Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – February 13, 2024: A Tribute to Jelly Roll Morton on Mardi Gras Day

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/595/63877.html

Theme: A Tribute to Jelly Roll Morton (1890-1941) on Mardi Gras Day.

Jelly Roll Morton, whose birth name was Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe, was a pianist, singer, songwriter and bandleader from New Orleans who was steeped in traditional music and was one of the first important composers in jazz. Morton died in 1941 at age 50 from respiratory problems related to a stabbing in 1938 from which he never fully recovered. Morton claimed to have singlehandedly invented jazz in 1902, a claim that few music historians accept, despite his immense contributions to the early development of jazz. Some of the songs on this show were written by Jelly Roll Morton, all were from his vast repertoire.

Jelly Roll Morton- Original Jelly Roll Blues

Birth of the Hot (Bluebird)

Dave Van Ronk- Mamie’s Blues

Sunday Street (Philo)

Dr. John- Milneburg Joys

Goin’ Back to New Orleans (Warner Bros.)

Leon Redbone- Winin’ Boy Blues

Double Time (Warner Bros.)

Jelly Roll Morton- Mr. Jelly Lord

The Library of Congress Recordings, Volume 2: Anamule Dance (Rounder)

Paul Geremia- Dr. Jazz

Love My Stuff (Red House)

Billy Novick’s Blue Syncopators- Wild Man Blues

Music from The Great Gatsby (Billy Novick)

Jelly Roll Morton- Shake It

Last Sessions: The Complete General Recordings (Commodore)

Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women- Sweet Substitute

Old, New, Borrowed & Blue (Alligator)

Dave Van Ronk- The Pearls

Sunday Street (Philo)

Amos Garrett- Michigan Water Blues

Acoustic Album (Stony Plain)

Dr. John & Danny Barker- I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say

Goin’ Back to New Orleans (Warner Bros.)

Andrew Homzy Ensemble- Black Bottom Stomp

Hommage to Jelly Roll Morton (DSM)

Jelly Roll Morton- New Orleans Bump

Great Original Performances 1926-1934 (BBC)

Hot Tuna- Don’t You Leave Me Here

Hot Tuna (RCA)

Guy Van Duser & Billy Novick- Wolverine Blues

Every Little Moment (Daring)

Wynton Marsalis & Catherine Russell- Make Me a Pallet on the Floor

Bolden: Music from the Original Soundtrack (Blue Engine)

Julian Fauth- Tricks Ain’t Walking

The Weak and the Wicked, the Hard and the Strong (Electro-Fi)

Jelly Roll Morton- Dirty, Dirty, Dirty

Last Sessions: The Complete General Recordings (Commodore)

Jelly Roll Morton- The Murder Ballad, part 7: Goodbye to the World, I Know I’m Gone

The Library of Congress Recordings, Volume 3: The Pearls (Rounder)

Henry Butler & Steven Bernstein- King Porter Stomp

Viper’s Drag (Impulse)

Dirty Dozen Brass Band- Kansas City Stomp

Jelly (Columbia)

Next week: Songs of Chuck Berry.

--Mike Regenstreif

 

Various Artists -- A Nod to Bob 2

VARIOUS ARTISTS

A Nod to Bob 2

Red House

redhouserecords.com

A decade ago, when Bob Dylan turned 60, Red House Records, the superb folk music label based in Dylan’s home state of Minnesota, released a sublime tribute album called A Nod to Bob, that featured Red House artists of the day – including Rosalie Sorrels, Greg Brown, Eliza Gilkyson, John Gorka, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Guy Davis, Lucy Kaplansky and others – each doing a Bob Dylan song.

Now, with Dylan turning 70 this coming Tuesday, Red House has released another fine tribute featuring 16 of its solo artists or bands – including seven who were on the first Nod to Bob in 2001 – each doing a Dylan song or, in the cases of Spider John Koerner (“The Days of Forty-Nine”), Hot Tuna (“Mama, Let me Lay It On You”) and Guy Davis (“House of the Rising Sun”), great versions of traditional songs from Dylan’s repertoire.

Among my favourite tracks are John Gorka’s beautiful version of “Just Like a Woman,’ a gorgeous take on “Buckets of Rain” by Danny Schmidt, Meg Hutchinson’s haunting piano-based arrangement of “Born in Time,” and Jimmy LaFave’s intense folk-to-rock version of “Not Dark Yet.” There’s probably no other current artist who understands Dylan’s fusion of folk music and rock ‘n’ roll intensity better than Jimmy LaFave.

I have to admit that I much preferred the songs that Lucy Kaplansky and Eliza Gilkyson chose for Nod 1 to the ones they chose for Nod 2, but, still Lucy’s version of “Every Grain of Sand,” and Eliza’s live version of “Jokerman,” are both first-rate. As are almost all of the rest of the tracks.

I would say that if you’re looking for the best-ever various artists tribute album to Dylan, my vote would probably go to 2001’s A Nod to Bob. If you’ve got that one and want a more-than-worthy sequel, A Nod to Bob 2 is highly recommended.

---Mike Regenstreif