Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – August 19, 2025: The Original Sloth Band at 60

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/595/71585.html

Theme: The Original Sloth Band at 60.

The Original Sloth Band – teenaged brothers Chris Whiteley and Ken Whiteley and their friend Tom Evans – played their first gig in 1965. Their band name for that gig was Tubby Fats Original Allstar Downtown Syncopated Big Rock Jug Band but they soon evolved into the Original Sloth Band. Sadly, Tom Evans passed away from cancer in 2009, but, in June, Chris and Ken with some guest musicians played a concert at Hugh’s Room in Toronto to mark the milestone anniversary.

Original Sloth Band- The New Heartbreak Blues

Whoopee After Midnight (Sloth)

Samoa Wilson with The Jim Kweskin Band- (I Just Want to Be) Horizontal

I Just Want to Be Horizontal (Kingswood)

Tony Rice- Temperance Reel

Tony Rice (Rounder)

Jeff Healey- Sheik of Araby

The Best of the Stony Plain Years: Vintage Jazz, Swing and Blues (Stony Plain)

Amos Milburn- Johnson Rag

Rockin’ and Drinkin’: Greatest Hits and More 1946-1959 (Jasmine)

Original Sloth Band- Heaven

Whoopee After Midnight (Sloth)

The Dumptrucks- Stealin’

Selections (Laughing Cactus)

Original Sloth Band- I’m a Vulture (for Horticulture)

Whoopee After Midnight (Sloth)

Leon Redbone- Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone

Champagne Charlie (Warner Bros.)

Jenny Whiteley- Things are Coming My Way

The Original Jenny Whiteley (Black Hen Music)

Jay McShann- Sunny Side of the Street

Still Jumpin’ the Blues (Stony Plain)

Mose Scarlett- How Long Blues

The Fundamental Things (Pyramid)

Original Sloth Band- Get a Job 

Whoopee After Midnight (Sloth)

Maria Muldaur- Organ Grinder Blues

One Hour Mama: The Blues of Victoria Spivey (NOLA Blues)

Duke Ellington & Ivie Anderson- Get Yourself a New Broom (and Sweep the Blues Away)

Ellington in Order, Volume 5 (1932-33) (Legacy)

Duke Ellington & The Mills Brothers- Diga Diga Do

Ellington in Order, Volume 5 (1932-33) (Legacy)

Jimmy Bracken's Toe Ticklers- It’s Tight Like That

Jack Teagarden: The Definitive Collection (Master Tape)

Original Sloth Band- Shout Baby Shout

Hustlin’ & Bustlin’ (Woodshed)

The Boswell Sisters- Cheek to Cheek

Cheek to Cheek (Classic)

The Central Park Sheiks- Honeysuckle Rose

Honeysuckle Rose (Flying Fish)

Bessie Smith- Gimme a Pigfoot (and a Bottle of Beer)

Bessie Smith: The Absolutely Essential 3 CD Collection (Big3)

Carolina Chocolate Drops- Memphis Shakedown

Carolina Chocolate Drops & Joe Thompson (Music Makers Recordings)

Original Sloth Band- Hustlin’ and Bustlin’ for Baby

Hustlin’ & Bustlin’ (Woodshed)

Ken Whiteley- Fast Freight Train

Unseen Hands: 12 Songs 12 Strings (Ken Whiteley)

Chris Whiteley- I’ve Got to Split

It’s the Natural Thing to Do (Electro-Fi)

Next week: Songs for August and Highway 61 Revisited – Revisited.

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – August 20, 2024: Murder Ballads

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/595/66460.html

Theme: Murder Ballads.

Bill Morrissey & Greg Brown- Tom Dula

Friend of Mine (Philo)

Ian & Sylvia- The Greenwood Sidie (The Cruel Mother)

Four Strong Winds (Vanguard)

Fourtold- Four Rode By

Fourtold (Appleseed)

Ian Tyson- Claude Dallas

Cowboyography (Stony Plain)

Tom Russell- El Paso

Indians Cowboys Horses Dogs (HighTone)

Dave Van Ronk- Duncan and Brady

Down in Washington Square (Smithsonian Folkways)

Saul Broudy- John Hardy

Travels with Broudy (Saul Broudy)

Rory Block- Louis Collins

Avalon: A Tribute to Mississippi John Hurt (Stony Plain)

Clarksdale Moan- Stack O’Lee

Dewittville Blues (Clarksdale Moan)

Martin Grosswendt- Delia

Pay Day! (Martin Grosswendt)

Guy Davis- Sugarbelly

The Legend of Sugarbelly (M.C.)

Bessie Smith- Send Me to the ‘Lectric Chair

Bessie Smith: The Absolutely Essential 3 CD Collection (Big3)

Victoria Spivey- Murder in the First Degree

Queen Victoria (Frank Goldy)

Mark Rubin- The Murder of Leo Frank

The Triumph of Assimilation (Rubinchik)

Marc Nerenberg- Little Sadie

Delia’s Gone: Murder Ballads & Other Songs of Love & Death (Marc Nerenberg)

Mountain City Four- Sam Hall

Mountain City Four (Omnivore)

Doc & Merle Watson- The Banks of the Ohio

Doc Watson On Stage (Vanguard)

The Kossoy Sisters- Pretty Polly

Hop On Pretty Girls (Living Folk)

Karan Casey- The Ballad of Hollis Brown

Hieroglyphs That Tell the Tale (Vertical)

Wendy Grossman- Mary Hamilton

The Last Trip Home (Riverlark) 

Next week: Walking Blues.

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – February 6, 2024: A Tribute to Odetta

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/595/63807.html

Theme: A Tribute to Odetta (1930-2008).

Odetta, the magnificent and highly influential African American folk and blues singer, who died in 2008 at the age of 77, was born Odetta Holmes in Birmingham, Alabama. She originally trained to be an opera singer and her earliest professional jobs were in musical theatre. In 1949, while singing in the touring company of Finian’s Rainbow, she met some folksingers and fell in love with the genre. From then on, she turned her attention to folk and blues, performing concerts and recording prolifically starting in the mid-1950s.

I met Odetta for the first time in 1977 in the hallway of the hotel we were staying at during the Philadelphia Folk Festival. I was there with Priscilla Herdman, who knew Odetta, and when she introduced us, Odetta gave me one of her big hugs. In the 1980s, I brought Odetta to The Golem, the folk club I ran in Montreal, numerous times.

Odetta, pianist Dave Keyes & Mike Regenstreif (2008)

The last time I got to work with Odetta was when I hosted a workshop with her at the 2008 Ottawa Folk Festival, just a few months before she passed away. I was deeply honored when she told me that my friendship over the years meant a lot to her.

All of the songs on this show were from Odetta’s repertoire.

Odetta- Stranger Here

Sometimes I Feel Like Cryin’ (RCA)

Lead Belly with The Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet- Alabama Bound

Take This Hammer – When the Sun Goes Down, Vol. 5 (Bluebird)

Bessie Smith- Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out

Bessie Smith: The Absolutely Essential 3 CD Collection (Big3)

Josh White- House of the Rising Sun

The Josh White Stories, Vols. I & II (Jasmine)

Odetta- Roberta

Lookin’ for a Home: Thanks to Leadbelly (M.C.)

Odetta- Freedom Trilogy: Oh Freedom/Come & Go with Me/I’m On My Way

Gonna Let It Shine (M.C.)

Gina Coleman- Glory Glory

Tell Me Who You Are: A Live Tribute to Odetta (Guitar One) 

Kim & Reggie Harris- Wade in the Water

Steal Away: Songs of the Underground Railroad (Appleseed)

Odetta- Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child

Odetta at Carnegie Hall (Vanguard)

Bob Dylan- No More Auction Block

The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 [Rare & Unreleased] 1961-1991 (Columbia)

Odetta- Blowin’ in the Wind

Odetta Sings Dylan (RCA)

Chaim Tannenbaum- Ain’t No More Cane on the Brazos

Chaim Tannenbaum (StorySound)

Rhiannon Giddens- Waterboy

Tomorrow is My Turn (Nonesuch)

Sweet Honey in the Rock- The Midnight Special

A Tribute: Live! Jazz at Lincoln Centre (Appleseed)

Coco Love Alcorn- This Little Light of Mine

Rebirth (Coco Love Alcorn)

Odetta & The Holmes Brothers- Down By the Riverside

Gonna Let It Shine (M.C.)

Tom Jones- Hit or Miss

Spirit in the Room (Island)

Penny Lang- Careless Love

Stone + Sand + Sea + Sky (Borealis)

Misty Blues- Go Down, Sunshine

Tell Me Who You Are: A Live Tribute to Odetta (Guitar One) 

Odetta & Dr. John- Oh Papa

Blues Everywhere I Go (M.C.)

Odetta- Goodnight Irene

Lookin’ for a Home: Thanks to Leadbelly (M.C.)

Next week: A Tribute Jelly Roll Morton on Mardi Gras Day.

--Mike Regenstreif

Saturday Morning with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Saturday October 12, 2019

Saturday Morning is an eclectic roots-oriented program on CKCU in Ottawa heard live on Saturday mornings from 7 until 10 am (Eastern time) and then available for on-demand streaming. I am one of the four rotating hosts of Saturday Morning and base my programming on the Folk Roots/Folk Branches format I developed at CKUT in Montreal.

CKCU can be heard live at 93.1 FM in Ottawa and http://www.ckcufm.com/ on the web.

This episode of Saturday Morning can be streamed on-demand at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/128/45128.html

The Refugees- Turnagain Arm

How Far It Goes (The Refugees)

Marc Nerenberg- Darlin’ Corey

Delia’s Gone: Murder Ballads & Other Songs of Love & Death (Marc Nerenberg)

Linda McRae- Caney Fork River

Going to the Well (42 RPM)

Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer- Jump Up Ginger

Wahoo! (Community Music)

Ian & Sylvia- Darcy Farrow

The Lost Tapes (Stony Plain)

Marty Morrissey- Grapes on the Vine

The Ancient Ground (Marty Morrissey)

Steve Gillette & Cindy Mangsen- When the First Leaves Fall

A Sense of Place (Redwing)

Katherine Rondeau- Urge for Going

Unfortunate Point of View (Katherine Rondeau)

Disappear Fear- Changes

Get Your Phil (Disappear Records)

Sharon Goldman- Lone Black Crow

Every Trip Around the Sun (Sharon Goldman)

Tom Russell- October in the Railroad Earth

October in the Railroad Earth (Frontera)

Gathering Sparks- Hey Marguerite

All That’s Real (Borealis)

Shelley Posen- Emily

Ontario Moon (Well Done Music)

Katie Dahl- Helen

Wildwood (Leaky Boat)

Christine Lavin- Jane

The Best of Christine Lavin (Christine Lavin)

Extended Feature: Remembering Bessie Smith (1894-1937). Versions of the next 15 songs were recorded by Bessie Smith between 1923 and 1937.

Rory Block- Weeping Willow Blues

A Woman’s Soul: A Tribute to Bessie Smith (Stony Plain)

Penny Lang- Careless Love

Stone + Sand + Sea + Sky (Borealis)

Jim Kweskin & The Neo-Passé Jazz Band- Jazzbo Brown from Memphis Town

Jump for Joy (Vanguard)

Ann Rabson- Do Your Duty

In a Family Way (Emit Doog Music)

Bessie Smith- I’m Wild About That Thing

Bessie Smith: The Absolutely Essential 3 CD Collection (Big3)

Bessie Smith

Vassar Clements & Maria Muldaur- I Ain’t Gonna Play No Second Fiddle

Livin’ with the Blues (Acoustic Disc)

Judy Henske- Empty Bed Blues

The Elektra Albums (Ace)

Dave Van Ronk- You’ve Been a Good Old Wagon

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

Gaye Adegbalola- Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl

Bitter Sweet Blues (Alligator)

Bessie Smith- Gimme a Pigfoot (and a Bottle of Beer)

Bessie Smith: The Absolutely Essential 3 CD Collection (Big3)

Martin Grosswendt & Susanne Salem-Schatz- After You’ve Gone

New Songs, Old Hats (Martin Grosswendt & Susanne Salem-Schatz)

Tom Rush- Black Mountain Blues

Tom Rush/Take a Little Walk with Me (BGO)

Odetta- Rich Man Blues (Poor Man’s Blues)

Blues Everywhere I Go (M.C.)

Memphis Slim- Backwater Blues

The Folkways Years 1959-1973 (Smithsonian Folkways)

Bessie Smith- On Revival Day

Bessie Smith: The Absolutely Essential 3 CD Collection (Big3)

The Durham County Poets perform tonight at the Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield.

Durham County Poets- Hand Me Down Blues

Hand Me Down Blues (Durham County Poets)

Ball & Chain and the Wreckers perform tonight at Irene’s.

Ball & Chain and the Wreckers- Surrender

Surrender (Ball and Chain)

Sneezy Waters performs at on Wednesday, October 23 at Irene’s.  

Sneezy Waters- Bird of Paradise

A Letter Home (Sneezy Waters)

Rob Lutes performs Thursday, October 24 at the National Arts Centre Fourth Stage.

Rob Lutes- Hardest Thing of All

Walk in the Dark (Lucky Bear)

“Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story,” starring Ben Caplan, returns to the Babs Asper Theatre at the National Arts Centre from October 17-27.

Ben Caplan- You’ve Arrived

Old Stock (Rhyme and Reason)

The Small Glories- Sing

Assiniboine & the Red (Red House)

The Wild Reeds- Tom Traubert’s Blues

Come On Up to the House: Women Sing Waits (Dualtone)

Bill Jones- So, Here’s to You

Wonderful Fairy Tale (Brick Wall Music)

Aviva Chernick- A Ti, Espanya

La Serena (Aviva Chernick)

Perla Batalla- Cucurrucucu Paloma

Discoteca Batalla (Mechuda Music)

Alex Cuba- La Mujeres

Sublime (Caracol) 

Allison Lupton- Ontario Tune Set

Words of Love (Allison Lupton Music)

I’ll be hosting Saturday Morning next on November 9 during the CKCU Funding Drive.

Find me on Twitter. @MikeRegenstreif

And on Facebook. facebook.com/mikeregenstreif

--Mike Regenstreif

Rory Block – A Woman’s Soul: A Tribute to Bessie Smith

RORY BLOCK

A Woman’s Soul: A Tribute to Bessie Smith

Stony Plain Records

roryblock.com

In 2006, after more than three decades as one of the finest contemporary interpreters of traditional country blues, and as an accomplished songwriter in the country blues tradition, Rory Block released an album called The Lady and Mr. Johnson, a magnificent tribute to Robert Johnson, the Delta blues singer, songwriter and guitarist who made a series of what would eventually become highly influential recordings in 1936 and 1937 before his death at age 27 in 1938. Rory followed that album with a series of equally fine tributes to her mentors – blues legends she met and was influenced by while growing up in Greenwich Village – including Son House, Skip James, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Mississippi John Hurt, Bukka White and Reverend Gary Davis.

Now, with A Woman’s Soul: A Tribute to Bessie Smith, Rory begins a new series of tributes to legendary women blues singers. Bessie Smith (1894-1937) was a logical artist with whom to begin this series. The 160 recordings Smith made between 1923 and 1933 remain among the most influential of the classic blues era and earned her the title of “The Empress of the Blues.”

While Smith recorded with pianists and other jazz musicians – including Louis Armstrong – Rory has arranged these songs in her own country blues style for vocals and guitar, sometimes overdubbing more guitar parts, bass, homemade percussion and harmony vocals herself. So, while these 10 songs are familiar from Smith’s versions, Rory makes them her own – with her powerful guitar playing and soulful singing.

Among my favorites here are “Jazzbo Brown from Memphis Town,” a song that pays tribute to a turn-of-the-20th-century musician from before the recording era; “Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer,” which evokes a Harlem speakeasy during Prohibition; and a very sexy version of “Empty Bed Blues.”

I’m looking forward to more volumes in Rory’s tribute series to legendary blues women with great anticipation.

The photo of Bessie Smith, taken in 1936, is from the Carl Van Vechten Photographs collection at the Library of Congress.

Find me on Twitter. twitter.com/@mikeregenstreif

And on Facebook. facebook.com/mikeregenstreif

--Mike Regenstreif