Monday, February 17, 2025

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – February 25, 2025: A Tribute to Nina Simone


Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif finds connections and develops themes in various genres. The show is broadcast on CKCU, 93.1 FM, in Ottawa on Tuesdays from 3:30 until 5 pm (Eastern time) and is also available 24/7 for on-demand streaming.

This episode of Stranger Songs was recorded and can be streamed on-demand, now or anytime, by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/69011.html

Theme: A Tribute to Nina Simone (1933-2003).


Nina Simone
– who died in 2003 at age 70 – was a singer, songwriter, and pianist whose music encompassed classical, jazz, blues, folk, gospel and pop styles. She was also an activist and was often referred to as “the High Priestess of Soul.”

Nina Simone- Suzanne
To Love Somebody (RCA)

Nina Simone- Rags and Old Iron
Forbidden Fruit (Colpix)
Oscar Brown, Jr.- Work Song
The Voice of Cool (Not Now Music)
Nina Simone- Forbidden Fruit
Forbidden Fruit (Colpix)

Nina Simone- Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
To Love Somebody (RCA)
Tom Russell & The Norwegian Wind Ensemble- Nina Simone
Aztec Jazz (Frontera)

Linda Tillery & The Cultural Heritage Choir- See Line Woman
Front Porch Music (EarthBeat!)
Susan Werner- House of the Rising Sun
NOLA: Susan Werner Goes to New Orleans (Sleeve Dog)
Missy Burgess- Trouble in Mind
Missy Burgess with The Blue Train Live (Missy Burgess)
Sneezy Waters- Solitude
Sneezy Waters (Sneezy Waters)
Nina Simone- The Gal from Joe’s
Nina Simone Sings Ellington (Colpix)

Odetta- When I was a Young Girl
Odetta at Carnegie Hall (Vanguard)
Rufus Wainwright- Hush Little Baby
Folkocracy (BMG)
Nina Simone- Silver City Bound
Folksy Nina (Colpix)

Nina Simone- Mississippi Goddam
The Best of Broadside 1962-1988 (Smithsonian Folkways)

Nina Simone- Stars
The Montreux Years (BMG)
Janis Ian- Nina
The Light at the End of the Line (Rude Girl)

Willie Nelson- Come Ye
Last Leaf on the Tree (Legacy)
Nina Simone- Balm in Gilead
Baltimore (Epic/Legacy)
Ledisi- I’m Going Back Home
Ledisi Sings Nina (BMG)

Nina Simone- I Shall Be Released
To Love Somebody (RCA)

Next week: A Tribute to Fats Domino on Mardi Gras Day.

--Mike Regenstreif

Sunday, February 16, 2025

Saturday Morning with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – February 22, 2025


Saturday Morning is an eclectic roots-oriented program on CKCU, 93.1 FM, in Ottawa on Saturday mornings from 7 until 10 am (Eastern time) and available for on-demand streaming anytime. I am one of the four rotating hosts of the Saturday Morning show. 

This episode of Saturday Morning was recorded and can be streamed on-demand, now or anytime, by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/128/69061.html

Humphrey & The Dumptrucks- Merry Mansion Quadrology: Merry Mansion; Magician; Front Door; Red White & Blue
Six Days of Paper Ladies (Boot)

Boreal- Song for a Winter’s Night
Winterbirds (Boreal)
Mike Regenstreif & Lynn Miles (2013)

Lynn Miles
- Just Let It Snow
Winter (Lynn Miles)
Steel Rail- A Thousand Miles of Snow
A Thousand Miles of Snow (Crossties)
Rosalie Sorrels & Mike Regenstreif (1993)

Rosalie Sorrels
- Snowing On Raton
Borderline Heart (Green Linnet)
Ronney Abramson & Mike Regenstreif (2016)

Ronney Abramson
- Long Lonely Winter
Stowaway (Castor Island Music)
Laurie MacAllister & David Glaser- Birches
The Lies the Poets Tell (Laurie MacAllister)
Mike Regenstreif & Bill Morrissey (2005)

Bill Morrissey- Ice Fishing
North (Philo)
Joel Mabus & Mike Regenstreif (2001)

Joel Mabus- Five Kinds of Snow
Promised Land (Fossil)
Herdman, Hills & Mangsen- The Druggist
At the Turning of the Year (Hand & Heart Music)
The Roches- My Winter Coat
Where Do I Come From: Selected Songs (StorySound)

Crys Matthews- In Her House
Reclamation (Crys Matthews)

Bradstreet & Keesee- The Land Beyond
Live in London (Street)
Kim Beggs- Miles & Miles Away
Beneath Your Skin (Out of a Paperbag Productions)
Cindy Kallet- Ride in the Light
Ride in the Light (Sleepy Creek Music)
Mary Chapin Carpenter, Julie Fowlis & Karine Polwart- Send Love
Looking for the Thread (Lambent Light/Thirty Tigers)

In memory of John Roberts (1944-2025)

John Roberts- Rambleaway
Spencer the Rover is Alive and Well… (Swallowtail)
John Roberts & Tony Barrand- We Have Fed Our Sea
Naulakha Redux: Songs of Rudyard Kipling (Golden Hind Music)
John Roberts & Debra Cowan- Drive Dull Care Away
Ballads Long & Short: The Best of Every Sort (Golden Hind Music)
John Roberts & Tony Barrand- Row On
Twiddlum Twaddlum (Golden Hind Music)

Rosanne Cash- My Old Man
Rhythm & Romance (Columbia)
Rhiannon Giddens- Up Above My Head
Tomorrow is My Turn (Nonesuch)
Laura Cortese- Into the Dark
Into the Dark (Laura Cortese)

Roy Zimmerman- Big Yellow Taxi
Road Map (Roy Zimmerman)
Tim Grimm- Broken Truth 
Broken Truth – single (Vault) 
Ian Robb & James Stephens- God and The Orange Clown
Declining …with thanks (Fallen Angle Music)

Lemon Bucket Orkestra- Da Ishly Divky
Cuckoo (Lemon Bucket Orkestra)

Alice Howe & Freebo- A Case of You
Live (Know Howe Music)
Perla Batalla- A Thousand Kisses Deep
A Letter to Leonard Cohen: Tribute to a Friend (Mechuda Music)
Orit Shimoni- My Flying Shoes
Lorem Ipsum (Orit Shimoni)
Lisa Gutkin- For All of You
From Here On In (Lisa Gutkin)
The Twangtown Paramours- Old Friends
The Wind will Change Again (Inside Edge)
NEeMA with Emmylou Harris- For You
Painting My Wall Gold (Neemaste Productions)
John McCutcheon with Windborne- Blessing
Field of Stars (Appalsongs)

Jim Brewer- Corrina, Corrina
Take It Easy Greasy (Earwig/Riverlark Music)
Odetta- Rock Island Line
Lookin’ for a Home: Thanks to Leadbelly (M.C.)
Guy Davis & Mike Regenstreif (2006)

Guy Davis- Don’t Know Where I’m Bound
The Legend of Sugarbelly (M.C.)
Fabrizio Poggi with Shar White- I Want Jesus to Walk with Me
Healing Blues (Appaloosa)

Mike Regenstreif & Priscilla Herdman (2000)

Priscilla Herdman- Waltzing with Bears
Stardreamer (Alacazam)
Natalie Merchant with The Klezmatics- The Dancing Bear
Leave Your Sleep (Nonesuch)
Dave Van Ronk- Teddy Bears’ Picnic
Songs for Ageing Children (Cadet)

Jenny Scheinman- Every Bear That Ever There Was
All Species Parade (Royal Potato Family)

I’ll be hosting Saturday Morning next on March 22. I also host Stranger Songs on CKCU every Tuesday from 3:30-5 pm.

--Mike Regenstreif

Sunday, February 9, 2025

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – February 18, 2025: Songs from Gullah Traditions


Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif finds connections and develops themes in various genres. The show is broadcast on CKCU, 93.1 FM, in Ottawa on Tuesdays from 3:30 until 5 pm (Eastern time) and is also available 24/7 for on-demand streaming.

This episode of Stranger Songs was recorded and can be streamed on-demand, now or anytime, by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/68957.html

Theme: Songs from Gullah Traditions.

The Gullah people are an African American group – descended from enslaved people from West Africa – who live in the coastal plains and sea islands of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and northern Florida and have a rich tradition of folksongs.


Bessie Jones & The Georgia Sea Island Singers
- O Day
Get in Union (Tompkins Square)

Bessie Jones & The Georgia Sea Island Singers- Buzzard Lope
Get in Union (Tompkins Square)
Reggie Harris- Sheep, Sheep/Little David
Ready to Go (Reggie Harris Music)
Ken Whiteley and the Beulah Band- Beulah Land
Ken Whiteley and the Beulah Band (Borealis)
Ranky Tanky- That’s Alright
Ranky Tanky (Resilience Music)
David Rea- Kindlin’ Wood/Things are Coming My Way
X 7 (Gitsu)
Bessie Jones & The Georgia Sea Island Singers- Sink ‘Em Low
Get in Union (Tompkins Square)

Ranky Tanky- Join the Band
Ranky Tanky (Resilience Music)
Ken Whiteley- Michael Row
Long Time Travelling (Ken Whiteley)
Kim & Reggie Harris with Baby Jay- Row de Boat
Get On Board: Underground Railroad & Civil Rights Freedom Songs, Volume 2 (Appleseed)
Jayme Stone’s Lomax Project with Tim O'Brien- Before This Time Another Year
Jayme Stone’s Lomax Project (Borealis)
Bessie Jones & The Georgia Sea Island Singers- Sign of the Judgement
Get in Union (Tompkins Square)

The Duhks- Moses Don’t Get Lost
Migrations (Sugar Hill)
The Duhks- Turtle Dove
Migrations (Sugar Hill)
Penny Lang- Let Me Fly
Stone + Sand + Sea + Sky (Borealis)
Ranky Tanky- Watch That Star
Ranky Tanky (Resilience Music)

Bessie Jones & The Georgia Sea Island Singers- Once There was No Sun
The Complete Friends of Old Time Music Concert (Smithsonian Folkways)
John Davis & The Georgia Sea Island Singers- Adam in the Garden
The Complete Friends of Old Time Music Concert (Smithsonian Folkways)
Bessie Jones & The Georgia Sea Island Singers- Who Built the Ark
The Complete Friends of Old Time Music Concert (Smithsonian Folkways)
John Davis & The Georgia Sea Island Singers- Let My Children Go
The Complete Friends of Old Time Music Concert (Smithsonian Folkways)
Peter Davis & The Georgia Sea Island Singers- My God is a Rock
The Complete Friends of Old Time Music Concert (Smithsonian Folkways)

Bruce Springsteen & The Sessions Band- Pay Me My Money Down
Live in Dublin (Columbia)
Ranky Tanky- Ranky Tanky
Ranky Tanky (Resilience Music)
Bessie Jones & The Georgia Sea Island Singers- You Better Mind
Put Your Hand On Your Hip and Let Your Backbone Slip: Songs and Games from the Georgia Sea Islands (Rounder)

Bessie Jones & The Georgia Sea Island Singers- May Be the Last Time, I Don’t Know
Put Your Hand On Your Hip and Let Your Backbone Slip: Songs and Games from the Georgia Sea Islands (Rounder)

Next week: A Tribute to Nina Simone.

--Mike Regenstreif 

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – February 11, 2025: Four Strong Winds


Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif finds connections and develops themes in various genres. The show is broadcast on CKCU, 93.1 FM, in Ottawa on Tuesdays from 3:30 until 5 pm (Eastern time) and is also available 24/7 for on-demand streaming.

This episode of Stranger Songs was recorded and can be streamed on-demand, now or anytime, by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/68904.html

Theme: Four Strong Winds.

Ian & Sylvia- Four Strong Winds
Four Strong Winds (Vanguard)

John Stewart- Chilly Winds
Cannons in the Rain/Wingless Angels (One Way)
Mike Regenstreif & Jesse Winchester (2006)

Jesse Winchester- Blow On, Chilly Wind
Let the Rough Side Drag (Stony Plain)
Mike Regenstreif & Bill Staines (1993)

Bill Staines with Guy Van Duser- Canadian Winds
Old Wood and Winter Wine (Mineral River)
Amy Helm- Mandolin Wind
This Too Shall Light (Yep Roc)
Boreal- Cold North Wind
Winterbirds (Boreal)

Mike Regenstreif & Mary McCaslin (1999)

Mary McCaslin
- Wayward Wind
Old Friends (Philo)

Mike Regenstreif & Jimmy LaFave (2017)

Jimmy LaFave- Catch the Wind
Cimarron Manifesto (Red House)
Eve Goldberg & Mike Regenstreif (2013)

Eve Goldberg
- Sweet Sorrow in the Wind
Ever Brightening Day (Sweet Patootie Music)
Dakota Dave Hull & Sean Blackburn- The Wicked Wind of Fargo
River of Swing (Arabica)

Mike Regenstreif & Bruce Cockburn (2017)

Bruce Cockburn- High Winds White Sky
High Winds White Sky (True North)
Sam Cooke- They Call the Wind Mariah
Sam Cooke (RCA)
Mike Regenstreif & David Amram (2004)

David Amram- Wind from the Indies
No More Walls (Flying Fish)

Mike Regenstreif & David Francey (2019)

David Francey
- Wind in the Wires
Torn Screen Door (Laker Music)
Jim Ringer- Any Old Wind That Blows
The Band of Jesse James: The Best of Jim Ringer (Philo)
Barrence Whitfield & Tom Russell- A Little Wind
Cowboy Mambo (Stony Plain)
Wenzel- Blow, Big Wind
Ticky Tock: Wenzel Sings Woody Guthrie (Conträr Musik) 

James Gordon- Wild Wind Blows 
Wrinkles and Scars (James Gordon) 
Mike Regenstreif & Priscilla Herdman (1978)

Priscilla Herdman- Wild Wind
The Road Home (Redwing Music)
Tex König- Wild Winds
Königsblende (Music Cellar)
Wendy Grossman- South Wind
The Last Trip Home (Riverlark Music)

Andy Cohen- Windy and Warm
Road Be Kind (Earwig)

Next week: Songs from the Gullah Traditions.

--Mike Regenstreif

Friday, January 31, 2025

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – February 4, 2025: Remembering Jane McGarrigle and Garth Hudson


Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif finds connections and develops themes in various genres. The show is broadcast on CKCU, 93.1 FM, in Ottawa on Tuesdays from 3:30 until 5 pm (Eastern time) and is also available 24/7 for on-demand streaming.

This episode of Stranger Songs was recorded and can be streamed on-demand, now or anytime, by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/68828.html

Themes: Remembering Jane McGarrigle (1941-2025) and Garth Hudson (1937-2025).

Remembering Jane McGarrigle


Jane McGarrigle
, the older sister and frequent collaborator of Kate & Anna McGarrigle, died on January 24 at age 83. Jane was an old friend that I’d known since I started producing concerts with Kate & Anna in 1974.

The next four songs are among Kate & Anna’s recordings that Jane sang and/or played on.

Kate & Anna McGarrigle- Heart Like a Wheel
Tell My Sister: Kate & Anna McGarrigle (Nonesuch)
Kate & Anna McGarrigle- Blanche Comme La Neige
Tell My Sister: Dancer with Bruised Knees (Nonesuch)
Kate & Anna McGarrigle- Perrine Etait Servante
Tell My Sister: Dancer with Bruised Knees (Nonesuch)
Kate & Anna McGarrigle- Move Over Moon
Love Over and Over (Polygram)

Jane McGarrigle sang the lead vocal on “Bon Voyage.”

Jane, Kate & Anna McGarrigle- Bon Voyage
The McGarrigle Hour (Hannibal)

“Love Is” was co-written by Kate, Anna & Jane McGarrigle.

Kate & Anna McGarrigle - Love Is
Heartbeats Accelerating (Private)

The What Four included Jack Nissenson & Peter Weldon of the original Mountain City Four with Jane McGarrigle, Kathleen Weldon, Lily Lanken, John Knowles, Marvin Segal, Andrew Cowan & Stephen Barry.

The What Four- Shenandoah
Mountain City Four (Omnivore)

Remembering Garth Hudson


Garth Hudson – who died on January 21 at age 87 – was the last surviving original member of The Band. Garth played organ, accordion, electric keyboards and saxophone with The Band and was their principal arranger.

After Garth died, Bob Dylan released a statement that said Garth Hudson “was a beautiful guy and the real driving force behind The Band. Just listen to the original recording of ‘The Weight’ and you’ll see.”

The Band- The Weight
Music from Big Pink (Capitol)
The Band- Stage Fright
Stage Fright (Capitol)
The Band- Acadian Driftwood
Northern Lights-Southern Cross (Capitol)

Chantel Kreviazuk with Garth Hudson- Tears of Rage
Garth Hudson Presents a Canadian Celebration of The Band: 10th Anniversary Edition (Curve Music)
Bruce Cockburn & Blue Rodeo with Garth Hudson- Sleeping
Garth Hudson Presents a Canadian Celebration of The Band: 10th Anniversary Edition (Curve Music)
Great Big Sea with Garth Hudson- Knockin’ Lost John
Garth Hudson Presents a Canadian Celebration of The Band: 10th Anniversary Edition (Curve Music)
Kevin Hearn & Thin Buckle with Garth Hudson- You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere
Garth Hudson Presents a Canadian Celebration of The Band: 10th Anniversary Edition (Curve Music)

Garth Hudson also played on many albums as a session musician. The next four songs are some examples.

Leonard Cohen- Our Lady of Solitude
Recent Songs (Columbia)
Eric Andersen- Violets of Dawn
Woodstock Under the Stars (Y&T Music)
Karla Bonoff- The Water is Wide
All My Life: The Best of Karla Bonoff (Columbia/Legacy)
Colin Linden with Rick Danko & Garth Hudson- When the Spirit Comes
When the Spirit Comes (True North)

Garth & Maud Hudson- No Depression in Heaven
The Harry Smith Project: Anthology of American Folk Music Revisited (Shout! Factory)

Next week: Four Strong Winds.

--Mike Regenstreif 

Sunday, January 26, 2025

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – January 28, 2025: Harmonica


Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif finds connections and develops themes in various genres. The show is broadcast on CKCU, 93.1 FM, in Ottawa on Tuesdays from 3:30 until 5 pm (Eastern time) and is also available 24/7 for on-demand streaming.

This episode of Stranger Songs was recorded and can be streamed on-demand, now or anytime, by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/68751.html

Theme: Harmonica.

Jerry Jeff Walker- Harmonica Talk
Bein’ Free (Atco)

Sonny Terry

Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee- Harmonica Blues
Sonny Terry’s New Sound (Folkways)
Guy Davis & Fabrizio Poggi- Freight Train
Sonny & Brownie’s Last Train (M.C.)
Paul Rishell & Annie Raines- Key to the Highway
I Want You to Know (Tone-Cool)
James Cotton with Joe Louis Walker & Charlie Haden- Country Boy
Deep in the Blues (Verve)

Michael Jerome Browne with JJ Milteau & Eric Bibb- Shake ‘Em on Down
Gettin’ Together (Borealis/Stony Plain)
Vince Halfhide with Steve Marriner- Sonny Boy Said
Vince Halfhide (Vince Halfhide)
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band- Blues with a Feeling
An Anthology: The Elektra Years (Elektra)

Corky Siegel

Corky Siegel- Movement I – Filisko’s Dream
Symphonic Blues No. 6 (Dawnserly)
Corky Siegel- Movement II – Slow Blues
Symphonic Blues No. 6 (Dawnserly)
Corky Siegel- Movement III – Allegro
Symphonic Blues No. 6 (Dawnserly)

Larry Adler- Blues in the Night
Harmonica Virtuoso (Audio Fidelity)
Paul Reddick- Breathless Girls
Sugar Bird (NorthernBlues Music)
Mike Stevens- Clarinet Polka
The World is Only Air (Borealis)
Saul Broudy- Bei Mir Bist Du Sheyn
Travels with Broudy (Saul Broudy)
Shtreiml- Uncle Tibor’s Spicy Paprikash
Spicy Paprikash (I.J. Rosenblatt)

Toots Thielmans- Five O’Clock Whistle
The Soul of Toots Thielmans (Dr. Jazz)
John Sebastian & David Grisman- Harmandola Blues
Satisfied (Acoustic Disc)
Grant Dermody- Waterbound
Lay Down My Burden (Grant Dermody)
Charlie Musselwhite- Blues Up the River
Mississippi Sun (Alligator)

Marc Nerenberg- This Time Around: A Banjo Harmonica Duet
Little Birdie: Birds, Beasts & Banjo Blues (Marc Nerenberg)

Next week: Remembering Garth Hudson (1937-2025).

--Mike Regenstreif

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Saturday Morning with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Saturday January 25, 2025


Saturday Morning is an eclectic roots-oriented program on CKCU, 93.1 FM, in Ottawa on Saturday mornings from 7 until 10 am (Eastern time) and available for on-demand streaming anytime. I am one of the four rotating hosts of the Saturday Morning show. 

This episode of Saturday Morning was recorded and can be streamed on-demand, now or anytime, by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/128/68698.html

Mike Regenstreif & Garnet Rogers (2006)

Garnet Rogers- Small Victory
The Best Times After All: Live (Snow Goose Songs)

John McCutcheon & Carrie Newcomer- Field of Stars
Field of Stars (Appalsongs)
Chris Rawlings- Deep Blue Sea
Two Sides to Your Story (Cookingfat Music)
Mike Regenstreif & Priscilla Herdman (1978)

Priscilla Herdman- The Coast of Marseilles
Forgotten Dreams (Flying Fish)
The Twangtown Paramours- A Room in Bordeaux
The Wind will Change Again (Inside Edge)
Melón Jimenez & Lara Wong- Paraná
Confluencias (Scatcat Music)

Mike Regenstreif & Jesse Winchester (2009)

Jesse Winchester- Wintry Feeling
A Touch on the Rainy Side (Stony Plain)
Mike Regenstreif, Bill Garrett & Sue Lothrop (2014)

Bill Garrett & Sue Lothrop- The Hill
Red Shoes (Borealis)
Neale Eckstein- January Thaw
Never Too Late (Neale Eckstein)
Nanci Griffith- Ten Degrees and Getting Colder
Other Voices/Other Rooms (Elektra)
Amy Speace- I Break Things
The American Dream (Windbone)
Cindy Kallet- The Poet
Ride in the Light (Sleepy Creek Music)
Boreal- Winterbirds
Winterbirds (Boreal)

Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens- Rainy Day
American Railroad (Nonesuch)

John McCutcheon- MS St. Louis
Field of Stars (Appalsongs)
Perla Batalla- The Partisan
A Letter to Leonard Cohen: Tribute to a Friend (Mechuda Music)
The Klezmatics & Susan McKeown- Gonna Get Through This World
Wonder Wheel: Lyrics by Woody Guthrie (Jewish Music Group)

Rosalie Sorrels- Mehitabel’s Theme
Always a Lady (Green Linnet)
Peggy Lee- The Alley Cat Song
I’m a Woman: Expanded Edition (Capitol)
Phil Harris- Thomas O’Malley Cat
Disney’s Jazz Album: Big Band & Swing (Disneyland)
Eliza Gilkyson & Mike Regenstreif on Zoom (2022)

Eliza Gilkyson- Bare Necessities
Your Town Tonight (Red House)

Doug McArthur & Jeffra- Angels of the Mission Trail
Angels of the Mission Trail (Tableaux Vivants)
Eric Taylor with Nanci Griffith- Mission Door
Live at the Red Shack (Blue Ruby)
Ana Egge- Mission Bells Moan
Sharing in the Spirit (StorySound)

Rosanne Cash- Girl from the North Country
The List (Manhattan)
Ian & Sylvia- Tomorrow is a Long Time
Four Strong Winds (Vanguard)
Penny Lang & Mike Regenstreif (1976) photo: Felicity Fanjoy

Penny Lang- One Too Many Mornings
Stone + Sand + Sea + Sky (Borealis)

Moses Crouch- Banjo Blues
Earth Music (Riverlark)

The airdate for this show, January 25, is Robbie Burns Day. The next nine songs were written or collected by the great Scottish poet, Robert Burns, who was born on January 25, 1759 and died at 37 on July 21, 1796.

Jean Redpath- A Parcel of Rogues in a Nation
The Songs of Robert Burns, Volumes 1 & 2 (Philo)
Dougie MacLean- Scots Wha’ Hae
Tribute to Robert Burns, Neil Gow and Robert Tannahill (Dunkeld)
The Short Sisters- Ca’ the Yowes
Downsized (Black Socks Press)
Andrew & Casey Calhoun- A Rosebud By My Early Walk
Skeins (Waterbug)

Mike Regenstreif & Brendan Nolan (2023)

Brendan Nolan- Green Grow the Rashes O’
Familiar Brew (Ould Sagosha)
Bett Padgett- Ae Fond Kiss
Beneath Blue Water (Ceildhe’s Music)
Mallory Chipman- A Red, Red Rose
Songs to a Wild God (Tunnel Mountain)
Bobby Watt- Westlin’ Winds
Watt Next? (Glenashdale Music)
Highland Weavers- Auld Lang Syne
Going Home (Highland Weavers)

Christine Lavin featuring Robin Batteau- Mercury & Mars (Jan. 28, 1977)
Drum School Dropout (Christine Lavin)
Tom Mitchell- Sing to Me Now
Outamongum Again (Cowlick)
Laura Smith & Mike Regenstreif (2013)

Laura Smith- Gypsy Dream
As Long As I’m Dreaming (Borealis)
Christopher Kearney- Rocking Chair Ride
Christopher Kearney (Capitol)

Carol Crittenden- The Fields of Athenry
Glimmer (Carol Crittenden)

I’ll be hosting Saturday Morning next on February 22. I also host Stranger Songs on CKCU every Tuesday from 3:30-5 pm.

--Mike Regenstreif

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – January 21, 2025: Blood on the Tracks Revisited and A Complete Unknown


Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif finds connections and develops themes in various genres. The show is broadcast on CKCU, 93.1 FM, in Ottawa on Tuesdays from 3:30 until 5 pm (Eastern time) and is also available 24/7 for on-demand streaming.

This episode of Stranger Songs was recorded and can be streamed on-demand, now or anytime, by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/68626.html

Themes: Blood on the Tracks Revisited and A Complete Unknown.

Blood on the Tracks Revisited


It was 50 years ago this week, on January 20, 1975, that Bob Dylan released Blood on the Tracks, one of his greatest albums. On this program, we revisit the songs from Blood on the Tracks, in order, played by various artists.

Ben Sidran- Tangled Up in Blue
Dylan Different (Bonsai)

Dave's True Story- Simple Twist of Fate
Simple Twist of Fate: DTS Does Dylan (BePop)
Emma Swift- You’re a Big Girl Now
Blonde on the Tracks (Tiny Ghost/CRS)
Lucinda Williams- Idiot Wind
Bob’s Back Pages: A Night of Bob Dylan Songs (Highway 20)
Barney Bentall & Valentino Trapani- You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
Cosmic Dreamer (True North)

Sloan Wainwright- Meet Me in the Morning
Rediscovery (Derby Disc Music)
Tom Russell, Eliza Gilkyson & Joe Ely- Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts
Indians Cowboys Horses Dogs (HighTone)

Erik Balkey- If You See Her, Say Hello
If You See Her, Say Hello – single (Hudson Harding)
Crowe’s Pasture- Shelter from the Storm
Edge of America (Crowe’s Pasture)
Dave Van Ronk- Buckets of Rain
…and the tin pan bended, and the story ended… (Smithsonian Folkways)

Bob Dylan recorded two other songs during the sessions for Blood on the Tracks that he left of the original album. "Call Letter Blues" and "Up to Me" were included, though, on More Blood, More Tracks: The Bootleg Series Vol. 14, a 2018 box set that included every take of every song Dylan recorded for Blood on the Tracks.


Bob Dylan
- Call Letter Blues
More Blood, More Tracks: The Bootleg Series Vol. 14 (Columbia/Legacy)
Bob Dylan- Up to Me
More Blood, More Tracks: The Bootleg Series Vol. 14 (Columbia/Legacy)

A Complete Unknown


A Complete Unknown
is a partly true, partly fictional account of Bob Dylan from his arrival in New York City in 1961 until his first electric performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.

As a movie, I really enjoyed A Complete Unknown and thought the main cast members –  Timothée Chalamet as Dylan, Edward Norton as Pete Seeger, Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, Elle Fanning as the Suze Rotolo character renamed Sylvie Russo, and the rest – were all very good. 

Fo the most part, I didn’t mind the many historical inaccuracies I recognized in the film and thought A Complete Unknown did a good job of capturing the essence of Dylan’s rise in the first half of the 1960s.

Timothée Chalamet- Song to Woody
A Complete Unknown soundtrack (Columbia)
Monica Barbaro- Silver Dagger
A Complete Unknown soundtrack (Columbia)
Edward Norton- Wimoweh (Mbube)
A Complete Unknown soundtrack (Columbia)
Timothée Chalamet & Edward Norton- When the Ship Comes In
A Complete Unknown soundtrack (Columbia)
Monica Barbaro &  Timothée Chalamet- It Ain’t Me, Babe
A Complete Unknown soundtrack (Columbia)

Timothée Chalamet- Like a Rolling Stone
A Complete Unknown soundtrack (Columbia)

Next week: Harmonica.

--Mike Regenstreif

Sunday, January 12, 2025

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – January 14, 2025: Remembering Peter Yarrow


Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif finds connections and develops themes in various genres. The show is broadcast on CKCU, 93.1 FM, in Ottawa on Tuesdays from 3:30 until 5 pm (Eastern time) and is also available 24/7 for on-demand streaming.

This episode of Stranger Songs was recorded and can be streamed on-demand, now or anytime, by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/68573.html

Theme: Remembering Peter Yarrow (1938-2025).


The theme on this edition of Stranger Songs is Remembering Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary. Peter died on January 7 at age 86 following a four-year battle with bladder cancer.

This program includes songs performed by Peter and Peter, Paul & Mary, as well as some songs from his or their repertoire performed by several other artists.

Peter Yarrow- Don’t Ever Take Away My Freedom
Peter (Warner Bros.)

Peter, Paul & Mary- Puff (The Magic Dragon)
Moving (Warner Bros.)
Dave Van Ronk- River Come Down (Bamboo)
Down in Washington Square (Smithsonian Folkways)
Priscilla Herdman- Autumn to May
Stardreamer (Stardreamer Music)
Kronos Quartet with Sam Amidon, Brian Carpenter, Lee Knight & Aoife O'Donovan- Where Have All the Flowers Gone
Long Time Passing: Kronos Quartet & Friends Celebrate Pete Seeger (Smithsonian Folkways)
Bethany Yarrow with Peter Yarrow- The Cruel War
Rock Island (Little Monster)

Peter, Paul & Mary
- Blowin’ in the Wind
In the Wind (Warner Bros.)

Peter Yarrow & Richie Havens- The Great Mandala (The Wheel of Life)
Lifelines Live (Warner Bros.)
Cliff Eberhardt- 500 Miles
500 Miles (Red House)
Grayson Capps- Early Morning Rain
Heartbreak, Misery & Death (Royal Potato Family)
Penny Lang- If I Had a Hammer
Live at the Yellow Door (She-Wolf)
Peter, Paul & Mary- Rich Man Poor Man
Late Again (Warner Bros.)

Tom Paxton- The Last Thing On My Mind
The Compleat Tom Paxton (Even Compleater) (Rhino Handmade)
Peter Yarrow- Tall Pine Trees
Peter (Warner Bros.)
Stan Rogers- Delivery Delayed
Between the Breaks…Live! (Fogarty’s Cove/Borealis)
Peter, Paul & Mary- Day is Done
The Very Best of Peter, Paul & Mary (Warner Bros./Rhino)

Noel Paul Stookey & Peter Yarrow with The Paul Winter Consort- Et Misericordia
Something New and Fresh (Neworld)
Peter Yarrow- Freedom Medley: Woke Up This Morning with My Mind on Freedom/Oh Freedom/This Train is Bound for Glory/Twelve Gates to the City/Down by the Riverside/We Shall Overcome
Lifelines Live (Warner Bros.)
Peter Yarrow- Weave Me the Sunshine
Peter (Warner Bros.)

Peter, Paul & Mary with Tom Paxton, Fred Hellerman, Ronnie Gilbert, Odetta, Richie Havens, Dave Van Ronk, Susan Werner, Buddy Mondlock & John Sebastian- River of Jordan
Lifelines Live (Warner Bros.)

Next week: Blood on the Tracks Revisited.

--Mike Regenstreif

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – January 7, 2025: Remembering Josh White, Jr. , Alan Senauke and David Mallett


Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif finds connections and develops themes in various genres. The show is broadcast on CKCU, 93.1 FM, in Ottawa on Tuesdays from 3:30 until 5 pm (Eastern time) and is also available 24/7 for on-demand streaming.

This episode of Stranger Songs was recorded and can be streamed on-demand, now or anytime, by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/68479.html

Theme: Remembering Josh White, Jr. (1940-2024), Alan Senauke (1947-2024) and David Mallett (1951-2024).

The theme on this edition of Stranger Songs is Remembering Josh White Jr., Alan Senauke and David Mallett, three old friends who passed away last month. I’d known all three of them since the 1970s and all of them had played at the Golem, the Montreal folk club I ran in the 1970s and ‘80s.

Josh White, Jr. died on December 28 at age 84. Josh – who was affectionately known as Donny off stage – began his career at age 4 when his father, Josh White, the legendary blues and folk singer and guitarist, began bringing the young boy up on stage to perform a song or two with him. Josh White Jr. had a remarkable career that literally spanned 80 years. Josh was a wonderful performer of folk and blues material and a masterful interpreter of his father’s repertoire.


Josh White, Jr.- Say a Prayer for a Stranger
Live at the Raven Gallery (Silverwolf)

Josh White, Jr.- The Dutchman
Live at the Raven Gallery (Silverwolf)
Josh White, Jr.- It’s Chilly Out Tonight
Live at the Raven Gallery (Silverwolf)
Josh White, Jr.- Cortelia Clark
Cortelia Clark (Silverwolf)
Josh White, Jr.- One Meatball
Live at the Raven Gallery (Silverwolf)

Josh White, Jr. & Robin Batteau- St. James Infirmary
Jazz, Ballads & Blues (Ryko)

I first met Alan Senauke – who died on December 22 at age 77 – in the late-1970s when he was the editor of Sing Out, the authoritative folk music magazine, and performing with Howie Tarnower as The Fiction Brothers. He was also a member of several other groups including The Blue Flame Stringband – with Kate Brislin and Suzy & Eric Thompson – and a solo artist.


Country Cooking with The Fiction Brothers
- The Harder They Come
Country Cooking with The Fiction Brothers (Flying Fish)
Country Cooking with The Fiction Brothers- Joe Hill’s Will
Country Cooking with The Fiction Brothers (Flying Fish)
Alan Senauke- Wise County Jail
Wooden Man: Old Songs from the Southern School (Native and Fine)
Alan Senauke- Meeting is Over
Wooden Man: Old Songs from the Southern School (Native and Fine)

Blue Flame String Band- Blues Stay Away from Me
Blue Flame String Band (Flying Fish)

David Mallett was a gifted singer and songwriter from Maine who died on December 17 at age 73. In addition to his own recordings and performances, David’s songs were widely sung and recorded by many other artists.


David Mallett
- Fire
Inches & Miles 1977-1980 (Flying Fish)
Peter, Paul & Mary- Garden Song
Around the Campfire (Warner Bros.)
Miscellaney of Folk- Moon Upon the Left
Atlantic Sounds (Miscellaney of Folk)
Tommy Makem & Liam Clancy- Ballad of St. Anne’s Reel
The Makem & Clancy Collection (Shanachie)
David Mallett- Dulcimer
Inches & Miles 1977-1980 (Flying Fish)

David Mallett- Open Doors & Windows
Open Doors & Windows (Flying Fish)
Kathy Mattea- Summer of My Dreams
Time Passes By (Mercury)
Priscilla Herdman- Thanks to Mother Mercy
Seasons of Change (Flying Fish)

David Mallett- Hope for One and All
…In the Falling Dark (Vanguard)

Next week: Remembering Peter Yarrow.

--Mike Regenstreif

Thursday, November 28, 2024

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – December 3, 2024: Top 10 for 2024


Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif finds connections and develops themes in various genres. The show is broadcast on CKCU, 93.1 FM, in Ottawa on Tuesdays from 3:30 until 5 pm (Eastern time) and is also available 24/7 for on-demand streaming.

This episode of Stranger Songs was recorded and can be streamed on-demand, now or anytime, by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/67938.html

Theme: Songs from my top 10 folk-rooted and folk-branched albums of 2024.

The annotated and illustrated list is posted on the Folk Roots/Folk Branches blog at this link. https://frfb.blogspot.com/2024/11/top-10-for-2024.html

Number 10 – Heartbreak, Misery & Death by Grayson Capps


Grayson Capps- Hallelujah
Heartbreak, Misery & Death (Royal Potato Family)

Number 9 – Lonesome Road: Suite for Solo Guitar and Voice – Songs of the Lost Generation 1924-1928 by Joel Mabus


Joel Mabus
- The Lonesome Road
Lonesome Road: Suite for Solo Guitar and Voice – Songs of the Lost Generation 1924-1928 (Fossil)

Number 8 – American Patchwork Quartet by American Patchwork Quartet


American Patchwork Quartet
- Shenandoah
American Patchwork Quartet (Carolina Jasmine)

Number 7 – Heart of the Swan by Carla Sciaky


Carla Sciaky
- Standing by a River
Heart of the Swan (Propinquity)
Carla Sciaky- This Forsaken Garden
Heart of the Swan (Propinquity)

Number 6 – Two Sides to Your Story by Chris Rawlings


Chris Rawlings
- Bastille Day
Two Sides to Your Story (Cookingfat Music)
Chris Rawlings- Smoker’s Lullaby
Two Sides to Your Story (Cookingfat Music)

Number 5 – Live at the Scala Theatre and In the Real World by Eric Bibb


Eric Bibb
- Bring Me Little Water, Sylvie 
Live at the Scala Theatre (Stony Plain) 

Eric Bibb
- Best I Can
In the Real World (Stony Plain)

Number 4 – American Railroad by Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens


Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens
- Swannanoa Tunnel/Steel-Driving Man
American Railroad (Nonesuch)
Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens- Tamping Song
American Railroad (Nonesuch)

Number 3 – Feel with Blood by Lenka Lichtenberg


Lenka Lichtenberg
- Feel with Blood
Feel with Blood (Six Degrees)
Lenka Lichtenberg- Wintry Dusk
Feel with Blood (Six Degrees)

Number 2 – Bandits, Ballads and Blues by James Talley


James Talley
- The Love Song of Billy the Kid
Bandits, Ballads and Blues (Cimarron)
James Talley- If We Could Love One Another
Bandits, Ballads and Blues (Cimarron)

Number 1 – A Letter to Leonard Cohen: Tribute to a Friend by Perla Batalla


Perla Batalla
- A Singer Must Die
A Letter to Leonard Cohen: Tribute to a Friend (Mechuda Music)
Perla Batalla- You Want It Darker
A Letter to Leonard Cohen: Tribute to a Friend (Mechuda Music)

I’m taking the next four weeks off and Stranger Songs will feature some repeat shows from 2022. You can see the playlists and stream the shows at the following links.

December 10: Songs of the Mountain City Four and Kate & Anna McGarrigle. https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/57707.html

December 17: “Acapella Stella” and other a capella songs. https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/57170.html


December 31: Songs of – or inspired by – Jesse Winchester. https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/56097.html

New programs will resume on January 7.

--Mike Regenstreif