We didn't know we would have a show until late Saturday evening as the sports event that was to preempt us was moved up three hours clearing the way. Even at that, the game ran long and chopped off the first half-hour of the show, but we were delighted to have a show at all!
Joe Bussard decided to do an all-bluegrass show for this day, so I matched him with some similarly rare or unusual or local bluegrass.
My selections included one of Joe's own recordings - one of the first with John Duffey on Joe's own Fonotone label. We also heard local New England bluegrass pioneers Bill Hall and Randy Hawkins as The Bluegrass Travelers, and Al Hawkes and Fred Pike together on Al's Event label.
I also played music from my own home area of Cabarrus County NC by The Jones Brothers & The Log Cabin Boys. Also a single from A.G. & Kate from Holland with help from Don Stover and Red Rector.
I dug out my rare 1969 Knob 45 single of Wade Mainer with The Pleasant Valley Boys doing a song that Wade first recorded in 1935. I also played singles from Buzz Busby on Empire, The McCormick Brothers on Hickory, and L.C. Smith on Ray Davis' Wango label.
Joe Bussard has played a lot of bluegrass as part of his regular country classics over the years, but he did a rare show of all bluegrass today on his 74th show for us. He stumped me on a few of his selections, too. The breadth of Joe's collection is just astounding.
The centerpiece of Joe's portion of the show was one of the first live performances he ever recorded as a teen in 1955: Jim & Jesse McReynolds with Hylo Brown and Joe Meadows. The performance and recording were both spectacular!
Barring any sports preemptions, we will be back next Sunday 2-4pm on WHUS with another great show of deep catalog country music. We hope you choose to tune in.
Jim Beaver
Artist / Song / Disk / Label / Year
- John Duffey and Lucky Chatman & The Ozark Mountain Boys / Swing Low Sweet Chariot / 45 RPM single / Fonotone / 1961
- Leon Jackson, Johnny Bryant and the White Oak Mountain Boys / White Oak Mountain Breakdown / 45 RPM single / King / 1956
- The Bluegrass Travelers / Dream, Dream, Dream / 45 RPM single / Rebel / 1969
- Al Hawkes and Fred Pike / Daddy's Old Time Guitar / 45 RPM single / Event / 1980
- The Jones Brothers & The Log Cabin Boys / A Song To Mary Ann / 45 RPM single / Playhouse / 1976
- A.G. & Kate with Don Stover and Red Rector / My Ship Will Sail / 45 RPM single / Strictly Country / 1975
- Ray Baker And His Happy Travelers / I Don't Need A Rocket Ship / 45 RPM EP / Vaden / 19??
- Wade Mainer and the Pleasant Valley Boys / Take Me In The Lifeboat / 45 RPM single / Knob / 1969
- Buzz Busby / Don't Leave Me Alone / 45 RPM single / Empire / 1959
- McCormick Brothers / The Banjo Fling / 45 RPM single / Hickory / 1959
- L.C. Smith / I'm Old Kentucky Bound / 45 RPM single / Wango / 196?
- The Stripling Brothers / The Lost Child / 78 RPM single / Melotone / 1928
- The Tanner Brothers / Bitter Tears / 45 RPM single / Arzee / 1979
- The Kelley Family / Old Dinner Bell / 45 RPM single / Sun-Ray / 1977
- Kenny and Rudy / Living On The Mountain / 45 RPM single / unk / 1965
- Little Doc Raymond and the Coleman Pardners / Car Hop On The Hill / 45 RPM single / Coleman / 19??
- The Unseen Grass / Dreaming Of The Hills / 45 RPM single / unk / 19??
- The Brammer Brothers with The Virginia Partners / Don't You Hear Those Nightingales Calling / 45 RPM single / Liberty / 1960
- The Brammer Brothers with The Virginia Partners / Fiddle And The Bow / 45 RPM single / Liberty / 1960
- Keith Daniels & the Blue Ridge Ramblers (w. Del McCoury banjo) / Mocking Mandolin / 45 RPM single / Empire / 1962
- Mac Martin And The Dixie Travelers / Bluegrass Breakdown / 45 RPM single / Gateway / 1964
- Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys (f. Tommy Magness) / Katy Hill / 78 RPM single / Bluebird / 1941
- Joe Noel & The Dixie Ramblers / Banjo In The Hollow / 45 RPM single / K-Ark / 1960
- Jim & Jesse McReynolds w. Hylo Brown and Joe Meadows / show recorded live by Joe Bussard at New River Ranch, Rising Sun, MD, 9/11/1955
- Air Mail Special
- Orange Blossom Special
- When You Want A Little Loving
- Blue Moon Of Kentucky
- Don't This Road Look Rough And Rocky
- Mandolin Instrumental
- One Step More (with Hylo Brown)
- Honeysuckle Rose
- Lost To A Stranger (with Hylo Brown)
- Instrumental (Cripple Creek?)
- The Webster Brothers / Thank God For The U.S.A. / 45 RPM single / IHS Records / 1963
- The Sullivan Family / There'll Be No Dying / There'll Be No Dying / unk / 19??