Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – September 2, 2025: "Crazy Blues" and Other Crazy Songs

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/595/71788.html

Theme: “Crazy Blues” and other Crazy Songs.

Mamie Smith- Crazy Blues

The Rough Guide to Blues Women (World Music Network)

Patsy Cline- Crazy

The Unforgettable Patsy Cline (Polygram)

Steven Fromholz- I’d Have to Be Crazy

A Rumor in My Own Time (Capitol)

Rosalie Sorrels- We Were Kinda Crazy Then 

Travelin’ Lady Rides Again (Green Linnet)

Lennie Gallant- She’s Gonna Drive You Crazy

Shelter from the Storms (Lennie Gallant)

J.J. Cale- Crazy Mama

Naturally (Mercury)

Ball & Chain & The Wreckers- Crazy Arms

Live at the Bayou (Ball & Chain)

Durham County Poets- Good Kind of Crazy

Out of the Woods (Durham County Poets)

Jim Kweskin & The Jug Band- Crazy Words, Crazy Tune

Greatest Hits (Vanguard)

Leon Redbone- I’m Crazy ‘Bout My Baby

Whistling in the Wind (Rounder)

John Prine- Egg & Daughter Night, Lincoln Nebraska, 1967 (Crazy Bone)

The Tree of Forgiveness (Oh Boy)

Bebop Cowboys- Crazy Rhythm

Début (Bebop Cowboys)

Tom Paxton- Crazy John

Tom Paxton 6 (Elektra)

Michael Smith- Crazy Mary

Love Letter on a Fish (Tales from the Tavern)

Carla Gover & Brett Ratliff- Crazy

Kentucky Queen (Redbird)

Russ Kelley- Crazy Shades of Blue

Crazy Shades of Blue (Ark Road Music Productions)

Billie Holiday- Crazy He Calls Me

Lady’s Decca Days, Volume One (Decca)

Sunny and Her Joy Boys- You’re Driving Me Crazy

Introducing Sunny and Her Joy Boys (Stony Plain)

J. Reissner- Crazy Swing

Portrait in Blue (J. Reissner)

Ana Gasteyer- Crazy People

I’m Hip (Henry’s Girl)

Ian Robb- Champion at Driving ‘Em Crazy

Ian Robb & Hang the Piper (Folk-Legacy)

Leonard Cohen- Crazy to Love You

Old Ideas (Columbia)

Shirley Eikhard- Crazy from the Heat

Going Home (Artisan Music)

Tom Russell- The Other Side of Crazy

Who’s Gonna Build Your Wall? (HighTone)

Barbara Dane- Crazy Blues

On My Way (Dreadnaught Music)

Next week: Part 1 – Songs and Conversation with author David Eisenstadt; Part 2 – Riding in My Car.

--Mike Regenstreif

Duke Robillard – Duke Robillard and his Dames of Rhythm

DUKE ROBILLARD

Duke Robillard and his Dames of Rhythm

M.C. Records

dukerobillard.com

mc-records.com

As I mentioned in my 2009 review of an album by Sunny and her JoyBoys, “I’ve been listening to bandleader, guitarist and producer Duke Robillard since he fronted the first Roomful of Blues album in 1977. I was very happy to have Duke as a guest a couple of times on the Folk Roots/Folk Branches radio show; once in the company of Kansas City legend Jay McShann, the late, great swing and blues pianist and singer. Of all of Duke’s many and varied recordings, my favorites are his swing and jazz albums. And this is one of his best swing and jazz albums.”

And the constantly delightful Duke Robillard and his Dames of Rhythm may well be his best swing and jazz album yet. Duke plays acoustic archtop guitar throughout the 15 tracks and sings lead on three songs – and duets with Sunny Crownover (of Sunny and her Joy Boys fame) on another. There are absolutely fantastic rhythm and horn sections (including my old friend Billy Novick on clarinet and alto sax) and most of the lead vocals are handled by rotating cast of extraordinary Dames of Rhythm: the aforementioned Sunny Crownover, Maria Muldaur, Kelley Hunt, Madeleine Peyroux, Catherine Russell, and Elizabeth McGovern.

These songs – all, I believe date from the first half of the 20th century – swing hard in the hands of Duke and the band. The interplay between the musicians is always a delight and each of the singers more than rises to the occasion.

Even though these songs are all familiar, they all sound terrific. Some of my favorites include Maria Muldaur’s versions of “Got the South in My Soul” and “Was That the Human Thing to Do,” two more of the several Boswell Sisters numbers she’s done over the years; Madeleine Peyroux’s versions of Fats Waller’s “Squeeze Me,” and “Easy Living,” a Billie Holiday standard (she has the perfect voice to sing Billie Holiday songs); Kelley Hunt’s versions of “Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone”; Sunny Crownover’s duet with Duke on “From Monday On”; and “Blues in My Heart,” sung by Catherine Russell, one of my favorite jazz singers.

The album ends with the band blazing through a hot version of “Call of the Freaks,” a great old New Orleans tune composed by Paul Barbarin and Luis Russell (Catherine’s father).

From beginning to end Duke Robillard and his Dames of Rhythm is filled with nothing but great stuff.

Find me on Twitter. twitter.com/@mikeregenstreif

And on Facebook. facebook.com/mikeregenstreif

--Mike Regenstreif

Sing Out! Magazine – Autumn ‘09/Winter ‘10

My copy of the latest issue of Sing Out! Magazine arrived in today’s mail. The cover story is on Richie Havens, a member of the Folk Roots/Folk Branches guest list.

As usual, this issue of Sing Out! has a bunch of my CD reviews including:

Albert & Gage- Dakota Lullaby: The Songs of Tom Peterson
Dave Alvin- Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women
David Baxter- Day & Age
Jim Byrnes- My Walking Stick
Leonard Cohen- Live in London
Ronny Cox- Songs... With Repercussions
Nanci Griffith- The Loving Kind
James Hill & Ann Davison- True Love Don’t Weep
Tish Hinojosa- Our Little Planet
Hotcha!- Dust Bowl Roots: Songs for the New Depression
Willie Nelson- Naked Willie
Corin Raymond- There will Always be a Small Time
Red Stick Ramblers- My Suitcase is Always Packed
Robert Resnik & Marty Morrissey- Old & New Songs of Lake Champlain
Sunny and Her Joy Boys- Introducing Sunny and Her Joy Boys
Twist of the Wrist- Twist of the Wrist
Various- Appalachia: Music from Home
Various- Man of Somebody’s Dreams: A Tribute to Chris Gaffney
Susan Werner- Classics

--Mike Regenstreif

Sunny and her Joy Boys -- Introducing... Sunny and her Joy Boys

Sunny and her Joy Boys
Introducing... Sunny and her Joy Boys
Stony Plain
stonyplainrecords.com

I’d never heard the delightful singer Sunny Crownover before I slipped this CD into the player. But I go back a long time with a couple of the Joy Boys.

I’ve been listening to bandleader, guitarist and producer Duke Robillard since he fronted the first Roomful of Blues album in 1977. I was very happy to have Duke as a guest a couple of times on Folk Roots/Folk Branches; once in the company of Kansas City legend Jay McShann, the late, great swing and blues pianist and singer. Of all of Duke’s many and varied recordings, my favourites are his swing and jazz albums. And this is one of his best swing and jazz albums.

I’ve known Billy Novick since 1978. I ran a small booking agency back then and among my clients were Billy and Guy Van Duser, a fantastic clarinet and guitar duo whose swing revival shows straddled the folk and jazz scenes. Three decades later Billy is still one of my all-time favourite clarinet and sax players – and you should hear him play jazz tunes on the pennywhistle too.

Even before I listened for the first time, I kind of knew that with Duke and Billy in the band, I was going to really like this album, that it would be good, really good. And it sure is. Joining Sunny, Duke and Billy is Paul Kolesnikow on guitar – both he and Duke are playing acoustic archtops – and Jesse Williams on acoustic bass. Sunny and her Joy Boys are a terrific, tight unit whether they’re swinging on old Ella Fitzgerald numbers like “Strictly From Dixie” and “Undecided” or stretching out on a torchy jazz ballads like Duke Ellington’s “I Got It Bad (and That Ain’t Good)” and “That’s My Desire.”

The four players – virtuosos all with great senses of swing – are fantastic. Billy’s clarinet and sax and Duke’s lead guitar weave beautifully and infectiously around the rhythms laid down by Paul and Jesse. When Sunny comes in with her captivating vocals she takes us right back to what was great about the swing era.

In his liner notes, Duke says most of these tunes are ones that he’s wanted to do for more than 35 years. If he was waiting for the right combination of singer and musicians, he sure found them in Sunny and her Joy Boys.

--Mike Regenstreif