Rough Sundays

If you think something like a three-week lockdown + police helicopters flying overhead in the background is going to keep all of us here at Rough Sundays from getting you your totally favorite podcast of all time, then think again! From a 1957 Newport Jazz Festival track to finding out why Sarah Vaughn isn't mentioned with the greats, to Ethiopian jazz from the 1970s, Count Basie doing his thing, some New England love - brought to you by RacePointSeltzer and even some 90s hip-hop... plus much more. 

From a rainy and quiet Istanbul, it's the show scientifically designed to last the EXACT amount of time for you to have a cup of coffee, as well as getting you up and slowly moving on a Sunday morning. This week is just that, featuring 3 Mississippi Mamas, the 17-year-old who got his start with Coltrane (only to be gunned down in a club by his wife), as well as the Ethiopian Elvis, a conversation about whatever happened to Bill Withers plus the Queen of Disco.

It's Rough Sundays! All you have to do is hit "play" ... and then talk about this show to like, everyone.

From a locked-down + Ramadan-ing Istanbul, it is PURE SUNDAY GOODNESS in aural form—featuring two old school gospel tracks, Ella + Ray, doo-wop and a new selection of old New England tracks brought to you by Race Point Seltzer. Plus much, much more. Click play, make coffee and enjoy your Sunday how they're supposed to be. 

From the greatest hotel in the world — the Grand Londres in Istanbul, it's 28 minutes guaranteed to wake up and get you moving in the most delicious of ways: gospel, funk, soul, more gospel, some Motown and a brand new section of New England tracks brought to you by Race Point Seltzer. 

Despite occasionally veering off into doo-wop, hip-hop, surf rock and more, the basis of this show will always be old gospel tracks, so to celebrate Easter, we revisit those roots with nearly an hour of 80% live gospel music from way back, as well as a story (plus recordings) of being in the First African Baptist Church in Savannah a few years back for Easter.

Because we taking you to church this Sunday. 

Our last show from Macedonia and our second-to-last show from the Balkans and it's probably the best one so far. We get back to our gospel roots with two old-time tracks, then go to Haiti for some feel-goodness, then to Mama Soul and a discussion as to if she was the greatest backup singer of all-time, a few other surprises and - most importantly - what will become (or already is) your Spring/Summer 2021 song. 

This week's episode shocks listeners by being both recorded in North Macedonia, but having absolutely nothing to do with North Macedonia! And that's not all. We start with a Donny Hathaway live track, move back-and-forth from gospel to New Orleans, back to Motown, some teenage Sam Cooke and then an absolute banger to get you moving... plus an accidental tea recipe. 

It's Rough Sundays! Hit play and be joyous. 

The third and final show from Kosovo, featuring Voodoo priests, better covers of a famous track, some proper old-time gospel, Nigerian High Life music and a discussion about the newest film "The United States vs. Billie Holiday"... plus a lot more. Make coffee. Click "play". Be happy. 

Bit of a deviation from our normal show format, but well worth it. Five years ago, while host Aric S. Queen was living on his sailboat in the Bahamas, he and his editor Sun produced a pilot for an investigative NPR-like travel show called "Journey Cakes". In the first episode, he sailed around nearly all of the country's islands trying to track down the history, secrets, darkness and mystery of its national snack "Johnny Bread". 

The second show from Kosovo and probably the best podcast you've ever heard from Kosovo with the name "Rough Sundays". This week, we dive back into some old Cuban classics, Mr. and Mrs. Candi Staton, songs about crawfish and the Bahamas + stories about crawfish and the Bahamas, plus we pay tribute to a reggae legend we lost this week. AND we have fun. So sit back, sip that coffee, ignore the kids, pretend you haven't been sitting in that same chair for over a year and let us handle 33.28 minutes of your Rough Sunday(s).