• May 23rd: Johnny Shoes in studio
• May 30th: Denmark’s Constitution Day (June 5th)
• June 6th: The Swedish National Day (June 6th)
• June 13th: Summer Solstice (June 20th)

The show airs Wednesday mornings from 6:00 to 8:00 am Mountain on KRBX Radio Boise, 89.9 FM and online on http://radioboise.org.

Maria Kalaniemi & Timo Alakotila: Åkerö (2011)

I keep thinking that the mixing of pianos and accordions just shouldn’t work. Both instruments can play so many simultaneous notes, that it’s just too easy for the sound to get all muddy. But I was wrong. Maria Kalaniemi and Timo Alakotila make this combination work in many different ways. Read my full review of Åkerö and listen to a track on RootsWorld magazine.

Cattails at Sunrise
March 2012
On the banks of Trophy Pond

Taken at Wilson Ponds near Nampa, Idaho.

This photo and many of my other photographs of Wilson Ponds are posted on Flickr.

Talabarte: Talabarte (2011)

The thing that struck me first about Talabarte, a trio from Galicia in northwest Spain, is how big they sound. The CD cover shows three musicians, and I kept looking in the credits to see who else joined them. But there is no one else. Read my full review of Talabarte and listen to a track on RootsWorld magazine.

March 2012

Every month I put together a list of the recordings I’ve been listening to most over the past few weeks. This month’s list is completely different from my February 2012 list with no carry-over at all from last month. The Trip McCool and West of Eden CDs came out in 2012; the others were released last year. I’ve played multiple songs from each of these CDs on my radio show, Ramblers’ Retreat.

1. Karen Dahlstrom: Gem State (Idaho native)
   Dahlstrom is a Boise native now living in New York, and all the tracks on this 5-song EP are about her home state. These songs are sparse, haunting, and beautiful.
2. Trip McCool: The Traveler (Idaho native)
   Another Boise native, Trip McCool has channeled his Irish ancestors to produce a great set of original songs and a remarkably good cover of “Drill Ye Tarriers Drill.”
3. Buffalo Bill Boycott: Best Of Buffalo Bill (Wyoming)
   Some cowboy, some bluegrass, some mighty fine banjo work, a healthy amount of yodeling, and a nice mix of traditional and original tunes.
4. Reckless Kelly: Good Luck & True Love (Idaho natives)
   Willy and Cody Braun grew up singing with their dad, Muzzie Braun, in central Idaho. Now based in Austin they have formed a great Americana band, and this may be their best record so far.
5. West of Eden: Safe Crossing (Sweden)
   Celtic-tinged music from Sweden, mostly about ocean voyages and mishaps.

Here’s a video for Trip McCool’s version of “Drill Ye Tarriers Drill,” a 19th Century song written by Thomas Casey.

Spring

We crossed the Vernal Equinox last week. So this week Ramblers’ Retreat featured songs about Spring and even more songs about rain which is an important component of Springtime here in Idaho. I played songs that fit that theme by musicians from Idaho, Utah, and Colorado as well as from Denmark and Finland. A few highlights are listed below.

I mixed in plenty of regional music including a couple of songs from Wyoming. The international side of the show was represented by music from Norway, Sweden, and beyond. As always, the full playlist is posted.

• Rosalie Sorrels: “Sing Like The Rain” (Idaho)
• Latigo: “Burnin’ Hair” (Utah)
• The Mile Markers: “A Little Rain” (Colorado)
• Jubilant Bridge: “Waiting For Rain” (Colorado)
• The American Café Orchestra: “Rain” (Denmark / Finland / US)

St Patrick’s Day

St Patrick’s Day was this past weekend, but today was still a good day to celebrate Ireland and Irish music on Ramblers’ Retreat. Because the Irish experience is important in America, including for those of us in the American West, I was really pleased to have found a number of Irish songs from local musicians, native Idahoans, and others from the Intermountain West. I thought those songs mixed well with the pieces I played from Irish artists. A few highlights are listed below.

I also mixed some new music from Denmark, Finland, Colorado, and New Mexico. As always, the full playlist is posted.

• Rosalie Sorrels: “The Bells of Ireland”
• Will Williams: “Patty On The Turnpike”
• Growling Old Men: “Crooked Jack”
• Reckless Kelly: “Seven Nights In Eire”
• Trip McCool: “Ireland, Oh Ireland”

Here’s a video of Reckless Kelly performing “Seven Night In Eire,” a song written by Willy Braun, Muzzy Braun, and Pinto Bennett.

Route 66

66 years ago, on March 15th, 1946, the Nat King Cole trio released the first recording of the now-classic song “Route 66.” On today’s Ramblers’ Retreat I played a number of songs inspired by Route 66, both the road and the song. A few are listed below. I also played the usual mix of music from Scandinavia, the Intermountain West, and Idahoans – both residents and natives. As always, the full playlist is posted.

• The Red Hot Rhythm Rustlers: “Route 66″
• Sarah McQuaid: “The Chicago Reel”
• Dave Bourne: “Meet Me In St. Louie, Louie”
• Paul Kelly: “OKC”
• emith: “San Bernardino”
• Asleep At The Wheel & Leon Rausch: “Route 66″

Here’s a video of AATW performing “Route 66.” This song has been part of their repertoire for decades, and I never get tired of hearing them perform it.

Bob Wills

The king of Western swing was born on March 6th, 1905. Bob Wills was a great bandleader, fiddler, and songwriter, and on today’s Ramblers’ Retreat we celebrated his life and his music. I played some music from Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys, along with quite a few songs he wrote and songs often associated with him. His music still forms an important part of the Western swing repertoire and beyond. The Bob Wills tracks are listed below. As always, the full playlist is posted.

• Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys: “Stay All Night (Stay A Little Longer)”
• Coty Hogue: “Sugar Moon”
• The Lobo Rangers: “A Maiden’s Prayer”
• Asleep At The Wheel: “Dusty Skies”
• Tashina Clarridge: ”Dusty Miller / Memory Waltz / Beaumont Rag”
• Red Molly: “The End Of The Line”
• The Tumbling Tumbleweeds: “San Antonio Rose”
• The Quebe Sisters: “Roly Poly”
• Dave Bourne: “Red Wing”

Here’s a video of the Texas fiddle man himself.

February 2012

Every month I put together a list of the recordings I’ve been listening to most over the past few weeks. Here’s my list for February 2012. I’ve played multiple songs from each of these CDs on my radio show, Ramblers’ Retreat.

1. Wylie & The Wild West: Rocketbuster (Montana)
   This was #3 last month, and features some great cowboy music on the honky-tonk side of the spectrum. I especially like the countdown to the weekend, “5 Days To Friday.”
2. Blink: Blink (Norway / Denmark / Sweden / Finland)
   Last month’s #1 drops down a notch, but I’m still thoroughly enjoying this collection of traditional Nordic tunes and tradition-inspired originals. The four members of Blink come from the Nordic Master, a program formed by the folk music academies of Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. My full review was published last month in RootsWorld magazine.
3. Jen Hajj: Orn-I-Tho-Lo-Gie (Utah)
   A collection of songs about birds might not sound interesting, but it works for this singer-songwriter from Salt Lake City. Feelings range wide from the nursery-rhyme sensibility of “Raven” to the sobering story of “The Eagles Of The Old Iron Mine.” This one moved up from #5 last month.
4. North Idaho Hat Band: Switchback (Idaho)
   A bluegrass band featuring teenagers from Idaho farm families. Their instrumentals really stand out, particularly their cover of Django Reinhardt’s “Minor Swing” which inspired an episode of Ramblers’ Retreat.
5. Jon Chandler: The Gang (Colorado)
   Another 2012 release, this set of songs is mostly about the Hole-In-The-Wall country of Wyoming, where Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid were known to hide out. Chandler’s deep voice evokes the landscape of the West, from The Outlaw Trail to the Hollywood cowboys.

Here’s a video of Jon Chandler singing “Through The Gap” featuring some great mandolin work by Ernie Martinez.