The WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour Podcast

Jug bands got their name from using instruments that were either homemade or household items such as a jug. Beginnings in the South in the 19th century, with origins in Louisville, KY, they were made up predominately of African-American musicians and were in their heyday from the 1890s to the Great Depression. Playing a mixture of blues, ragtime, and jazz, jug bands were some of the first musicians to record and a key contributor to the evolution of blues and early rock and roll. The folk revival in the 60's launched a second wave of jug-band music and it continues to exist and evolve today. On this WoodSongs broadcast, we'll be celebrating the music and history of jug bands with musicians from across the country.

JIM KWESKIN is a folk music legend and founder of the legendary 1960s Jim Kweskin Jug Band which successfully transformed the sounds of pre-World War II rural music into a springboard for their good-humored performances. Their imitators were legion, including The Grateful Dead, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, the Lovin’ Spoonful and more. These days Jim is best known as a singer and bandleader, but he also created one of the bedrock guitar styles of the folk revival.

JERRON “BLIND BOY” PAXTON transforms traditional jazz, blues, folk, and country into the here and now. Hailing from NYC, his sound is influenced by the likes of Fats Waller and "Blind" Lemon Jefferson. According to The Wall Street Journal, Paxton is "virtually the only music-maker of his generation—playing guitar, banjo, piano and violin, among other implements—to fully assimilate the blues idiom of the 1920s and ‘30s."

THE STEEL CITY JUG SLAMMERS made a name for themselves in Birmingham, AL with a new album, extensive touring and the band's recent induction into the Jug Band Hall of Fame.

WoodSongs Kids: The Wallace Sisters are three harmozing siblings from Lexington, Kentucky.

JANIVA MAGNESS has traveled millions of miles, sung on thousands of club and festival stages, and made a string of recordings that have earned accolades and awards. She is only the second woman, following blues giant Koko Taylor, to receive the Blues Foundation's B.B. King Entertainer of the Year award. NEW BOOK and ALBUM: This Grammy nominated artist now tells her dramatic, miraculous and deeply moving story about a life worth living with her memior 'Weeds Like Us'. On the this Special Event Broadcast of WoodSongs, Janiva will be read and discuss her book plus perform with her full band. She will feature songs from her new album 'Change in the Weather: Janiva Magness Sings John Fogerty' released on Blue Élan Records, 12 songs curated from the Creedence Clearwater Revival leader's catalog in Magness' soaring, soul-centered style.

THE BB KING BLUES BAND are the men who walked alongside the iconic bluesman for over 35 years. The band writes the next chapter, on an album that salutes King’s classic songs and showcases their own. Boasting several world-class songwriters in their ranks, ‘The Soul Of The King’ finds the lineup supplying material that stands alongside their late leader’s catalogue. The B.B. King Blues Band are thrilled to announce B.B. Kings daughter, Claudette King (vocals) and Michael Lee from The Voice (guitar & vocals) will be appearing with them for this Special Event broadcast taping of WoodSongs.

WoodSongs Kid: Six String Andrew is a thirteen-year-old guitar player from Van Cleave, Mississippi.

DAVINA AND THE VAGABONDS shows are filled with New Orleans charm, Memphis soul swagger and dark theatrical moments. Davina has been compared to Etta James, Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, Billie Holiday and even Betty Boop, but comparisons don’t suffice. Sowers is a true original. ‘Sugar Drops’ is her first album on Red House Records and marks the first time this Minneapolis-based artist entered a proper studio to record an album. It’s a distillation of bluesy barroom baritone and bravado, graveyard jazz grooves, and noir-ish confessional lyricism backed by boisterous piano, guitar, and strings, the music actualizes.

TURLACH BOYLAN and DAVEY MATHIAS are two masters of traditional Irish music. Turlach Boylan was once cryptically introduced onstage as “a musician’s musician”. He learned his music standing in the Culleybackey kitchen of County Antrim flute master John Kennedy, kickstarting a lifelong pursuit of the elusive musical quality ‘Lift’. Davey Mathias is literally a guitarist’s guitarist. He has often performed with fiddler Randal Bays, himself a highly respected Irish music guitarist.

WoodSongs Kid: Hudson MacCready is an twelve-year-old guitar player from Knoxville, Tennessee.

NICK MOSS BAND featuring DENNIS GRUENLING have been on a winning streak since 2016 when the blues guitar virtuoso and and harmonica wizard joined forces. Their self-made lucky streak continued into early 2019, when down-and-dirty guitarist Moss – a 30-year veteran of Chicago’s take-no-prisoners rough and tumble West and South Side blues clubs – won the Blues Music Award (BMA) for Traditional Blues Male Artist Of The Year. Gruenling, one on the hottest players on the scene today, took the BMA for Best Instrumentalist – Harmonica. And now, with the odds heavily in their favor, they unleash their dynamic new album, ‘Lucky Guy!’ on Alligator Records.

JOAN SHELLEY is a songwriter and singer who lives near Louisville, KY, not far from where she grew up. She draws inspiration from traditional and traditionally-minded performers from her native Kentucky, as well as those from Ireland, Scotland, and England, but she’s not a folksinger. Her disposition aligns more closely with that of, say, Roger Miller, Dolly Parton, or her fellow Kentuckian Tom T. Hall. Joan’s last record placed on year-end lists at NPR Music, Aquarium Drunkard and Uncut Magazine, among others, and led to an appearance on Later… with Jools Holland, cover stories with Acoustic Guitar Magazine and Fretboard Journal, and more.

WoodSongs Kids: Central Music Academy’s Bluegrass Ensemble from Lexington, Kentucky performs.

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JOHN PAUL WHITE grew up in tiny Loretto, Tennessee, and now lives in Florence, Alabama, not far from Muscle Shoals. He has cultivated a music career in Nashville for two decades, first as a songwriter for a major publisher, then half of The Civil Wars – a groundbreaking duo that won four Grammy Awards before disbanding in 2012. With ‘The Hurting Kind’, John Paul White has crafted a stunning album that draws on the lush, orchestrated music made in Nashville in the early 1960s. Yet these songs retain a modern feel, whether he’s writing about overwhelming love, unraveling relationships, or fading memory of a loved one.

SIDELINE is a pedigreed six-piece powerhouse whose style has set the pace in Bluegrass for over two decades. Founders Steve Dilling, Skip Cherryholmes and Jason Moore can all claim their own historical significance to the genre as members of highly awarded groups, multiple Grand Ole Opry appearances and years of national and international touring. What started as a side project for the seasoned players soon moved to the front and center as the three were joined by talents of Bailey Coe; guitar, Troy Boone; mandolin, and Daniel Greeson; fiddle, and began to record and release albums in earnest. Combine all this with their on-stage energy and finesse as well as their powerful and affecting harmonies, and you have the embodiment of the North Carolina Bluegrass sound.

The Griffin Miller Band hail from Georgia and Florida and features 11-year-old Sadie Miller on vocal and Bryce and Brett Griffin on bass and acoustic guitar.

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THE LEE BOYS are one of America’s finest “sacred steel” ensembles and have been bringing their joyful noise around world for over 10 years. This family group consists of three brothers, Alvin Lee (guitar), Derrick Lee and Keith Lee (vocals) along with their nephews, Alvin Cordy Jr. (7-string bass), Earl Walker (drums) and Roosevelt Collier (Pedal Steel) and Chris Johnson, a young pedal steel player from Miami, that is making quite a name for himself. The band’s new album ‘Live On The East Coast’ continues the Lee Boys reputation of playing eclectic, soulful music that incorporates elements of rock, country, R&B, jazz, hip-hop, funk and more.

GRADY CHAMPION is a 21st Century Bluesman. This Mississippi-based songwriter/entertainer/musician has been captivating audiences for more than two decades. Champion has been the winner of prestigious Grammy and Blues Music Awards as well as the recipient of the 26th International Blues Challenge. His new CD, ‘Steppin' In’, is a tribute to legendary Texas bluesman ZZ Hill who died 35 years ago. Hill particularly inspired CHAMPION because Hill’s combination of blues & soul stylings helped to restore the blues to modern black consciousness.

YASMIN WILLIAMS is an acoustic finger style guitarist with a nod to the great MICHAEL HEDGES. Growing up in northern Virginia, her music has been commonly described as refreshing, relaxing, and unique and has been called some of the most imaginative guitar music out today. She utilizes various techniques including alternate tunings, percussive hits, and lap tapping in her music to great effect. She has won various local talent shows, was a finalist in the Rolling Stones Young Gun guitar competition, was the Grand prize winner of New York University’s Ultra Violet Live talent show, and won the grand prize in Culpeper Has Talent. She was recently featured on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday show.

EMILY WOLFE transcends the ranks of ordinary musicians. Her creative songwriting keeps her fans aglow thanks to her strong, powerful lead vocals and dominating guitar style. This Austin, TX’s resident rocker has shared stages with the likes of Heart, The Pretenders, Peter Frampton, Billy Gibbons and Gary Clark Jr. Wolfe a self-taught guitar player starting at the age of 5, has honed her craft over the past 22 years and has been described as a sonic merging of PJ Harvey and Jack White. Featured by the Wall Street Journal, MTV, NPR, and American Songwriter, Emily Wolfe is definitely one to watch. She released a debut self-titled, full-length album earlier this year.

GEORGE WINSTON is undeniably a household name. He's inspired fans and musicians alike with his singular solo acoustic piano songs for more than 40 years while selling 15 million albums. A tireless road warrior playing nearly 100 concerts annually, live performance for Winston is akin to breathing. Winston's music is evocative, offering us all a chance to take a step back from our perpetually busy lives and let our minds adventurously wander. ‘Restless Wind’ is the acclaimed 15th solo piano album and a portrayal of Winston's place in a chaotic world -- his compositions extend solace with an idiosyncratic grace.

ANDREW BIRD is an internationally acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, whistler, and songwriter who picked up his first violin at the age of four and spent his formative years soaking up classical repertoire completely by ear. Since beginning his recording career in 1997, Bird has released 13 albums and performed extensively worldwide. He has recorded with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, appeared as “Dr. Stringz” on Jack’s Big Music Show, and headlined concerts at Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and festivals worldwide. New album 'My Finest Work Yet' is out now.

DANNY BURNS is a red-headed, storytelling, hard-touring Irishman whose own voice is just as evocative as his songwriting. He grew up in the Irish county of Donegal surrounded by singers and instrumentalists receiving a first-class education in Irish folk music along the way. He kicked off his career as a traveling folksinger, logging shows on both sides of the Atlantic. He's been on the road ever since, sharpening a sound that mixes the folk traditions of his native Ireland with diverse American influences. ‘North Country’ is Danny’s new collaborative album filled with appearances by icons like Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, and Tift Merritt.

REED TURCHI was raised in the Swannanoa valley of Western North Carolina and grew up playing piano, focusing on boogie woogie and New Orleans styles before becoming infatuated with slide guitar. While learned Hill Country Blues (RL Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, Mississippi Fred McDowell) firsthand in North Mississippi, he’s become a master of guitar driven blues that shapeshift seamlessly between acoustic slide, electric juke joint boogie, and the improvisational, groove-driven, massive sound of his band. Reed’s eleventh album, ‘Midnight in Memphis’ was recorded live at legendary Sun Studio featuring his Kudzu Choir band.

WoodSongs Kid: Christian Gisborne is a sixteen-year-old indie rock & roll singer and songwriter from LA.