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    Music

    American Songcatcher

    Tracing the roots of American music from its cultured past to artists playing it forward, folk musician, musicologist and host Nicholas Edward Williams takes listeners on a unique documentary-style podcast experience. Dive into the stories of centuries-old Traditional songs and migrants who carried their musical heritage here, and uncover the lives of pioneers and integral musicians who created and shaped styles such as Bluegrass, Ragtime, Jazz and Swing, Country, Gospel, Blues, Old-Time, and the Folk music that’s derived from it all. Here’s to the songs of old, may they live on forever.

    Advertise

    Copyright: © Nicholas Edward Williams

    • Apple Podcasts
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    Latest Episodes:
    AS Presents // Basic Folk feat. Chris Thile Feb 02, 2022
    Show notes

    Today on the program, I'm pleased to bring you a very special episode through American Songcatcher, sharing a wonderful podcast called Basic Folk in our feed. Now some of you may already be aware of these in-depth, honest interviews with host Cindy Howes, but I feel like the rest of you should get on board!

    Sure, there are many conversational podcasts out there, but Basic Folk sets itself apart with honest and complex conversations about the human experience witnessed from an artistic angle. Cindy's questions are not only well-researched and carefully crafted, but the artists featured are among the most revered in the American roots music scene today, some of which have been covered or will be covered by this podcast, including Amethyst Kiah, Oliver Wood, Tom Rush, Alison Russell and several others.

    One of Cindy and I's favorite musicians, Chris Thile, stopped by Basic Folk several months back, and it seemed apropos to share their conversation since he was covered in Episode 1 of Season 2. Be sure to subscribe to Basic Folk wherever you get your podcasts!

    We'll be back with Episode 5 in two weeks!

    BF Links:

    Spotify

    Apple Music

    Official Site

    Instagram

    Facebook

    About Basic Folk:

    Basic Folk is a podcast with honest conversations between musicians and Cindy Howes, a well-versed public radio host and music curator, and guest host Lizzie No, a talented singer/songwriter. Basic Folk approaches interviews with warmth, humor and insightful questions. This podcast fosters the folk community and showcases a genre that is often misunderstood. Basic Folk features complex conversations about the human experience witnessed from an artistic angle. Our definition of "folk" is extremely broad, so you'll hear interviews from Amythyst Kiah, Tom Rush, The Lumineers and many more.

    Basic Folk is dedicated to showcasing the best in folk and roots musicians including BIPOC musicians who have been excluded, or felt like they did not belong, in the folk world. Both Cindy and Lizzie bring unique perspectives to our honest conversations and are dedicated to changing the landscape and the gatekeepers of the folk music community.


    S2:E3 // God's Golden Shore Dec 05, 2021
    Show notes

    Season 2, Episode 3 // God's Golden Shore

    Featured in this Episode:

    Traditional - "Man of Constant Sorrow" (:28)

    Ma Rainey (13:08)

    Bill Monroe (31:40)

    Patsy Cline (51:29)

    Bruce Molsky (1:08:17)

    Teaser:

    Thought to be rooted in the early hymns brought to America, this old-time folk song has reveled in the spotlight more than once in the roots music community, especially after being featured in the 2000 film "O' Brother Where Art Thou." A defining voice of the 1920's and 1930's, this female artist wrote the book on fashion, songwriting, and entrepreneurship while harnessing the soul of the blues in some of the earliest recordings of the genre. Dubbed the Father and creator of Bluegrass music, this mandolin aficionado learned how to weave the blues with old-time with piercing tenor mountain harmonies and blistering fast tempos. A life taken too soon, this woman's voice epitomized country music for nearly a decade, and inspired generations of singers in her wake, even until today. A scholar, teacher and virtuosic fiddle and banjo player, he's a quintessential "musician's musician" and is widely considered among the premier ambassadors of America's old-time mountain music.

    ⁠Listen to my new traditional record: FOLK SONGS FOR OLD TIMES' SAKE

    Performances:

    "Man of Constant Sorrow" - Traditional (10:14)

    "Prove It On Me Blues" - Ma Rainey (28:26)

    "In the Pines" - Traditional (47:50)

    "Walkin' After Midnight" 1:06:20

    "Red Rocking Chair" | 1:20:48

    ---

    "Shine A Light" | Cultural Equity

    Follow American Songcatcher | Instagram

    Support Independent Programming | Join the Patreon or send a one-time donation through Venmo or PayPal Source Credits:

    Traditional: Black Deer Festival | American Songwriter

    Ma Rainey: Women's HIstory | National Museum AAH | Black Past

    Bill Monroe: Folkways | Britannica | Alan Cackett | Bluegrass HOF

    Patsy Cline: Grunge | Biography | Britannica

    Bruce Molsky: Official | WBUR | Banjo News


    BONUS: Side B Nov 09, 2021
    Show notes

    It's a pleasure to bring you the second half of this special short series Side A // Side B, bringing some depth to the songs from my recently released traditional record "Folk Songs For Old Times' Sake". Today, we're flipping the record over, and diving in to the history behind Side B.

    Side B Tracklist:

    Goin' Down This Road Feelin' Bad (Traditional)

    Saint James Infirmary (Traditional)

    Midnight Special (Traditional)

    Barbry Allen (Traditional)

    Mississippi River Blues (Jimmie Rodgers)

    Peggy-O (Traditional)

    Pay Day (Mississippi John Hurt)

    Vinyl Orders:

    Email AmericanSongcatcherPodcast@gmail.com

    OR

    Order through Bandcamp

    Listen on:

    Spotify

    Apple Music/iTunes

    Amazon

    Soundcloud

    Bandcamp

    This episode was produced, edited, recorded and distributed by Nicholas Edward Williams.

    ----

    Praise for Folk Songs For Old Times' Sake:

    "I've got to say, I can genuinely appreciate another young folkie taking traditional tunes and truly making them their own. Nicholas' voice sounds natural, unaffected, and without any trite attempts at emulation; rather, it seems wholly a product of his surroundings, with small nods to the phrasing and inflection that are the signatures of traditional American music. This is to say nothing of the sparse-yet-deliberate production of the songs themselves, with nothing sitting too far out front, nothing lost in the shadows, as if the listener found themselves in an empty country church with Williams simply playing to the steeple above." - JP Harris

    As always, it's Williams' gentle laid back soothing vocals that win you over." - FOLK RADIO UK

    "The guitar playing and vocal performance are fantastic, and I love the sparse production. I think people are gonna love this, it's a great record." - Oliver Wood (The Wood Brothers)

    "This record of well-known and well-loved folk songs is easy to like. With tasteful guitar arrangements and a voice that draws you right in, Nicholas has created recordings that roll along like a mountain stream." - David Holt (PBS TV/Radio Host, Four-Time Grammy Winner and Banjoist for Doc Watson)


    BONUS: Side A Nov 06, 2021
    Show notes

    Since releasing the podcast, I've had a lot of people ask if the renditions at the end of each segment will be released, or streamable. Well I'm happy to say that over the last six months, I've been hard at work on a traditional record called Folk Songs For Old Times' Sake, that is now available on all platforms, as well as limited edition vinyl. Several of these rearranged songs are traditionals, and some are from artists covered in the first season of this program. This is the first of a special two-part short series called Side A / Side B, where you can get a little scope into the history behind each of the tracks, followed by the recordings themselves, some of which are stripped, and several of which feature accompaniment in clarinet, fiddle, banjo, upright bass, harmonies, lap steel, jug sounds, harmonica and stomp box.

    Side A Tracklist:

    Shake Sugaree (Elizabeth Cotten)

    East Virginia Blues (Traditional)

    Wish I Was A Mole (Traditional)

    Green Rocky Road (Dave Van Ronk/Bob Kaufman)

    Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes (The Carter Family)

    Railroad Bill (Traditional)

    Cotton Mill Girls (Traditional)

    Vinyl Orders:

    Email AmericanSongcatcherPodcast@gmail.com

    OR

    Order through Bandcamp

    Listen on:

    Spotify

    Apple Music/iTunes

    Amazon

    Soundcloud

    Bandcamp

    This episode was produced, edited, recorded and distributed by Nicholas Edward Williams.

    ----

    Praise for Folk Songs For Old Times' Sake:

    "I've got to say, I can genuinely appreciate another young folkie taking traditional tunes and truly making them their own. Nicholas' voice sounds natural, unaffected, and without any trite attempts at emulation; rather, it seems wholly a product of his surroundings, with small nods to the phrasing and inflection that are the signatures of traditional American music. This is to say nothing of the sparse-yet-deliberate production of the songs themselves, with nothing sitting too far out front, nothing lost in the shadows, as if the listener found themselves in an empty country church with Williams simply playing to the steeple above." - JP Harris

    As always, it's Williams' gentle laid back soothing vocals that win you over." - FOLK RADIO UK

    "The guitar playing and vocal performance are fantastic, and I love the sparse production. I think people are gonna love this, it's a great record." - Oliver Wood (The Wood Brothers)

    "This record of well-known and well-loved folk songs is easy to like. With tasteful guitar arrangements and a voice that draws you right in, Nicholas has created recordings that roll along like a mountain stream." - David Holt (PBS TV/Radio Host, Four-Time Grammy Winner and Banjoist for Doc Watson)


    S2:E2 // Oh Little Liza Oct 30, 2021
    Show notes

    Season 2, Episode 2 // Oh Little Liza

    Featured in this Episode:

    Traditional - "Lil' Liza Jane" (:28)

    Dock Boggs (11:22)

    Snooks Eaglin (25:54)

    Nina Simone (43:36)

    Billy Strings (1:04:18)

    Teaser:

    Today, this song is a standard in New Orleans brass bands as well as old-time music, but its earliest iterations started as a sea shanty. His three finger-style banjo picking was directly inspired by early African American string bands, and his early recordings helped standardize nearly a dozen old-time songs from the Cumberland mountain range. Blind at age one, he's one of the most versatile and inspirational guitarists in blues music, and one of the least known, unless you're from New Orleans. A renowned civil rights activist, arranger, singer, songwriter and pianist who covered a broad range of genres including classical, jazz, blues, folk, R&B, gospel and pop. At just 29 years old, this multi-instrumentalist has taken the traditional and progressive bluegrass world in the palm of his hand, and he's only getting started.

    Listen to my new traditional record: FOLK SONGS FOR OLD TIMES' SAKE

    Performances:

    "Little Liza Jane" - Traditional (9:25)

    "Wild Bill Jones" - Traditional (23:04)

    "Saint James Infirmary" - Traditional (39:42)

    "Sinnerman" - Traditional (1:02:01)

    "Walk on Boy" - Doc Watson (1:13:07)

    ---

    "Shine A Light" | Music Maker Relief Foundation

    Follow American Songcatcher | Instagram

    Support Independent Programming | Join the Patreon or send a one-time donation through Venmo or PayPal

    Source Credits:

    Traditional: Cultural Equity | Jazz Fandom

    Dock Boggs: Dock Boggs - "Life in Music" | Encyclopedia.com

    Snooks Eaglin': Nola.com | Blues access | All About Blues

    Nina Simone: Official Site | History Collection | Black past

    Billy Strings: Rolling Stone | Acoustic Guitar | Official


    BONUS: Sitting In // Cristina Vane and Her New (Old) American Roots Jul 29, 2021
    Show notes

    For the final collaboration of the "Sitting In" miniseries, I'm excited to share a fantastic multi-instrumentalist, fluent in clawhammer banjo and slide blues guitar, named Cristina Vane. Born in Italy, and living many places overseas before arriving in America at 18 years old, Cristina accumulated a wealth of culture and a diverse range of songs before discovering her love for pre-war blues and the likes of the pioneers Skip James, Robert Johnson, Blind Willie Johnson and Rory Block who have all shaped her guitar technique and song catalogue. She worked at the famous McCabe's Guitar Shop in LA, and studied finger-style guitar under her mentor Pete Steinberg before exploring country blues picking and old folk guitar styles on her own in the years that followed. She has said, "I'm essentially a rock kid who is obsessed with old music."⁠

    ⁠Cristina just released her debut full length record on April 2nd, titled "Nowhere Sounds Lovely", and American Songwriter premiered one track titled "Badlands" adding: "Like a young Bonnie Raitt, Vane sings from both her voice and her supple, bluesy guitar playing almost simultaneously–her sound as earthen as the South Dakota landscape…"⁠

    Cristina shares a story of how she got into American Folk and Blues music outside America, and her quest to music preservation. Enjoy!

    Links:

    Cristina's Official Site

    Stream Music

    Buy Music

    Follow Cristina on Social Media:

    Instagram

    Facebook


    BONUS: Sitting In // Jody Carroll and the Newport Recordings Jul 21, 2021
    Show notes

    Today on the program will be my sixth guest for the "Sitting In" mini-series, Jody Carroll. Jody is a performer and songwriter who effortlessly creates bold interpretations of old Blues and American Folk music, and makes them his own improvisational musical journeys. He's a finger-style and slide guitar master, and a soulful singer blending flavors of Blues, Folk, Mountain music, Jazz and Rock all together into a true power- packed gumbo.

    Raised on Willie Nelson and AM Country Radio in the late 60's, he's toured with or shared the stage with legends such as Buddy Guy, Honey Boy Edwards, R.L Burnside, Johnny Winter, John Mayhall, George Thorogood, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeski, Robert Cray, Canned Heat, Robert Earl Keen, and Sonny Landreth just to name a few. No Depression magazine says "If there is one artist who embodies roots music to it's fullest, it has to be Jody Carroll"

    Jody was forever changed when he heard a collection of recordings from the Newport Folk Festival, between 1963-1965. This is a short story of his journey to and from there, enjoy.

    Links:

    Jody's Official Site

    Buy His Music

    Follow Jody on Social Media:

    Instagram

    Facebook

    --

    Support American Songcatcher!

    Join the Patreon Community for as little as $3 a month!

    -OR-

    Send a one-time donation via:

    Venmo

    PayPal


    BONUS: Sitting In // Lon Eldridge and the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Jul 07, 2021
    Show notes

    Good people! I'm so pleased to share my fourth guest to embark on this "Sitting In" mini-series, a local legend in my neck of the woods, Chattanooga's own Lon Eldridge. Harboring a unique blend of traditional pre-war blues, ragtime, jazz and swing, Lon has spent the last two decades evoking the styles of those who laid the framework of these genres, from the likes of Mississippi John Hurt to Robert Johnson to Blind Blake and countless other musical masters. He's an avid collector of 78rpm records and restores old Victrola record players, and showcases his deep collection under the guise of DJ Passe. Lon's also a member of a gypsy jazz and swing group called The 9th Street Stompers, who cull up the musical scenery of an era when the lines between swing, gypsy jazz, blues, rockabilly, and if all that wasn't enough, he also has his own bolo tie business, Lookout Bolo Ties.⁠

    For this collaboration, Lon expanded his skills once again to celebrate the work of Hawaiian steel guitarist Pale K. Lua, who was instrumental in bringing the unique sound to America at the turn of the century, before it was adopted by blues, western, bluegrass and country music starting in the 1920's. Lon is the only person to assemble all of Pale's recordings and release them as a complete set. Here's his story, enjoy.⁠

    Follow Lon: @dj_Passe

    @bolo_knee Links:

    Pale K. Lua Complete Recordings

    Lon's Official Website

    ---

    Support American Songcatcher!

    Join the Patreon Community for as little as $3 a month - https://www.Patreon.com/AmericanSongcatcher

    Send a one-time donation via:

    Venmo

    PayPal


    BONUS: Sitting In // Willi Carlisle, Ozark Folksinger Jun 30, 2021
    Show notes

    Hey Folks! I'm so pleased to share the 3rd act of this "Sitting In" miniseries with you, none other than the inimitable Willi Carlisle. A multi-faceted writer, performer, and instrumentalist, Willi has spent the last several years collecting folklore, playing or calling square dances, and working in the avant-garde. He's a folksinger with a style forged in the fire of Ozark old-time, and has a masters degree in Poetry. He's spent years in the woods with poets and old folk singers and he's a queer-identifying storyteller whose musical stories hoot, stomp, and saunter through joys and troubles uniquely southern and timelessly true. He's equally comfortable on banjo, accordion, fiddle, and guitar, and has earned accolades for his versatility with performances in the UK, Canada, and across the USA, appearing with acts like Dom Flemons, Mary Gauthier, Los Texmaniacs and more.

    The Washington Post said that:

    "Carlisle has a poetry in describing songs passed down through generations as a most precious cultural commodity, and a passion and immediacy in performing them. Both down home and brainy, [Willi] is worth seeking out."

    The following is classic Willi. Short stories of the Ozarks told over a collection of sounds and from Willi's pocket, followed by a talking' blues piece called "Peculiar, Missouri". Enjoy! Follow on Instagram:

    @WilliCarlisle

    Link:

    Official Website

    ---

    Support American Songcatcher!

    Join the Patreon Community for as little as $3 a month - https://www.Patreon.com/AmericanSongcatcher

    Send a one-time donation via:

    Venmo

    PayPal


    BONUS: Sitting In // Sparrow and The John C. Campbell Folk School Jun 23, 2021
    Show notes

    Hey Folks! I'm thrilled to share the second part of the "Sitting In" mini-series, where I hand over the podcast reins to some of my folky friends, so that they can share a story that ties into music preservation and play a few songs in line with their story.

    My guest today is Sparrow, who along with her partner Keith, leads the Asheville, NC group The Resonant Rogues, who seamlessly weave the threads of old time, country, swing, folk and more into a beautiful tapestry that simultaneously showcases tradition and innovation. In late 2020, she was immersed in a month-long mentorship program at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC, which has a fascinating history, curriculum and mission. This is a journal of her experience.

    Follow on Instagram:

    @ResonantRogues

    @SparrowPants

    @JohncCampbellFolkschool

    Links:

    Official Website -

    John Campbell Folk School

    ---

    Support American Songcatcher!

    Join the Patreon Community for as little as $3 a month - https://www.Patreon.com/AmericanSongcatcher

    Send a one-time donation via:

    Venmo

    PayPal


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