Jim is doing a series of shows for Royalton Community Radio, which will be archived here, reminiscing about his career and spinning contemporaneous discs . Click a link below to go the page for a particular show.
Note February 9, 2015:
Lots of excitement in radioland. WOOL, 91.5, Black Sheep Radio in Bellows Falls, Vermont is currently broadcasting my radio series “In It For The Long Run” on Sundays at 11 am and again on Mondays at 4 pm. The show is nearing the end of its first run on my home broadcaster Royalton Community Radio, WFVR-LP, 96.5, in South Royalton, VT. Currently it is on every other Monday at 8 pm and every other Wednesday at 11 am. Starting in late March it will begin all over again on a weekly basis. I’ll let you know when. There are 34 one-hour episodes, covering my musical journey from the early ’50’s until now–an audio companion to my book, “In It For The Long Run: A Musical Odyssey” (U. of Illinois Press). Mark Piepkorn of Black Sheep Radio is also putting the programs out to other members of the Pacifica Radio Network.. If you live in an area where you listen to one of these stations, please let them know that you’d like to have them carry the show. I’d be happy to hear any feedback anyone has. I had a blast putting the shows together. Lots and lots of good music. – J.R.
PODCAST #1 [early days around Boston, introduction to the Hillbilly Ranch. MUSIC: Lilly Bros, Hank Snow, Hank Thompson, Kitty Wells, Hank Williams,]
PODCAST #2 [schooled by the broadcasts of disc jockey “Symphony Sid”: R&B, Gospel, Jazz. MUSIC: King Pleasure, Fats Domino, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Swan Silvertones, Mahalia Jackson, Diz, Duke, Billy E]
PODCAST #3 [In the back of a bookstore, Jim finds a rack of records, which opens a new world for him, leading from the blues down through the Appalachian Mountains to the depression era political songs. MUSIC: Leadbelly, Big Bill Broonzy, Dock Boggs, Hobart Smith, Almanac Singers)
PODCAST #4 [At Amherst, the college radio station, which should be commended for its hipness, exposes the young Rooney to Miles, Monk, and Mulligan, and he meets fellow student and banjo enthusiast Bill Keith, though the musical education is still filed under “M”: Jimmy Martin and Bill Monroe]
PODCAST #5 [Bluegrass with Bill Keith at Club 47, Cambridge MA ]
PODCAST #6 [Folk Music Scene in Cambridge: Joan Baez, Eric Von Schmidt, Club 47 artists]
PODCAST #7 [The Passing of the Torch: legendary folk and blues men from the 1930s south arrive in Boston to play, and give the folk revivalists an authentic taste of the artists they had only known from recordings: Clarence Ashley, Hobart Smith, Sleepy John Estes, Skip James, Mississippi John Hurt and a young proponent of the traditions, Arthel “Doc” Watson.]
PODCAST #8 Newport ’63 – the festival which exposed the elder statesmen of bluegrass and blues to an eager new audience and brought them together with an emerging generation of traditional musicians, as well as the vanguard of those writing original songs in the folk idiom. Includes: Meeting Bill Monroe. Concert w/Doc Watson & Pete Seeger; Bill Monroe, Doc Watson, Mississippi John Hurt, and young songwriters @ 1963 Newport Folk Festival
PODCAST #9 Finding His Roots – After hearing records of Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem, Jim makes a trip to Ireland to visit friend Peggi, and gets exposed to the real thing. Introduction to Irish Music, 1963. Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem; Liam Clancy & Joe Heaney; Barney McKenna & John Sheahan, Willie Clancy, Ronnie Drew, The Dubliners
PODCAST#10 Changing Times @ Club 47 and Newport, 1965. Kweskin Jug Band, P w/Bill Keith, Peter Rowan & Bill Monroe, “Spider” John Koerner, Richard & Mimi Farina, The Chambers Brothers, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Bob Dylan goes electric.
PODCAST#11 New and Different Music @ Club 47: Staple Singers, Joni Mitchell, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Mose Allison.
PODCAST#12 Country Music Folk Legends Play Club 47: Flatt & Scruggs, Maybelle Carter, Merle Travis, Grandpa Jones.
PODCAST#13 Younger artists reaching bigger audiences through radio: Charles River Valley Boys, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Arlo Guthrie, Richie Havens, The Chambers Brothers – the British invade, the post-Dylan generation starts writing “new” folk songs, African-American singer/songwriters look to the future
PODCAST#14 Roots music at Newport Folk Festival and its influence on younger performers: Ed and Lonnie Young, Bessie Jones and the Georgia Sea Islanders, Almeda Riddle, Mississippi Fred MacDowell, Roscoe Holcomb, Lightnin’ Hopkins, The Balfa Brothers
PODCAST #15 “New Folks” @ Newport. John Hartford, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Jeff Walker, Steve Young, Fairport Convention, Blue Velvet Band, Everly Brothers & Ike Everly.
PODCAST #16 Festival Time. Producing New Orleans Jazz festival gave a chance to soak up music of the French Quarter: Olympia Jazz Band, Armand Hug, Ellis Marsalis, Clarence “Frogman Henry, Fats Domino, Louis Armstrong. Tour managing Newport Jazz Festival w/ Cannonball Adderley, Herbie Mann, Gary Burton, Thelonious Monk, Dionne Warwick.
PODCAST #17 Move to Woodstock to manage Bearsville Sound Studio for Albert Grossman. Music of The Band; “Mud Acres” w/ Happy & Arty Traum, John Herald, Maria Muldaur, Eric Kaz, Bill Keith; Borderline w/Jon & David Gershen,Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson, Ben Keith, Vassar Clements, Kenny Kosek.
PODCAST #18 Moving into music; leaving Woodstock. Producing Eric Von Schmidt; time in Nashville hearing James Talley, Townes Van Zandt; back to Massachusetts playing with Bill Keith, Everett & Tennis Lilly; producing John Lincoln Wright.
PODCAST #19 Take demo of “Only The Best” to Nashville. Taken in by “Cowboy” Jack Clement (Johnny Cash, Charlie Pride, Waylon Jennings); meet Allen Reynolds (Don Williams)
PODCAST #20 Return to Woodstock to record “Woodstock Mountains.” Meet Pat Alger; At Jack Clement’s in Nashville record “No Expectations” w/ Phillip Donnelly, Tony Newman, Rachel Peer Prine; start producing (Pat McLaughlin, Garrison Brothers); help John Prine start up “Oh Boy!” Records with “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” (single) and “Aimless Love” (album)
PODCAST #21 Producing, playing, engineering w/ John Prine, Maura O’Connell, Peter Rowan, Richard Dobson, Nanci Griffith, Blaine Sprouse, Edgar Meyer.
PODCAST #22 More producing, playing, engineering w/Alison KrausS, John Prine, Jerry Jeff Walker, Nanci Griffith, Bill Keith
PODCAST #23 Start Forerunner Music Publishing Company w/ Pat Alger, Barry & Holly Tashian, David Mallett. Hit recordings by Kathy Mattea and Garth Brooks.
PODCAST #24 Still producing/engineering: Townes Van Zandt, The Nashville Jug Band, David Olney, Robert Earl Keen, Iris DeMent, Hal Ketchum
PODCAST #25 Forerunner has continued success with writers Pete Wasner, Charles John Quarto and Pat Alger (hits by Hal Ketchum, Vince Gill, Trisha Yearwood). New productions with Pat McLaughlin (“Party At Pat’s”), Peter Rowan (“Bluegrass Boy”), Nanci Griffith (Grammy winner “Other Voices, Other Rooms”)
PODCAST #26 Ripples from “Other Voices, Other Rooms”: Tom Paxton, Don Edwards. Out west with Ian Tyson, cowboy poet Paul Zarzyski. Austin heroes Bill & Bonnie Hearne w/ Nanci Griffith, Lyle Lovett.
PODCAST #27 A traveling hootenanny: continuing Bill & Bonnie Hearne w/Jerry Jeff Walker; Iris DeMent’s 2nd Album “My Life”; start of John Prine’s duets album w/ Iris DeMent, Melba Montgomery and Connie Smith; Nanci Griffith’s “Other Voices Too” album