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BIG SANDY AND HIS FLY-RITE BOYS - Let's Make It ... Tonight! [FEELIN' KINDA
        LUCKY/Hightone]
        The latest from my favorite Western dance band.
THE MOVIE STARS - Blood Red Roses [HEAD ON A PLATTER/Whirlaway]
        The late, lamented, fabulous San Francisco-based roots band.
        Songwriting and lead vocals here by Steve Cornell, currently
        of Red Meat.

RED MEAT - I'm No Stranger [13/Ranchero]
        Another Steve Cornell composition, with the incomparable
        Smelley Kelley on vocals.  Produced by Dave Alvin.
HEATHER MYLES - Who Did You Call Darlin'? [HIGHWAYS AND HONKY TONKS/Rounder]
        Excellent, straight-ahead country from this southern California
        native's latest.
ACCIDENT CLEARINGHOUSE - First Dance [VOLUME 1, SAGINAW SWEETHEART/OBT Records]
        All-acoustic, very non-traditional country-and-western from this
        Minnesota band.  I like this more every time I listen to it.
JIMMIE DALE GILMORE - White Freight Liner Blues [FAIR AND SQUARE/Hightone]
        A Townes Van Zandt cover, from this 1988 release produced by
        fellow Flatlander Joe Ely.

LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND THE HOT FIVES - Muskrat Ramble [VOLUME 1/Columbia]
        One of the all-time classic recordings of traditional jazz,
        recorded 2/26/1926, with the classic lineup of Louis, Kid Ory,
        Lil Armstrong, Johnny Dodds and Johnny St. Cyr.
DR. JOHN - Junko Partner [GUMBO/Japanese import LP]
        From perhaps his best album, certainly most classic.
THE NEVILLE BROTHERS - Mojo Hannah [NEVILLEIZATION!/Demon]
        Recorded live at Tipitina's in 1982.  I'm not sure if I was there
        for this recording, but it's certainly possible!

COREY HARRIS - You Got To Move [FISH AIN'T BITIN'/Alligator]
        Slow acoustic country blues.  A Fred McDowell song.
MISSISSIPPI FRED McDOWELL with ANNIE MAE McDOWELL -  Keep Your Lamp
        Trimmed and Burning [GOOD MORNING, LITTLE SCHOOLGIRL/Arhoolie]
        A gospel number with his wife Annie Mae.  He worked mostly as
        a tractor driver but late in his life was able to live
        comfortably off songwriting royalties from covers by folks
        like the Rolling Stones and Bonnie Raitt.
AUSTIN COLEMAN with JOE WASHINGTON BROWN and GROUP - Good Lord (Run Old
        Jeremiah) [AMERICAN PRIMITIVES, VOLUME 1: RAW PRE-WAR GOSPEL/
        Revenant]
        An astounding track ... "raw" isn't even the word for it!  The
        liner notes had no info about this track, but it sounds very much
        like a Creole "juré", a call-and-response singing style that
        can be traced back to west African origins.
MEMPHIS JUG BAND - Cocaine Habit Blues [RUCKUS JUICE AND CHITTLINS: THE
        GREAT JUG BANDS, CLASSIC RECORDINGS OF THE 1920s-1930s/Yazoo]
        My candidate for favorite album title of the year.

DEWEY BALFA, MARC SAVOY and D. L. MENARD - J'ai Été Au Bal [EN BAS DU
        CHENE VERT/Arhoolie]
        One of the finest albums of Cajun music ever.  Dewey was on
        lead vocals on this one.
ALDUS ROGER - Mamou Two-Step [ALDUS ROGER PLAYS THE CAJUN FRENCH CLASSICS/
        La Louisianne LP]
        Instrumental.  This was the theme tune of my first radio program,
        "Gumbo Ya-Ya", from 1988-1991.
BEAUSOLEIL - Donnez-Moi Pauline [ALLONS A LAFAYETTE/Arhoolie CD]
        Originally from the LP "Michael Doucet dit Beausoleil".  One
        of the saddest songs and performances in Cajun music, a funereal waltz
        about a man mourning the death of his lover, learned from Dennis
        McGee.  My old grad school roommate walked in when I was listening
        to this once, stood there until it was finished, and said, "I
        don't speak a word of French, but that's the saddest song I've
        ever heard."  Michael conveys the protagonist's agony marvelously.

DONAL LUNNY - Polkas: Trip to Sado/Dan-ti Dan-Dan [COOLFIN/Metro Blue]
        This marvelous album gets better and better with each listening
        (and I think I've listened to it a dozen times already).
MIDNIGHT WELL - Nicky's Song [MIDNIGHT WELL/Mulligan]
        Classic 1977 recording by the Irish band who (mostly) moved to
        L.A. in the early 80s, picked up a few local members and became
        Train to Sligo.  Singing and songwriting by Thom Moore; this
        song was written for Nicky Ryan.
SEAMUS EGAN - The Maids of Galway [SEAMUS EGAN/Shanachie]
        Seamus made this record when he was only 16, the unbelievably
        talented little bollix!  Seriously though ... he's so good you'd
        never know it wasn't Matt Molloy here.  It's 13 years later now,
        and he's even better.  A local Irish musician from whom I had
        taken a few lessons was watching Seamus with me about 3 years
        later; the guy leaned over to me, shook his head and said,
        "JAY-sis, Mary and Joseph!"  I think he wondered if he'd ever
        be this good.  Mick Moloney accompanies on guitar.

DOC AND MERLE WATSON - John Henry [HOME SWEET HOME/Sugar Hill]
        Recorded in 1967, with 1998 overdubs by Sam Bush, et al.  It's
        terrific!
MARGARET MacARTHUR - Molly Bawn [THEM STARS/Whetstone]
        This isn't exactly a murder ballad ... it's more like an
        involuntary manslaughter ballad.  Margaret's daughter Megan
        on lead vocals, herself on harmony.  The musicians are
        based in Vermont.
JAKE KRACK - Cold Frosty Morning [ONE MORE TIME/Wisekrack]
        Sophomore release from this excellent 13-year-old Indiana-based
        fiddler.  Learned from the playing of Melvin Wine.

CAPERCAILLIE - Co Ni Mire Rium? (Will You Flirt With Me?) [BEAUTIFUL
        WASTELAND/Survival]
CAPERCAILLIE - Pige Ruadh (live) [GET OUT/Green Linnet]
CAPERCAILLIE - The Turnpike Set [SIDEWAULK/Green Linnet]
        They're performing this Thursday at the new Performing Arts
        Center here on campus.  I'm trying to squirm my way out of
        emceeing it.  *stage fright*  Had a nicely successful
        ticket giveaway too!

DAVID LINDLEY and WALLY INGRAM - Old Coot from Tennessee [TWANGO BANGO
        DELUXE/Ulftone]
        Mr. Dave's latest, superb stuff.
UNCLE TUPELO - Watch Me Fall [STILL FEEL GONE/Rockville]
        And my favorite band takes us seamlessly into Sarcastic
        Deadhead ...