WCUW 91.3fm Worcester

Single out now from new studio album, "Girl Friends," out March 8, 2024. “my ‘girl friends,’ the women who inhabit my headphones.” Says Dion, “Look into your own heart and be a hero to the ten people you affect in your life the most… values and character are what matter most. Stop looking elsewhere for the answers to our problems; look into your own heart.”

‘Welch and Rawlings mine a deep seam in the spiritual life of America.’ "One thing I've learned, people love a chick with a banjo" -Gillian Welch

From the Hollywood composer dynasty. “This is your night, Bulldog!”

Denny Laine, of the Moody Blues and Wings, died earlier this month from interstitial lung disease. He was with the Moody Blues from 1964 to 1966. He sang lead vocal on the group's first big hit, "Go Now!". The song was first recorded by Bessie Banks, an American R&B artist in early 1964. When Laine first heard Banks's version, he immediately told the rest of the band that they needed to record the song. They soon did, with Laine on guitar and lead vocals. Their version became an international hit in early 1965.

Clark’s been nominated for 10 Grammys. This is Clark’s fourth album, and was produced by Brandi Carlile, who says of Clark, “I want her to be embraced by the fringe, by the marginalized, by the avant-garde outside the center of country music. I think she’s gonna find a home with the freaks in Americana. That’s where her music is anyway,”

Here is something from Wings, the other band Denny Laine was in. This is a tune Denny wrote with Paul McCartney. A tribute to the Kintyre peninsula in Scotland and its headland, the Mull of Kintyre, where McCartney owns High Park Farm. Says McCartney, “I certainly loved Scotland enough, so I came up with a song about where we were living: an area called Mull of Kintyre. It was a love song really, about how I enjoyed being there and imagining I was travelling away and wanting to get back there.” It was one of the best-selling singles of all time in the UK.

Gertrude ‘Ma’ Rainey Accompanied by Her Tub Jug Washboard Band. Recorded Chicago, IL, circa June, 1928. Released by Paramount in January, 1929. That’s Thomas Dorsey, using his ‘blues’ name Georgia Tom, on piano.

A Song for Peace in Gaza. Blake is a singer-songwriter from Bellingham, WA. “Don’t Use Our Death & Pain” is a cry and a prayer for peace. The lyrics echo Noy Katsman's eulogy for his brother killed in the October 7th Hamas attack. ‘Don’t use our death and pain to bring death and pain to families anywhere.’

Jewell grew up in Boise, Idaho and attended St. John’s College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. After living in Boston for several years, she returned to Boise in 2015. “Boundary County” was her first full-length album.

Raphael has played harmonica with Jessie Mae Hemphill [“one of the finest exponents of Mississippi hill country blues”] and Raphael’s song is an affectionate tribute to Jessie Mae who died in 2006.

Russell’s debut solo album. ‘With George Harrison on guitar, Ringo Starr on drums, and co-writer Chris Stainton on keys, Russell spells out in no uncertain terms where rock and roll was born!’

You just can’t go wrong with DTB’s ‘feel-good, groove-oriented, danceable and often socially conscious music.’

Johnny Clegg, the band Juluka (meaning "sweat that comes from dancing" in Zulu, and the Soweto Gospel Choir join forces on this one.

Dan Forsyth, Joe Kollar, Claire Byrne and Joey Arcuri combine a plethora of influences to create a very listenable album.

Julie Miller wrote every song on the album but this one. Regina McCrary started the song several years ago, then met with Dylan, who wrote, and rewrote more lyrics. When it came time to write the music, Bob said to Regina to “give it to Buddy Miller.” Buddy then passed it to Julie, who added more lyrics, moved others around, and set it to music. Imagine being given a song by Dylan.

‘O’Connor sings of death as sweet relief here, her resilient voice rising over a guitar line that drones more like the blues of West Africa than those of Johnson’s central Texas. That subtle transnational nod is a sharp tribute to the durability and relevance of these songs. Nearly a century after many of these numbers were written, we’re still grappling with the worries of Johnson’s world, which he articulated with such grace and aired with such grit.’

Band from Tucson, Arizona that ‘shares a sun-bleached border with many performers and musical styles. Comprised of two core members, Joey Burns and John Convertino, Calexico became its own entity in 1996.’

Phil May, the front man of the legendary and iconic, first-wave, British R&B & Psych band died in 2020. The band had retired from live electric performances in 2018. This track comes from the work that the band had been doing before May’s death, after lengthy discussions about whether they could actually create meaningful new music in a stripped back, acoustic-driven format, in the studio. The short answer is yes!

From the multi-instrumentalist’s 3rd album.

The Gords are: Gord Matthews: vocals, guitars, mandolin, lap-steel; Gord Maxwell: vocals, bass, keyboards; Gordon Lee Worden: vocals, guitars, keyboards, percussion; Pat Steward: drums. Yes, three Gords and a Pat!

A cover of an Andy Irvine song called "Time Will Cure Me", first recorded by Andy with Planxty in 1973. Nickel Creek members at this time were Chris Thile, Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins. The album was produced by Alison Krauss.

Fearing is a roots/folk singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer from Vancouver, British Columbia.

Duke Levine helping out on several stringed instruments. “Don’t look down in the flying dream.”

Also released as All Blues'd Up in 2002 by Compendia Music Group. ‘The Stones never made any secret of their debt to the blues, so it makes sense that their songs would sound good when performed by blues and R&B artists. That's the idea behind ‘Paint It Blue’ - contemporary blues and R&B artists sing some of the band's bluesiest songs.’ Bob Margolin on guitar.

In early February, 2011, there was a benefit for the Arhoolie Foundation celebrating the 50th anniversary of Arhoolie Records, in Berkeley, CA.