Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras
Today’s Ramblers’ Retreat focused on Mardi Gras which comes up next week. I played a bunch of music from Louisiana along with the usual music from the Intermountain West, the Nordic countries, and beyond. As always, the full playlist is posted.
I played quite a few Cajun, zydeco, and New Orleans classics, but one of my favorites from today’s show is from Jesse Lége, Joel Savoy, and the Cajun Country Revival. Jesse Lége is one of the great Cajun accordion players. Joel Savoy, the fiddler, comes from one of the most influential families playing Cajun music today. And, perhaps surprisingly, the Cajun Country Revival are musicians based in Portland, Oregon.
“Ouvrez La Porte”
High Desert Band
High Desert Band
Yesterday’s episode of Ramblers’ Retreat featured a live performance from High Desert Band. As always, the full playlist is posted. Here’s a video with music by the band from Valentine’s Day a couple of years ago.
High Desert Band: “Taters In My Stew”
National Cowboy Poetry Gathering
National Cowboy Poetry Gathering
The 28th annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is taking place this week in Elko, Nevada, so this week’s Ramblers’ Retreat featured quite a bit of Western music from this and past year’s NCPG performers. Below are a few of the songs that were heard on today’s show. As always, the full playlist is posted.
- The Braun Brothers: “Cowboy From Mackay”
- Stephanie Davis: “Crocus In The Snow”
- Skip Gorman: “Bonaparte Crossing The Rockies / Rocks Of Brae”
- Wylie & The Wild West: “Old Blue”
- New West: “Sometimes This Ol’ Cowboy Gets The Blues”
The video below I chose partly because I played a song from Dave Stamey on today’s show along with a version his “Vaquero Song” sung by Ray Doyle, and partly because the photography comes from David Stoecklein, an Idaho photographer who work I deeply admire.
Dave Stamey: “The Vaquero Song”
Mia Edsall
Mia Edsall
Wednesday’s episode of Ramblers’ Retreat featured a live performance from Mia Edsall, a singer-songwriter and horse trainer from Bellevue, Idaho. She brought her guitar and her banjo and put on a great show.
There was also plenty of music from Idaho, Utah, and around the Intermountain West along with some music from the Nordic countries. As always, the full playlist is posted.
Here’s a video of Mia Edsall performing with Johnny Shoes at last fall’s Folk Alliance Region West conference.
Mia Edsall: 1952 Vincent Black Lightning
Django Reinhardt’s Birthday
Django Reinhardt’s Birthday
Yesterday’s show was inspired by the life and music of Django Reinhardt who was born on January 23rd, 1910. Reinhardt was a jazz guitarist and founder of the Hot Club of France. He was born in Belgium to a Romani family. I played a few covers of his compositions, music from Belgian and Roma traditions, and a few Django-inspired surprises. As always, the full playlist is posted. Below are a couple of videos of songs featured on today’s show.
The North Idaho Hat Band: “Minor Swing”
Aurélia: “Boléro pour Aline”
Utah Statehood Day
Utah Statehood Day
The state of Utah was admitted into the union on January 4th, 1896, and today’s Ramblers’ Retreat featured songs about Utah as well as musicians from the Beehive State. And I celebrated a birthday a few days ago, so I indulged myself with a few birthday songs. As always, the full playlist is posted. Below are a few videos of songs featured on today’s show.
Black Irish Band: “Train To Utah”
Otter Creek: “Iron Horse”
Laurie Lewis: “Going Away”
Nordic Choro: “Happy Birthday To Me”
Grace Dayton & Alina Geslison: “Josefin’s Waltz / Nicaraguan”
Ramblers’ Retreat 2011 Favorites
Today’s Ramblers’ Retreat looked back at the show’s favorite music of 2011. (Here’s a list of my personal Favorites of 2011.) As always, the full playlist is posted.
Below are a few videos of songs featured on today’s show.
Downtown Ramblers: ”Singing With The Birds”
Hal Cannon: “Alone Town”
Utah Slim: “Sigurd”
John McCutcheon: “Pretty Boy Floyd”
Ramblers’ Retreat Retrospective
Today’s Ramblers’ Retreat was a retrospective, looking back at some of the music featured since the show started last May. The full playlist is posted.
Below are a few videos of songs featured on today’s show.
Ian Tyson: “Roll On Owyhee”
Shaney McCoy: “Headed Home”
High Desert Band: “Sarah Jane”
Coty Hogue: “Going To The West”
“Singing Through The Hard Times”
Finland Independence Day
Finland Independence Day
Finland celebrates Independence Day on December 6th, so this week’s Ramblers’ Retreat featured two sets of Finnish music. We also celebrated St Andrew’s Day, which is today, November 30th, with a set of Scottish music including tracks from two Boise-based bands. We topped things off with some classic music from the American West and music from some of the artists I met at the Folk Alliance Region West conference last month. As always, the full playlist is posted.
Here are the Finland sets from today’s show:
- Johanna Juhola: “Happihumppa”
- Frigg: “Norrsken”
- Gjallarhorn: “Minuet from Jeppo-Polska”
- Karuna: “Niemelä”
- Maria Kalaniemi: “Jeppo (Granas Bastun)”
- Värttinä: “Laiska”
- Ruthie Dornfeld: “Mazurka”
- Nordic Choro: “Safe and Warm”
Here’s a video of Frigg:
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Today’s episode of Ramblers’ Retreat focused on Thanksgiving. I had some fun putting together a set of songs about pilgrims, another about being thankful, and one about the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. As always, the full playlist is posted. Here are the Thanksgiving songs from today’s show:
- Scott Cook: “Song For A Pilgrim”
- Don Edwards: “I Am A Pilgrim”
- Kyle Alden: “The Pilgrim”
- Steve Earle & The Del McCoury Band: “Pilgrim”
- Darrell Scott: “The Day Before Thanksgiving”
- Ruthie Foster: “Thanks For The Joy”
- Kate Mann: “Thank You Note”
- Jay Ungar & Molly Mason: “Thanksgiving Waltz”
- Will Williams: “Turkey Knob”
- Betty & Ozark Mountain Music: “Turkey In The Straw”
- Yonder Mountain String Band: “Hog Potato”
- Muzzie Braun: “The Kitchen”
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