Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – August 26, 2025: Songs of August & Highway 61 Revisited – Revisited

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/595/71687.html

Themes: Part 1 – Songs of August; Part 2 – Highway 61 Revisited – Revisited.

Part 1 – Songs of August

Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer with Chao Tran- August Flower

From China to Appalachia (Community Music)

Emily Triggs- Beautiful August

The Great Escape (Emily Triggs)

Jay Linden- August Night

Satchel (Jay Linden)

The Lucky Sisters- On an August Night

So Lucky (Patio)

Preservation Hall Jazz Band- August Nights

That’s It (Legacy)

Joan Baez- The 33rd of August

Blessed Are (Vanguard)

Jeanie Stahl- The August of Our Years

Mysteries (Daring)

Benny Carter- August Moon

Aspects (United Artists)

Part 2 – Highway 61 Revisited – Revisited.

It was 60 years ago, on August 30, 1965, that Bob Dylan released his monumental folk-rock album, Highway 61 Revisited.

Rory Block- Like a Rolling Stone

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

Tim O’Brien- Tombstone Blues

Red On Blonde (Sugar Hill)

Ian Hanchet- It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry

Dealin’ from the Bottom (of My Heart) (Ian Hanchet)

Bob Dylan- From a Buick 6

Highway 61 Revisited (Columbia)

Ben Sidran- Ballad of a Thin Man

Dylan Different (Bonsai)

Emma Swift- Queen Jane Approximately

Blonde on the Tracks (Tiny Ghost/CRS)

Ray Benson- Highway 61 Revisited

Swingin’ and Skankin’ (Primary Wave Music)

Tom Russell & Joe Ely- Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

Folk Hotel (Frontera)

Bill Camplin- Desolation Row

Bob Dylan Project One (Bill Camplin)

Bob Dylan recorded versions of the next three songs during the sessions for Highway 61 Revisited but did not include them on the album.

Lucinda Williams- Positively 4th Street

The Village: A Celebration of the Music of Greenwich Village (429)

Bob Dylan & The Hawks- Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window (single version)

Side Tracks (Columbia/Legacy)

Bob Dylan- Sitting On a Barbed Wire Fence

The Best of the Cutting Edge 1965-1966 (Columbia/Legacy)

Next week: Crazy Blues and Other Crazy Songs.

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – June 10, 2025: Dreams

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/595/70583.html

Theme: Dreams.

All the songs have something or other to do with dreams: dreams we dream at night, or daydreams, or, in many cases, aspirational dreams, broken dreams and dreams fulfilled.

Missy Burgess- Sweet Dreams

Lemon Pie (Missy Burgess)

Ken Tizzard- Sonny’s Dream

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

Ian & Sylvia- So Much for Dreaming

So Much for Dreaming (Vanguard)

Kim Beggs- Alive and Well in My Dreams

Beneath Your Skin (Out of a Paperbag Productions)

Tom Russell- Blue Wing

Old Songs Yet to Sing (Frontera)

Swing & Tears- The Dreamin’

Swing & Tears (Swing & Tears)

Bob Dylan- Bob Dylan’s Dream

The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (Columbia/Legacy)

Dakota Dave Hull & Sean Blackburn- I’ll See You in My Dreams

North By Southwest (Arabica)

Doug McArthur- Dreams and Visions

Letters from the Coast/Sisteron (Snow Goose Songs)

Rob Siegel- I Dreamed I Said to Sisyphus

I’m from Here (Rob Siegel)

The Puppini Sisters- Mr, Sandman

Betcha Bottom Dollar (Verve)

Garnet Rogers- John O’Dreams

The Outside Track (Snow Goose Songs)

Eliza Gilkyson- Impossible Dreams

Dark Ages (Realiza)

Kat Goldman- The One to Dream

The Workingman’s Blues (Kat Goldman)

Jamie Anderson- The Dream

Dare (Tsunami)

Jimmy LaFave- Land of Hope and Dreams

Depending on the Distance (Music Road)

Bette Midler- A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes

Broken Blossom (Atlantic)

Shelley Posen- I Missed You in My Dreams Last Night

Old Loves (Well Done Music)

Moore & McGregor- Dream With Me

Dream With Me (Ivernia)

David Myles- Dreaming

Real Love (Little Tiny)

The Lovin’ Spoonful- Daydream

Daydream (Sony/Legacy)

John Stewart- Daydream Believer

The Lonesome Picker Rides Again (Collectors’ Choice Music)

Anne Hills- Dreamcatcher

Angle of the Light (Flying Fish)

Eric Bogle- Don’t Throw Away Your Dreams

A Toss of the Coin (Greentrax)

Priscilla Herdman- Dreams

Forgotten Dreams (Flying Fish)

Next week: Music for 88 Keys.

--Mike Regenstreif 

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – March 25, 2025: Songs of Laura Nyro; Bringing It All Back Home Revisited

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/595/69511.html

Themes: Part 1 – Songs of Laura Nyro (1947-1997); Part 2 – Bringing It All Back Home Revisited.

Part 1 – Songs of Laura Nyro (1947-1997)

Laura Nyro – who died of ovarian cancer in 1997 at age 49 – was a singer-songwriter from New York City who made a number of fine albums and whose songs were also done by artists from a variety of genres of music.

Laura Nyro- Eli’s Comin ‘

Eli and the Thirteenth Confession (Columbia/Legacy)

Darol Anger & Emy Phelps- Stoney End

Music of Our People (Darol Anger & Emy Phelps)

Laura Love- Stoned Soul Picnic

Fourteen Days (Zoë)

Laura Nyro- Wedding Bell Blues

More Than a New Discovery (Columbia)

David Clayton-Thomas- And When I Die

In Concert: A Musical Biography (Justin Time)

Billy Childs, Esperanza Spalding & Wayne Shorter- Upstairs by a Chinese Lamp

Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro (Sony Masterworks)

Laura Nyro- Save the Country

New York Tendaberry (Columbia/Legacy)

Part 2 – Bringing It All Back Home Revisited

Bob Dylan’s Bringing It All Back Home was released 60 years ago this week on March 22, 1965. Even before Highway 61 Revisited, which came out later in 1965, Bringing It All Back Home marked Dylan’s first embrace of electric folk rock.

Dave Van Ronk- Subterranean Homesick Blues

To All My Friends in Far-Flung Places (Gazell)

The Flatlanders- She Belongs to Me

Treasure of Love (Rack ‘Em)

Ian Hanchet- Maggie’s Farm

Dealin’ from the Bottom (of My Heart) (Ian Hanchet)

Eliza Gilkyson- Love Minus Zero/No Limit

A Nod to Bob (Red House)

Queens of the Stone Age- Outlaw Blues

Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan (Amnesty International)

Ben Sidran- On the Road Again

Dylan Different (Bonsai)

Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues Band- Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream

Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan (Amnesty International)

Jimmy LaFave- Mr. Tambourine Man

Trail Three (Music Road)

Julie Felix- Gates of Eden

Starry Eyed and Laughing… Songs by Bob Dylan (Remarkable)

The Duhks- It’s All Right, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

The Village: A Celebration of the Music of Greenwich Village (429)

Crowes Pasture- It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue

Edge of America (Crowes Pasture)

An outtake from Bringing It All Back Home became the title song of an album released in 1965 by Joan Baez and one of her signature songs.

Joan Baez- Farewell, Angelina

Farewell, Angelina (Vanguard)

Next week: Part 1 – Remembering Jesse Colin Young (1941-2025); Part 2 – April Fools.

--Mike Regenstreif

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

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

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 – May 21, 2024: Even More Songs of Bob Dylan

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/595/65281.html

Theme: Even More Songs of Bob Dylan.

Bob Dylan – who turns 83 this week on May 24 – is, arguably, but certainly in my opinion, the most important and influential songwriter ever. All of the songs on this show have never been heard on any previous edition of Stranger Songs.

Bob Dylan- Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again

Blonde On Blonde (Columbia)

The Clancy Brothers with Louis Killen- Girl from the North Country

Save the Land! (Audio Fidelity)

Joan Baez- Love Minus Zero/No Limit

Any Day Now (Vanguard)

Pete Seeger- Who Killed Davey Moore?

We Shall Overcome: The Complete Carnegie Hall Concert, June 8, 1963 (Columbia)

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

The Best of Broadside 1962-1988 (Smithsonian Folkways)

Bob Dylan- Ballad of Hollis Brown

The Times They Are A-Changin’ (Columbia)

J.D. Crowe & The New South- Nashville Skyline Rag

Flashback (Rounder)

Odetta- Walkin’ Down the Line

Odetta Sings Dylan (RCA)

The Brothers & Sisters- Just Like a Woman

Dylan’s Gospel (Columbia)

Julie Felix- It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

Starry Eyed and Laughing… Songs by Bob Dylan (Remarkable)

Bob Dylan- Blind Willie McTell

The Bootleg Series, Volume 3 (Columbia)

Tom Russell- John Wesley Harding

Tonight We Ride EP (HighTone)

Ian & Sylvia- Tears of Rage

Long Long Time (Vanguard)

Peter, Paul & Mary- Too Much of Nothing

Late Again (Warner Bros.)

Bob Dylan- If Dogs Run Free

New Morning (Columbia)

Jimmy LaFave- You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go

Peace Town (Music Road)

Ian Hanchet- If Not for You

Dealin’ from the Bottom (of My Heart) (Ian Hanchet)

Caroline Doctorow- Time Passes Slowly

Dreaming in Vinyl (Narrow Lane)

Bob Dylan- Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands

Blonde On Blonde (Columbia)[MR1]

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

--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

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Tuesday October 24, 2023: Conversation and Songs with Terri Thal

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/595/62442.html

Primary Theme: Conversation and Songs with Terri Thal.

Terri Thal is the author of the newly published memoir, My Greenwich Village: Dave, Bob and Me. She became involved in the folk music scene while still a teenager in New York and was the first wife and manager of Dave Van Ronk. She was also the first manager of Bob Dylan and a number of other artists in the 1960s. I spoke with Terri on October 13 via Zoom.

The next five songs punctuated my conversation with Terri.

Pete Seeger- Solidarity Forever

If I Had a Hammer: Songs of Hope & Struggle (Smithsonian Folkways)

Dave Van Ronk- Cocaine Blues

Inside Dave Van Ronk (Fantasy)

Bob Dylan- Masters of War

The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (Columbia/Legacy)

Dave Van Ronk- Mack the Knife

Let No One Deceive You: Songs of Bertolt Brecht (Flying Fish)

Terre & Maggie Roche- Malachy’s

Kin Ya See That Sun (Earth Rock Wreckerds) 

Note: This is the first edition of Stranger Songs that I’ve recorded since the day of horrific and unfathomable terrorism committed by Hamas in Israel on October 7, and the entirely predictable consequences that followed in Gaza. I despair for the innocent victims in Israel and in Gaza who have been injured and killed these last few weeks. May there soon be peace, shalom, salaam, in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank; in Ukraine, and everywhere else on Earth torn apart by war. These are just a few of the songs I was reminded of in the days that followed October 7.

Leonard Cohen- Story of Isaac

Songs from a Room (Columbia/Legacy)

Kronos Quartet with Sam Amidon, Brian Carpenter, Lee Knight & Aoife O'Donovan- Turn, Turn, Turn

Long Time Passing: Kronos Quartet & Friends Celebrate Pete Seeger (Smithsonian Folkways)

Nanci Griffith- From a Distance

Lone Star State of Mind (MCA)

The Klezmatics with Adrienne Cooper- I Ain’t Afraid

Live at Town Hall (Klezmatics Disc) 

Fran Avni with Rachelle Mingail Shubert & Jeffrey Simons- Sim Shalom/Bring the Peace

Kulanu: All of Us in Harmony (Fran Avni)

Next week: Halloween and CKCU Funding Drive.

--Mike Regenstreif 

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Tuesday August 22, 2023: Remembering Robbie Robertson

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/595/61634.html

Theme: Remembering Robbie Robertson (1943-2023).

Robbie Robertson (photo: Don Dixon/The Band website)

Robbie Robertson, the great guitarist and principal songwriter of The Band, died on Aguust 9, at age 80, following what his family said was a long illness.

The Band- Caledonia Mission

Music from Big Pink (Capitol)

The Staple Singers- The Weight

Stax Profiles (Stax)

Colin Linden (with Rick Danko)- Chest Fever

When the Spirit Comes (True North)

The Band- To Kingdom Come

Music from Big Pink (Capitol)

Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks- Come Love

Testimony (Universal)

The Band & Ronnie Hawkins- Who Do You Love

The Last Waltz (Rhino)

Happy & Artie Traum- Going Down to See Bessie (Bessie Smith)

Double-Back (Capitol)

Bob Dylan & The Band- Highway 61 Revisited

Before the Flood (Columbia/Legacy)

The Band- Up on Cripple Creek

Before the Flood (Columbia/Legacy)

Jack Williams- The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

Four Good Days (Wind River)

Rosanne Cash- The Unfaithful Servant

Endless Highway: The Music of The Band (429)

The Band- Rockin’ Chair

The Band (Capitol)

The Band- The Shape I’m In

Stage Fright (Capitol)

Barrence Whitfield & Tom Russell- Daniel and the Sacred Harp

Cowboy Mambo (Stony Plain)

Colleen Rennison- Stage Fright

See the Sky About to Rain (Black Hen)

Robbie Robertson- Somewhere Down the Crazy River

Testimony (Universal)

David Clayton-Thomas- Ophelia

Canadiana (Antoinette/ILS)

The Roches- Acadian Driftwood

Endless Highway: The Music of The Band (429)

The Band- The Saga of Pepote Rouge

Islands Cross (Capitol)

The Band- The Weight

Music from Big Pink (Capitol)

Next week: Songs of Bruce Springsteen.

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Tuesday August 8, 2023: He was a Friend of Mine – Thinking of Dave Van Ronk

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif finds connections and develops themes in various genres. The show is broadcast on CKCU 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 already be streamed on-demand by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/61381.html

Theme: He was a Friend of Mine: Thinking of Dave Van Ronk.

Dave – who died of cancer on February 10, 2002 at age 65 – was a tremendously influential artist, both to his contemporaries on the folk scene in the late 1950s and ‘60s – and to countless others who came along later.

Dave Van Ronk- St. James Infirmary

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

Bob Dylan- House of the Rising Sun

Bob Dylan (Columbia/Legacy)

Dave Van Ronk- Song to Woody

Somebody Else, Not Me (Philo)

Peter, Paul & Mary- Bamboo

Peter, Paul and Mary (Warner Bros.)

Peter Keane- Sunday Street

Another Kind of Blue (Broken White)

Dakota Dave Hull- Sheridan Square Rag

Under the North Star (Arabica)

Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Emmylou Harris, Loudon Wainwright III- Green Green Rocky Road

The McGarrigle Hour (Hannibal)

Tex König- Zen Koans Gonna Rise Again

Königsblende (Music Cellar)

Hans Theessink- He was a Friend of Mine

Songs from the Southland (Blue Groove)

Dave Van Ronk & The Ragtime Jug Stompers- Stealin’

Ragtime Jug Stompers (Oldays)

Tom Russell- Van Ronk

Hotwalker (HighTone)

Dave Van Ronk- Bird on the Wire

Van Ronk (Polydor)

Dave Van Ronk- Four Strong Winds

Live in Monterey (Omnivore)

Dave Van Ronk- Urge for Going

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

David Massengill- Dave Van Ronk’s Last Cigar

Dave on Dave: A Tribute to Dave Van Ronk (Gadfly)

The Village Dudes- Another Time and Place

Another Time and Place (Blue Flute Music)

Dave Van Ronk & Christine Lavin- Two Sleepy People

Hummin’ to Myself (Gazell)

Dave Van Ronk- Cocaine

Live at Sir George Williams University (Just a Memory)

Dave Van Ronk- Gaslight Rag

Two Sides of Dave Van Ronk (Fantasy)

Tom Paxton- The Mayor of MacDougal Street

Redemption Road (Pax)

Dave Van Ronk- The Entertainer

Somebody Else, Not Me (Philo)

Next week: Remembering Tony Bennett (1926-2023).

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Tuesday August 1, 2023: Art & Artists

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

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

This episode of Stranger Songs was recorded and can already be streamed on-demand by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/61330.html

Theme: Art & Artists.

Bob Dylan- When I Paint My Masterpiece

Shadow Kingdom (Columbia/Legacy)

Joni Mitchell- The Gallery

Clouds (Reprise)

Mike Regenstreif & Murray McLauchlan on Zoom (2021)

Murray McLauchlan- A Thomson Day (For Tom Thomson)

Hourglass (True North)

Ian Tamblyn- A.Y.

Walking in the Footsteps: Celebrating the Group of Seven (Art Gallery of Sudbury)

David Mallett- Phil Brown

Inches & Miles 1977-1980 (Flying Fish)

Kate & Anna McGarrigle- Hommage à Grungie

Tell My Sister – Dancer with Bruised Knees (Nonesuch)

Nikki Parrott- Mona Lisa

Unforgettable: The Nat King Cole Songbook (Venus)

Jay Linden- Salvador Dali

Ordinary Sunrise (Americana North)

Rain Perry- René and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After the War

Internal Combustion (Precipitous)

John McCutcheon- Monet Refuses the Operation

Cabin Fever: Songs from the Quarantine (Appalsongs)

Michael Johnathon- The Painter

The Painter (PoetMan)

Mike Regenstreif & Anne Hills (2001)

Anne Hills- My Daughter and Vincent Van Gogh

Points of View (Appleseed)

Priscilla Herdman- Vincent

Into the Stars (Stardreamer Music)

Gretchen Peters- Picasso and Me

Gretchen Peters (Valley Entertainment)

Guy Clark- Picasso’s Mandolin

Boats to Build (Asylum)

Jamie O'Reilly- Waving to Picasso

Swimming Deeper (Bird Avenue Publishing)

June Tabor- Paint Me, Redouté

Rosa Mudi (Green Linnet)

Judy Collins- Gauguin

Paradise (Wildflower)

Doug McArthur- The Painter’s Song

Letters from the Coast/Sisteron (Snow Goose Songs)

Ian Tyson- The Gift

All the Good’Uns (Stony Plain)

R. Crumb & His Cheap Suit Serenaders- Fine Artiste

R. Crumb’s Music Sampler (MQ Publications)

Next week: He was a Friend of Mine: Thinking of Dave Van Ronk.

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Tuesday July 25, 2023: Name That Tune

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

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

This episode of Stranger Songs was recorded and can already be streamed on-demand by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/61281.html

Theme: Name That Tune – every song includes a proper name in its title.

Bonnie Dobson- Peter Amberley

Take Me for a Walk in the Morning Dew (Hornbeam)

David Massengill- My Name Joe

Coming Up for Air (Flying Fish)

Christine Lavin- My Sister Mary & My Mother

On My Way to Hooterville (Christine Lavin)

Rod MacDonald- Come Out, Annie

Rants and Romance (Blue Flute Music)

Kate & Anna McGarrigle & Linda Ronstadt- Gentle Annie

The McGarrigle Hour (Hannibal)

Tom Mitchell- Old Dan

When the Moon is Right (Truesongs)

Dave Clarke- Lucinda

The Healing Garden (Crossties)

The Dumptrucks- Jean Harlow

Selections (Laughing Cactus)

The Wailin' Jennys- Bring Me Little Water Sylvie

Live at The Mauch Chunk Opera House (Outside Music)

Ken Whiteley- Michael Row

Long Time Travelling (Ken Whiteley)

Tom Russell- Annette

Box of Visions (Stony Plain)

Nanci Griffith- Julie Anne

Poet In My Window (Philo)

Paul Siebel- Louise

Woodsmoke and Oranges (Elektra)

Katy Moffatt- Sister Angelina

Chrysalis (Sunset Blvd. Records)

Ball & Chain & The Wreckers- Merle

Satisfied (Moo Music)

Lynn Miles- Johnny Without June

tumbleWeedyWorld (True North)

Ian Hanchet- To Ramona

Dealin’ from the Bottom (of My Heart) (Ian Hanchet)

Bob Dylan- Visions of Johanna

The Real Royal Albert Hall 1966 Concert! (Columbia/Legacy)

Noel Paul Stookey- Jean Claude

Just Causes (Neworld)

Mike Regenstreif & Michael Smith (2014)

Michael Smith- The Ballad of Elizabeth Dark

Such Things are Finely Done (Tales from the Tavern)

Jesse Winchester- Eulalie

Live from Mountain Stage (Blue Plate Music)

Next week: Art & Artists.

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Tuesday June 20, 2023: The Philosophy of Modern Song, Part 2

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

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

This episode of Stranger Songs was recorded and can already be streamed on-demand by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/60948.html

Theme: The Philosophy of Modern Song, Part 2.

Bob Dylan wrote about each of the songs on this show in his book, The Philosophy of Modern Song. Except where noted, these tracks are the versions of the songs that Dylan cites.

Dylan cites the 1956 version of “Ruby, Are You Mad at Your Man?” by The Osborne Brothers.

Carolina Chocolate Drops- Ruby, Are You Mad at Your Man?

Leaving Eden (Nonesuch)

Dylan cites the 1958 version of “Volare” by Domenico Modugno.

The Gipsy Kings- Volare

The Best of The Gipsy Kings (Nonesuch/Elektra)

The Clash- London Calling

London Calling (Epic)

Hank Williams- Your Cheatin’ Heart

40 Greatest Hits (Polydor)

Roy Orbison- Blue Bayou

In Dreams (Monument)

Dylan cites the 1970 version of “Midnight Rider” by The Allman Brothers.

Greg Allman- Midnight Rider

T-Bone Burnett presents The Speaking Clock Revue: Live from The Beacon Theatre (Shout! Factory)

Carl Perkins- Blue Suede Shoes

The Rockin’ Guitar Man: The Singles 1955-1962 (Jasmine)

Little Richard- Long Tall Sally

18 Greatest Hits (Rhino)

Warren Zevon- Dirty Life and Times

The Wind (Artemis)

Mose Allison- Everybody Cryin’ Mercy

I’ve Been Doin’ Some Thinkin’ (Atlantic)

Johnny Cash- Big River

The Legend of Johnny Cash (American Recordings)

Ernie K-Doe- A Certain Girl

Finger Poppin’ and Stompin’ Feet: 20 Classic Allen Toussaint Productions for Minit Records 1960-1962 (Crescent City Soul)

Dylan cites the 1964 version of “Blue Moon” by Dean Martin.

Ian Tyson- Blue Moon

Live at Longview (Stony Plain)

Waylon Jennings- I’ve Always Been Crazy

Nashville Rebel (RCA/Legacy)

Judy Garland- Come Rain or Come Shine

Judy (Capitol)

Jimmy Reed- Big Boss Man

Found Love (Vee-Jay)

Dylan cites the 1928 version of “Old and Only in the Way” by Charlie Poole.

Loudon Wainwright III- Old and Only in the Way

High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project (2nd Story Sound)

Nina Simone- Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood

Broadway-Blues-Ballads (Philips)

Pete Seeger- Waist Deep in the Big Muddy

Waist Deep in the Big Muddy and Other Love Songs (Columbia)

Elvis Presley- Viva Las Vegas

Viva Las Vegas (RCA)

Dylan cites the 1996 version of “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” by Jimmy Webb.

Susie Arioli Band featuring Jordan Officer- By the Time I Get to Phoenix

Learn to Smile Again (Justin Time)

Frank Sinatra- Strangers in the Night

Greatest Love Songs (Reprise)

Santana- Black Magic Woman

Abraxis (Columbia)

Next week: Songs of Bruce Cockburn.

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Tuesday May 23, 2023: The Traditional Folk & Blues Songs of Bob Dylan

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

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

This episode of Stranger Songs was recorded and can already be streamed on-demand by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/60463.html

Theme: The Traditional Folk & Blues Songs of Bob Dylan.

I’ve always felt that the best songwriters have a deep understanding and appreciation of traditional music, and Bob Dylan is among those who set the standard for that. All the songs on this program have been part of Dylan’s repertoire at some point over the past 60-plus years.

Bob Dylan- Man of Constant Sorrow

Bob Dylan (Columbia/Legacy)

The Norfolk Broads- Fennario (Pretty Peggy-O)

Yonder Green Grove (The Norfolk Broads)

Michael Jerome Browne with Tielhard Frost- Fixin’ to Die Blues

Gettin’ Together (Borealis/Stony Plain)

The Be Good Tanyas- In My Time of Dying

Chinatown (Nettwerk)

Guy Davis & Mike Regenstreif (2006)

Guy Davis with The Blind Boys of Alabama- See That My Grave is Kept Clean

Juba Dance (M.C.)

Dave Van Ronk- House of the Rising Sun

Down in Washington Square (Smithsonian Folkways)

Odetta- No More Auction Block

Odetta at Carnegie Hall (Vanguard)

Garnet Rogers- Corrina, Corrina

Night Drive (Snow Goose Songs)

Deborah Robins- Tell Old Bill

Lone Journey (Zippety Whippet Music) 

Joni Mitchell- Copper Kettle

Archives – Volume 1: The Early Years (1963-1967) (Rhino)

Kim Beggs- Moonshiner

Beauty and Breaking (Out of a Paperbag Productions)

The Dumptrucks- Stealin’

Selections (Laughing Cactus)

Sylvia Tyson & Mike Regenstreif (1997)

Ian & Sylvia- Rocks and Gravel

Ian & Sylvia (Vanguard)

Tom Russell- Rambler, Gambler

Song of the West: The Cowboy Collection (HMG)

Ramblin' Jack Elliott- Railroad Bill

Hard Travelin’ (Fantasy)

Mike Regenstreif & Marc Nerenberg (2009)

Marc Nerenberg- Dink’s Song

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

Martin Grosswendt- Delia

Pay Day! (Martin Grosswendt)

Happy Traum- The Water is Wide

Just for the Love of It (Lark’s Nest Music)

Kate & Anna McGarrigle- Hard Times Come Again No More

Songs of the Civil War (Columbia)

Bob Dylan- Days of ‘49

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

Next week: Songs of Bertolt Brecht.

Find me on Facebook. facebook.com/mikeregenstreif

--Mike Regenstreif