Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – May 26, 2026: Remembering Enoch Kent; A Tribute to Django Reinhardt

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/595/75523.html

Themes: Part 1 – Remembering Enoch Kent (1931-2026); Part 2 – A Tribute to Django Reinhardt (1910-1953).

Remembering Enoch Kent (1931-2026)

I was deeply saddened by the news that Enoch Kent passed away on April 28 at age 94. Enoch was born in Scotland and was a significant presence on the UK folk scene before moving to Canada in the 1960s. I first met Enoch in the mid-1970s and learned a lot from him over the years – as did so many others.

Enoch began his career in folk music by singing traditional Scottish songs in a band called The Reivers. Her later collaborated with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger in founding The Singers Club – also known as The Critics Group – in London before immigrating to Canada. The first time I met Peggy Seeger, I mentioned to her that I knew Enoch and she spoke fondly and admiringly about him.

It was only when Enoch was 70 years old that Enoch began to record albums for the first time since leaving the UK. But he was prolific over the next few years releasing with six excellent albums between 2002 and 2010.

Enoch Kent- I’m a Workin’ Chap

I’m a Workin’ Chap (Second Avenue)

Enoch Kent- The Pawnshop Window

Take a Trip with Me (Borealis)

Garnet Rogers- The Farm Auction

The Outside Track (Snow Goose Songs)

Enoch Kent- My Mother’s Sewing Machine

Songs of Love, Lust & Loathing (Second Avenue)

Enoch Kent- Old Time Songs

Take a Trip with Me (Borealis)

Enoch Kent- Come A’ Ye Tramps and Hawkers

I’m a Rover (Second Avenue)

A Tribute to Django Reinhardt (1910-1953)

Django Reinhardt, the Belgian Roma guitarist died in 1953 at the young age of 43. More than seven decades after his death, Reinhardt remains an incredibly influential musician and a revered figure in the history of jazz, Roma music, and the guitar.

Django Reinhardt & The Quintette Hot Club de France- Hot Lips

Django Reinhardt (Object Enterprises)

Chris Whiteley- Swing 42

Second Look (Pyramid)

Susie Arioli Band featuring Jordan Officer- Nuages

That’s For Me (Justin Time)

Hot Club of Cowtown- Minor Swing

Rendezvous in Rhythm (Gold Strike)

Django Reinhardt & The Quintette Hot Club de France- Swing Guitars

Django Reinhardt Vol. 3, 1936-1937: Swing Guitars (Naxos)

Modern Jazz Quartet- Django

European Concert (Atlantic)

Stephane Grappelli & David Grisman- Shine

Live (Warner Bros.)

Claribol Stompers- Swing 39

Swingattic (Claribol)

Tommy Emmanuel, Frank Vignola & Vinny Raniolo- Djangology

Accomplice One (The Players Club)

Django Reinhardt- Django’s Blues

Django’s Blues (Gitanes/Verve)

Joe Craven- Hungaria

Django Latino (Crow Art)

Harmonious Wail- Dark Eyes

Gypsy Swing (Naxos)

Stephane Wrembel- Swing de Paris

The Django Experiment VI (Water is Life)

Django Reinhardt- Topsy

Django’s Blues (Gitanes/Verve)

Django Reinhardt & The Quintette Hot Club de France- How High the Moon

In Person (Warner Music Group/X5)

Next week: Songs for International Sex Workers Day.

--Mike Regenstreif

Eric Bibb – Deeper in the Well

ERIC BIBB

Deeper in the Well

Stony Plain

ericbibb.com

Although he’s been an accomplished musician since he was a teenager in the 1960s, Eric Bibb really only landed on my radar in 1998 with the release of an inspired and inspiring album called Good Stuff.

I soon discovered Eric was the son of actor and folksinger Leon Bibb (who was a prominent participant in the post-War folk revival) – and the godson of Paul Robeson and the nephew of pianist John Lewis of the Modern Jazz Quartet, talk about a musical pedigree – and that I was previously unfamiliar with Eric because he’d spent most of his career living and performing in Europe.

Good Stuff launched Eric’s career in North America and he was soon a significant presence on the folk, blues and jazz festival circuit. He was my guest several times on the Folk Roots/Folk Branches radio program when he’d come to play at the Montreal International Jazz Festival.

Since Good Stuff, Eric has recorded prolifically, both solo albums and collaborations with other artists, and I’ve written about many of them here and in various publications. These albums have almost always been among my favourites for any year they’ve been released and are all albums I’ve returned to often over the years. His new album, Deeper in the Well, will be no exception.

To keep all of his recordings sounding fresh, Eric has done things a little differently from album to album. This time around, he travelled to Louisiana to record at Dirk Powell’s studio in Pont Breaux with Dirk, who plays just about anything with strings, plus accordion; fiddler Cedric Watson; drummer Danny DeVillier; harmonica player Grant Dermody, who contributed so much to Eric’s Booker’s Guitar album in 2010; and Christine Balfa on Cajun triangle.

A little over half the album’s songs are Eric’s originals, including “Bayou Belle,” the appropriately swampy opening track that blends the acoustic blues Eric is so expert at with the Cajun and Creole influences of Louisiana.

As with all of Eric’s albums, it’s hard to pick favourites. But a few of mine from initial listening would include “Money in Your Pocket,” a count-your-blessings kind of song co-written with Michael Jerome Browne; “Music,” an infectious celebration of music-making; a happy sounding version of “Dig a Little Deeper in the Well,” learned ago from Doc Watson; and a thoughtful version of Bob Dylan’s “The Times There are A-Changin’” which Eric makes sound as vital in 2012 as it was almost half a century ago.

While it doesn’t say so in the credits, there are a couple of equally excellent tracks that I suspect were recorded, at least partially, elsewhere. Eric’s “In My Time,” which contrasts good times and hard times, brings together Eric’s soulful singing, and fluid, finger-picked guitar, with the sublime playing of dobro-master Jerry Douglas; and an almost West African-sounding version of Taj Mahal’s “Every Wind in the River” features back-up by master-of-all-roots music Michael Jerome Browne and studio wiz Michel Pepin, both of Montreal.

As mentioned, Deeper in the Well is yet another Eric Bibb album I’ll be listening to years from now.

Pictured: Michael Jerome Browne, Mike Regenstreif and Eric Bibb during Folk Roots/Folk Branches at CKUT, June 30, 2005, (Photo: Sari Matinlassi) 

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

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

--Mike Regenstreif