Monday, May 27, 2024

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – June 4, 2024: Remembering Spider John Koerner; The Enduring Legacy of Reverend Gary Davis


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/595/65407.html

Themes: Part 1: Remembering Spider John Koerner (1938-2024) / Part 2: The Enduring Legacy of Reverend Gary Davis (1896-1972)

Part 1: Remembering Spider John Koerner


Spider John Koerner was an influential folk and blues legend who died of cancer on May 18 at age 85.

Spider John Koerner was already one of the leading performers on the Minneapolis folk scene when Robert Zimmerman, still a teenager, moved there to attend the University of Minnesota. Spider John was highly influential in the musical direction that Zimmerman took that year – including beginning to call himself Bob Dylan. In his memoir, Chronicles: Volume One, Dylan wrote: “Koerner was tall and thin with a look of perpetual amusement on his face. We hit it off right away … when he spoke he was soft-spoken but when he sang he became a field holler shouter. Koerner was an exciting singer and we began playing a lot together.”

I first discovered Spider John Koerner while I was a teenager. It was probably 1969 or ’70 when I bought an LP called Blues, Rags & Hollers by the trio of Koerner, Ray & Glover – Spider John Koerner, Dave "Snaker" Ray and Tony "Little Sun: Glover. The album, from 1963, was mostly solo cuts by one or another of the three, along with a few duo cuts by two of the three.

Koerner, Ray & Glover- Linin’ Track
Blues, Rags & Hollers (Red House)
Ray Wylie Hubbard- Spider, Snaker and Little Sun
Tell the Devil I’m Coming As Fast As I Can (Bordello)
Spider John Koerner & Dave "Snaker" Ray- Black Dog
(Lots More) Blues, Rags & Hollers (Red House)
Koerner, Ray & Glover- What’s the Matter with the Mill
(Lots More) Blues, Rags & Hollers (Red House)

Spider John Koerner- Froggie Went a-Courtin’
Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Been (Red House)
Spider John Koerner- The Roving Gambler
Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Been (Red House)
Spider John Koerner- The Days of Forty-Nine
StarGeezer (Red House)

Spider John Koerner- Taking My Time
StarGeezer (Red House)

Part 2: The Enduring Legacy of Reverend Gary Davis


Reverend Gary Davis
, who died in 1972 at age 76, was a street preacher and a highly influential legend of blues, gospel and folk music. His guitar playing influenced many of the artists who came into the folk scene in the 1950s, ‘60s, ‘70s and continuing to the present.

Reverend Gary Davis- You Got to Move
A Little More Faith (Prestige/Bluesville)
Mountain City Four- Motherless Children
Mountain City Four (Omnivore)
Mr. Rick- I’ll Fly Away
Mr. Rick Sings About God + Booze (Mr. Rick)
Mary Flower- Sit Down on the Banks
Gary Davis Style: The Legacy of Reverend Gary Davis (Riverlark)
Michael Jerome Browne- Reverend Strut
Gettin’ Together (Borealis/Stony Plain)

Reverend Gary Davis- I’m Glad I’m in That Number
A Little More Faith (Prestige/Bluesville)
Marie Knight- When I Die
Let Us Get Together: A Tribute to Reverend Gary Davis (M.C.)
Andy Cohen- Pure Religion
Oh Glory, How Happy I Am: The Sacred Songs of Rev. Gary Davis (Riverlark)
William Lee Ellis- I Heard the Angels Singing
Gary Davis Style: The Legacy of Reverend Gary Davis (Riverlark)
Roy Book Binder- The Preacher Picked the Guitar
Singer-Songwriter Bluesman (PEGleg)

Dave Van Ronk- Cocaine
Live at Sir George Williams University (Just a Memory)
Reverend Gary Davis- Buck Dance
Live & Kickin’ (Just a Memory)
Guy Davis- Candy Man
Stomp Down Rider (Red House)
Penny Lang & Friends- God Knows How Much We Can Bear
Gary Davis Style: The Legacy of Reverend Gary Davis (Riverlark)
Mitch Greenhill & Mayne Smith- Samson & Delilah
Gary Davis Style: The Legacy of Reverend Gary Davis (Riverlark)
Bruce Cockburn- Twelve Gates to the City
Bone on Bone (True North)

Reverend Gary Davis- I Will Do My Last Singing in This Land Somewhere
Live at Newport (Vanguard)

Next week: Songs for Fathers

--Mike Regenstreif

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – May 28, 2024: 50 years ago, I took over The Golem, Part 1


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/595/65341.html

Theme: 50 years ago, I took over The Golem, Part 1.

Mike Regenstreif at The Golem (1975)

It was 50 years ago, on May 24, 1974, that I took over running The Golem, Montreal folk club. 

The Golem had been established in 1973 in the McGill Hillel building at 3460 Stanley Street by Saul Markowicz. I had done my basic training in folk club management with Chuck Baker at the Yellow Door, and had been producing concerts in Montreal at Dawson College and McGill University for about two years when Saul approached me in the spring of 1974 and asked if I’d be interested in taking over The Golem.

I actually ran The Golem twice – from 1974 until 1976 and from 1981 until 1987. The Golem was also run for about a year after my first tenure by Marc Nerenberg (who, by the way, is responsible for keeping the Yellow Door going still). The Golem was closed between 1977 and when I returned and re-opened it in 1981. And, after my second tenure, a committee including Helen Fortin and Dave Clarke of Steel Rail fame kept the Golem going until 1991.

All of the songs on this show were played back in the day by artists who performed during my two tenures running the Golem. As I was preparing this show, I found there was no way I could play all of the artists I’d like to include, so I’ll be doing a part 2 to this theme on the June 18 edition of Stranger Songs.

Bruce Murdoch- Fool Like Me
Bruce Murdoch (Radio Canada International)

Mike Regenstreif, Bruce Murdoch & Sneezy Waters (2014)

Sneezy Waters- (You’ve Got) Sawdust on the Floor of Your Heart
Live in the CKCU studio during Stranger Songs – July 4, 2023
Jim Ringer- Going Away
Waitin’ for the Hard Times to Go (Folk-Legacy)
Tom Mitchell, Mike Regenstreif & Mary McCaslin (199)

Mary McCaslin
- Down the Road
Way Out West (Philo)
Chris Rawlings & Mike Regenstreif (2007)

Chris Rawlings
- Pearl River Turnaround
Pearl Soupe (Cooking Fat Music)

Mike Regenstreif & Jesse Winchester (2006)

Jesse Winchester- Tell Me Why You Like Roosevelt
Learn to Love It (Stony Plain)
Kate & Anna McGarrigle & Mike Regenstreif (1976) photo: Felicity Fanjoy

Kate & Anna McGarrigle & Roma Baran- Willie Moore
Tell My Sister (Nonesuch)

Ronney Abramson & Mike Regenstreif (2016)

Ronney Abramson- Three O’Clock Ride
Three O’Clock Ride – single (Ronney Abramson)

Artie Traum & Mike Regenstreif (2006)

Artie Traum- Montreal
The Test of Time (Roaring Stream)
Ferron- Ain’t Life a Brook
Not a Still Life (Cherrywood Station)
Mike Regenstreif & Bill Staines (1993)

Bill Staines- Tulsa
Miles (Mineral River)
Mike Regenstreif & Priscilla Herdman (1978) photo: Ron Petronko

Priscilla Herdman- Andy’s Gone with Cattle
The Water Lily (Philo)
Eric Bogle- Now I’m Easy
Scraps of Paper (Flying Fish)

Utah Phillips & Mike Regenstreif (1976) photo: Felicity Fanjoy

Utah Phillips- Larimer Street
The Telling Takes Me Home (Philo)
Rosalie Sorrels & Mike Regenstreif (1993)

Rosalie Sorrels- Postcard from India
Travelin’ Lady (Sire)
Tom Mitchell- Eastern Beer
1976 live recording – used with permission
Mimi Fariña- Defying Gravity
Live in Germany: To Benefit Bread & Roses (Dogfish Music)

Mike Regenstreif & Tom Paxton (2001) photo: Janice Hanson

Tom Paxton- Outward Bound
The Compleat Tom Paxton (Even Compleater) (Rhino Handmade)
Odetta- Hold On
Odetta at Carnegie Hall (Vanguard)
Dave Van Ronk- Green, Green Rocky Road
…and the tin pan bended, and the story ended… (Smithsonian Folkways)

John Hartford- Steamboat Whistle Blues
Aereo-Plain (Rounder)
Skyline with Tony Trischka- Ticket Back
Ticket Back: A Retrospective (Flying Fish)
Nanci Griffith- There’s a Light Beyond These Woods
There’s a Light Beyond These Woods (Philo)

Stan Rogers- The Mary Ellen Carter
Between the Breaks…Live! (Fogarty’s Cove/Borealis)

Next week: Part 1: Remembering Spider John Koerner / Part 2: The Legacy of Reverend Gary Davis

--Mike Regenstreif

Saturday, May 18, 2024

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – May 21, 2024: Even More Songs of Bob Dylan


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/595/65281.html

Theme: Even More Songs of Bob Dylan.


Bob Dylan – who turns 83 this week on May 24 – is, arguably, but certainly in my opinion, the most important and influential songwriter ever. All of the songs on this show have never been heard on any previous edition of Stranger Songs.

Bob Dylan- Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again
Blonde On Blonde (Columbia)

The Clancy Brothers with Louis Killen- Girl from the North Country
Save the Land! (Audio Fidelity)
Joan Baez- Love Minus Zero/No Limit
Any Day Now (Vanguard)
Pete Seeger- Who Killed Davey Moore?
We Shall Overcome: The Complete Carnegie Hall Concert, June 8, 1963 (Columbia)
Happy Traum with Bob Dylan- Let Me Die in My Footsteps
The Best of Broadside 1962-1988 (Smithsonian Folkways)
Bob Dylan- Ballad of Hollis Brown
The Times They Are A-Changin’ (Columbia)

J.D. Crowe & The New South- Nashville Skyline Rag
Flashback (Rounder)

Odetta- Walkin’ Down the Line
Odetta Sings Dylan (RCA)
The Brothers & Sisters- Just Like a Woman
Dylan’s Gospel (Columbia)
Julie Felix- It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
Starry Eyed and Laughing… Songs by Bob Dylan (Remarkable)
Bob Dylan- Blind Willie McTell
The Bootleg Series, Volume 3 (Columbia)

Tom Russell- John Wesley Harding
Tonight We Ride EP (HighTone)
Ian & Sylvia- Tears of Rage
Long Long Time (Vanguard)
Peter, Paul & Mary- Too Much of Nothing
Late Again (Warner Bros.)
Bob Dylan- If Dogs Run Free
New Morning (Columbia)

Jimmy LaFave- You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
Peace Town (Music Road)
Ian Hanchet- If Not for You
Dealin’ from the Bottom (of My Heart) (Ian Hanchet)
Caroline Doctorow- Time Passes Slowly
Dreaming in Vinyl (Narrow Lane)

Bob Dylan- Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
Blonde On Blonde (Columbia)[MR1]

Next week: 50 years ago I took over The Golem.

--Mike Regenstreif

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

Saturday Morning with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Saturday May 18, 2024


Saturday Morning is an eclectic roots-oriented program on CKCU, 93.1 FM, in Ottawa on Saturday mornings from 7 until 10 am (Eastern time) and available for on-demand streaming anytime. I am one of the four rotating hosts of the Saturday Morning show. 

This episode of Saturday Morning was recorded and can be streamed on-demand, now or anytime, by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/128/65234.html

Tex König- One Morning in May
Königsblende (Music Cellar)

Wendy Grossman- My Sweet Wyoming Home
The Last Trip Home (Riverlark)
The Spain Brothers- Roseville Fair
Bright and Better Morning (The Spain Brothers)
Mason Daring & Jeanie Stahl- River
Recordings Celebrating 50 Years of a Musical Partnership (Mason Daring & Jeanie Stahl)

Bill Staines- Rompin’ Rovin’ Days
Journey Home (Red House)
Penny Lang- Come Across to You
Gather Honey (Borealis)
Bruce Murdoch- First Robin of Springtime
Matters of the Heart (Bruce Murdoch)

Jaspar Lepak- Dandelion
The Seasons Project: Spring (Christine Lavin)
Hilary Field- Esperanza (Hope)
The Seasons Project: Spring (Christine Lavin)
Kat Goldman- Weight of the World
The Seasons Project: Spring (Christine Lavin)
Declan O’Rourke- The Harbour
The Seasons Project: Spring (Christine Lavin)
Christine Lavin- Another New York Afternoon
The Seasons Project: Spring (Christine Lavin)

Bill Hearne- Sixteen Miles
Always Trust Your Cape (Howlin’ Dog)
Brittany Jean- Early Morning Rain
Colors & Covers (Brittany Jean)
Gordon Lightfoot- Long River
The Original Lightfoot (EMI)

Stephen Mendel- Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Sing Me a Story (Stephen Mendel)

Evenchick & Hucul- Under Your Wing
This is My Story (Melissa Hucul & Mark Evenchick)
Gentle Sparrow- Shining a Light Over You
River (Heart Alchemy Music)

Boreal- Warm Hands
Recorded for a future album release
Kate Weekes- Tea in Reykjavik
Taken By Surprise (Artiste Extrordinaire Originals)

Tom Lewis- Chicken on a Raft
Sea-Dog, See Dog! (Flying Fish)
Maddy Prior & June Tabor- The Grey Funnel Line
Silly Sisters (Shanachie)
Garnet Rogers- Sammy’s Bar
Summer Lightning: Live (Snow Goose Songs)

Bruce Cockburn- O Sun By Day O Moon By Night
O Sun O Moon (True North)
Lynne Hanson- Hemingway’s Songbird
Just Words (Lynne Hanson)
Ana Egge- Door Won’t Close
Sharing in the Spirit (StorySound)
Paula Cole- Follow the Moon
Lo (675)

Eric Bibb- 500 Miles
Live at the Scala Theatre (Stony Plain)
Steve Howell & The Mighty Men- God’s Gonna Cut You Down
99½ Won’t Do (Out of the Past Music)

Jay Linden- Another Day
Ordinary Sunrise (Americana North)

Tom Mitchell- My Newest Friend
When the Moon is Right (Truesongs)
Heather Little- Saint Christopher
By Now (Heather Little)
James Talley- My Little Corner of the World
Bandits, Ballads and Blues (Cimarron)
Robin Holcomb- Be Still
One Way or Another, Vol. 2 (Robin Holcomb)

Gretchen Peters with Tom Russell- Guadalupe
One to the Heart, One to the Head (Scarlet Letter/Frontera)
Steve Young- Angel of Lyon
Switchblades of Love (Watermelon)
Tom Russell & Mike Regenstreif (2005)

Tom Russell & The Norwegian Wind Ensemble- Goodnight Juarez
Aztec Jazz (Frontera)

Magpie- I Just Roll Along
Endless River (Long Tail)
Rosalie Sorrels- Elegant Hobo
What Ever Happened to the Girl That Was (Paramount)
Paul Geremia- I’ll Be Goin’
Just Enough (Folkways)
Judy Roderick- Born in the Country
Woman Blue (Vanguard)
Chris Smither- All About the Bones
All About the Bones (Signature Sounds)

Mike Regenstreif & David Amram (2004)

David Amram- Waltz from After the Fall
No More Walls (Flying Fish)

I’ll be hosting Saturday Morning next on June 15. I also host Stranger Songs on CKCU every Tuesday from 3:30-5 pm.

--Mike Regenstreif

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – May 14, 2024: Songs of Jacques Brel


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/595/65137.html

Theme: Songs of Jacques Brel (1929-1978).

Jacques Brel – who died in 1978 at age 49 from a pulmonary embolism while suffering from terminal lung cancer – was a Belgian singer, songwriter and actor whose theatrical songs are still widely performed, both in French and in English translation.


Jacques Brel
- Les Flamandes
The Very Best of Jacques Brel (Select)

Judy Collins- Marieke
Whales & Nightingales (Elektra)
Amanda McBroom- Girl in an Armchair
Chanson: Amanda McBroom Sings Jacques Brel (Gecko)
Fred Holstein- Amsterdam
Fred Holstein: A Collection (Fred Holstein)
Barb Jungr- Jacky
Bob, Brel and Me (Kristalyn)
Jacques Brel- Au Printemps
The Very Best of Jacques Brel (Select)

Mary Coughlan- Hearts
Sentimental Killer (Eastwest)

Judy Collins- Sons of
Whales & Nightingales (Elektra)
Amanda McBroom- My Death
Chanson: Amanda McBroom Sings Jacques Brel (Gecko)
Barb Jungr- The Tender Hearts
Bob, Brel and Me (Kristalyn)
Jacques Brel- Les Bourgeois
The Very Best of Jacques Brel (Select)

Joan Baez- La Colombe – The Dove
Joan (Vanguard)
The Kingston Trio- Seasons in the Sun
Collectors Series (Capitol)
Jennifer Warnes- Old Folks – Les vieux
Just Jennifer (Deram)
Melody Gardot- La Chanson des vieux amants
Sayanora Meu Amor (Decca)
Jacques Brel- Les Singes
The Very Best of Jacques Brel (Select)

Stacey Kent- If You Go Away
Summer Me, Winter Me (Token Productions)
Judy Collins- The Desperate Ones
Bohemian (Wildflower)
Jacques Brel- Le Colonel
The Very Best of Jacques Brel (Select)
Barb Jungr- To See a Friend Break Down and Cry
Bob, Brel and Me (Kristalyn)
Amanda McBroom- You Don’t Forget the Past
Chanson: Amanda McBroom Sings Jacques Brel (Gecko)

Jacques Brel- Le Moribond
The Very Best of Jacques Brel (Select)

Next week: Still More Songs of Bob Dylan.

--Mike Regenstreif

Friday, May 3, 2024

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – May 7, 2024: Songs for Mothers


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/595/65085.html

Theme: Songs for Mothers.

Some of these songs are written about mothers, some are written from the perspectives of mothers.

Rachel Bissex- Dancing with My Mother
In White Light (One Take Music)

Bob Dylan did not write “Mama You Been On My Mind” about his mother, but Bettye LaVette turned it into one about hers.

Bettye LaVette- Mama, You Been On My Mind
Things Have Changed (Verve)
Eric Bogle- Leaving Nancy
By Request (Greentrax)
Jesse Winchester & Mike Regenstreif (2000)

Jesse Winchester- Ghosts
A Reasonable Amount of Trouble (Appleseed)

Anne Hills- Mother
The Things I Notice Now: Anne Hills sings the songs of Tom Paxton (Appleseed)
Lucy Kaplansky- Mother’s Day
Reunion (Red House)

Dave Clarke- Simonne
The Healing Garden (Crossties)

Rosalie Sorrels & Mike Regenstreif (1993)

Rosalie Sorrels- Baby Rocking Medley
Always a Lady (Green Linnet)
Rosalie Sorrels- Song for David
Always a Lady (Green Linnet)
Rosalie Sorrels- Apple of My Eye
Always a Lady (Green Linnet)

Nancy White- Momnipotent
Momnipotent (The Children’s Group)
Nancy White- Open That Can
Momnipotent (The Children’s Group)
Christine Albert- Are We There Yet Mama
Underneath the Lone Star Sky (Dos)

Connie Kaldor- God Made Mamas to Cry
Vinyl Songbook (Coyote Entertainment)
Connie Kaldor- Mother’s Prayer
Out of the Blue (Coyote Entertainment)
Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard- Mama’s Gonna Stay
Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard (Rounder)
David Massengill- Song to Mother
Morgana’s Sleepover and the Witch’s Hand (David Massengill)
Steel Rail- What My Mother Saw
The Road Less Travelled (Crossties)

Kate & Anna McGarrigle- Song for Gaby
Matapedia (Hannibal)
Shelley Posen- Fork Garden
Menorah: Songs from a Jewish Life (Well Done Music)
Bill Garrett & Sue Lothrop- Red Shoes
Red Shoes (Borealis)
Nanci Griffith- Last Song for Mother
Clock Without Hands (Elektra)
Mike Regenstreif & Arlo Guthrie (1996)

Arlo Guthrie- Mother’s Voice (I Hear You Sing Again)
Here Come the Kids (Rising Son)

Odetta- Mother’s Blues
Lookin’ for a Home: Thanks to Leadbelly (M.C.)

Next week: Songs of Jacques Brel.

--Mike Regenstreif

Thursday, April 25, 2024

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – April 30, 2024: Remembering Pete Seeger


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/595/64978.html

Theme: Remembering Pete Seeger (1919-2014)


Pete Seeger
– who died in 2014 at age 94 – was a folksinger, musician, songwriter, author and activist at the vanguard of the folk revival from the 1940s until his death. Virtually all of us who came into the folk scene over the past seven decades or more, stand on Pete’s shoulders.

Pete Seeger- Tomorrow is a Highway
If I Had a Hammer: Songs of Hope and Struggle (Smithsonian Folkways)

The Weavers- Kisses Sweeter Than Wine
The Weavers at Carnegie Hall (Vanguard)
Nanci Griffith with Odetta, The Indigo Girls, Kennedy Rose, John Prine, James Hooker, Barry & Holly Tashian, John Gorka, David Mallett, Marlin Griffith & Jim Rooney- Wimoweh (Mbube)
Other Voices/Other Rooms (Elektra)
Perla Batalla- Guantanamera
Discoteca Batalla (Mechuda Music)
Peter Paul & Mary- If I Had a Hammer
Peter Paul and Mary (Warner Bros.)
Noel Paul Stookey- Not That Kind of Music
At Home: The Maine Tour (Neworld)

Pete Seeger with Arlo Guthrie & Shenendoah- Precious Friend You Will Be There
Precious Friend (Warner Bros.)

Bruce Cockburn- Turn, Turn, Turn
Rarities (True North)
Kronos Quartet with Sam Amidon, Brian Carpenter, Lee Knight & Aoife O'Donovan- Where Have All the Flowers Gone
Long Time Passing: Kronos Quartet & Friends Celebrate Pete Seeger (Smithsonian Folkways)
Magpie- Last Train to Nuremburg
Endless River (Long Tail)
Ken Whiteley- Quite Early Morning
Ken Whiteley and the Beulah Band (Borealis)
Pete Seeger- One Grain of Sand
Dangerous Songs!? (Columbia/Legacy)
Tom Paxton, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer (The Power of Song)
All New (Community Music)

Annie Patterson- Pastures of Plenty
Meet Me By the Moonlight (Annie Patterson)
Arlo Guthrie with Shenendoah- Sailing Down This Golden River
Outlasting the Blues (Rising Son)
Pete Seeger- Of Time and Rivers Flowing
Pete (Living Music)
Reggie Harris- High Over the Hudson
On Solid Ground (Reggie Harris Music)

Happy Traum- Empty Pocket Blues
I Walk the Road Again (Roaring Stream)
Rosalie Sorrels- Old Devil Time
Report from Grimes Creek (Green Linnet)
Penny Lang- Oh, Had I a Golden Thread
Carry On Children (She-Wolf)
Pete Seeger- Both Sides Now
Young vs. Old (Columbia)

John McCutcheon with Hot Rize- Well May the World Go
To Everyone in All the World: A Celebration of Pete Seeger (Appalsongs)

Next week: Songs for Mothers.

--Mike Regenstreif

Thursday, April 18, 2024

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – April 23, 2024: Songs of Shel Silverstein


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/595/64883.html

Theme: Songs of Shel Silverstein (1930-1999)


Shel Silverstein
– who died of a heart attack in 1999 at age 68 – was a renaissance man: an author, poet, cartoonist, singer-songwriter, musician, and playwright.

Shel Silverstein- Folk Singer’s Blues
Inside Folk Songs (Water)

Tom Paxton, Anne Hills & Bob Gibson- Sing for the Song
Best of Friends (Appleseed)
Bob Gibson- Whistlers & Jugglers
Makin’ a Mess: Bob Gibson Sings Shel Silverstein (Asylum)
Martin Simpson- In the Hills of Shiloh
Rooted (Topic)
Sarah Jarosz with Black Prairie- Queen of the Silver Dollar
Twistable, Turnable Man: A Musical Tribute to the Songs of Shel Silverstein (Sugar Hill)
Shel Silverstein- Bury Me in My Shades
Inside Folk Songs (Water)

John Prine- This Guitar is for Sale
Twistable, Turnable Man: A Musical Tribute to the Songs of Shel Silverstein (Sugar Hill)

The Irish Rovers- The Unicorn
The Best of The Irish Rovers (MCA)
Dr. Hook- Sylvia’s Mother
Gold (Crimson)
Johnny Cash- A Boy Named Sue
The Legend of Johnny Cash (American/Columbia/Legacy)
Shel Silverstein- 25 Minutes to Go
Inside Folk Songs (Water)

Gordon Lightfoot- On Susan’s Floor
Don Quixote (Reprise)
Bob Gibson- Stops Along the Way
Makin’ a Mess: Bob Gibson Sings Shel Silverstein (Asylum)
Lucinda Williams- The Ballad of Lucy Jordan
Twistable, Turnable Man: A Musical Tribute to the Songs of Shel Silverstein (Sugar Hill)
Papa John Kolstad & Wildman Mike Turk- Beans Taste Fine
Beans Taste Fine (Wampus Cat)
Shel Silverstein- Have Another Espresso
Inside Folk Songs (Water)

The Folk Legacy Trio- The Mermaid
Homecoming (The Folk Legacy Trio)
Rosalie Sorrels- You’re Always Welcome at Our House
Be Careful, There’s a Baby in the House (Green Linnet)
Shel Silverstein- Boa Constrictor
Inside Folk Songs (Water)
Nanci Griffith- The Giving Tree
Twistable, Turnable Man: A Musical Tribute to the Songs of Shel Silverstein (Sugar Hill)

Bobby Bare- Rosalie’s Good Eats Café
Bobby Bare Sings Lullabys, Legends and Lies (RCA)

Bob Gibson- Living Legend
The Living Legend Years (Bob Gibson Legacy).

Next week: Remembering Pete Seeger.

--Mike Regenstreif 

Monday, April 15, 2024

Saturday Morning with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – Saturday April 20, 2024


Saturday Morning is an eclectic roots-oriented program on CKCU, 93.1 FM, in Ottawa on Saturday mornings from 7 until 10 am (Eastern time) and available for on-demand streaming anytime. I am one of the four rotating hosts of the Saturday Morning show. 

This episode of Saturday Morning was recorded and can be streamed on-demand, now or anytime, by clicking on “Listen Now” at … https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/128/64837.html

Finest Kind- April Morning
Heart’s Delight (Fallen Angle)

Annie Patterson & Mike Regenstreif (2018)

Annie Patterson
- Gone, Gonna Rise Again
Mountain Side (Annie Patterson)
The Spain Brothers- Wild Rose of the Mountain
Bright and Better Morning (The Spain Brothers)
Katie Oates- When the Morning Breaks
We Go On: Si Kahn’s Songs of Hope in Hard Times (Hollow Reed Arts Recordings)
Mike Regenstreif & Si Kahn (1995)

Si Kahn & The Looping Brothers- Aragon Mill
Aragon Mill: The Bluegrass Sessions (Strictly Country)

Jay Linden- Boat on a River
Ordinary Sunrise (Americana North) 
Simon & Garfunkel- Old Friends/Bookends Theme
Bookends (Columbia)
Tom Rush- The Circle Game
The Circle Game (Elektra)
Chris Smither- Leave the Light On
Leave the Light On (Signature Sounds/True North)

Mason Daring & Jeanie Stahl- Marblehead Morning
Recordings Celebrating 50 Years of a Musical Partnership (Mason Daring & Jeanie Stahl)
Stan Rogers- Three Fishers
Songs of a Lifetime: For the Family (Fogarty’s Cove/Borealis) 
Wendy Grossman- The Jeannie C.
The Last Trip Home (Riverlark)
The Short Sisters- Home Dearie Home
A Little Gracefulness (Black Socks Press)
Tom Lewis & Mike Regenstreif (2006) photo: David Shapiro

Tom Lewis- Rolling Home
Mixed Cargo (Borealis)

Tim Grimm- Broken Truth
Broken Truth – single (Vault)

Connie Kaldor- Not a Sentimental Song
Keep Going (Coyote Entertainment)
Gentle Sparrow- Only Love in My Heart
River (Heart Alchemy Music)
Vince Halfhide- Memphis Rounder
Vince Halfhide (Vince Halfhide)

Annie Patterson- Shady Grove
Meet Me By the Moonlight (Annie Patterson)
Arnie Naiman & Chris Coole- Willie Moore
5 Strings Attached – Volume 2 (Merriweather)`

Judy Collins & Mike Regenstreif (2014)

Judy Collins- The Bells of Rhymney
3 & 4: Judy Collins #3 (Wildflower)
American Patchwork Quartet- Cuckoo Bird
American Patchwork Quartet (Carolina Jasmine)
Kate & Anna McGarrigle- Goin’ Back to Harlan
Matapedia (Hannibal)

Kim & Reggie Harris- Go Down Moses
Steal Away: Songs of the Underground Railroad (Appleseed)
Peter, Paul & Mary- Tell It on the Mountain
In the Wind (Warner Bros.)
The Klezmatics- Moses Smote the Water
Brother Moses Smote the Water (Piranha)
Mike Regenstreif & David Clayton-Thomas (2006)

David Clayton-Thomas
- Holy Moses
A Blues for the New World (Antoinette Music Productions)
Jesse Winchester- Pharaoh’s Army
Learn to Love It (Stony Plain)
Shelley Posen- And We Sang ‘Ha Lakhma Anya’
Manna (Well Done Music)

Kiran Ahluwalia- Jaane Jahan
Comfort Food (Kiran Ahluwalia)

Bill Hearne- Snowin’ on Raton
Always Trust Your Cape (Howlin’ Dog)
Sue Foley- Oh Babe, It Ain’t No Lie
One Guitar Woman: A Tribute to the Female Pioneers of Guitar (Stony Plain)
Mike Regenstreif & Eric Bibb (2005)

Eric Bibb
- Bring Me Little Water, Sylvie
Live at the Scala Theatre (Stony Plain)
Nick Gravenites- Poor Boy
Rogue Blues (M.C.)

Todd Burge- Weed
Seed (Todd Burge)
James Gordon- Wild Wind Blows
Wrinkles and Scars (James Gordon)
Kristen Grainger & True North- Oceans Rising
Oceans Rising – single (Kristen Grainger & True North)

Annie Patterson- The L&N Don’t Stop Here Anymore
Mountain Side (Annie Patterson)
Eve Goldberg & Mike Regenstreif (2013)

Eve Goldberg- Sweet Sorrow in the Wind
Ever Brightening Day (Sweet Patootie Music)
Jean Ritchie & Sons- One More Mile
Mountain Born (Greenhays)

Evenchick & Hucul- Where Alexandra Goes
This is My Story (Melissa Hucul & Mark Evenchick)
Anne Hills- Alexandra Leaving
Points of View (Appleseed)
Ana Egge- We Lay Roses
Between Us (StorySound)

Rob Lutes- Shediac Bridge
Come Around (Lucky Bear)
Lisa Redfern- The Best Part
The Best Part (Lisa Redfern)

Rachael Sage- Deepest Dark
Another Side (MPress)

I’ll be hosting Saturday Morning next on May 18. I also host Stranger Songs on CKCU every Tuesday from 3:30-5 pm.

--Mike Regenstreif

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – April 16, 2024: New York State of Mind


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/595/64765.html

Theme: New York State of Mind


All the songs on this show have something or other to do with New York City.

Tony Bennett & Billy Joel- New York State of Mind
Playin’ with My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues (RPM/Columbia)

Bob Dylan- Talkin’ New York
Bob Dylan (Columbia/Legacy)
Tex König- Zen Koans Gonna Rise Again
Königsblende (Music Cellar)
Lucy Wainwright Roche & Suzzy Roche- Bleecker Street
Mud & Apples (Lucy Wainwright Roche & Suzzy Roche)
Garnet Rogers- American Jerusalem
The Outside Track (Snow Goose Songs)
Orit Shimoni- New York 
Winnipeg (Orit Shimoni) 

Mike Regenstreif & David Amram (2017)

David Amram & The Colorado Symphony Orchestra- Variation VI: Street Sounds of New York B) Klezmer Wedding Celebration and Middle Eastern Bazaar
This Land: Symphonic Variations on a Song by Woody Guthrie (Newport Classic)

Suzanne Vega- New York is My Destination
An Evening of New York Songs and Stories (Cooking Vinyl)
Mike Regenstreif & Erik Frandsen (1976) photo: Felicity Fanjoy

Erik Frandsen- Unique New York 
Antiques: New & Used (Erik Frandsen) 
Christine Lavin- Another New York Afternoon
The Seasons Project: Spring (Christine Lavin) 
Tom Russell- Biggest Bordertown
Old Songs Yet to Sing (Frontera)

Mike Regenstreif & Chaim Tannenbaum (1976) photo: Felicity Fanjoy

Chaim Tannenbaum- Brooklyn 1955
Chaim Tannenbaum (StorySound)
The Klezmatics- Mermaid’s Avenue
Wonder Wheel: Lyrics by Woody Guthrie (Jewish Music Group)
Frank London’s Klezmer Brass Allstars featuring Michel “Meshach” Nestor- Unity (Carnival in Crown Heights) 
Chronika (Borscht Beat) 
Mike Regenstreif & Lucy Kaplansky (2012)

Lucy Kaplansky- Brooklyn Train
The Red Thread (Red House)

Nat King Cole- Harlem Blues
St. Louis Blues (Capitol)
Reggie Harris- Harlem Renaissance
Ready to Go (Reggie Harris Music)
Lena Horne & Harry Belafonte- There’s a Boat That’s Leaving Soon for New York
Porgy & Bess (RCA)

Harry Nilsson- I Guess the Lord Must Be In New York City
Harry (RCA)
Chava Alberstein- Fellini in New York 
End of the Holiday (Rounder) 
Mike Regenstreif & Priscilla Herdman (2000)

Priscilla Herdman- Goodnight, New York
The Road Home (Redwing Music)

Frank Sinatra- (Theme from) New York, New York
The Reprise Collection (Reprise)

Next week: Songs of Shel Silverstein.

--Mike Regenstreif 

Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – April 9, 2024: Songs I’ve Heard Tom Rush Sing


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/595/64667.html

Theme: Songs I’ve Heard Tom Rush Sing.

Tom Rush – who is now 83 years old – has been performing and recording for more than 60 years. This show includes songs from Tom’s new album, “Gardens Old, Flowers New,” as well as other artists doing songs Tom has recorded over the years.


Tom Rush
- Sailing
Gardens Old, Flowers New (Appleseed) 

Woody Guthrie- Do Re Mi
This Land is Your Land: The Asch Recordings Vol. 1 (Smithsonian Folkways)
Ian Tyson- Windy Bill
Old Corrals and Sagebrush & Other Cowboy Culture Classics (Stony Plain)
Eric Von Schmidt- Joshua Gone Barbados
Baby, Let Me Lay It On You (Gazell)
Blind Willie McTell- Statesboro Blues
The Rough Guide to Blind Willie McTell (World Music Network)
Tom Rush- Gimme Some of It
Gardens Old, Flowers New (Appleseed) 
The Duhks- Mighty Storm
Fast Paced World (Sugar Hill)

Lauren Sheehan- I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate
The Light Still Burns (Wilson River)

Emmylou Harris- No Regrets
Bluebird (Reprise)
Bruce Cockburn- One Day I Walk
Greatest Hits (1970-2020) (True North)
Jesse Winchester- Biloxi 
Jesse Winchester (Stony Plain) 
Tom Rush- The Harbor
Gardens Old, Flowers New (Appleseed) 

Joni Mitchell- Urge for Going
Archives – Volume 2: The Reprise Years (1968-1971) (Rhino)
Murray McLauchlan- Old Man’s Song
Songs from the Street: The Best of Murray McLauchlan (True North)
Eddie Holstein- Jazzman
Eddie Holstein (Eddie Holstein)
David Wiffen- Driving Wheel
David Wiffen (Fantasy)
Tom Rush- It All Comes Down to Love
Gardens Old, Flowers New (Appleseed) 

3’s a Crowd- Gnostic Serenade
Christopher’s Movie Matinee (Dunhill)
Michael Smith- This Here Mandolin (Hobo’s Mandolin)
There (Flying Fish)
Bonnie Koloc- Colors of the Sun
Rediscovered (Mr. Biscuit)
Guy Clark- Desperados Waiting for a Train
Keepers: a live recording (Sugar Hill)
Tom Rush- Glory Road 
Gardens Old, Flowers New (Appleseed) 

Tom Rush- One More Time Around the Sun
Gardens Old, Flowers New (Appleseed) 

Next week: New York State of Mind.

--Mike Regenstreif

Friday, March 29, 2024

Stranger Songs with Mike Regenstreif – CKCU – April 2, 2024: The Musical Adventures of Jim, Geoff & Maria


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/595/64607.html

Theme: The Musical Adventures of Jim, Geoff & Maria.

Maria Muldaur, Geoff Muldaur & Jim Kweskin (1964) photo: Joe Alper

Geoff Muldaur
and Maria Muldaur were both members of Jim Kweskin’s Jug Band in the 1960s – the pre-eminent jug band of the ‘60s folk revival – and this show will explore a few of the many directions that Jim, Geoff and Maria have taken over the past 60-plus years – including numerous collaborations with each other.

Jim Kweskin & The Jug Band- Jug Band Music
Jug Band Music (Vanguard)


Jim Kweskin & The Jug Band
- Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me
Jug Band Music (Vanguard)
Jim Kweskin & The Jug Band- Wild About My Lovin’
Unblushing Brassiness (Vanguard)
Jim Kweskin & The Jug Band- Richland Woman
See Reverse Side for Title (Vanguard)


The Even Dozen Jug Band- Come On In
The Even Dozen Jug Band (Elektra)
Geoff Muldaur- Jelly Roll Baker
Sleepy Man Blues (Prestige)
Jim Kweskin- Make Me a Pallet On Your Floor
Relax Your Mind (Vanguard)

Jim Kweskin & The Jug Band- Chevrolet
See Reverse Side for Title (Vanguard)


Geoff & Maria Muldaur- Brazil
Pottery Pie (Omnivore)
Geoff & Maria Muldaur- Georgia On My Mind
Pottery Pie (Omnivore)
Paul Butterfield’s Better Days- Rule the Road
Paul Butterfield’s Better Days (Rhino/Bearsville)

Jim Kweskin- Sugar Babe
Jim Kweskin’s America (Reprise)

Maria Muldaur
- Midnight at the Oasis
Maria Muldaur (Reprise)
Geoff Muldaur- Livin’ in the Sunlight (Lovin’ in the Moonlight)
Geoff Muldaur is Having a Wonderful Time (Reprise)

Jim Kweskin & The Neo-Passé Jazz Band- Jazzbo Brown
Jump for Joy (Vanguard)

Geoff Muldaur's Futuristic Ensemble
- Futuristic Rhythm
Private Astronomy: A Vision of the Music of Bix Beiderbecke (Edge Music)
Maria Muldaur- He Ain’t Got Rhythm
Let’s Get Happy Together (Stony Plain)


Jim Kweskin & Geoff Muldaur
- Sweet to Mama
Penny’s Farm (Kingswood)
Jim Kweskin & Maria Muldaur- Let’s Get Happy Together
Never Too Late: Duets with My Friends (StorySound)

Geoff Muldaur's Futuristic Ensemble & Martha Wainwright- There Ain’t No Sweet Man That’s Worth the Salt of My Tears
Private Astronomy: A Vision of the Music of Bix Beiderbecke (Edge Music)
Jay McShann & Maria Muldaur- Confessin’ the Blues
Goin’ to Kansas City (Stony Plain)

Jim Kweskin & Samoa Wilson
- Remember Me
Never Too Late: Duets with My Friends (StorySound)
John Sebastian & The J-Band & Geoff Muldaur- Minglewood Blues
Chasin’ Gus’ Ghost (Hollywood)

Jim Kweskin & Fiona Kweskin- Side by Side
Never Too Late: Duets with My Friends (StorySound)

Next week: Songs I’ve Heard Tom Rush Sing.

--Mike Regenstreif