Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – July 30, 2024: Remembering Happy Traum

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/595/66189.html

Theme: Remembering Happy Traum (1938-2024).

Happy Traum – born Harry Peter Traum but known all his life as Happy – died on July 17 of cancer at age 86. 

Happy was a great guitarist, folksinger and songwriter known both for his solo work and for his partnership with his younger brother, the late Artie Traum. He was an important figure in the folk revival, from the early-1960s until his passing, as a performer, as editor for three years of Sing Out magazine, as a catalyst for many projects, and as a teacher. Homespun Music, the company run by Happy and Jane Traum, offers lessons in guitar and many other instruments in many styles taught by Happy and by many other great musicians.

Happy Traum- There’s a Bright Side Somewhere

There’s a Bright Side Somewhere (Lark’s Nest Music)

The New World Singers- Bizzness Ain’t Dead

The Best of Broadside 1962-1988 (Smithsonian Folkways)

The New World Singers- Blowin’ in the Wind

The Best of Broadside 1962-1988 (Smithsonian Folkways)

Happy Traum with Bob Dylan- Let Me Die in My Footsteps

The Best of Broadside 1962-1988 (Smithsonian Folkways)

Happy & Artie Traum- Mama, It’s Such a Long Ride Home

Happy and Artie Traum (Capitol)

Happy & Artie Traum- Misty Dreams

Happy and Artie Traum (Capitol)

Happy & Artie Traum- Trials of Jonathan

Happy and Artie Traum (Capitol)

Happy Traum- Boat’s Up the River

Relax Your Mind (Kicking Mule)

Happy & Artie Traum- The Ferryman

Double-Back (Capitol)

Happy & Artie Traum- Brother Thomas

Double-Back (Capitol)

Happy & Artie Traum- Sam’s Song

Hard Times in the Country (Rounder)

Happy & Artie Traum- Mississippi John

Hard Times in the Country (Rounder)

Bob Dylan with Happy Traum- Only a Hobo

Another Self Portrait 1969-1971: The Bootleg Series Vol. 10 (Columbia/Legacy)

Happy Traum with Artie Traum & Bill Keith- Off to Sea Once More

Mud Acres: Music Among Friends (Rounder)

Happy Traum with Artie Traum, Eric Kaz & Bill Keith- Titanic

Mud Acres: Music Among Friends (Rounder)

Eric Andersen with Happy Traum- Golden Bird

Waves (Appleseed)

Happy Traum- Mary, I’m Coming Back Home

Tribute to a Songpoet: Songs of Eric Andersen (Y&T Music) or There’s a Bright Side Somewhere (Lark’s Nest Music)

Happy Traum- Love Song to a Girl in an Old Photograph

There’s a Bright Side Somewhere (Lark’s Nest Music)

Happy Traum- Farewell

There’s a Bright Side Somewhere (Lark’s Nest Music)

Happy Traum- Living with the Blues

There’s a Bright Side Somewhere (Lark’s Nest Music)

Happy Traum- Hills of Isle au Haut

Bright Morning Stars (Lark’s Nest Music)

Happy Traum- Friends and Neighbours

I Walk the Road Again (Roaring Stream)

Next week: Remembering Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon (1942-2024).

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – July 23, 2024: When the Saints Go Marching In

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/595/66100.html

Theme: When the Saints Go Marching In.

All of the songs on this show refer, in one way or another, to saints. Some of the songs are about specific saints. Some refer to saints in generic terms, and some refer to places named for a saint.

Bruce Springsteen & The Sessions Band- When the Saints Go Marching In

Live in Dublin (Columbia)

Darrell Scott- Saint Cecilia

Jaroso (Full Light)

Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer- Farewell to Saint Delores

Tanglewood Tree (Signature Sounds)

Nanci Griffith- Saint Teresa of Avila

Blue Roses from the Moons (Elektra)

Mary Chapin Carpenter- The Moon and St. Christopher

Sometimes Just the Sky (Lambent Light)

Dr. John with The Neville Brothers- Litanie des Saints

Goin’ Back to New Orleans (Warner Bros.)

Mike Regenstreif & David Francey (2019)

David Francey- Saints and Sinners

Torn Screen Door (Laker Music)

Jamie O’Reilly & Michael Smith- Song of Bernadette

Songs of a Catholic Childhood (J. O’Reilly Productions)

Jennifer Warnes & Leonard Cohen- Joan of Arc

Famous Blue Raincoat: The Songs of Leonard Cohen – 20th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)

Jessica Rhaye & The Ramshackle Parade- I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine

Just Like a Woman: Songs of Bob Dylan (Jessica Rhaye)

Jack Hardy- Saint Clare

Noir (Great Divide)

Katy Moffatt- St. Anthony with Broken Hands

Midnight Radio (True North)

Gretchen Peters- Saint Francis

Hello Cruel World (Scarlet Letter)

Little Miss Higgins- St. Louis Blues

Junction City (Little Miss Higgins)

Tom Russell & Mike Regenstreif (2000)

Tom Russell & The Norwegian Wind Ensemble- St. Olav’s Gate

Aztec Jazz (Frontera)

Kate & Anna McGarrigle- Complainte pour Ste-Catherine

Tell My Sister: Kate & Anna McGarrigle (Nonesuch)

Jimmy LaFave- On a Bus to St. Cloud

Favorites 1992-2001 (Music Road)

Ken Tizzard & Amelia Curran- St. John’s Waltz

A Good Dog is Lost: A Collection of Ron Hynes Songs (Booth Street)

Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers- When the Saints Go Marching In

Miss Smith to You! (Fat Note)

Next week: Remembering Happy Traum (1938-2024).

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – July 16, 2024: A Salute to Nora Guthrie

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/595/66023.html

Theme: A Salute to Nora Guthrie.

Nora Guthrie & Mike Regenstreif (2017)

Nora Guthrie – Woody Guthrie’s daughter – recently announced her retirement after 33 years as President of the Woody Guthrie Foundation and Woody Guthrie Publications. Nora was also the founder of the Woody Guthrie Archive and co-founder of the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Prior to working with the Woody Guthrie Foundation, Nora had a career as a modern dancer – following in the footsteps of her mother, Marjorie Mazia Guthrie, who had been a member of the famed Martha Graham Dance Company.

Over the past 33 years, Nora was responsible for many Woody Guthrie projects including books, films, concerts, festivals and other events, and the unearthing of thousands of previously unheard Woody Guthrie songs that existed only as lyrics in the Woody Guthrie Archive. One of Nora’s greatest accomplishments was finding the right composers to set those lyrics to music. The songs on this show are just a small sampling of Nora’s work in that regard.

Billy Bragg & Wilco- I Guess I Planted

Mermaid Avenue (Elektra)

Cole Quest & The City Pickers- Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key

Self [En] Titled (Omnivore) 

Folk Uke- California Stars

Starfucker (Folk Uke)

Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer- Birds and Ships

Postcards (Community Music)

Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion- Be No Church Tonight

The Woody Guthrie Tribute Tour: Ribbon of Highway, Endless Skyway (Ribbon of Highway, Endless Skyway)

Lucinda Williams- House of Earth

Ghosts of Highway 20 (Highway 20)

Jackson Browne & Rob Wasserman- You Know the Night

Note of Hope: A Celebration of Woody Guthrie (429)

The Klezmatics- Holy Ground

Wonder Wheel: Lyrics by Woody Guthrie (Jewish Music Group)

Lisa Gutkin- From Here On In

From Here On In (Lisa Gutkin)

The Burns Sisters- God’s Promise

Wild Bouquet (Ithaca)

Wenzel- Ninety Mile Wind 

Ticky Tock: Wenzel Sings Woody Guthrie (Conträr Musik) 

John McCutcheon- Harness Up the Day

This Land: Woody Guthrie’s America (Appalsongs)

Lucy Kaplansky- This Morning I Am Born Again

Reunion (Red House)

Joel Rafael Band- Ramblin’ Reckless Hobo

Woodyboye: Songs of Woody Guthrie (and Tales Worth Telling) Volume II (Appleseed)

The Del McCoury Band- Family Reunion

Del and Woody (McCoury Music)

Mike Regenstreif, Nora Guthrie, Kris Kristofferson & Jimmy LaFave (2007)

Jimmy LaFave- Salvation Train

Peace Town (Music Road)

Dropkick Murphys- Watchin’ the World Go By

Okemah Rising: Lyrics of Woody Guthrie (Dummy Luck Music)

Arlo Guthrie- My Peace

Here Come the Kids (Rising Son)

Next week: When the Saints Go Marching In.

--Mike Regenstreif

Saturday Morning with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Saturday July 13, 2024

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/128/65969.html

Geoff Bartley- July

Interstates (Magic Crow)

Lui Collins- The Wildflower Song

The Seasons Project: Summer (Christine Lavin)

Robin Batteau- How Can You Love Me

The Seasons Project: Summer (Christine Lavin)

Tina Ross- Summers Like These

The Seasons Project: Summer (Christine Lavin)

Cosy Sheridan- Here Comes the Rain

The Seasons Project: Summer (Christine Lavin)

Kami Thompson- The Solitary Traveller

Linda Thompson: Proxy Music (StorySound)

Lynne Hanson- Just a Little Bit

Just a Poet (Lynne Hanson)

Terre Roche- The Man Who Can’t

Inner Adult (Terre Roche)

Michael Jerling- I Talk to Dead People

Halfway Home (Fool’s Hill Music)

Teresina Huxtable- First and Only Tango

Wallflowers (Philo)

Sonya Cohen & Penny Seeger Cohen- Oh, Blue

You’ve Been a Friend to Me (Smithsonian Folkways)

Sonya Cohen & Peggy Seeger- A Squirrel is a Pretty Thing

You’ve Been a Friend to Me (Smithsonian Folkways)

Sonya Cohen & Pete Seeger- When I was Most Beautiful

You’ve Been a Friend to Me (Smithsonian Folkways)

Last Forever- Hide and Seek

You’ve Been a Friend to Me (Smithsonian Folkways)

Sonya Cohen  Cramer & Elizabeth Mitchell- You’ve Been a Friend to Me

You’ve Been a Friend to Me (Smithsonian Folkways)

Tim Isberg- Better Times Ahead

Prairie Fire (Tim Isberg Music)

Lynn Miles- Night Owl

tumbleWeedyWorld (True North)

David Francey- Daughter

The Breath Between (Laker Music) 

Kathleen Edwards- Options Open

Dogs and Alcohol (Dualtone)

Ian Tamblyn- That Boxcar in Algoma

Scenes Through a Mirror (North Track)

Keith Glass Band- Can’t Blame Me

Different World (Stump)

Ruth Moody- Wanderer

Wanderer (Blue Muse/True North)

Adam Karch- My Birmingham

Some Awkward Country Ahead (Adam Karch)

Martha Wainwright- Or Nothing at All

Linda Thompson: Proxy Music (StorySound)

Ken Tizzard & Music for Goats- Barstools and Broken Hearts

The DAGG Sessions (Ken Tizzard)

Miranda Hardy- The Price of Happiness

The Price of Happiness (Great Divide)

Ian Robb & James Stephens- Charming Molly

Declining …with thanks (Fallen Angle Music)

Finest Kind- Blue Mountain

Lost in a Song (Fallen Angle Music)

Shelley Posen- The Old Songs Home

The Old Songs Home (Well Done Music)

Jubal Lee Young- Jig

Wild Birds Warble (7Bridges Entertainment)

The Roches- Hammond Song

Where Do I Come From: Selected Songs (StorySound)

Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Rufus & Martha Wainwright, Loudon Wainwright III & Chaim Tannenbaum- Schooldays

The McGarrigle Hour (Hannibal)

Waterson:Carthy- Rackabello

Common Tongue (Topic)

The Copper Family- Come Write Me Down, Ye Powers Above

The Ultimate Guide to English Folk (Arc)

Richard & Linda Thompson- For Shame of Doing Wrong

Dreams Fly Away: A History of Linda Thompson (Hannibal)

Teddy Thompson- Those Damn Roches

Linda Thompson: Proxy Music (StorySound)

Mason Daring & Jeanie Stahl- Pack Up Your Sorrows

Recordings Celebrating 50 Years of a Musical Partnership (Mason Daring & Jeanie Stahl) 

Rory Block- Like a Rolling Stone

Positively 4th Street: A Tribute to Bob Dylan (Stony Plain)

Erin Ash Sullivan- Goat on a Stone Wall

Signposts and Marks (Erin Ash Sullivan)

Enzo Garcia- I Wanna Hold You

Calicoustic (Recaredo)

Deb Seymour- Sometimes You Gotta Wear Boots

Sometimes You Gotta Wear Boots (Herkimer Productions)

Ish Theilheimer & Friends- The Wilno Chicken

The Wilno Chicken and Other Songs for My Community (Ish Theilheimer)

Leonard Cohen- Story of Isaac

Songs from a Room (Columbia/Legacy)

Art of Time Ensemble featuring Sarah Harmer- Dance Me to the End of Love

Songs of Leonard Cohen Live (Art of Time Recordings)

Two of a Kind- We Give Thanks in Hard Times

Let the Light In (Magillicutty Music)

I’ll be hosting Saturday Morning next on August 10. I also host Stranger Songs on CKCU every Tuesday from 3:30-5 pm.

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – July 9, 2024: Remembering Kinky Friedman

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/595/65896.html

Theme: Remembering Kinky Friedman (1944-2024).

Richard Samet Friedman – or “Kinky” as he became known as a university student – was a noted singer, songwriter, novelist, essayist, occasional politician, animal rescue activist, and a larger-than-life character who died on June 27 at age 79.

Kinky Friedman at the Texas Book Fair in Austin (2013). Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Kinky Friedman- Me & My Guitar

Circus of Life (Echo Hill)

Willie Nelson- Ride ‘Em Jewboy

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Delbert McClinton- Autograph

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Lee Roy Parnell- Nashville Casualty & Life

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Kinky Friedman- Somethin’s Wrong with the Beaver

Kinky Friedman (ABC)

Asleep at the Wheel- Before All Hell Breaks Loose

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Kinky Friedman- Song About You

Circus of Life (Echo Hill)

Kinky Friedman- The Ballad of Charles Whitman

Sold American (Vanguard)

The Geezinslaws- Twirl

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Dwight Yoakam- Rapid City, South Dakota

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Guy Clark- Wild Man from Borneo

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Kinky Friedman- Top Ten Commandments

Sold American (Vanguard)

Kinky Friedman- A Dog Named Freedom

Circus of Life (Echo Hill)

Marty Stuart- Lady Yesterday

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Chuck E. Weiss- Ol’ Ben Lucas

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Billy Swan- When the Lord Closes the Door (He Opens a Little Window)

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Kinky Friedman- Jesus in Pajamas

Circus of Life (Echo Hill)

Kinky Friedman- Circus of Life

Circus of Life (Echo Hill)

Lyle Lovett- Sold American

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Tom Waits- Highway Café

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Kinky Friedman- Resurrection

Resurrection (Echo Hill)

Kinky Friedman- Ride ‘Em Jewboy

Sold American (Vanguard)

Next week: A Salute to Nora Guthrie.

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – July 2, 2024: 1964

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/595/65805.html

Theme: 1964.

All the recordings on this show were first released 60 years ago in 1964.

Ian & Sylvia- Someday Soon

Northern Journey (Vanguard)

Bob Dylan- Boots of Spanish Leather

The Times They Are A-Changin’ (Columbia/Legacy)

Odetta- Paths of Victory

Odetta Sings of Many Things (RCA)

Phil Ochs- The Bells

All the News That’s Fit to Sing (Elektra)

Mike Regenstreif & Joan Baez (2003)

Joan Baez- There But for Fortune

Joan Baez/5 (Vanguard)

Mike Regenstreif & Tom Paxton (1994)

Tom Paxton- I Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound

Ramblin’ Boy (Elektra)

Judy Colins- The Last Thing on My Mind

3 & 4: The Judy Colins Concert (Wildflower)

Stan Getz & Joäo Gilberto with Astrid Gilberto- The Girl from Ipanema

Getz/Gilberto (Verve)

Mike Regenstreif & Ramblin' Jack Elliott (2010)

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott- Will the Circle Be Unbroken

Jack Elliott (Vanguard)

Doc Watson- Deep River Blues

Doc Watson (Vanguard)

The Greenbriar Boys- Ragged But Right

Ragged But Right (Vanguard)

Johnny Cash- Big River

I Walk the Line (Columbia)

Roy Orbison- Oh, Pretty Woman

The All-Time Greatest Hits of Roy Orbison (Monument)

Tom Rush- Duncan and Brady

Got a Mind to Ramble (Prestige/Folklore)

Nina Simone- Silver City Bound

Folksy Nina (Colpix)

Dave Van Ronk and The Ragtime Jug Stompers- K.C. Moan

Dave Van Ronk and The Ragtime Jug Stompers (Oldays)

The Animals- House of the Rising Sun

The Animals (ABCKO)

The Rolling Stones- Route 66

The Rolling Stones (Decca)

The Beatles- A Hard Day’s Night

A Hard Day’s Night (Parlophone)

The Hollies- Mr. Moonlight

Stay with The Hollies (Parlophone)

Gerry & The Pacemakers- Ferry Cross the Mersey

The EP Collection (See for Miles)

Peter & Gordon- A World Without Love

The EP Collection (See for Miles)

Otis Redding- Pain in My Heart

Pain in My Heart (Atco)

Vince Martin & Fred Neil- Morning Dew

Tear Down the Walls (Elektra/East West Japan)

Judy Henske- High Flying Bird

The Elektra Albums: High Flying Bird (Ace)

Simon & Garfunkel- The Sound of Silence

Wednesday Morning 3 A.M. (Columbia)

Next week: Remembering Kinky Friedman (1944-2024).

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – June 25, 2024: 50 years ago, I took over The Golem, Part 3/Songs and Conversation with Michael Jerome Browne & Mary Flower

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/595/65724.html

Themes: 50 years ago, I took over The Golem, Part 3/Songs and Conversation with Michael Jerome Browne & Mary Flower

50 years ago, I took over The Golem, Part 3

Mike Regenstreif at The Golem (1987) (Montreal Gazette photo)

It was just over 50 years ago, on May 24, 1974, that I took over running The Golem, Montreal folk club. 

The Golem had been established in 1973 in the McGill Hillel building at 3460 Stanley Street by Saul Markowicz. I had done my basic training in folk club management with Chuck Baker at the Yellow Door, and had been producing concerts in Montreal at Dawson College and McGill University for about two years when Saul approached me in the spring of 1974 and asked if I’d be interested in taking over The Golem.

I actually ran The Golem twice – from 1974 until 1976 and from 1981 until 1987. The Golem was also run for about a year after my first tenure by Marc Nerenberg (who, by the way, is responsible for keeping the Yellow Door going still). The Golem was closed between 1977 and when I returned and re-opened it in 1981. And, after my second tenure, a committee including Helen Fortin and Dave Clarke of Steel Rail fame kept the Golem going until 1991.

All of the songs on this part of the show were played back in the day by artists who performed during my two tenures running the Golem.

Connie Kaldor- Wood River

Wood River (Coyote Entertainment)

The Friends of Fiddler's Green- The Golden Vanity

This Side of the Ocean (FOFG Productions)

Margaret Christl- Rattlin Roarin Willie

The Picture in My Mind (Waterbug)

Willie P. Bennett- Me and Molly

Tryin’ to Start Out Clean (Bnatural Music)

Mike Regenstreif & Steve Gillette (1994)

Steve Gillette- Darcy Farrow

Steve Gillette (Vanguard)

Jack Hardy- Potter’s Field

The Nameless One (Great Divide)

Stephen Barry Band- Poor Boy

Live (Fix it in the Mix Music)

Saul Broudy & Mike Regenstreif (1993)

Saul Broudy- Bei Mir Bist Du Sheyn

Travels with Broudy (Saul Broudy)

“50 years ago, I took over The Golem, Part 1” was heard on the May 28 edition of Stranger Songs and can be streamed at this link. https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/65341.html

“50 years ago, I took over The Golem, Part w” was heard on the June 18 edition of Stranger Songs and can be streamed at this link. https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/65644.html

Songs and Conversation with Michael Jerome Browne & Mary Flower

My conversation with Michael Jerome Browne and Mary Flower was recorded earlier this month on Zoom. I was in Ottawa, Michael was in Montreal and Mary was in Portland, Oregon. 

Michael Jerome Browne with John Sebastian, Happy Traum & John McColgan- Living with the Blues

Gettin’ Together (Borealis/Stony Plain)

Mary Flower- Livin’ with the Blues Again

Livin’ with the Blues Again (Little Village Foundation)

Michael Jerome Browne & Mary Flower- I’ve Got the Big River Blues

Gettin’ Together (Borealis/Stony Plain)

Michael Jerome Browne & Mary Flower with John Sebastian- Coffee Blues

Gettin’ Together (Borealis/Stony Plain)

Michael Jerome Browne & Mary Flower- Black Dog Blues

Gettin’ Together (Borealis/Stony Plain)

Michael Jerome Browne & Mary Flower- Married Man Blues

Gettin’ Together (Borealis/Stony Plain)

Michael Jerome Browne & Mary Flower- Wisecrack

Gettin’ Together (Borealis/Stony Plain)

Mary Flower- See See Rider

Livin’ with the Blues Again (Little Village Foundation)

Stephen Barry Band featuring Michael Jerome Browne- Sugar Baby

Happy Man (Bros)

MARY FLOWER- Brother, Can You Spare a Dime

Bywater Dance (Yellow Dog)

Michael and Mary will be here in Ottawa at Red Bird Live on Saturday June 29. They’re also doing a guitar workshop in Ottawa that afternoon. They’ll also be at Hugh’s Room Live in Toronto on Wednesday June 26, at Emmanuel United Church in Waterloo on Thursday June 27, and at a house concert in Morin Heights, Quebec on Monday July 1. More information and links to buy tickets at this link. https://www.michaeljeromebrowne.com/shows

Next week: 1964.

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – June 18, 2024: 50 years ago, I took over The Golem, Part 2

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/595/65644.html

Theme: 50 years ago, I took over The Golem, Part 2.

Mike Regenstreif at The Golem (1987) (Montreal Gazette photo)

It was just over 50 years ago, on May 24, 1974, that I took over running The Golem, Montreal folk club. 

The Golem had been established in 1973 in the McGill Hillel building at 3460 Stanley Street by Saul Markowicz. I had done my basic training in folk club management with Chuck Baker at the Yellow Door, and had been producing concerts in Montreal at Dawson College and McGill University for about two years when Saul approached me in the spring of 1974 and asked if I’d be interested in taking over The Golem.

I actually ran The Golem twice – from 1974 until 1976 and from 1981 until 1987. The Golem was also run for about a year after my first tenure by Marc Nerenberg (who, by the way, is responsible for keeping the Yellow Door going still). The Golem was closed between 1977 and when I returned and re-opened it in 1981. And, after my second tenure, a committee including Helen Fortin and Dave Clarke of Steel Rail fame kept the Golem going until 1991.

All of the songs on this show were played back in the day by artists who performed during my two tenures running the Golem.

Mike Regenstreif & Garnet Rogers (2006)

Garnet Rogers- Ain’t Goin’ Home

The Outside Track (Snow Goose Songs)

Humphrey & The Dumptrucks- Calgary Song

Six Days of Paper Ladies (Boot)

Penny Lang & Mike Regenstreif (1976) photo: Felicity Fanjoy

Penny Lang- Barrelhouse Blues

Live at the Yellow Door (She-Wolf)

Paul Geremia & Mike Regenstreif (2012)

Paul Geremia- The Truth is on the Streets

Self Portrait in Blues (Red House)

Terry Garthwaite- Hoy Hoy Hoy

Live at the Great American Music Hall (Flying Fish)

Dakota Dave Hull & Sean Blackburn- Deep Water

River of Swing (Arabica)

Bill Garrett- Northshore Train

Bill Garrett (Borealis)

Valdy- Peter & Lou

Classic Collection (A&M)

Roger McGuinn- Gate of Horn

Peace On You (Columbia)

Ramblin' Jack Elliott & Mike Regenstreif (2006)

Ramblin' Jack Elliott- Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

Kerouac’s Last Dream (Appleseed)

Eric Andersen & Mike Regenstreif (2000)

Eric Andersen- Violets of Dawn

Woodstock Under the Stars (Y&T Music)

Mike Regenstreif & Loudon Wainwright III (2015)

Loudon Wainwright III- The Swimming Song

Attempted Moustache (Columbia/Legacy)

Diana Marcovitz- Don’t Call It Love

Recent unreleased version of song from Joie de Vivre (Diana Marcovitz)

David Mallett- Open Doors & Windows

Open Doors & Windows (Flying Fish)

Rory Block- Lovin’ Whiskey

I’ve Got a Rock in My Sock (Rounder)

Josh White, Jr..- One Meatball

Live at the Raven Gallery (Silverwolf)

Roy Forbes (known as Bim in the Golem years)- Woh Me

Almost Overnight (AKA)

David Essig & Mike Regenstreif (2014)

David Essig- Flo’s Café

A Stone in My Pocket (Peregrin)

Linda Morrison- Left Foot Slide

Line By Line (Heartstrung Music)

Guy Van Duser & Billy Novick- Sweet Georgia Brown

American Finger-Style Guitar (Rounder)

Jackie Washington & Mike Regenstreif (2008)

Jackie Washington- Gotta Go

The World of Jackie Washington (Borealis)

Mike Regenstreif & Marc Nerenberg (2009)

Marc Nerenberg- On the Street Again

On the Street Again (Marc Nerenberg)

Kate & Anna McGarrigle- The Redtail Hawk

Back Roads (Rhino)

Mike Regenstreif & Murray McLauchlan on Zoom (2021)

Murray McLauchlan- Sweeping the Spotlight Away

Sweeping the Spotlight Away (True North)

50 years ago, I took over The Golem, Part 1 – with many more artists and songs from my Golem years – was heard on the May 28 edition of Stranger Songs and can be streamed at this link. https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/65341.html

Next week: 50 years ago, I took over The Golem, Part 3 in the first half-hour; and then, Songs and Conversation with Michael Jerome Browne and Mary Flower.

--Mike Regenstreif

Saturday Morning with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Saturday June 15, 2024

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/128/65590.html

Kyle Carey- June Day

North Star (Americelta)

Terre Roche- Fish Out of Water

Inner Adult (Terre Roche)

Bill Hearne- Bluebird

Always Trust Your Cape (Howlin’ Dog) 

Laurie Lewis- Just a Little Ways Down the Road

Trees (Spruce & Maple Music)

Adam Karch- Some Awkward Country Ahead

Some Awkward Country Ahead (Adam Karch)

Lynne Hanson- Just a Poet

Just a Poet (Lynne Hanson)

John Gorka- She’s That Kind of Mystery

Bright Side of Down (Red House)

John Gorka, Mike Regenstreif & Lucy Kaplansky (2012)

Lucy Kaplansky- Texas Blues

The Tide (Red House)

Mike Regenstreif & Bill Morrissey (2005)

Bill Morrissey- Barstow

Bill Morrissey (Philo)

Laurie Lewis- Long Gone

Trees (Spruce & Maple Music)

Jon Shain- Old Bill (for Bill Morrissey)

Restless Soul Syndrome (Flyin’)

Rory Block- Everything is Broken

Positively 4th Street: A Tribute to Bob Dylan (Stony Plain)

Christian Parker- Chimes of Freedom

Change is Now: A Tribute to The Byrds (Subcat)

Cat Power- It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue

Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert (Domino)

Bob Dylan- Forever Young

Shadow Kingdom (Columbia/Legacy)

Rory Block- Ring Them Bells

Positively 4th Street: A Tribute to Bob Dylan (Stony Plain)

The Dumptrucks- Blackstrap Breakdown

Selections (Laughing Cactus).

Michael Jerome Browne- Sliding Delta

Sliding Delta (Borealis)

Mary Flower- Monday Morning Blues

Ragtime Gal (Bluesette) 

Michael Jerome Browne & Mary Flower with John Sebastian- Coffee Blues

Gettin’ Together (Borealis/Stony Plain)

Mississippi John Hurt- I’m Satisfied

Mr. Hurt Goes to Washington (Sunset Blvd.)

Ana Egge- Sharing in the Spirit

Sharing in the Spirit (StorySound)

Alex Martin & Jess Eliot Myhre- Into the Desert

Appalachian Fall: The Song Poems of Michael Martin (Pajarito Verde)

Sue Foley- Lonesome Homesick Blues

One Guitar Woman: A Tribute to the Female Pioneers of Guitar (Stony Plain) 

Mike Regenstreif & Missy Burgess (2014)

Missy Burgess- Make Me a Pallet On Your Floor

Lemon Pie (Missy Burgess)

Kate McGarrigle- Blues in D

Tell My Sister: Kate & Anna McGarrigle (Nonesuch)

Anna McGarrigle, Sylvan Lanken & Lily Lanken- On My Way to Town

Sing Me the Songs: Celebrating the Works of Kate McGarrigle (Nonesuch)

Chaim Tannenbaum- Time On My Hands

The McGarrigle Hour (Hannibal)

Kate & Anna McGarrigle & Emmylou Harris- Skip Rope Song

The McGarrigle Hour (Hannibal)

Mike Regenstreif & Rick Fines (2011)

Rick Fines- That’s What Makes You Strong

Solar Powered Too (Rick Fines)

Jesse Winchester- I Can’t Stand Up Alone

Learn to Love It (Stony Plain)

Jim Kweskin & Fiona Kweskin- What Does the Deep Sea Say

Never Too Late: Duets with My Friends (StorySound)

Eric Bibb- Mole in the Ground

Live at the Scala Theatre (Stony Plain)

Shtreiml- Uncle Tibor’s Spicy Paprikash

Spicy Paprikash (I.J. Rosenblatt)

Miranda Hardy- Strawberry Moon

The Price of Happiness (Great Divide)

Ynana Rose- Strawberry Moon

Under a Cathedral Sky (Ynana Rose Music)

Tom Russell- Strawberry Moon

The Rose of the San Joaquin (HighTone)

The Whiteley Brothers- Full Moon in June

Taking Our Time (Borealis)

Dave Van Ronk- Old Hannah

Somebody Else, Not Me (Philo)

Cris Jacobs- Work Song (I Can Still Sing)

One of These Days (Soundly Music)

Benny Bleu- Death of John Henry

Banjo Jubilations (Benny Bleu Haravitch)

Mason Daring & Jeanie Stahl- The Mermaid

Recordings Celebrating 50 Years of a Musical Partnership (Mason Daring & Jeanie Stahl) 

Finest Kind- Squid Jiggin’ Ground

Heart’s Delight (Fallen Angle) 

Mike Regenstreif, Bill Garrett & Sue Lothrop (2014)

Bill Garrett & Sue Lothrop- No More Fish

Red Shoes (Borealis)

Muriel Anderson & Suzy Bogguss- Sailing Dream

Sailing Dreams (Muriel Anderson)

Nastasia Y- Stolen Green

Kyiv Soul (Lulaworld)

Eliza Gilkyson- Sunflowers

Home (Realiza)

Lisa Gutkin- Gonna Get Through This World

From Here On In (Lisa Gutkin)

I’ll be hosting Saturday Morning next on July 13. I also host Stranger Songs on CKCU every Tuesday from 3:30-5 pm.

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – June 11, 2024: Songs for Fathers

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/595/65476.html

Theme: Songs for Fathers

Al Regenstreif 1926-2016 (father) & Mike Regenstreif (son)

Judy Collins- My Father

Forever: An Anthology (Elektra)

Amy Speace- Father’s Day

There Used to Be Horses Here (Windbone)

Michael ‘Earnie’ Taylor- What My Father Taught Me

Folk ‘n’ Western (Laughing Cactus Music)

Ben Sures- Father’s Shoes

The Story That Lived Here (Ben Sures)

Boreal- Warm Hands

Recorded for a future album release

Michael Smith- I Brought My Father With Me

Songs of a Catholic Childhood (J. O’Reilly Productions)

Nanci Griffith- Daddy Said

Once In a Very Blue Moon (Philo)

Steve Howell, Dan Sumner & Jason Weinheimer- Song for My Father

Long Ago (Out of the Past)

Guy Clark- Randall Knife

Craftsman (Philo)

The Smith Sisters- My Father was a Quiet Man

A Canary’s Song (Flying Fish)

Tom Russell- Throwing Horseshoes at the Moon

Old Songs Yet to Sing (Frontera)

Chaim Tannenbaum- My Old Man

Joy of Living: A Tribute to Ewan MacColl (Compass)

Rosanne Cash- My Old Man

Rhythm & Romance (Columbia)

Ron Hynes- My Old Man

Get Back Change (Borealis)

Steve Goodman- My Old Man

No Big Surprise: The Steve Goodman Anthology (Red Pajamas)

Jamie Anderson- My Dad Loves to Sing

Better Than Chocolate (Tsunami)

Heather Anne Lomax- Bits and Pieces

The Doman Tracks (Blackbird)

Brian Lemco- For EL

Seasons (Brian Lemco Music)

Loudon Wainwright III- Older Than My Old Man Now

Older Than My Old Man Now (StorySound)

Ruby Lovett- A Father’s Love

It’s a Hard Life (Puff Bunny)

Tim Grimm- Reverend Mr. Black

Names (Wind River).

James Talley- The Dreamer (A Song for My Father)

Ballads, Bandits and Blues (Cimarron)

Next week: 50 years ago, I took over The Golem, part 2.

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – June 4, 2024: Remembering Spider John Koerner; The Enduring Legacy of Reverend Gary Davis

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/595/65407.html

Themes: Part 1: Remembering Spider John Koerner (1938-2024) / Part 2: The Enduring Legacy of Reverend Gary Davis (1896-1972)

Part 1: Remembering Spider John Koerner

Spider John Koerner was an influential folk and blues legend who died of cancer on May 18 at age 85.

Spider John Koerner was already one of the leading performers on the Minneapolis folk scene when Robert Zimmerman, still a teenager, moved there to attend the University of Minnesota. Spider John was highly influential in the musical direction that Zimmerman took that year – including beginning to call himself Bob Dylan. In his memoir, Chronicles: Volume One, Dylan wrote: “Koerner was tall and thin with a look of perpetual amusement on his face. We hit it off right away … when he spoke he was soft-spoken but when he sang he became a field holler shouter. Koerner was an exciting singer and we began playing a lot together.”

I first discovered Spider John Koerner while I was a teenager. It was probably 1969 or ’70 when I bought an LP called Blues, Rags & Hollers by the trio of Koerner, Ray & Glover – Spider John Koerner, Dave "Snaker" Ray and Tony "Little Sun: Glover. The album, from 1963, was mostly solo cuts by one or another of the three, along with a few duo cuts by two of the three.

Koerner, Ray & Glover- Linin’ Track

Blues, Rags & Hollers (Red House)

Ray Wylie Hubbard- Spider, Snaker and Little Sun

Tell the Devil I’m Coming As Fast As I Can (Bordello)

Spider John Koerner & Dave "Snaker" Ray- Black Dog

(Lots More) Blues, Rags & Hollers (Red House)

Koerner, Ray & Glover- What’s the Matter with the Mill

(Lots More) Blues, Rags & Hollers (Red House)

Spider John Koerner- Froggie Went a-Courtin’

Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Been (Red House)

Spider John Koerner- The Roving Gambler

Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Been (Red House)

Spider John Koerner- The Days of Forty-Nine

StarGeezer (Red House)

Spider John Koerner- Taking My Time

StarGeezer (Red House)

Part 2: The Enduring Legacy of Reverend Gary Davis

Reverend Gary Davis, who died in 1972 at age 76, was a street preacher and a highly influential legend of blues, gospel and folk music. His guitar playing influenced many of the artists who came into the folk scene in the 1950s, ‘60s, ‘70s and continuing to the present.

Reverend Gary Davis- You Got to Move

A Little More Faith (Prestige/Bluesville)

Mountain City Four- Motherless Children

Mountain City Four (Omnivore)

Mr. Rick- I’ll Fly Away

Mr. Rick Sings About God + Booze (Mr. Rick)

Mary Flower- Sit Down on the Banks

Gary Davis Style: The Legacy of Reverend Gary Davis (Riverlark)

Michael Jerome Browne- Reverend Strut

Gettin’ Together (Borealis/Stony Plain)

Reverend Gary Davis- I’m Glad I’m in That Number

A Little More Faith (Prestige/Bluesville)

Marie Knight- When I Die

Let Us Get Together: A Tribute to Reverend Gary Davis (M.C.)

Andy Cohen- Pure Religion

Oh Glory, How Happy I Am: The Sacred Songs of Rev. Gary Davis (Riverlark)

William Lee Ellis- I Heard the Angels Singing

Gary Davis Style: The Legacy of Reverend Gary Davis (Riverlark)

Roy Book Binder- The Preacher Picked the Guitar

Singer-Songwriter Bluesman (PEGleg)

Dave Van Ronk- Cocaine

Live at Sir George Williams University (Just a Memory)

Reverend Gary Davis- Buck Dance

Live & Kickin’ (Just a Memory)

Guy Davis- Candy Man

Stomp Down Rider (Red House)

Penny Lang & Friends- God Knows How Much We Can Bear

Gary Davis Style: The Legacy of Reverend Gary Davis (Riverlark)

Mitch Greenhill & Mayne Smith- Samson & Delilah

Gary Davis Style: The Legacy of Reverend Gary Davis (Riverlark)

Bruce Cockburn- Twelve Gates to the City

Bone on Bone (True North)

Reverend Gary Davis- I Will Do My Last Singing in This Land Somewhere

Live at Newport (Vanguard)

Next week: Songs for Fathers

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – May 28, 2024: 50 years ago, I took over The Golem, Part 1

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/595/65341.html

Theme: 50 years ago, I took over The Golem, Part 1.

Mike Regenstreif at The Golem (1975)

It was 50 years ago, on May 24, 1974, that I took over running The Golem, Montreal folk club. 

The Golem had been established in 1973 in the McGill Hillel building at 3460 Stanley Street by Saul Markowicz. I had done my basic training in folk club management with Chuck Baker at the Yellow Door, and had been producing concerts in Montreal at Dawson College and McGill University for about two years when Saul approached me in the spring of 1974 and asked if I’d be interested in taking over The Golem.

I actually ran The Golem twice – from 1974 until 1976 and from 1981 until 1987. The Golem was also run for about a year after my first tenure by Marc Nerenberg (who, by the way, is responsible for keeping the Yellow Door going still). The Golem was closed between 1977 and when I returned and re-opened it in 1981. And, after my second tenure, a committee including Helen Fortin and Dave Clarke of Steel Rail fame kept the Golem going until 1991.

All of the songs on this show were played back in the day by artists who performed during my two tenures running the Golem. As I was preparing this show, I found there was no way I could play all of the artists I’d like to include, so I’ll be doing a part 2 to this theme on the June 18 edition of Stranger Songs.

Bruce Murdoch- Fool Like Me

Bruce Murdoch (Radio Canada International)

Mike Regenstreif, Bruce Murdoch & Sneezy Waters (2014)

Sneezy Waters- (You’ve Got) Sawdust on the Floor of Your Heart

Live in the CKCU studio during Stranger Songs – July 4, 2023

Jim Ringer- Going Away

Waitin’ for the Hard Times to Go (Folk-Legacy)

Tom Mitchell, Mike Regenstreif & Mary McCaslin (199)

Mary McCaslin- Down the Road

Way Out West (Philo)

Chris Rawlings & Mike Regenstreif (2007)

Chris Rawlings- Pearl River Turnaround

Pearl Soupe (Cooking Fat Music)

Mike Regenstreif & Jesse Winchester (2006)

Jesse Winchester- Tell Me Why You Like Roosevelt

Learn to Love It (Stony Plain)

Kate & Anna McGarrigle & Mike Regenstreif (1976) photo: Felicity Fanjoy

Kate & Anna McGarrigle & Roma Baran- Willie Moore

Tell My Sister (Nonesuch)

Ronney Abramson & Mike Regenstreif (2016)

Ronney Abramson- Three O’Clock Ride

Three O’Clock Ride – single (Ronney Abramson)

Artie Traum & Mike Regenstreif (2006)

Artie Traum- Montreal

The Test of Time (Roaring Stream)

Ferron- Ain’t Life a Brook

Not a Still Life (Cherrywood Station)

Mike Regenstreif & Bill Staines (1993)

Bill Staines- Tulsa

Miles (Mineral River)

Mike Regenstreif & Priscilla Herdman (1978) photo: Ron Petronko

Priscilla Herdman- Andy’s Gone with Cattle

The Water Lily (Philo)

Eric Bogle- Now I’m Easy

Scraps of Paper (Flying Fish)

Utah Phillips & Mike Regenstreif (1976) photo: Felicity Fanjoy

Utah Phillips- Larimer Street

The Telling Takes Me Home (Philo)

Rosalie Sorrels & Mike Regenstreif (1993)

Rosalie Sorrels- Postcard from India

Travelin’ Lady (Sire)

Tom Mitchell- Eastern Beer

1976 live recording – used with permission

Mimi Fariña- Defying Gravity
Live in Germany: To Benefit Bread & Roses (Dogfish Music)

Mike Regenstreif & Tom Paxton (2001) photo: Janice Hanson

Tom Paxton- Outward Bound

The Compleat Tom Paxton (Even Compleater) (Rhino Handmade)

Odetta- Hold On

Odetta at Carnegie Hall (Vanguard)

Dave Van Ronk- Green, Green Rocky Road

…and the tin pan bended, and the story ended… (Smithsonian Folkways)

John Hartford- Steamboat Whistle Blues

Aereo-Plain (Rounder)

Skyline with Tony Trischka- Ticket Back

Ticket Back: A Retrospective (Flying Fish)

Nanci Griffith- There’s a Light Beyond These Woods

There’s a Light Beyond These Woods (Philo)

Stan Rogers- The Mary Ellen Carter

Between the Breaks…Live! (Fogarty’s Cove/Borealis)

Next week: Part 1: Remembering Spider John Koerner / Part 2: The Legacy of Reverend Gary Davis

--Mike Regenstreif