Deeper Roots Radio

Not exactly sure what ‘groove juice’ is, but for the purposes of our show full of sass and novelty, we’ll just suggest you make it what you want it. It’s a whimsical, sometimes bawdy, morning collection of the past 100 years of jazz, folk, country, and pop (with a little who-knows-what-that-is thrown in).  We’ve got poodles, big feet, Ovaltine, four leaf clovers, rabbits, and tattoos included with the subject matter today. Songs that are as delectable as they are incredible. We’ve got Skeets McDonald, Robert Crumb, Mae West, Groucho Marx, Dorothy Shay (the Park Avenue Hillbilly), and a couple dozen others for your Friday morning. Oh yeah, and some Johnny Cash and Slim Gaillard as well. So tune into KOWS Community Radio this week for all you can handle.

It’s a songwriter’s showcase this morning on Deeper Roots. Country music songwriters Lefty Frizell, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Hank Cochran, and Hank Williams are highlighted in a show that features covers by their contemporaries (and a few from the recent past) including Iris DeMent, Ernest Tubb, Billy Walker, Bob Dylan, Rosanne Cash, and at least two dozen others. Our show pays tribute to some amazing stalwarts who literally defined the country ‘voice’ and story. Join Dave Stroud on another Friday morning on KOWS Community Radio, 92.5 FM Occidental, streaming to all of planet earth on all your favorite services including OpenRadio.app, TuneIn.com, RadioGarden.io and, our web site, kowsfm.com. Good morning!

Sinners, singing and swinging is the theme we’re bringing you as we approach the dog days of summer in yet another season of COVID. In a show refactored for these new and dangerous times we raise the level of the gospel message with influential performers from the past century like Blind Willie Johnson, Lonnie Johnson, The Louvin Brothers, and some contemporary interpretations to remind us that Jesus did, indeed, rock the jukebox with a steady roll. Gospel’s rhythm is the rhythm of rock ‘n roll but these songs also carry a message for all you sinners out there. Don’t let the devil ride the devil’s slide into Satan’s burning hell…all songs with a pressing message and a sense of sermon.  You can tune us in Friday evenings on 92.5 FM in Sonoma County or streaming to the world at kowsfm.com.

It’s one of the novelty topics but that’s only whistling in the graveyard now, isn’t it? An episode of vipers and wild nights backstage, a reflection of the party atmosphere and the debauchery that would often take place after long nights of performing and jiving. We’ll also touch on the devil’s weed, as it was once known before the recognition of Victorian sensibilities was ejected in favor of common sense. The music will include primarily blues and jazz but we’ll also dip into some later novelty sounds to keep us all honest with the topics of coke, opium, marijuana, and pills on the agenda. Sweet bath house sounds from Bette Midler, wistful sounds from Phil Lawrence and Dan Hicks take center stage alongside the music of The Cats & The Fiddle, Fats Waller, Barney Bigard, and Cab Calloway. Quite a lineup and quite a topic surrounded by junkies, reefers, hadacol concoctions, and mellow stuff…so we hope you’ll drop by on a Friday morning in Sonoma County.

Free Form Friday finds us filling the airwaves with soul, border music, a dose of gospel, blues, and so much more. Join Dave Stroud this week on Deeper Roots as he brings you the stories and the sounds from the past century. As we go into our sixth month of pandemic isolation, we reflect on those lost and those suffering knowing full well that this virus could have been shunted by responsible adults. But we’re confronted with complete and utter idiocy at the highest (and lowest) locales: those who politicize and those pouty little man- and woman-babies who refuse to wear masks. We’ll look past this for two hours as we share soul sounds from James Carr and Bobby Womack, folk-rock anthems from Bob Dylan and John Sebastian, as well as good news gospel from Marion Williams and Sam Cooke. We’ll also go with a tribute to Texas where the suffering is reaching heights unimagined only a few months ago as they continue to suffer from failed leadership. Tune in on Fridays at 9 Pacific.

We have, admittedly, visited the money theme in the past. But this week Deeper Roots emphasizes the impact of the filthy lucre on our day-to-day existence. We worship at it’s altar, politicians are possessed by it’s self-serving allure, and we welcome its arrival often without considering the source. We’ll call this a followup to our theme show of some time back, incorporating country, gospel, soul, R&B, rock, rockabilly, and pop including performances from Chuck Berry, Fred Astaire, Big Sandy, Randy Newman, and Bill Branch. It doesn’t end there. Early American humorist Artemus Ward once observed that “When a fellow says it ain’t the money but the principle of the thing, it’s the money.” A freshly-mown observation if there ever was one. We’ll be exploring music about money in this week’s edition of Deeper Roots on KOWS and KRJF Community Radio for Sonoma County. Tune in on Friday mornings at 9 on KOWS or Friday evenings at 9 on KRJF.

Gospel-infused, socially conscious, politically conscious, soul driven, and an inspiration to generations, Curtis Mayfield's music embodied a thought-provoking and passionate world view. From his early days as a backup singer and erstwhile songwriter to a champion of Black Pride and Black Capitalism, Curtis Mayfield's rise from performing in his grandmother's Traveling Soul Spiritualists' Church to his last recording, 1995's New World Order, was embellished with classic love songs and musically charged testaments to Civil Rights. His music resonates today: "Pushing", "People Get Ready", and "We're a Winner", We'll be exploring his music in this week's edition of Deeper Roots on KOWS and KRJF Community Radio for Sonoma County. Tune in on Friday mornings at 9 on KOWS or Friday evenings at 9 on KRJF.

More influential gospel sounds this morning on Deeper Roots. We take a dip into the country, bluegrass, and folk extensions whose roots are buried in 19th and early 20th century European American musical traditions. It's a mixed bag with contributions from the Protestant, Baptist, and Black Gospel hymnals and songbooks. And don't forget the quiet bubbling influences of popular music, the logical extension of selling the message...a kind of backroads Madison Avenue. We're focused on country gospel today with the usual giants of country music: George Jones, Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, and The Louvins...but we'll also hear from the bluegrass contingent including Ricky Skaggs, Bill Monroe, and Flatt and Scruggs. A heavenly time where we share music that would weave its way into the fabric of America's music including rock, soul, country, and Americana. Tune in on Friday evenings.

A sweet little theme this week, covering the female of the species from A to Z…by name. We’ll hear Alice to Zelda and Zindy Lou in today’s show. Songs that dedicate themselves to lost love, love rekindled, nostalgic walks, last dances, and songs that read like letters from the heart. We’ll hear songs written by everyone from The Everly Brothers to Bobby Fuller and Andre Previn in our show today with performances from Rose Maddox, Tom Petty, Elvis, Buddy Guy, and Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks. So why not drop in for a little chat, a little bit of a high note and E flat, and memories of the girl (or guy) that left you behind. Community radio for Sonoma County is your very best bet: KOWS-LP 92.5 FM Occidental, streaming everywhere at kowsfm.com.

A well of free form today, mixing gospel, jazz, country, and everything in between. No theme, no tribute, not focus on a specific genre or songwriter. Just all of the above and more on a Friday morning on Sonoma County community radio. Tune in for contemporary sounds from The Handsome Family and The Devonns, classic country and bluegrass from Ralph Stanley and Bobby Bare, vocals featuring Helen Humes, Timi Yuro, and Lil Green (catches his breath), and some blended gospel infused classics from Eartha Kitt and Edna Gallmon Cook. Tune in on Friday morning at 9am Pacific for Deeper Roots.