Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – February 24, 2026: The Legacy of Lead Belly

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/595/74248.html

Theme: The Legacy of Lead Belly.

Lead Belly – whose real name was Huddie Ledbetter – was one of the most important and influential blues and folk singers of all time. Lead Belly was born in Louisiana in 1888 or 1889 and died in 1949 at age 60 or 61. Lead Belly was known as the King of the 12-String Guitar, and he recorded and performed prolifically in the 1930s and ‘40s, Many of his  songs – both songs he wrote – and many traditional songs he adapted, have been recorded and sung by countless artists. 

This show includes some of Lead Belly’s recordings, versions of songs from his repertoire by many other artists, and a couple of tribute songs to him.

Lead Belly- Good Morning Blues #2

Bourgeois Blues: Lead Belly Legacy, Vol. 2 (Smithsonian Folkways)

Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee- Rock Island Line

Blues Masters, Vol. 5 (Storyville)

Guy Davis & Fabrizio Poggi- Take This Hammer

Sonny & Brownie’s Last Train (M.C.)

Taj Mahal & Ry Cooder- Pick a Bale of Cotton

Get On Board: The Songs of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee (Nonesuch)

Harry Belafonte- Cotton Fields

Belafonte Sings the Blues (RCA)

Lead Belly- Governor Pat Neff (Sweet Mary)

Shout On: Lead Belly Legacy, Vol. 3 (Smithsonian Folkways)

Pete Seeger- Huddie Ledbetter was Helluva Man

Pete (Living Music)

Odetta- In the Pines

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

Dave Van Ronk- Old Hannah

Somebody Else, Not Me (Philo)

Sweet Honey in the Rock- The Midnight Special 

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

Eric Bibb & JJ Milteau- Bring a Little Water, Sylvie

Lead Belly’s Gold (Stony Plain)

Lead Belly with The Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet- Alabama Bound

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

Howard Armstrong- John Henry

Louie Bluie (Blue Suit)

Ian & Sylvia- Ella Speed

Four Strong Winds (Vanguard)

Elijah Wald- Duncan and Brady

Street Corner Cowboys (Black Rose)

Andy Hedges featuring Dom Flemons- When I was a Cowboy

Roll On, Cowboys (Andy Hedges)

Lead Belly with Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee- Diggin’ My Potatoes

Bourgeois Blues: Lead Belly Legacy, Vol. 2 (Smithsonian Folkways)

Cathy Winter- House of the Rising Sun

Next Sweet Time (Flying Fish)

Nina Simone- Silver City Bound

Folksy Nina (Colpix)

Long John Baldry- We’re in the Same Boat Brother

Remembering Lead Belly (Stony Plain)

Lead Belly, Woody Guthrie, Sonny Terry & Cisco Houston- We Shall Be Free

Woody at 100: The Woody Guthrie Centennial Collection (Smithsonian Folkways)

Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee- Best of Friends

Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry Sing (Smithsonian Folkways)

Lead Belly- Irene (Goodnight Irene)

Where Did You Sleep Last Night: Lead Belly Legacy, Vol. 1 (Smithsonian Folkways)

Next week: The Water Lily and Other Song/Poems of Henry Lawson.

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – February 3, 2026: A Tribute to Jackie Washington

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/595/73942.html

Theme: A Tribute to Jackie Washington (1919-2009).

Jackie Washington & Mike Regenstreif (2008)

Jackie Washington was a legendary Canadian blues, jazz and folk artist who died in 2009 at age 89. Jackie was born in 1919 in Hamilton, Ontario to a musical family and began his professional career in the 1930s as one of The four Washington Brothers. In the mid-1960s, Jackie began performing on the Canadian folk scene as a solo artist and was a great influence on many artists, and a great friend to many of us on the Canadian folk scene. It was a thrill for me to bring Jackie to Montreal to perform at the Golem, the folk club that I ran in the 1970s and ‘80s. From the 1990s until his death in 2009, he frequently collaborated with Mose Scarlett and Ken Whiteley and the last time I got a chance to visit with Jackie was in 2008 when Jackie, Mose & Ken were in Ottawa for a concert at Library & Archives Canada.

By the way, Jackie Washington should not be confused with the American folksinger and actor Jack Landron, who recorded several albums in the 1960s under the name Jackie Washington.

Jackie sang and played guitar and piano and during this show we hear some of his recordings and many other songs from his huge repertoire performed by other artists.

Jackie Washington- When that Midnight Choo Choo Leaves for Alabam’

Midnight Choo Choo (Borealis)

Chick Webb & His Orchestra with Ella Fitzgerald- I Want to Be Happy

The Best of Chick Webb and His Orchestra with Ella Fitzgerald (MCA)

The Andrews Sisters- Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar

Ultimate Edition (Nostalgic Melody Music Production)

Sneezy Waters- Solitude 

Sneezy Waters (Sneezy Waters)

Leon Redbone- Lulu’s Back in Town

On the Track (Warner Bros.)

Jackie Washington- All of Me

The World of Jackie Washington (Borealis)

Katy Moffatt- Miss Otis Regrets

Chrysalis (Sunset Blvd.)

Jackie Washington- Columbus Stockade Blues

The World of Jackie Washington (Borealis)

Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer- Triskaidekaphobia

Wahoo! (Community Music)

Danny Barker- Save the Bones

Save the Bones (Orleans)

Martha Davis & Spouse- Blue Turning Grey Over You

Slightly More Than Wonderful (Jasmine)

The Hot Sardines- Keepin’ Out of Mischief Now

Welcome Home, Bon Voyage (Eleven)

Mose Scarlett, Jackie Washington & Ken Whiteley- A Little Street Where Old Friends Meet

Where Old Friends Meet (Pyramid)

Pearl Bailey- I Ain’t Got Nobody (and Nobody Cares For Me)

Pearl Bailey (Coral)

Howard Armstrong- Dinah

Louie Bluie (Blue Suit)

Hoagy Carmichael- Lazy River

Stardust Melody (Bluebird)

Emmalisa Hollander- Street of Dreams

Out of Reach (Prophone/Naxos Sweden)

Jackie Washington- Sleepy Town Train

Keeping Out of Mischief (Pyramid)

Jay McShann- Goin’ to Chicago

Still Jumpin’ the Blues (Stony Plain)

Colin Linden- Ain’t That Gravy Good

The World of Jackie Washington (Borealis)

Nicki Parrott- Them There Eyes

Fly Me to the Moon (Venus)

Bebop Cowboys- Sugarfoot Rag

Some Kind of Fantasy (Bebop Cowboys)

Jackie Washington- Take the ‘A’ Train

Keeping Out of Mischief (Pyramid)

Jackie Washington- Gotta Go 

The World of Jackie Washington (Borealis)

Next week: Songs of – or inspired by – the Civil Rights Movement.

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Tuesday May 2, 2023: Stompin’ at the Savoy

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/595/60257.html

Theme: Stompin’ at the Savoy.

The Savoy Ballroom in the Harlem section of New York City was a major music venue from 1926 until 1958, and in the liner notes to Savoy by Taj Mahal, Holger Peterson notes that 13 of the 14 songs on the album would likely have been heard at the Savoy during its long run. And that’s what gave me the idea for this theme. All the songs on this show were performed during that period and might well have been heard at the Savoy at some point.

Taj Mahal- Stompin’ at the Savoy

Savoy (Stony Plain)

Ella Fitzgerald with The Chick Webb Orchestra- A-Tisket, A-Tasket

Swingsation (Verve)

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy- Diga Diga Do

Rattle Them Bones (Savoy Jazz)

Howard Armstrong- Lady Be Good

Louie Bluie (Blue Suit)

Samoa Wilson with The Jim Kweskin Band- He Ain’t Got Rhythm

I Just Want to Be Horizontal (Kingswood)

Taj Mahal- Baby Won’t You Please Come Home

Savoy (Stony Plain)

Catherine Russell & Mike Regenstreif (2007)

Catherine Russell- Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby?

Alone Together (Dot Time)

Taj Mahal- Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me

Savoy (Stony Plain)

Barney Bigard & Orchestra- C Jam Blues

The Great Ellington Units (BMG)

Ella Fitzgerald with The Duke Ellington Orchestra- I’m Just a Lucky So-and-So

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook (Verve)

Jackie Washington & Mike Regenstreif (2008)

Jackie Washington- Take the “A” Train

Keeping Out of Mischief (Pyramid)

Nina Simone- Mood Indigo

Let It All Out (Liberty)

Taj Mahal- Caldonia

Savoy (Stony Plain)

Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown- Salt Pork, West Virginia

Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown Sings Louis Jordan (Black & Blue)

Asleep at the Wheel- Choo Ch’Boogie

Having a Party: Live (Goldenlane)

Louis Jordan- Let the Good Times Roll

Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five (JSP)

Taj Mahal- Sweet Georgia Brown

Savoy (Stony Plain)

Dave Van Ronk- Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good to You

Hummin’ to Myself (Gazell)

Oscar Brown, Jr.- One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)

The Voice of Cool (Not Now Music)

Count Basie & His Orchestra- Jumpin’ at the Woodside

The Count Basie Story, Vol. 1 (Columbia)

Cab Calloway- Minnie the Moocher

Are You Hep to the Jive? (Columbia/Legacy)

Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong- Stompin’ at the Savoy

Ella and Louis Again (Verve)

Next week: Remembering Harry Belafonte (1927-2023).

Find me on Facebook. facebook.com/mikeregenstreif

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Tuesday February 22, 2022: A Tribute to Fats Waller

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif finds connections and develops themes in various genres. The show is broadcast on CKCU in Ottawa on Tuesday afternoons 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 prerecorded at home and can already be streamed on-demand by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/595/55286.html

Theme: A Tribute to Fats Waller

Thomas Wright Waller, better known as Fats Waller, died in 1943 at age 39 after an all-too-brief career as an influential pianist, singer, and composer and as one of the most popular performers of his era. Some of the songs and instrumentals I played on this show were written by Waller, some were not, but all of them were performed and recorded by him at some point or another.

Fats Waller- Ain’t Misbehavin’
Happy Birthday Fats (True North)

Jackie Washington & Mike Regenstreif (2008)

Jackie Washington- The Joint is Jumpin’
The World of Jackie Washington (Borealis)
Jeff Healey- I Wish I Were Twins
Among Friends (Stony Plain)
The Hot Sardines- Keepin’ Out of Mischief Now
Welcome Home, Bon Voyage (Eleven)
Fats Waller- The Minor Drag
The Joint is Jumpin’ (Bluebird)

Scarlett, Washington & Whiteley- Sweet Sue
Sitting on a Rainbow (Borealis)
Martin, Bogan & Armstrong- If You’se a Viper
That Old Gang of Mine/Martin, Bogan & Armstrong (Flying Fish)

Allen Toussaint- Viper’s Drag
American Tunes (Nonesuch)

Fats Waller- When You and I Were Young Maggie
Happy Birthday Fats (True North)
Roberta Donnay & The Prohibition Mob Band- I’ve Got A Feeling I’m Falling
A Little Sugar (Motema)
Michael 'Earnie' Taylor- You’re Not the Only Oyster in the Stew
Folk ‘n’ Western (Laughing Cactus Music)
Maria Muldaur- Squeeze Me
Waitress in a Donut Shop (Reprise)
Leon Redbone- I’m Crazy ‘Bout My Baby
Whistling in the Wind (Rounder)

Dinah Washington- (What Did I Do To Be So) Black and Blue
Dinah Washington Sings Fats Waller (EmArcy)
Louis Armstrong & Velma Middleton- All That Meat and No Potatoes
Satch Plays Fats (Columbia)
Susie Arioli Swing Band featuring Jordan Officer- Honeysuckle Rose
Pennies from Heaven (Justin Time)
Fats Waller- Blues
The Joint is Jumpin’ (Bluebird)

Catherine Russell & Mike Regenstreif (2007)

Mose Scarlett- Lulu’s Back in Town
Precious Seconds (Borealis)
Catherine Russell- Everybody Loves My Baby
Strictly Romancin’ (World Village)
Dave Van Ronk- Your Feet’s Too Big
Sweet & Lowdown (Justin Time)
Fats Waller- After You’ve Gone
Happy Birthday Fats (True North)
Time Sparks- The Alligator Crawl
Sidewalk Blues (ToneWood)

Jack Radcliffe & Al Oliveira- S’posin’
Two Hot to Handle (Wepecket Island)
Fats Waller- You’re Slightly Less Than Wonderful
Happy Birthday Fats (True North)
Loudon Wainwright III with Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks- Ain’t Misbehavin’
I’d Rather Lead a Band (Search Party)

Fats Waller- Yacht Club Swing
The Joint is Jumpin’ (Bluebird)

Next week: A musical visit to New Orleans on Mardi Gras Day, Volume 2.

Find me on Facebook. facebook.com/mikeregenstreif

--Mike Regenstreif

Guy Davis – The Adventures of Fishy Waters: In Bed with the Blues

GUY DAVIS

The Adventures of Fishy Waters: In Bed with the Blues

Smokeydoke Records

guydavis.com

Fishy Waters is a fictional character, an old time blues musician, created by Guy Davis for The Adventures of Fishy Waters: In Bed with the Blues, a one-man theatrical play in which Fishy Waters reminisces about his life, telling stories and singing songs, in a way that provides audiences with insight and context into the lives of early blues musicians and more particularly, into the times and societal situations that shaped their lives and music.

Guy has performed in productions of The Adventures of Fishy Waters a number of times since its debut in 1994 and has now released this 2-CD set as an audio play version. Although I’ve never seen the full production on stage, I have seen Guy do several excerpts over the years during club and festival concerts, so I eagerly looked forward to at least hearing the complete version. As I expected, listening to it was a rich and rewarding experience. If I was still doing my radio program, I would have played each of the two CDs from start to finish with hardly an interruption.

The stories Fishy Waters tells range from a humorous description of a one-legged grave robber to a devastating description of encountering a KKK lynching of a young African American boy.

While most of the production is devoted to stories, the play integrates a bunch of superbly performed songs – some of Guy’s own written in traditional styles as well as classics drawn from Reverend Gary Davis, Blind Willie McTell, Robert Johnson (who Guy has also played on stage) and Big Bill Broonzy.

Although, by now, Guy is probably best known as a blues musician, he is also an actor of substantial talent – something he probably comes by naturally as the son of acclaimed theatre and film actors Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. In The Adventures of Fishy Waters: In Bed with the Blues, he blends his acting and musical talents to superb effect.

Listening to Guy as Fishy Waters tell these stories reminds me of listening to the likes of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Jay McShann, Howard "Louie Bluie" Armstrong, and other blues legends I've had the opportunity to know tell their first-hand accounts.

Pictured: Guy Davis and Mike Regenstreif at the 2006 Champlain Valley Folk Festival.

I'm now on Twitter. twitter.com/@mikeregenstreif

I'm also on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mikeregenstreif.

--Mike Regenstreif

Lauren Sheehan – Rose City Ramble

LAUREN SHEEHAN

Rose City Ramble

Wilson River Records

laurensheehanmusic.com

Six years ago, in a Sing Out! magazine review of her second album, Two Wings, I wrote that Lauren Sheehan “is one of the best interpreters of the [blues] genre to step forward in the past several years.” I still think that but notice that she refers to herself, on her website, as an “American roots songster.” I like that description as it recalls great musical forebears like Mississippi John Hurt, Lead Belly, and Mance Lipscomb, who, though blues-based, drew inspiration and material from wherever they chose and were thus often referred to as songsters rather than blues musicians.

On Rose City Ramble, her third album, Lauren is very much in that songster tradition. Some of the material is, indeed, straight out of the blues tradition, but she also draws on bluegrass, country, Appalachian folk balladry, and contemporary folk, often combining strains of one influence or another. For example, she finds and brings out the blues inherent and at the essence of Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” one of the greatest of all country classics, and also in “The Memory of Your Smile,” a bluegrass classic from the Stanley Brothers repertoire.

You can also feel the blues at the base of “Chilly Winds,” an original song based on the traditional Appalachian ballad, “Cold Rain and Snow,” and in her interpretation of the traditional “Black is the Color (of My True Love’s Hair).” And Lauren’s version of the latter song is very different from that of Nina Simone, who also turned the ancient Celtic song blue.

Among the other highlights on this excellent CD are “Oh, the Candyman,” a swinging variation on “Candy Man” that is very different from either of the standard versions associated with Reverend Gary Davis and Mississippi John Hurt; a rendition of Blind Willie McTell’s “In the Wee Midnight Hours” featuring sweet harmonies from Zoë Carpenter, Lauren’s daughter, and some haunting harmonica playing by Johnnie Ward; and “Louie’s Blues,” an original tune that draws inspiration and some lyrics from Howard (“Louie Bluie”) Armstrong.

Lauren has a lovely voice that she knows how to use to great effect, she’s an accomplished player whether on guitar, banjo or mandolin, and whether playing solo or with small ensembles, she’s crafted terrific arrangements well suited to each song.

--Mike Regenstreif

Carolina Chocolate Drops on their way to Montreal

The Carolina Chocolate Drops, one of the most exciting string bands to emerge in many years, will be performing their first Montreal concert Thursday, July 14, 8:00 pm, at Petit Campus (57 Prince Arthur East).

For info or tickets, call Hello Darlin' Productions at 514-524-9225.

Since forming six or seven years ago, the Carolina Chocolate Drops have been at the forefront of the revival and revitalization of African American stringband music, a rich form of traditional music that had been largely forgotten in recent decades.

I’ve seen the Carolina Chocolate Drops several times at folk festivals and have loved their unique blend of traditional music with contemporary sensibilities – both on stage and on their series of excellent CDs. Their latest full length CD, Genuine Negro Jig, won the Grammy this year for Best Traditional Folk Album.

The Carolina Chocolate Drops are coming to Montreal with a revised line-up from the version of the band that I know from CDs and folk festivals. That version was a trio featuring Rhiannon Giddens, Dom Flemons and Justin Robinson.

Justin recently left the band and original members Rhiannon and Dom have been joined by human beatboxer Adam Matta and multi-instrumentalist Hubby Jenkins. The buzz I’ve heard indicates version 2.0 of the Carolina Chocolate Drops is every bit as exciting as the original trio.

By the way, the band name, Carolina Chocolate Drops, is a nod to the Tennessee Chocolate Drops, an African American stringband that played and recorded in the 1930s. I had the opportunity to get to know three of the Tennessee Chocolate Drops – Carl Martin, Ted Bogan and Howard "Louie Bluie" Armstrong, all of whom have since passed away – when they reformed as Martin, Bogan and Armstrong in the 1970s.

Here’s my Montreal Gazette review of the first Carolina Chocolate Drops album from June 21, 2007.

CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS
Dona Got A Ramblin’ Mind
Music Maker

There’s been a strong revival of old-time music over the past several years and one of the most exciting groups to emerge is the Carolina Chocolate Drops. This trio of young African American musicians takes much of their inspiration from the almost-forgotten traditions of black fiddle and banjo-based music from the Piedmont region of the American Southeast. Their very impressive debut CD is highlighted by highly rhythmic instrumental work on string band tunes like “Rickett’s Hornpipe” and “Old Cat Died,” and by convincing singing on a couple of murder ballads: “Little Sadie” and “Tom Dula.” The finest vocal performances come in their vivid a cappella versions of the prison song “Another Man Done Gone,” and the ancient ballad “Little Margaret.”

--Mike Regenstreif