It was Mother’s Day (or should it be Mothers’ Day? I can’t find my Strunk & White) so I sprinkled a number of appropriate songs throughout the show.

I also paid tribute to a folk music pioneer who passed away on April 30 – Susan Reed. She was 84 years old. Her name might be forgotten by many in our folk community, but she was an important figure on the folk scene of the 1940’s. Born in South Carolina to a family whose friends included Carl Sandburg and Lead Belly, Susan was introduced to folk music at an early age.

Her family moved to NYC and by the 1940’s Susan was performing on radio, in movies (she was featured in a film with Gene Krupa), and recording for Columbia Records. She performed for GI’s during WWII as well as selling out Town Hall for her concerts. One of her “trademarks” was starting a performance by holding up her instrument and declaring “This is a Zither”. Susan Reed was also a victim of blacklisting in the 1950’s due to her work for causes such as civil rights and her father’s politics.

Just as the folk revival was blossoming in the late 1950’s, Susan tired of the road and the effects of the blacklist and she gave up full-time performing for a life with her family here in the NYC area. For many years she ran an antique store in Nyack, New York and she was also an accomplished painter. Tom Chapin used several of her paintings on his album covers. Susan would occasionally perform, including some benefits for WFDU in the 1980’s, and she remained a vibrant singer with an incredible voice. My condolences to her family and friends, and gratitude for helping open doors and share the diverse world of folk music at a time when few people knew what it was all about.

New and recommended – Sally Spring “Made of Stars” and Mark Erelli “Little Vigils”

ARTIST Tune / Song
ALBUM LABEL – Website
Theme: HARVEY REID Dirty Dish Rag
Solo Guitar Sketchbook Woodpecker Records –www.woodpecker.com
TOM CHAPIN Mother’s Day
Moonboat Sundance Music – www.tomchapin.com

COSY SHERIDAN My Mother’s House
Live at CedarHouse Waterbug – www.cosyheridan.com
SUSAN MCKEOWN Mother of Mine
Mother- Songs Celebrating Mothers and Motherhood North Star –
www.northstarmusic.com
CHRISTINE LAVIN Sometimes Mother Really Does Know Best
Sometimes Mother Really Does Know Best Appleseed Records –
www.applseedrecordings.com , www.christinelavin.com

SID SELVIDGE Catch the Wind
I Should Be Blue Archer Records –
www.archer-records.com
LYNN MILES Night Drive
Black Flowers Vol. 1-2 True North – www.truenorthrecords.com ,
www.lynnmilesmusic.com
MARK ERELLI Basement Days
Little Vigils self – www.markerelli.com
JAMES KEELAGHAN Twister
House of Cards Borealis- www.borealisrecords.com ,
www.keelaghan.com

SALLY SPRING Made Of Stars
Made of Stars Sniffinpup Records – www.sallyspring.com
RED MOLLY Falling In
James self – www.redmolly.com
JEN CASS Faith
Accidental Pilgrimage self – www.jencass.comNAJBU – KEITH DAVIS House of the Rising Son
Amazing Grace on Two Flutes at Once self – www.najblu.com

ALICE LEON (of The Alice Project) Happy Mother’s Day
MP3 self – www.thealiceproject.comTHE CARTER FAMILY I Have an Aged Mother
The Carter Family 1927-1934 JSP Records –
JOHNNY CASH My Mother Is A Lady
Personal File Sony BMG Music – www.legacyrecordings.com
CHARLIE POOLE Write a Letter to My Mother
You Ain’t Talkin’ To Me: Charlie Poole and the Roots of Country
Music Sony BMG Music – www.legacyrecordings.com
LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III Mother’s Last Farewell Kiss
High Wide and Handsome 2nd Story Records – www.lwiii.com

MARIA MULDAUR Shout You Cats
Maria Muldaur & Her Garden of Joy Stony Plain Records –
www.stonyplainrecords.com
POKEY LAFARGE AND THE SOUTH CITY THREE Claude Jones
Riverboat Soal Free Dirt Records – www.pokeylafarge.net
CROOKED STILL I’m Troubled
Some Strange Country Signature Sounds – www.signaturesounds.com ,
www.crookedstill.com
THE SWEETBACK SISTERS The Sweetest Gift, A Mother’s Smile
Chicken Ain’t Chicken Signature Sounds – www.signaturesounds.com

THE MAKEM & SPAIN BROTHERS Wild Colonial Boy
Home Away From Home Red Biddy Records – www.redbiddy.com
DAVE ROWE TRIO Splitting Wood in Flip-Flops
The Music Never Dies Outer Green Records – wwww.daverowetrio.com
MICK WEST The Rambling Sailor
Sark o’ Snaw Greentrax Records – www.greentrax.com
LUNASA Doc Holliday’s
La Nua self -www.lunasa.ie

GRANDPA ELLIOT This Little Light of Mine
Sugar Sweet Playing for Change – www.playingforchange.com

ROBIN GREENSTEIN Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies
Images of Women Vol.2 self- www.robingreenstein.com
SUSAN REED Black is the Color
Susan Reed Elektra – out of print LP
SUSAN REED Sweet Betsy From Pike
Songs of the Auvergne Columbia Records – out of print LP
SUSAN REED A Mighy Ship
Susan Reed Elektra – out of print LP
SUSAN REED Lo Fiolare / Pastrolle
Songs of the Auvergne Columbia Records – out of print LP
SUSAN REED Go Away From My Window
Susan Reed Elektra- out of print LP
SUSAN REED Fare Thee Well
Songs of the Auvergne Columbia Records – out of print LP
SUSAN REED Danny Boy
Susan Reed Elektra – out of print LP

JANIS IAN I Hear You Sing Again
Billies Bones Oh Boy Records – www.janisian.com
RACHEL BISSEX Dancing With My Mother
In White Light self -www.rachelbissex.com
TOM CHAPIN My Mother’s Quiet Eyes
The Turning of the Tide Sundance Music – www.tomchapin.com
CATHIE RYAN Rock Me to Sleep, Mother
Mother- Songs Celebrating Mothers and Motherhood North Star
-www.northstarmusic.com
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WFDU-FM
Ron Olesko
1000 River Road
Teaneck, NJ 07666www.ronolesko.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/ron.olesko
www.wfdu.fm
www.hurdygurdyfolk.org
www.hurdygurdyfolk.blogspot.com