Off The Beaten Tracks 20 Sept 2021

I've included four tracks by Michael Chapman in this week's show as he sadly passed away recently at the age of 80. I first saw Michael at a venue near Perth called the Bein Inn. My wife had known Michael for a number of years but hadn't seen him in a long time. We found him having a pre-gig meal in the bar and he instantly recognised her and asked us to join him. 

Several years later we saw him play at Wigan Parish Church and more recently at the Cloudspotting Festival. I will always remember his unique way of playing slide guitar using his wedding ring as the slide. He was well liked and respected by musicians young and old and I've bookended this show with songs from his 2017 album 50. From the blurb on his Bandcamp page it says of this album -

 
"Backed by a collaborative group of friends and acolytes—Steve Gunn (who also produced), Nathan Bowles (Pelt), James Elkington (Jeff Tweedy), Jason Meagher (No-Neck Blues Band), Jimy SeiTang (Rhyton), and fellow UK songwriting luminary Bridget St John—Chapman tears into both bold renderings of new songs and radical reinterpretations of material from his revered catalog..."

Thanks for the music Michael and the chance to spend some time (however brief) in your company.

Michael Chapman - Sometimes You Just Drive 
Joan Baez - Jessie 
Cara - Lay Down Your Weary Tune 
Johnny Cash - Man In Black 
Michael Chapman - Caddo Lake 
Sam Lewis - Texas 
Drew Holcolmb & The Neighbors - Tennessee 
Bob Dylan - Maggie's Farm 
Michael Chapman - High Heel Sneakers 
Martin Stephenson & Jim Hornsby - Rag Time Groove 
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Southern Accents (live) 
Michael Chapman - The Mallard 

Listen on Mixcloud or Ginger Feather FM every evening at 8pm 

Off The Beaten Tracks 13 Sept 2021

This week's playlist. Tune in at 3pm and 8pm on Ginger Feather FM or listen any time on Mixcloud

Bonny Light Horseman - Blackwaterside
I'm With Her - Game To Lose
Honey & The Bear - Sailor's Daughter
Rose's Pawn Shop - Pine Box
Hayseed Dixie - Rockin' In The Free World
Elephant Revival - Barefoot Friend
Miranda Sykes - The Bonnie Light Horseman
Bonny Light Horseman - The Roving
Greg Russell & Ciaran Algar - We Are Leaving
Nick Keir - Norman's Dram 
Uiscedwr - Tip Tap Baby
Waterson:Carthy - The Devil and The Farmer
Ollie King - Round the Bay of Mexico
Show of Hands - Reunion Hill

https://www.internet-radio.com/station/gingerfeatherfm/

Off The Beaten Tracks 6 Sept 2021

This week's Ginger Feather FM playlist. Also on https://www.mixcloud.com/cmbertram/

Cara Dillon - The Water is Wide
Boys of the Lough - Chase Her Through the Garden
Chris Stout and Finlay MacDonald - Dull and Boring
Eddi Reader - Mona Lisa
Eliza Carthy - Stumbling On
Kyrre Slind - Tunnsjo
Peter Knight's Gigspanner - The Blackbird
Pentangle - Sally Go Round the Roses
Cara Dillon - Bright Morning Star
Thea Gilmour - I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Nic Jones - The Humpback Whale
Jez Lowe - Old Bones
Hannah Saunders & Ben Savage - Awake

Listen to Off The Beaten Tracks

Every Monday to Sunday at 3pm and 8pm

https://www.internet-radio.com/station/gingerfeatherfm/ 

Jazz tuition at the Calton Studios

A Charlie Watts-related story from my teenage years. One Saturday when I was about 15 the music department at my school organised an outing to the Calton Studios in Edinburgh. The Studios was kind of a small arts centre in the centre of town just down the road from the back of Waverley train station. They had a cinema which I remember going to with school to see Romeo and Juliet which we were studying, possibly for O Level. But this visit was to encourage kids who were interested in playing jazz.

Now I have to admit that I wasn’t much of a jazz fan at that age though I was aware of big band music as my dad used to play his jazz records on a Sunday afternoon. So while the event at the Studios was mainly for the trumpet and saxophone players in my year, myself and one or two others were allowed to come along as we had expressed an interest in playing other instruments like drums or double bass.

I can remember quite clearly sitting behind this drum kit and the drummer asking what music I liked listening to. Despite this being around 1980, and I was into chart music like most kids, I was also quite into 60s music like The Beatles and the Stones and these were the first two band names that came into my head. This, however, did not impress the jazz drummer, whose kit presumably it was that I was sitting at. In a rather grumpy voice he told me that this session was for teaching jazz and not rock music.

The irony of course was that Charlie Watts had started out playing with jazz bands in London before he hooked up with Jagger, Richards and Jones and was asked to join their rhythm and blues band. Not that I was aware of that at the time. That's a shame as I would have loved to have seen the look on that grumpy drummer’s face if I’d been able to remind him of Charlie’s jazz roots.

But after that it was back to playing the violin. I don’t think there was the option of getting any tuition in playing jazz violin in the style of Stephane Grappelli which was a shame. But then being so used to reading sheet music and playing only classical pieces there’s no guarantee that I would have taken to the improvised style of playing jazz. On leaving school I started playing guitar instead and I still listen to the Beatles and the Stones.

Sadly the Calton Studios is no more. I found this headline on the edinburghlive website from 2019…

“Iconic Edinburgh venue that hosted Nirvana to be demolished and turned into flats” 

Charlie Watts tribute show

A few of my favourite Rolling Stones songs on this week's show in memory of Mr Charlie Watts, drummer extraordinaire with the Stones since before I was born. Although I've only seen them live once and never saw Charlie with his jazz band I still felt much grief at the news of his passing. I guess it comes down to having listened to his drumming on various Stones records over the years - you develop some kind of emotional bond with these musicians. Anyway, I shed a few tears and have raised a glass to him. 

Cheers Charlie, thanks for the music. 

Listen on Mixcloud or on Ginger Feather FM on the link below. 

Rolling Stones - Angie 
Davy Graham - Sally Free and Easy 
Richard Thompson - Easy There Steady Now 
Rolling Stones - Miss You 
Kate Rusby - Carolina In My Mind 
Buddy Guy & Junior Wells - When You See The Tears in my Eyes *
Rolling Stones - Paint It Black 
The Scaffold - Buttons of your Mind 
Joni Mitchell - Both Sides Now 
Nick Drake - Free Ride 
Rolling Stones - Wild Horses 
The Beatles - Don't Pass Me By 
Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter

* with Bill Wyman on bass

Listen to Off The Beaten Tracks

Every Monday to Sunday at 10am, 3pm and 8pm

https://www.internet-radio.com/station/gingerfeatherfm/ 

Off The Beaten Tracks 23 August 2021

Ginger Feather FM radio show to be broadcast the w/c 23 August with three tracks featuring David Crosby who celebrated his 80th birthday recently. Listen now on Mixcloud. 

David Crosby - Music is Love
Patsy Matheson - The Hollies
Katherine Priddy - The Summer Has Flown
Joe Danks - 308
James Taylor - Fire and Rain
Crosby, Stills & Nash - Shadow Captain
Kitty MacFarlane - Wrecking Days
Fabian Holland - Another Monday
Chris Bradley - Bored Little Rosie
Crosby & Nash - To The Last Whale
Fairport Convention - Moon Dust and Solitude
Edie Brickell & New Bohemians - Circle

Listen to Off The Beaten Tracks

Every Monday to Sunday at 10am, 3pm and 8pm

https://www.internet-radio.com/station/gingerfeatherfm/ 

Americana & Bluegrass show

An all American & Canadian line-up for this week's show with a couple of tracks from Tim O'Brien's new release 'He Walked On'. Listen on Mixcloud 

The Soggy Bottom Boys - In The Jailhouse Now
Tim O'Brien - See You At The Funeral
Stephen Fearing - Blowhard Nation
Sarah Jarosz - Empty Square
Rita Hosking - A Better Day
Danny Schmidt - Looks Like God
Carolina Chocolate Drops - Why Don't You Do Right
Johnny Cash - Personal Jesus
The Mountain Firework Company - The Beggar's Prayer
Tim O'Brien - When You Pray (Move You Feet)
Annabelle Chvostek Ensemble - Some Kinda Love
The High Bar Gang - Red Wicked Wine 
Birds of Chicago - Sugar Dumpling
Waylon Jennings - Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way
The Be Good Tanyas - Oh Susannah

Listen to Off The Beaten Tracks

Every Monday to Sunday at 10am, 3pm and 8pm

https://www.internet-radio.com/station/gingerfeatherfm/