(First aired on WUTC 9/14/24)

In Chicago, a city overflowing with unrivaled blues talent, world-renowned Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials have been standing tall for almost 30 years. The band’s big sound, fueled by Lil’ Ed’s gloriously rollicking slide work and deep blues string bending, along with his rough-edged, soulful vocals, is as real and hard-hitting as Chicago blues gets.

After playing around town in various clubs during the 80s, the band was invited into the recording studio by Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer, and the end result of the session was 30 songs cut in three hours with no overdubs and only one second take. Twelve of those songs became the band’s debut album, Roughhousin’, released in September of 1986.

Nine albums and thousands of performances later, Lil’ Ed is now universally hailed as a giant of the genre. Lil’ Ed and The Blues Imperials—bassist (and Ed’s half-brother) James “Pookie” Young, guitarist Mike Garrett, and drummer Kelly Littleton—have remained together for nearly 30 years (an extraordinary feat for any group), the band fueling Ed’s songs with their rock-solid, road-tested, telepathic musicianship.

The Big Sound Of Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials is the musically electrifying, emotionally intense and downright fun new album from the band Guitar Player calls “a snarling boogie-blues machine…they blow down the walls.” With this new album, the band continues to bring their blistering Chicago blues to “Ed Heads” new and old. Their infectious energy, joyful showmanship and masterful playing have been honed to a razor’s edge by their many years together.

Lil’ Ed, Pookie, Mike and Kelly have seen sports stars and presidents, musical fads and fashion trends come and go. Meanwhile, their fiery music has more than stood the test of time. “We’re not band members,” says Williams, “we’re family, and families stay together.” Night after night, gig after riotous gig, the musical family called Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials bring their big, dynamic Chicago blues sound to fans across the country and around the world.

Episode Tracklist:

Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials - "If You Were Mine"

J.B. Hutto - "Speak My Mind"

J.B. Hutto - "Lulu Belle's Here"

Blind Willie Johnson - "Dark Was the Night"

Sister Rosetta Tharpe - "Rock Me"

Mississippi Fred McDowell - "You Gotta Move"

Lil Ed and the Blues Impreials - "Troubled World"

Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials - "You Done Me Wrong For the Last Time"

The Nighthawks - "Come Baby"

Satan and Adam - "Big Boss Man"

Frank Sinatra - "Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)"

The Police - "It's Alright For You"

Jimi Hendrix - "Red House"

Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials - "Natural Man"

Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials - "Giving Up On Your Love"

The Songbirds Radio Hour is made possible through grants from the Tennessee Arts Commission and the Riverview Foundation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

(First aired on WUTC 8/10/24)

On this episode of The Songbirds Radio Hour, we sat down with Chattanooga's very own Swayyvo. A hip-hop musician, producer, and renowned saxophone player, Swayyvo tells us about his new releases, what he finds so special about Chattanooga's music scene, how he thinks we as a community can improve it, where he got his start in music, who his numerous collaborators are, and how important it is to share the power of music with the youth.

Tackling the expanding passages of modern rap music with an eye toward its jazz, neo soul and heavy 90s hiphop influences, Swayyvo (born Jerod Morton) has been breaking down the barriers between various genres for years and reinventing his sound and ear consistently. Sought after for both his virtuosic saxophone stylings and his knack for arranging unique and complex beat-driven movements without sacrificing his own individuality, Swayyvo has given Chattanooga's hip-hop scene a sustained direction in which to grow. Swayyvo has been seen collaborating with brands such a NBA, NFL, Nickelodeon, Vayner Media, and dozens of artists such as K Camp, Yung Bleu, YGTUT, Project Pat, Sy Ari Da Kid, and Earth Gang.

Swayyo Tracklist:

Accelerate

Don't Make Me Laugh

Stop Speedin'

Wat It Do

Red

Wake Em Up

Other Artists

Snarky Puppy – "Lingus"

Isiah Rashad feat. YGTUT – "Chad"

Clyde Stubblefield playing the beat from James Brown's "Cold Sweat"

YGTUT – "5 to 10" (Instrumental)

The Songbirds Radio Hour is made possible through grants from the Tennessee Arts Commission and the Riverview Foundation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

(First aired on WUTC 7/13/24)

On June 4th, 2024, Steve Earle came back to Songbirds for his annual summer fundraising solo acoustic show. But this time we paired his soulful tunes with the savory family-style BBQ feast put on by local restaurant, Elsie’s Daughter!

Before the concert, we sat down and interviewed Steve once again. Oh the stories this man can tell..

We told Steve about our new Write to Rock kids songwriting program and talked with him about the craft of songwriting, the challenges songwriters face, the success of some very famous singer/songwriters, and more!

Steve Earle Tracklist:

Copperhead Road

I Still Carry You Around

Transcendental Blues

Good Ol Boy (Gettin' Tough)

Guitar Town

Devil Put the Coal in the Ground

Someday

Other Artists Tracklist:

Cream – "Sunshine of your Love"

Bob Dylan – "A Hard Rain is Gonna Come"

The Pogues – "A Pair of Brown Eyes"

Waterboys – "The Whole of the Moon"

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – "The Last of my Kind"

The Songbirds Radio Hour is made possible through grants from the Tennessee Arts Commission and the Riverview Foundation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

(First aired on WUTC 6/8/24)

Norman Blake is a distinguished American guitarist and songwriter renowned for his profound influence on the bluegrass, folk, and country music scenes. Born on March 10, 1938, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Blake's career spans over six decades, showcasing his exceptional skills on various stringed instruments, including guitar, mandolin, dobro, and fiddle. He is celebrated for his intricate fingerpicking style and authentic sound that bridges traditional and contemporary music.

Blake has earned numerous accolades throughout his illustrious career. He received multiple Grammy nominations and, along with his wife Nancy Blake, won a Grammy for his contribution to the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack, which garnered widespread acclaim and introduced Americana music to a broader audience.

Norman Blake's enduring legacy is marked by his dedication to preserving traditional music while simultaneously pushing its boundaries, making him a revered figure in the world of acoustic music.

Norman Blake Tracklist:

Church Street Blues

Ginseng Sullivan

Green Light on the Southern

Man of Constant Sorrow

You are My Sunshine

Slow Train Through Georgia

Other Artists Tracklist:

Bill Monroe – "My Last Days on Earth"

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – "The Precious Jewel"

The Blue Sky Boys – "The Lightning Express"

Johnny Cash – "Bad News"

Johnny Cash – "The Long Black Veil"

The Songbirds Radio Hour is made possible through grants from the Tennessee Arts Commission and the Riverview Foundation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

(First aired on WUTC 5/11/24)

Ninth Street was a thriving African American community boasting a legendary music and entertainment scene rivaling Beale Street in Memphis and New Orleans’ Bourbon Street. The best musicians in the city played in the clubs that lined this historic street, and it was home, at least for a time, to music greats like Bessie Smith, Clyde Stubblefield, Jimmy Blanton, The Impressions’ Fred Cash and Sam Gooden, Valaida Snow and others.

With The Impressions: From the Big 9 to the World Stage, Songbirds showcases one of the world’s most influential soul groups from their start in Chattanooga to becoming the soundtrack of America’s Civil Rights Movement. Ninth Street played a significant role in inspiring Sam Gooden and Fred Cash, as well as fellow Chattanoogans Richard and Arthur Brooks to form The Roosters, which would eventually become The Impressions with Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler.

“The Impressions were an important part of America’s Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s— their music inspired people to keep fighting for equality,” says Mr. Caldwell. “Fred, Sam and Curtis were pioneers, and they took a risk singing those songs. We can never do enough to honor this group and celebrate their message of hope and togetherness. I hope this exhibit can help people understand the importance of this band and their music.”

The Impressions Tracklist:

Ridin' High

Fool For You

I'm The One Who Loves You

People Get Ready

Amen

Choice of Colors

We're A Winner

It's All Right

Other Artists Tracklist:

The Moonglows - "When I'm With You"

The Moonglows - "Love is A River"

Hank Ballard and the Midnighters - "Finger Poppin' Time"

James Brown - "Say it Loud I'm Black and I'm Proud"

Mavis Staples - "Security"

Curtis Mayfield - "Freddie's Dead"

The Songbirds Radio Hour is made possible through grants from the Tennessee Arts Commission and the Riverview Foundation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

(First aired on WUTC 4/13/24)

Call Me Spinster is one part kaleidoscopic indie rock, one part porchy holler pop — and every bit a family operation. The brainchild of three sisters in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Call Me Spinster skims nostalgia from psychedelic folk to 90’s synth-pop, weaving frank vocals with ethereal harmonies to make sense of their constantly growing world.

Band practice for Call Me Spinster is not your typical beer-fueled midnight garage rock. It starts at 10 a.m. A 7-month-old chews an XLR cord in the corner. A toddler naps in the next room over the screech of bass amps and keyboards. The sisters pause constantly to breastfeed, change a diaper, or lull a cranky child back to sleep.

The chaos of motherhood would cause most bands to stall, but Call Me Spinster has always rocked with children in the background. When Amelia, the eldest sister, became pregnant with her first child in 2017, she took maternity leave from her teaching job. The same month Amelia’s son was born, her sisters Rachel and Rosie quit their respective teaching jobs in Costa Rica and Portland, Oregon and joined Amelia in Chattanooga.

The sisters began by tackling Prince and Drake covers on a hodgepodge of acquired instruments — including their Amish grandfather’s old accordion, an upright bass, glockenspiel, and even the occasional pie pan. They busked, played brunch gigs and local festivals, then eventually opened for bigger touring acts across the Southeast. When they started applying their unorthodox arrangements to their own songs, they quickly attracted New West/Strolling Bones label head George Fontaine Sr., who connected them with producer Drew Vandenberg (of Montreal, Faye Webster, Toro y Moi) to create their first EP in 2020.

“The result is a set of songs that they can certainly be proud of, a series of soft, shimmering melodies that convey both youthful enthusiasm and elegiac indulgence,” wrote American Songwriter.

Call Me Spinster’s first full-length album, Potholes is due out spring of 2024 on Strolling Bones Records. Tracks range from “nods to Robyn and ‘90s synth pop”… “moments of Minnie Riperton-era Rotary Connection and Air.” Other songs dip into the realm of country - folk, but in an unusually understated, anti-Nashville style, pedal steel or accordion pinging nostalgia but staying out of the way. Lyrics present a gentle, sometimes starkly candid view of domestic life. While the inspirations are raw, there is no shortage of technicolored joy on this album. Call Me Spinster underscores emotional depth with bouncy electropop that makes you want to dance in public.

Call Me Spinster Tracklist:

Feet are Dirty

Potholes

No Yield Sign

Mule

Born in a Ditch

Standby

White Lines

Other Artists Tracklist:

Joni Mitchell – "California"

Simon and Garfunkel – "The Only Living Boy in New York"

The Clash – "Lost in the Supermarket"

The Diddys – "Intergalactic Love Song"

The Songbirds Radio Hour is made possible through grants from the Tennessee Arts Commission and the Riverview Foundation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

(First aired on WUTC 3/9/24)

In Chicago, a city overflowing with unrivaled blues talent, world-renowned Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials have been standing tall for almost 30 years. The band’s big sound, fueled by Lil’ Ed’s gloriously rollicking slide work and deep blues string bending, along with his rough-edged, soulful vocals, is as real and hard-hitting as Chicago blues gets.

After playing around town in various clubs during the 80s, the band was invited into the recording studio by Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer, and the end result of the session was 30 songs cut in three hours with no overdubs and only one second take. Twelve of those songs became the band’s debut album, Roughhousin’, released in September of 1986.

Nine albums and thousands of performances later, Lil’ Ed is now universally hailed as a giant of the genre. Lil’ Ed and The Blues Imperials—bassist (and Ed’s half-brother) James “Pookie” Young, guitarist Mike Garrett, and drummer Kelly Littleton—have remained together for nearly 30 years (an extraordinary feat for any group), the band fueling Ed’s songs with their rock-solid, road-tested, telepathic musicianship.

The Big Sound Of Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials is the musically electrifying, emotionally intense and downright fun new album from the band Guitar Player calls “a snarling boogie-blues machine…they blow down the walls.” With this new album, the band continues to bring their blistering Chicago blues to “Ed Heads” new and old. Their infectious energy, joyful showmanship and masterful playing have been honed to a razor’s edge by their many years together.

Lil’ Ed, Pookie, Mike and Kelly have seen sports stars and presidents, musical fads and fashion trends come and go. Meanwhile, their fiery music has more than stood the test of time. “We’re not band members,” says Williams, “we’re family, and families stay together.” Night after night, gig after riotous gig, the musical family called Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials bring their big, dynamic Chicago blues sound to fans across the country and around the world.

Episode Tracklist:

Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials – "If You Were Mine"

J.B. Hutto – "Speak My Mind"

J.B. Hutto – "Lulu Belle's Here"

Blind Willie Johnson – "Dark Was the Night"

Sister Rosetta Tharpe – "Rock Me"

Mississippi Fred McDowell – "You Gotta Move"

Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials – "Troubled World"

Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials – "You Done Me Wrong For the Last Time"

The Nighthawks – "Come Baby"

Satan and Adam – "Big Boss Man"

Frank Sinatra – "Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)"

The Police – "It's Alright For You"

Jimi Hendrix – "Red House"

Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials – "Natural Man"

Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials – "Giving Up On Your Love"

The Songbirds Radio Hour is made possible through grants from the Tennessee Arts Commission and the Riverview Foundation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

(First aired on WUTC 2/10/24)

The Mason Jennings History:

Mason Jennings was born on the Island of Hawaii, but at an early age his family moved to the opposite of tropical, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At 13, he started playing guitar and writing songs. Mason later dropped out of high school and decided to move to Minneapolis to pursue his musical career. Jennings made this decision after a friend of his father’s sent him cassette tapes of the Replacements, Jayhawks, and Prince. After non-stop listening he felt like it would be a great home for his music.

Jennings produced his self-titled debut album in 1997 on a Tascam analog four-track in the living room of a rented home, playing all instruments himself. In October 1998, he began a weekly gig at Minneapolis' 400 Bar. The two-week gig ended up lasting four months. Birds Flying Away, Mason's second record, revealed his penchant for singing first-person narratives of imaginary rustic characters. In 2002, Jennings released a studio album, Century Spring, and a "fans only" collection of acoustic songs, Simple Life. Mason released all three albums (and re-released his earlier albums) on his own record label, Architect Records.

In June of 2005, Jennings signed with Glacial Pace, a subsidiary of Sony's Epic Records headed by Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock. Minnesota's Star Tribune credited Brock with convincing Mason to sign after he opened for several Modest Mouse shows in 2004. Jennings had long avoided the major labels, citing desires to maintain creative control and dodge big-label politics.

In early 2008, Mason signed with Jack Johnson's record label, Brushfire Records. Jennings released In the Ever in May 2008. Blood of Man soon followed and received a coveted 4-Star review in Rolling Stone, who also cited, “What makes Mason Jennings one of the best singer songwriters you’ve never heard of is his ragged intimate voice and his simple ruminations on God, war, hope and gratitude.”

With many more albums and projects in between, we fast forward to the release of Wild Dark Metal in 2016. He got divorced and after taking some time off to focus on painting, to recover from depression and to heal from agoraphobia, he began touring again. He remarried in 2018 and released an album of love songs inspired by his new relationship, Songs From When We Met, available now.

Mason Jennings Tracklist:

Butterfly

Chemical Car

Keepin’ It Real

Nothing

Something About Your Love

United States Global Empire

The Light, Part II

Drinking as Religion

Darkness Between the Fireflies

Cursive Prayers

Other Artists Tracklist:

Bob Dylan – “Tangled Up in Blue”

Mötley Crue – “Dr. Feelgood”

Mötley Crue – “Kickstart My Heart”

The Beatles – “Get Back”

Hank Williams – “I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive”

Gordon Lightfoot – “Only Love Would Know”

The Songbirds Radio Hour is made possible through grants from the Tennessee Arts Commission and the Riverview Foundation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.