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Jim Rooney has spent the past fifty years or so playing, writing, promoting, recording, and producing American folk music – both traditional and contemporary. He is, perhaps, best known these days as the record producer for Nanci Griffith, Iris Dement, John Prine, and many others – a body of work for which he was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award by the AMERICANA MUSIC ASSOCIATION in 2009.
He also has a Facebook page for current happenings. Feel free to “Like” it
These podcasts are installments broadcast by Royalton Community Radio in Vermont, a sort of companion soundtrack to Jim’s new memoir IN IT FOR THE LONG RUN, his third book about the history of this music.
Listen to Podcast #31 here
Program #31: Into the Twenty-First Century John Prine’s SOUVENIRS album: new recordings of some of John’s songs. Sean Keane’s MAN THAT I AM album. New album with cowboy poet Paul Zarzyski.Tom Rush’s first studio album in 30 years, WHAT I KNOW
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Listen to Podcast #32 here
Program #32: Back and Forth between Ireland and Nashville A new album with the Lee Valley String Band PROLIFIC OR WHAT?. New artist Naomi Sommers with her album GENTLE AS THE SUN. Veteran singer-songwriter Mickey Clark’s WINDING HIGHWAYS album. And then back to Ireland for Chris Meehan and His Redneck Friends album DANCING IN THE KITCHEN
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Listen to Podcast #33 here
Program #33: Coming Up to the Present A variety of musical styles: folk, bluegrass, cowboy, and contra-dance. Two albums with “Prairie Home Companion” veterans Robin & Linda Williams, THESE OLD DARK HILLS and BACK FORTY, celebrating their 40 year musical and marital collaboration. HEART OF THE COUNTRY with Chris Brashear , who has played with Robin & Linda for many years. An album by Hal Cannon, former director of the Western Folklife Center in Elko, NV home of the Cowboy Poetry Gathering. ROAD TO DAMASCUS by Notorious (Eden McAdam-Somer and Larry Unger), stalwarts of the flourishing contra-dance circuit.
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Listen to Podcast #34 here
Program #34: Three Recent Albums TOM RUSH (Celebrates 50 Years of Music at Symphony Hall, Boston). Mickey Clark’s latest REASONS & RHYMES. A brand new album with Tom Paxton REDEMPTION ROAD. Series winds up with my tribute to Allen Reynolds and “Cowboy” Jack Clement, FAREWELL TO THE TRACKS.
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