irish bluegrass and
old time bands to listen to and some play original
music they wrote.
Download
now (10.1 Mb - 57 minutes).
Show #19 - July
25, 2006 -- This episode is about live performances
and what a band must do to insure the audience
hears the band as the band wants to be heard.
It's no easy task and knowing something about
sound engineering will help you better enjoy a
live performance. Nearly all musicians love to
perform before a live audience and nearly all
musicians wonder if the audience spotted all the
mistakes they made. When a band's in the studio,
they get to correct their mistakes before their
album is released. In a live performance, all
the band's mistakes are out there for the audience
to hear and see. I use a live performance of the
Oriskany Strings to present and discuss my points.
Download
now (10.5 Mb - 59 minutes).
Show #18 - July
9, 2006 -- The Itinerant Band is featured in this
episode. This band plays music from the 18th century
and uses instruments seldom heard or seen in a
band. I bought their Jefferson and Liberty album
while attending a reenactment of the 1757 battle
between French and British forces at Fort Ticonderoga
in upper state New York. This is another of my
history of old time and bluegrass music episodes
and I think you will like it. You can learn more
about the band at www.itinerantband.com.
You can learn more about Fort Ticonderoga at www.fort-ticonderoga.org.
Download
now (7.1 Mb - 40 minutes).
Show #17 - June
21, 2006 -- The Wolfe Brothers String Band is
featured in this episode. This wonderful old time
band has a smooth sound and great rhythm. The
Wolfe Brothers have been around since the early
1970’s and have opened for professional bands
like Mountain Heart and Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver.
You’re going to like this band and want to
check out their website and collection of four
CDs at www.geocities.com/wolfebrothers.
Download
now (5.7 Mb - 32 minutes).
Show #16 - June
10, 2006 -- Jack gives a third installment of
the history of old-time and bluegrass music. (Listen
to Episodes 9 and 14 for the first and second
installments.) He discusses the major contributions
the "Monroe Brothers" and "Bill Monroe
and His Bluegrass Boys" to the music style now
called bluegrass. If you like bluegrass music,
you will not want to miss this episode. Download
now (6.7 Mb - 38 minutes).
Show #15 - May 27,
2006 -- The state of West Virginia was a part of the state of Virginia prior to the American Civil War. So no wonder oldtime and bluegrass music is as alive in West Virginia as it is in the mountain regions of Virgina. In this episode you'll visit the Vanadalia, a festival hosted by the Division of Culture and History, located in the state capital of Charleston, West Virgina. Listen in to some fantastic oldtime music from the "mountain" state. Its going on right now, this Memorial Day weekend, May 26-28 just as it has been for the last 30 years.
You won't want to miss this show and be sure to
view the accompanying websites listed in Jack's
blog. Download
now (6.4 Mb - 36 minutes).
Show #14 - May 13,
2006 -- Jack gives a second installment of the
history of old-time and bluegrass music. (Listen
to Show #9 for the first installment.) The Carter
Family made a major contribution to old-time,
bluegrass and country music from 1927 to 1943.
They recorded over 300 songs, many of which became
big hits and were played by many later bands including
those that play today. Maybelle Carter forever
changed the way the guitar is played and everyone
who plays the guitar now uses her style of picking.
You won't want to miss this show and be sure to
view the accompanying websites listed in Jack's
blog. Download
now (9.8 Mb - 56 minutes).
Show #13 - April
29, 2006 -- Jack plays cajun country music from
a live concert he attended at Mulates' restaurant
in Breaux Bridge, Louisianna. Jack listened to
Jay Cormier and Cajun Country band and plays some
songs from their album "Two Lives To Give
You."
Download now (5.5 Mb - 31 minutes).
Show #12 - April
16, 2006 -- from a new album by James Christian
and the Oriskany
Strings entitled, "The Train Don't Run Here
Anymore." Using individual band member tracks
taken during the recording session, Jack analyzes
one song so the listener can appreciate the contribution
of each member to the entire sound of the band.
Download now (16.9 Mb - 35 minutes - stereo).
Show #11 - December
8, 2005 -- Jack plays the entire Christmas concert
of the Oriskany
Strings which they performed at the historic
Buchanan
Theatre in Buchanan, VA on December 1, 2005..
Download now (12.1 Mb - 64 minutes).
Show #10 - November
10, 2005 -- Jack plays songs from four bands who
have recently submitted albums for play on Olde
Surber Station Radio. He asks the audience to
help decide which albums should be played on his
radio station.
Download now (5.5 Mb - 31.6 minutes).
Show #9 - October
27, 2005 -- Jack describes the history of old
time mountain music and plays songs that correspond
to this history. Main emphasis is on the work
of Wayne
Erbsen and his selected songs. Original songs
by Ernest V. Stoneman and The Carter Family are
included.
Download now (9.1 Mb - 51.4 minutes).
Show #8 - October
13, 2005 -- Jack plays songs by three bluegrass
bands comprised only of kids. These kids range
from 8 to 14 years of age and they sound terrific.
The bands are Galax
Little Leaves, The
Wright Kids and The
Puny Pickers. All bands are from Virginia.
Download now (7.7 Mb - 43.6 minutes).
Show #7 - September
28, 2005 -- Jack plays songs by bands that only
have a wash tub bass in their band and explains
some washtub designs and playing styles. The bands
include Hoot 'n Holler, Roan Mountain Hilltoppers,
Alexander Whizzbang and Oriskany
Strings. Download
now (7.3 Mb - 41.4 minutes).
Show #6 - September
15, 2005 -- Jack plays songs by the bands that
opened the fall season at the James River Music
Hall in Eagle Rock, Virginia on Saturday 10 September.
The bands include Oriskany
Strings, Orchard
Grass, Love Buzzards and Little Mountain Boys.
Download
now (7.4 Mb - 42.2 minutes).
Show #5 - September
1, 2005 -- Jack plays an old time country gospel song by each band he plays on his station that also plays this type of music. He provides comments on each band and their playing style. Download
now (9.6 Mb - 54.5 minutes).
Show #4 - August
20, 2005 -- Jack introduces each band playing
on his radio station by playing one one of their
songs. He provides the names of each band member
and the instruments they play. He also provides
the band's web site address. Download
now (10.4 Mb - 58.5 minutes).
Show #3 - August
4, 2005 -- Jack introduces the
James River Music Hall in Eagle Rock, Virginia
- a popular venue where you can go every 2nd and
4th Saturday night and listen to live bluegrass
and old time bands perform on stage. Listen to
music by Bluegrass Trail, Love Buzzards
and an ad-hoc band. Download
now (9.3 Mb - 52.4 minutes).
Show #2 - July 21,2005
-- Jack introduces the
Rex Theater in Galax, Virginia - a popular
venue where you can go every Friday night and
watch and hear live bluegrass and old time bands
perform on stage at the WBRF 98.1 FM Blue Ridge
Backroads Live Radio Show. Take a virtual tour
of the theater and listen in on parts of four
shows when the bands: Oriskany
Strings, Jugbusters,
Heather
Berry and Virginia Carolina, and Rush Hour
Bluegrass performed on stage at this historic
theater. Download
now (9.5 Mb - 54.1 minutes).
Show #1 - July 7,
2005 -- Jack introduces the Craig
County Boys, Original
Orchard Grass Old Time Band, the Oriskany
Strings and Todd
Taylor - Banjoman while describing the differences
in bluegrass and old time band playing styles.
Download
now (9.8 Mb - 55.3 minutes).
