Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – February 17, 2026: A Mardi Gras Day Tribute to Louis Prima

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/595/74137.html

Theme: A Mardi Gras Day Tribute to Louis Prima (1910-1978).

Louis Prima was born in New Orleans in 1910 to an Italian immigrant family and died there in 1978 at age 67. He was a trumpet player, singer and band leader who got his start playing traditional jazz in New Orleans in the 1920s and went on to a 50-year career. The show includes some of Louis Prima’s recordings as well as versions of songs from his repertoire played by other artists.

Louis Prima- When the Saints Go Marching In

Rocks (Bear Family)

Louis Prima- Bourbon Street Blues

Rocks (Bear Family)

The Puppini Sisters & The Pasadena Roof Orchestra- Sing Sing Sing

Dance Dance Dance (Millionaire)

Rod Stewart with Jools Holland- Night Train

Swing Fever (Warner Music)

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy- Whistle Stop

Louie Louie Louie (Savoy Jazz)

Susie Arioli Swing Band featuring Jordan Officer- Pennies from Heaven

Pennies from Heaven (Justin Time)

Louis Prima & Keely Smith- Mashuga

Louis & Keely/Together (Jasmine)

Louis Prima- Just a Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody

The Wildest (Capitol)

Los Lobos- I Wan’na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)

Los Lobos Goes Disney (Disney Sound)

Louis Prima- Chim Chim Cher-ee

Let’s Fly with Mary Poppins (Walt Disney)

Louis Prima & Gia Malone- Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Let’s Fly with Mary Poppins (Walt Disney)

Louis Prima- Angelina/Zooma Zooma

The Wildest Show at Tahoe (Capitol)

Louis Prima- Buono Sera

The Wildest (Capitol)

Preservation Hall Jazz Band & Merle Haggard- Basin Street Blues

Preservation (Preservation Hall)

Cootie Williams & His Rug Cutters with Duke Ellington- Tiger Rag

Ellington in Order, Volume 7 (1936-37) (Legacy)

Dr. John- I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead You Rascal You

Goin’ Back to New Orleans (Warner Bros.)

Louis Prima & Keely Smith- Ai-Ai-Ai

That Old Black Magic: The Very Best of Louis Prima & Keely Smith 1949-1959 (Jasmine)

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy- Jump, Jive an’ Wail

Louie Louie Louie (Savoy Jazz)

Jimmy Rushing- When You’re Smiling

Little Jimmy Rushing & The Big Brass (Columbia)

The Jive Aces- Oh Marie

King of the Swingers: A Salute to Louis Prima (Golden Age)

Louis Prima- 5 Months, 2 Weeks, 2 Days

Jump, Jive & Wail: The Very Best of Louis Prima 1952-1959 (Jasmine)

Louis Prima & Keely Smith- Nyow! Nyot Nyow (The Pussycat Song)

Louis & Keely/Together (Jasmine)

Count Basie & Sarah Vaughan with Joe Williams- Teach Me Tonight

Count Basie/Sarah Vaughan (Roulette)

Original Sloth Band- Cheek to Cheek

Hustlin’ & Bustlin’ (Woodshed)

Louis Prima & Keely Smith- The Lip

That Old Black Magic: The Very Best of Louis Prima & Keely Smith 1949-1959 (Jasmine)

Louis Prima- Robin Hood/Oh Babe

The Wildest Show at Tahoe (Capitol)

Next week: The Legacy of Lead Belly.

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Tuesday April 18, 2023: The Philosophy of Modern Song, Part 1

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/595/60086.html

Theme: The Philosophy of Modern Song, Part 1.

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.

Bobby Bare- Detroit City

The Best of Bobby Bare (Razor & Tie)

Elvis Costello- Pump It Up

This Year’s Model (Radar)

Dylan cites Webb Pierce’s version of “There Stands the Glass.”

Ted Hawkins- There Stands the Glass 

The Next Hundred Years (Geffen)

Billy Joe Shaver- Willy the Wandering Gypsy and Me

Old Five and Dimers Like Me (Monument)

Little Richard- Tutti Frutti

18 Greatest Hits (Rhino)

Elvis Presley- Money Honey

Elvis Presley (RCA)

The Who- My Generation

The Who Sings My Generation (Decca)

Dylan cites Harry McClintock’s 1928 version of “Jesse James.”

Bruce Springsteen- Jesse James

We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (Columbia)

Dylan cites Ricky Nelson’s 1958 version of “Poor Little Fool.” This is a later live version.

Rick Nelson- Poor Little Fool

A Night to Remember (True North)

Dylan cites Perry Como’s version of “Without a Song.”

The Righteous Brothers- Without a Song

Greatest Hits (Verve)

Merle Haggard & Willie Nelson- Pancho and Lefty

Pancho & Lefty (Epic)

Jackson Browne- The Pretender

The Pretender (Elektra)

Bobby Darin- Mack the Knife

That’s All (Atco)

Dylan cites Bing Crosby’s version of “The Whiffenpoof Song.”

Art Neville- The Whiffenpoof Song

Let New Orleans Rock (Blues Interactions)

Dylan cites Cher’s 1971 version of “Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves.” This is a later live version.

Cher- Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves

Live in Concert (HBO)

Dylan cites Rosemary Clooney’s version of “Come On-A My House.”

Kay Starr- Come On-A My House

Come On-A My House – single (Capitol)

Eddy Arnold- You Don’t Know Me

You Don’t Know Me – single (RCA)

Johnnie & Jack- Poison Love

Poison Love – single (RCA)

Alvin Youngblood Hart- Nelly was a Lady

Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster (American Roots Publishing)

Dylan cites Johnnie Ray’s version of “The Little White Cloud That Cried.”

Jackie Washington- The Little White Cloud That Cried

The World of Jackie Washington (Borealis)

Ray Charles- I Got a Woman

The Birth of Soul (Atlantic)

The Fugs- CIA Man

The Fugs First Album (Fantasy)

Grateful Dead- Truckin’

American Beauty (Warner Bros.)

Dylan cites Vic Damone’s version of “On the Street Where You Live.”

Pat Guadango- On the Street Where You Live

1964 (Campbell Music)

Next week: Willie Nelson at 90.

Find me on Facebook. facebook.com/mikeregenstreif

--Mike Regenstreif

Lowell Levinger – Get Together: Banana Recalls Youngbloods Classics

LOWELL LEVINGER

Get Together: Banana Recalls Youngbloods Classics

Grandpa Raccoon

lowelllevinger.com

Back when I was in high school – 1967-1971 – the Youngbloods were one of my favorite rock bands. I had most of the original LPs back in the day and I still occasionally revisit some of the CD reissues. I loved the way they integrated folk roots and occasionally jazz influences and acoustic and electric instrumentation into their music and I also greatly appreciated how they seamlessly drew on their own original songs, songs drawn from other writers, and some from traditional folk, jug band and blues sources.

The Youngbloods broke up around 1972 or so and now 40+ years later, on Get Together: Banana Recalls Youngbloods Classics, band member Lowell Levinger – aka Banana – pays tribute to his old band with a dozen songs and tunes that have remained part of his repertoire over the past four decades. That so much of the material holds up so well is a tribute both to how strong the songs were to begin with, to how Banana has matured as an interpreter, and to the really nice arrangements featuring collaborations with the likes of fellow-Youngblood Jesse Colin Young, David Grisman, Ry Cooder, Darol Anger, Duke Robillard and others on various tracks.

Among my favorite tracks are “Grizzly Bear,” a great old country blues song first recorded in 1928 by Jim Jackson; Jesse Colin Young’s haunting “Darkness, Darkness”; the bluegrass version of Banana’s “Hippie from Olema,” a great parody of Merle Haggard’s “Okie from Muskogee”; Robin Remailly’s “Euphoria,” a song the Youngbloods, no doubt, picked up from the Holy Modal Rounders (this version features some wild singing and fiddling from Rounder Peter Stampfel); the traditional “Stagger Lee” with some additional verses by Banana; Jesse Colin Young’s bouncy “Sugar Babe”; and, of course, Dino Valenti’s anthemic “Get Together,” the song for which the Youngbloods are most remembered.

Get Together: Banana Recalls Youngbloods Classics is a lot of fun to listen to as we, too, recall those Youngbloods classics.

Find me on Twitter. twitter.com/@mikeregenstreif

And on Facebook. facebook.com/mikeregenstreif

--Mike Regenstreif

Thad Beckman – Streets of Disaster

THAD BECKMAN

Streets of Disaster

Thadzooks Records

thadbeckman.com

I first became aware of Thad Beckman several years ago when he began working as Tom Russell’s back-up guitarist. Knowing Tom as I do, particularly after 25 years with the great Andrew Hardin as his primary accompanist, there was no doubt in my mind that Thad would be a great guitarist. And he certainly proved that to me when I first saw them play together in 2012. Listening to Thad’s two previously released CDs, Me Talkin’ to Me and Blues Gone By, I also found out that Thad was a good singer-songwriter, and a particularly fine interpreter of traditional blues, in his own right.

As good as the songs were on Me Talkin’ to Me, released on 2008, Streets of Disaster is a giant step forward. Seamlessly working in blues, country and contemporary folk styles, Thad’s songwriting – and his fine performances – now seems classic and timeless.

 “Street of Disaster,” the quasi-title track, opens the album. Using a traditional blues mode, the song is a compelling commentary on the state of the contemporary world.

Other highlights include “Blues in My Blood” and “Stirring Up Some Ashes,” a couple of country songs that seems like Merle Haggard at his best; “If Only My Heart Had a Brain,” a look back at romantic history set to a lovely solo guitar arrangement; “200 Dollars,” a witty blues tune in a Mississippi John Hurt mode; and “A Soldier Returns Home,” an extended, impressionistic blues guitar instrumental.

Thad Beckman, Mike Regenstreif, Tom Russell (2012)

In addition to nine of his own compositions, Thad also includes a slinky version of Richard “Rabbit” Brown’s “James Alley Blues,” one of my all-time favorite blues songs (the original was included on Harry Smith’s legendary Anthology of American Folk Music), in which Thad’s vocals are very effectively complemented by Mike Emerson on organ, Kurtis Piltz on harmonica, and Thad on electric lead guitar; and a terrific live duet with Tom Russell on Tom’s enduring, “Blue Wing.”

Find me on Twitter. twitter.com/@mikeregenstreif

And on Facebook. facebook.com/mikeregenstreif

--Mike Regenstreif

Various Artists – Tulare Dust: a songwriters’ tribute to Merle Haggard (Expanded Edition)

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Tulare Dust: a songwriters’ tribute to Merle Haggard (Expanded Edition)
RockBeat 
fronterarecords.com

Tulare Dust: a songwriters’ tribute to Merle Haggard, co-produced by Tom Russell and Dave Alvin and originally released in 1994, was one of the very finest tribute albums of that era and featured a great collection of 15 roots artists singing their favorite songs from Merle Haggard’s impressive catalog.

Tulare Dust has recently been reissued as an expanded 2-CD set; the first CD is the original album while the second CD is live tracks taken from the CD release concert which featured about half the artists each doing their Haggard selection plus one of their own.

Dave Alvin nails the significance of Haggard in the liner notes to this new edition when he writes that Haggard “has always been one of the great American songwriters in the folk music tradition. Being in this folk tradition doesn’t necessarily just mean strumming an acoustic guitar in a coffee house, it can also mean learning your musical craft from your elders, then taking what you’ve learned and finding your own voice inside that musical and community tradition. It’s what Muddy Waters and Bill Monroe did. It’s what Hank Williams, Sam Cooke, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and Curtis Mayfield did. It’s exactly what Merle Haggard did.”

Haggard himself has paid tribute to some of those musical elders – notably Jimmie Rodgers and Bob Wills – who influenced him. But, as becomes obvious in listening to some of these songs, the influence of Woody Guthrie is also strongly felt in Haggard’s work. Listen to Tom Russell’s great medley of “Tulare Dust/They’re Tearing the Labor Camps Down” to understand that Haggard’s own family were among the waves of Okies who risked all of their do-re-mi trying to find a better life in California during the Dust Bowl era.

That Guthrie influence can also be heard in such songs as “Kern River,” sung from deep-in-the-traditional-well by Dave Alvin and “A Working Man Can’t Get Nowhere Today,” sung with conviction by Peter Case.

Some of my other favorite tracks include Iris DeMent’s world-weary version of “Big City”; Lucinda Williams’ heartbreaking version of the heartbroken “You Don’t Have Very Far to Go”; Marshall Crenshaw’s rendition of the separation song “Silver Wings”; and Steve Young’s sad version of “Shopping for Dresses,” Haggard’s portrait of loneliness.

Another highlight is R&B singer Barrence Whitfield’s very affecting take on “Irma Jackson,” Haggard’s poignant song about inter-racial love – a song that was taboo-breaking in the world of early-1970s country music.

Among the best of the songwriters’ original material on the second CD are Tom Russell’s always exciting “Gallo del Cielo,” Dave Alvin’s “King of California,” Billy Joe Shaver’s “Georgia on a Fast Train,” and Peter Case’s “A Little Wind (Could Blow Me Away),” about Elvis Presley's comeback concert, which was co-written by Tom Russell.

Tulare Dust: a songwriters’ tribute to Merle Haggard was a great album 20 years ago and is made even greater by the inclusion of the second live disc.

Find me on Twitter. twitter.com/@mikeregenstreif

And on Facebook. facebook.com/mikeregenstreif

--Mike Regenstreif