Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – July 15, 2025: Blues in the Night

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/595/71087.html

Theme: Blues in the Night – all the songs have something or other to do with nighttime.

Eva Cassidy- Blues in the Night

Eva By Heart (Blix Street)

Dr. John- Such a Night

The Atco/Atlantic Singles 1968-1972 (Omnivore)

Judy Henske- Every Night When the Sun Goes In

The Elektra Albums: Judy Henske (Ace)

Stephen Barry Band- Every Night About This Time

Bluesville (Bros)

Michael Jerome Browne- Black Nights

That’s Where It’s At! (Borealis)

Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis- Night Life

Two Men with the Blues (Blue Note)

Tom Northcott- Night in the City

Sunny Goodge Street: The Warner Bros. Recordings (Wounded Bird)

Kim Wallach- Dark and Rainy Night

Chatter of the Finches (Black Socks Press)

Joni Mitchell- Rainy Night House

Ladies of the Canyon (Reprise)

Leonard Cohen- The Night of Santiago

Thanks for the Dance (Columbia/Legacy)

ES:MO (Elizabeth Shephers & Michael Occhipinti)- Night Comes On

The Weight of Hope (ES:MO)

Eliza Gilkyson- Dark Night of the Soul

Dark Ages (Realiza)

Susie Burke & David Surette- A Healing In This Night

Sometimes In the Evening (Madrina Music)

Anne Hills- Acquainted with the Night

Accidental August (Hand & Heart Music)

Ana Egge- Stay the Night

Is It the Kiss (StorySound)

Kerri Powers- Train in the Night

Kerri Powers (Kerri Powers)

David Amram- Subway Night

Subway Night (RCA)

Montreal- A Summer’s Night

A Summer’s Night (Stormy Forest)

Bill Morrissey- Summer Night

Standing Eight (Philo)

Tom Russell- The Night the Chinese Restaurant Burned Down

Play One More: The Songs of Ian & Sylvia (True North)

Mel Tormé- Blues in the Night

Tormé (Verve)

Next week: Flood Water.

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – April 29, 2025: “Dublin Blues” and Other Songs of Guy Clark

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/595/69984.html

Theme: “Dublin Blues” and Other Songs of Guy Clark.

Guy Clark – who died in 2016 at age 74 – was a great Texas singer-songwriter who began releasing albums in 1974. In the liner notes to Old No. 1, Guy’s first album, Jerry Jeff Walker referred to Guy’s songs as “the natural music of the acoustic guitar.” These songs were all written or co-written by Guy.

Guy Clark- Dublin Blues

Dublin Blues: 30th Anniversary Edition (Compass)

Nanci Griffith- She Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere

Blue Roses from the Moons (Elektra)

Jerry Jeff Walker- Like a Coat from the Cold

Ridin’ High (MCA Nashville)

Rick Robbins & Ramblin' Jack Elliott- Desperados Waiting for a Train

Walkin’ Down the Line (Seeds of Man)

Guy Clark- That Old Time Feeling

Old No. 1 (Sugar Hill)

Johnny Cash- Let Him Roll

Johnny Cash is Coming to Town (Mercury)

Asleep At the Wheel- Blowin’ Like a Bandit

10 (Epic)

Rosanne Cash- Better Days

This One’s for Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark (Icehouse Music)

Ramblin' Jack Elliott- The Guitar

This One’s for Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark (Icehouse Music)

Guy Clark- Ramblin’ Jack & Mahan

Boats to Build (Asylum)

Bill Hearne- The Cape

Always Trust Your Cape (Howlin’ Dog) 

Willie Nelson- Stuff That Works

Oh What a Beautiful World (Legacy)

Guy Clark- Cold Dog Soup

Cold Dog Soup (Sugar Hill)

Terri Hendrix- The Dark

This One’s for Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark (Icehouse Music)

John Prine & Emmylou Harris- Magnolia Wind

This One’s for Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark (Icehouse Music)

Bill Staines- Lone Star Hotel Café

Old Dogs (Red House)

Emmylou Harris- New Cut Road

Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town (Warner Bros./Rhino)

Guy Clark- The South Coast of Texas

Craftsman (Philo)

Suzy Bogguss- Instant Coffee Blues

This One’s for Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark (Icehouse Music)

Doug Cox & Sam Hurrie- Old Friends

Old Friends (Black Hen Music)

Steve Earle- The Randall Knife

Guy (New West)

Guy Clark- Once More With Caution

Dublin Blues: 30th Anniversary Edition (Compass)

Next week: The Banjo Special.

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – February 25, 2025: A Tribute to Nina Simone

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/595/69011.html

Theme: A Tribute to Nina Simone (1933-2003).

Nina Simone – who died in 2003 at age 70 – was a singer, songwriter, and pianist whose music encompassed classical, jazz, blues, folk, gospel and pop styles. She was also an activist and was often referred to as “the High Priestess of Soul.”

Nina Simone- Suzanne

To Love Somebody (RCA)

Nina Simone- Rags and Old Iron

Forbidden Fruit (Colpix)

Oscar Brown, Jr.- Work Song

The Voice of Cool (Not Now Music)

Nina Simone- Forbidden Fruit

Forbidden Fruit (Colpix)

Nina Simone- Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

To Love Somebody (RCA)

Tom Russell & The Norwegian Wind Ensemble- Nina Simone

Aztec Jazz (Frontera)

Linda Tillery & The Cultural Heritage Choir- See Line Woman

Front Porch Music (EarthBeat!)

Susan Werner- House of the Rising Sun

NOLA: Susan Werner Goes to New Orleans (Sleeve Dog)

Missy Burgess- Trouble in Mind

Missy Burgess with The Blue Train Live (Missy Burgess)

Sneezy Waters- Solitude

Sneezy Waters (Sneezy Waters)

Nina Simone- The Gal from Joe’s

Nina Simone Sings Ellington (Colpix)

Odetta- When I was a Young Girl

Odetta at Carnegie Hall (Vanguard)

Rufus Wainwright- Hush Little Baby

Folkocracy (BMG)

Nina Simone- Silver City Bound

Folksy Nina (Colpix)

Nina Simone- Mississippi Goddam

The Best of Broadside 1962-1988 (Smithsonian Folkways)

Nina Simone- Stars

The Montreux Years (BMG)

Janis Ian- Nina

The Light at the End of the Line (Rude Girl)

Willie Nelson- Come Ye

Last Leaf on the Tree (Legacy)

Nina Simone- Balm in Gilead

Baltimore (Epic/Legacy)

Ledisi- I’m Going Back Home

Ledisi Sings Nina (BMG)

Nina Simone- I Shall Be Released

To Love Somebody (RCA)

Next week: A Tribute to Fats Domino on Mardi Gras Day.

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – July 9, 2024: Remembering Kinky Friedman

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/595/65896.html

Theme: Remembering Kinky Friedman (1944-2024).

Richard Samet Friedman – or “Kinky” as he became known as a university student – was a noted singer, songwriter, novelist, essayist, occasional politician, animal rescue activist, and a larger-than-life character who died on June 27 at age 79.

Kinky Friedman at the Texas Book Fair in Austin (2013). Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Kinky Friedman- Me & My Guitar

Circus of Life (Echo Hill)

Willie Nelson- Ride ‘Em Jewboy

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Delbert McClinton- Autograph

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Lee Roy Parnell- Nashville Casualty & Life

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Kinky Friedman- Somethin’s Wrong with the Beaver

Kinky Friedman (ABC)

Asleep at the Wheel- Before All Hell Breaks Loose

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Kinky Friedman- Song About You

Circus of Life (Echo Hill)

Kinky Friedman- The Ballad of Charles Whitman

Sold American (Vanguard)

The Geezinslaws- Twirl

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Dwight Yoakam- Rapid City, South Dakota

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Guy Clark- Wild Man from Borneo

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Kinky Friedman- Top Ten Commandments

Sold American (Vanguard)

Kinky Friedman- A Dog Named Freedom

Circus of Life (Echo Hill)

Marty Stuart- Lady Yesterday

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Chuck E. Weiss- Ol’ Ben Lucas

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Billy Swan- When the Lord Closes the Door (He Opens a Little Window)

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Kinky Friedman- Jesus in Pajamas

Circus of Life (Echo Hill)

Kinky Friedman- Circus of Life

Circus of Life (Echo Hill)

Lyle Lovett- Sold American

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Tom Waits- Highway Café

Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman (Kinkajou)

Kinky Friedman- Resurrection

Resurrection (Echo Hill)

Kinky Friedman- Ride ‘Em Jewboy

Sold American (Vanguard)

Next week: A Salute to Nora Guthrie.

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Tuesday April 25, 2023: Willie Nelson at 90

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/595/60138.html

Theme: Willie Nelson at 90.

Willie Nelson will turn 90 on April 29th and as Bob Dylan wrote in his book, The Philosophy of Modern Song, “Willie Nelson could, as they say, sing the phone book and make you weep – he could also write the phonebook.”

Willie Nelson- My Own Peculiar Way

My Own Peculiar Way (RCA)

Patsy Cline- Crazy

The Unforgettable Patsy Cline (PolyTel)

Lucinda Williams- Funny How Time Slips Away

Funny How Time Slips Away: A Night of ‘60s Country Classics (Highway 20)

The Little Willies- Night Life

The Little Willies (Milking Bull)

Willie Nelson- Mr. Record Man

Absolutely the Best, Volume 1 (Fuel 2000)

Bobby Bare- One Day at a Time

Constant Sorrow (RCA)

k.d. lang & the reclines- Three Days

Absolute Torch and Twang (Sire)

Colleen Peterson- Sad Songs and Waltzes

Beginning to Feel Like Home (Capitol)

Willie Nelson- Hello Walls

Absolutely the Best, Volume 1 (Fuel 2000)

Willie Nelson- Time of the Preacher

Red Headed Stranger (Columbia/Legacy)

Doc & Merle Watson- I Couldn’t Believe it was True

Elementary Doctor Watson (Tomato)

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott- Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain

Kerouac’s Last Dream (Appleseed)

Willie Nelson- Red Headed Stranger

Red Headed Stranger (Columbia/Legacy)

Willie Nelson- Don’t Get Around Much Anymore

Stardust (Columbia)

Kerri Powers- Always On My Mind

Words on the Wind (Must Have Music)

Emmylou Harris- Sister’s Coming Home

Blue Kentucky Girl (Warner Bros./Rhino)

Willie Nelson- Me and Paul

Wanted! The Outlaws (RCA)

Willie Nelson & Asleep at the Wheel- Hesitation Blues

Willie and the Wheel (Bismeaux)

Willie Nelson & Kimmie Rhodes- I Just Drove By

Just One Love (Justice)

Kinky Friedman & Willie Nelson- Bloody Mary Morning

The Loneliest Man I Ever Met (Avenue A)

Judy Collins & Willie Nelson- When I Go

Strangers Again (Wildflower/Cleopatra)

Wynton Marsalis Septet featuring Willie Nelson- Milk Cow Blues

United We Swing: Best of the Lincoln Centre Galas (Blue Engine)

Willie Nelson & Bonnie Raitt- Getting Over You

Across the Borderline (Columbia)

Townes Van Zandt & Willie Nelson- Marie

Texas Rain: The Texas Hill Country Recordings (Tomato)

Mary Kay Place & Willie Nelson- Something to Brag About

The Ahern Sessions 1976-1977 (Raven)

Next week: Stompin’ at the Savoy.

Find me on Facebook. facebook.com/mikeregenstreif

--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

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Tuesday March 7, 2023: Songs of Kris Kristofferson

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/595/59628.html

Theme: Songs of Kris Kristofferson.

Kris Kristofferson performs at The International Folk Music Awards (2017)

Kris Kristofferson – who recently retired from performing and recording – had tremendous success as a singer and songwriter, and, as an actor. 

I met Kris a couple of times. In 2007, we spent an hour together onstage, and a few minutes chatting beforehand, when I moderated a panel discussion at the Ottawa Folk Festival on the enduring legacy of Woody Guthrie and Kris, along with Nora Guthrie and Jimmy LaFave, was one of the panelists. Then, in 2017, I was an award recipient at the International Folk Music Awards in Kansas City during the Folk Alliance International conference, and Kris was one of the artists who performed at the ceremony, and we had a nice chat at the reception. In both of my encounters with him, Kris couldn’t have been nicer or more humble.

Kris Kristofferson- To Beat the Devil

Me and Bobby McGee (Monument)

Gordon Lightfoot- Me and Bobby McGee

If You Could Read My Mind (Reprise)

Katie Moore- Sunday Morning Coming Down

Only Thing Worse (Borealis)

Johnny Cash- Just the Other Side of Nowhere

Cash Unearthed Volume 1: Who’s Gonna Cry (American)

The Little Willies- For the Good Times

For the Good Times (Milking Bull)

Kris Kristofferson- The Silver Tongued Devil and I

The Silver Tongued Devil and I (Monument)

I noted that Kris Kristofferson was a panelist in a discussion on the enduring influence of Woody Guthrie that I moderated at the Ottawa Folk Festival in 2007. At one point, we were talking about Woody Guthrie’s song, “Tom Joad,” which was essentially a synopsis of John Steinbeck’s book, The Grapes of Wrath, and I mentioned to Kris that one of the few parts of the book that Woody left out of his song was the scene that Kris described in his song, “Here Comes That Rainbow Again.”

Mike Regenstreif, Nora Guthrie, Kris Kristofferson & Jimmy LaFave (2007)

Anne Hills- Here Comes That Rainbow Again

Woman of a Calm Heart (Flying Fish)

Willie Nelson- The Legend

The Pilgrim: A Celebration of Kris Kristofferson (American Roots Publishing)

Marta Gómez- The Circle

The Pilgrim: A Celebration of Kris Kristofferson (American Roots Publishing)

Kris Kristofferson- Duvalier’s Dream

Me and Bobby McGee (Monument)

Jessica Chastain- Help Me Make It Through the Night

George & Tammy soundtrack (Sony Masterworks)

Roy Orbison- Something They Can’t Take Away from Me

For the Good Times: The Songs of Kris Kristofferson (Ace)

Joan Osborne- Please Don’t Tell Me How the Story Ends

Pretty Little Stranger (Vanguard)

Chris Hillman- The Taker

Morning Sky (Sugar Hill)

Kris Kristofferson- Jody and the Kid

The Silver Tongued Devil and I (Monument)

Kris Kristofferson- Broken Freedom Song

The Cedar Creek Sessions (KK)

Johnny Cash- Casey’s Last Ride

Cash Unearthed Volume 1: Who’s Gonna Cry (American)

Rosanne Cash- Lovin’ Him was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again)

The Pilgrim: A Celebration of Kris Kristofferson (American Roots Publishing)

Russell Crowe & The Ordinary Fear of God- Darby’s Castle

The Pilgrim: A Celebration of Kris Kristofferson (American Roots Publishing)

Kris Kristofferson- The Pilgrim: Chapter 33

The Silver Tongued Devil and I (Monument)

Janis Joplin- Me and Bobby McGee

Pearl (Columbia)

Next week: Gamblers.

Find me on Facebook. facebook.com/mikeregenstreif

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Tuesday January 25, 2022: London, Longing for Home

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/595/54959.html

Theme: London, Longing for Home – songs about the city of London, that are set in London, or that reference London in some way.

Mike Regenstreif & Tom Paxton (2009)

Tom Paxton- Leaving London
The Compleat Tom Paxton (Even Compleater) (Rhino Handmade)

Ian & Sylvia- Handsome Molly
Ian & Sylvia (Vanguard)
Peggy Seeger- London Bridge
Love Call Me Home (Appleseed)
Derroll Adams- Apprenticed in London
Feelin’ Fine (The Village Thing)
Bob Bossin- London
The Roses on Annie’s Table (Nick)
Stringband- Le prisonnier de Londres
The Indispensable 1972-2002 (Nick)

Bonnie Dobson- JB’s Song
Take Me for a Walk in the Morning Dew (Hornbeam)
Mary Hopkin- Streets of London
Earth Song/Ocean Song (Apple)

Jelly Roll Morton- London Blues
An Introduction to Jelly Roll Morton (Fuel 2000)

Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Mike Regenstreif & Chaim Tannenbaum (1976) photo: Felicity Fanjoy

Kate & Anna McGarrigle- Tell My Sister
Tell My Sister: Kate & Anna McGarrigle (Nonesuch)
Chaim Tannenbaum- London, Longing for Home
Chaim Tannenbaum (StorySound)

James Keelaghan- Sweet Thames Flow Softly
A Few Simple Verses (Jericho Beach Music)
Emily Barker & Lukas Drinkwater- London Still
Room 822 (Everyone Sang)
Gary P. Nunn with Robert Earl Keen & Lyle Lovett- London Homesick Blues
Friends for Life, Volume One (Campfire)

Willie Nelson- A Foggy Day
My Way (Legacy)
Sam Cooke- London By Night
Cooke’s Tour (RCA)
Suzy Bogguss- Piccadilly Circus
Swing (Compadre)
Tom Northcott- Sunny Goodge Street
Sunny Goodge Street: The Warner Bros. Recordings (Wounded Bird)

Sneezy Waters & His Very Fine Band- Sultans of Swing
Sneezy Waters Live (Sneezy Waters)
Warren Zevon- Werewolves of London
A Quiet Normal Life: The Best of Warren Zevon (Elektra)
The Clash- London Calling
London Calling (Epic)

Roger Miller- England Swings
Hits (Drive Entertainment)

Next week: Songs of W.C. Handy

Find me on Facebook. facebook.com/mikeregenstreif

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Tuesday September 21, 2021: Relatively Speaking

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/595/53515.html

Theme: Relatively Speaking

Mike Regenstreif & Arlo Guthrie (1996)

Woody Guthrie- Ramblin’ Round
Woody at 100: The Woody Guthrie Centennial Collection (Smithsonian Folkways)
Arlo Guthrie- Pretty Boy Floyd
Here Come the Kids (Rising Son)
Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion- Folksong
Folksong (RTE 8)
Annie GuthrieE- Packin’ Light
Dragonfly (Rising Son)
Folk Uke- California Stars
Starfucker (Folk Uke)
Willie Nelson- One More Song to Write
Ride Me Back Home (Legacy)

Tim Grimm- Down the Road
Heart Land Again (Vault)
Jackson Grimm- Katie Did Holler
Sober Again (Vault)

Doc & Merle Watson- Windy & Warm
Songs Doc Didn’t Sing (FLI)

Kate & Anna McGarrigle & Mike Regenstreif (1976) photo: Felicity Fanjoy

Kate & Anna McGarrigle- My Town
Tell My Sister: Kate & Anna McGarrigle (Nonesuch)
Rufus Wainwright- Going to a Town
Vibrate: The Best of Rufus Wainwright (Interscope)
Martha Wainwright- Falaise de Malaise
Love Will Be Reborn (Peremone)
Sloan Wainwright- (I Love the Folks in) My Hometown
Bright Side of a Rainy Day (Sloan Wainwright)
Loudon Wainwright III- Older Than My Old Man Now
Older Than My Old Man Now (StorySound)
Suzzy Roche & Lucy Wainwright Roche- I Can Still Hear You
I Can Still Hear You (StorySound)
Maggie & Terre Roche- Malachy’s
Where Do I Come From: Selected Songs (StorySound)

Peter Yarrow- Tall Pine Trees
Peter (Warner Bros.)
Bethany & Rufus- 900 Miles
900 Miles (Hyena)

Short Sisters- Snow, Snow
A Planet Dancing Slow (Black Socks Press)
Pete Seeger- Old Devil Time
Singalong, Sanders Theatre, 1980 (Smithsonian Folkways)
Last Forever- Dillard Chandler
No Place Like Home/Last Forever (2nd Story Sound)
Mike Seeger- Freight Train
True Vine (Smithsonian Folkways)
Peggy Seeger- Gotta Get Home by Midnight
First Farewell (Red Grape Music)

James Taylor- Wandering
Gorilla (Warner Bros.)
Kate Taylor- (You Don’t Know) How Glad I Am
Why Wait! (Red House)
Livingston Taylor- Good Friends
The Best of Live: 50 Years of Livingston Taylor (Whistling Dog Music)

Next week: A Tribute to Louis Armstrong

Find me on Twitter. www.twitter.com/mikeregenstreif

And on Facebook. facebook.com/mikeregenstreif

--Mike Regenstreif

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Tuesday August 31, 2021: Remembering Nanci Griffith (1953-2021)

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/595/53257.html

Theme: Remembering Nanci Griffith (1953-2021)

Nanci Griffith – a superb and influential singer, songwriter and performer – died on August 13th at age 68. The show includes some of Nanci’s recordings, some of her collaborations with other artists, and some of her songs performed by other artists.

Nanci Griffith- There’s a Light Beyond These Woods
There’s a Light Beyond These Woods (Philo)

Nanci Griffith- Julie Anne
Poet In My Window (Philo)
Kathy Mattea- Love at the Five & Dime
Walk the Way the Wind Blows (Mercury)
Nanci Griffith- Daddy Said
Once In a Very Blue Moon (Philo)

It's been a long time since I’d seen her or been in touch, but Nanci and I were close in the 1980s when she came to Montreal frequently to play concerts at The Golem, the folk club I was then running. She'd always stay with me and we had some great times. One day she wrote the song, “Banks of the Pontchartrain,” in my apartment.

Nanci Griffith- Banks of the Pontchartrain
The Last of the True Believers (Philo)
Tom Russell & Nanci Griffith- St. Olav’s Gate
The Long Way Around (HighTone)
Suzy Bogguss- Outbound Plane
Aces (EMI)

Nanci Griffith- Time Alone
Once In a Very Blue Moon (Philo)

Nanci Griffith & Arlo Guthrie- Tecumseh Valley
Other Voices/Other Rooms (Elektra)
Nanci Griffith- Up Against the Rain
The Loving Kind (Rounder)

Nanci Griffith- Ten Degrees and Colder
Other Voices/Other Rooms (Elektra)
Nanci Griffith- You Were On My Mind
Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful) (Elektra)
Nanci Griffith & Tom Russell- Summer Wages
Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful) (Elektra)
Nanci Griffith & Ian Tyson- Canadian Whiskey
Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful) (Elektra)
Jimmy Buffett & Nanci Griffith- Someone I Used to Love
License to Chill (Mailboat)

Caroline Doctorow- Trouble In the Fields
Trouble In the Fields: An Artists’ Tribute to Nanci Griffith (Paradiddle)
Red Molly- Lookin’ for the Time
Trouble In the Fields: An Artists’ Tribute to Nanci Griffith (Paradiddle)
The Kennedys- I’m Not Drivin’ These Wheels
Trouble In the Fields: An Artists’ Tribute to Nanci Griffith (Paradiddle)
Nanci Griffith- Hell No (I’m Not Alright)
Intersection (Hell No)

Nanci Griffith with The London Symphony Orchestra- Late Night Grande Hotel
The Dust Bowl Symphony (Elektra)
Emmylou Harris & Willie Nelson- Gulf Coast Highway
Duets (Reprise)
Nanci Griffith with Carolyn Hester- Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound
Other Voices/Other Rooms (Elektra)
Lucy Kaplansky- I Wish It Would Rain
Everyday Street (Lucy Kaplansky)
Nanci Griffith- The Wing and the Wheel
The Last of the True Believers (Philo)

Nanci Griffith- Spin On a Red Brick Floor
One Fair Summer Evening (MCA)

Next week: A Tribute to The Everly Brothers

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--Mike Regenstreif

Judy Collins – Strangers Again

JUDY COLLINS

Strangers Again

Wildflower/Cleopatra

judycollins.com

Fifty-five years after the release of her first LP, A Maid of Constant Sorrow, Judy Collins remains a remarkable singer with one of the most elegantly beautiful of voices – a voice that moves seemingly effortlessly from folk music to art songs and pop music.

Strangers Again, Judy’s latest album, much of which leans toward pop music, is a collection of duets with 12 male singers – some of whom I’ve been listening to for decades and some of whom I’d not heard of until now. As well, some of the songs were familiar to me while others I’d never heard before.

Among the standout tracks is Judy and Willie Nelson’s haunting version of Dave Carter’s “When I Go,” a song that turned out to be prophetic as Dave, a brilliant songwriter who only emerged in his mid-40s, died suddenly from a heart attack just weeks before his 50th birthday in 2002. With the most folk-oriented arrangement on the album, Judy and Willie capture the deep Native American spiritualism at the essence of the song.

Another standout is a version of Leonard Cohen’s sublime composition “Hallelujah” with Bhi Bhiman. Although the song has been covered to death by other artists, I’ve always thought it was almost written with Judy’s voice in mind and – especially given how many of Leonard’s songs Judy has recorded over the years – I’m surprised she hasn’t done before now.

Also among the highlights are the new versions of Ian Tyson’s “Someday Soon” with Jimmy Buffett and Stephen Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns” with Don McLean, two of Judy’s greatest hits from decades ago, and Randy Newman’s “Feels Like Home” with Jackson Browne.

Judy Collins and Mike Regenstreif (2014).

Judy will be here in Ontario next month for three concerts on Friday, March 11, at Southminster United Church here in Ottawa (which I’m highly looking forward to); Saturday, March 12, at Hugh’s Room in Toronto; and Sunday, March 13, at Aeolian Hall in London. All three concerts will be opened by my old friend Garnet Rogers.

Find me on Twitter. twitter.com/@mikeregenstreif

And on Facebook. facebook.com/mikeregenstreif

--Mike Regenstreif