Sometimes Folk

If there is such a thing as a "renaissance man" in 21st century culture, then Mick Moloney fit that description. Moloney, who died last week at his home in Greenwich Village, was a New York University professor, a touring and recording musician, an Irish cultural ambassador, an ethnomusicologist, and a lifelong social justice warrior.

From his work with The Johnstons, Green Fields of America, and his musical collaborations with Robbie O'Connell, Jimmy Keane, Athena Tergis, John Doyle, and many, many other Irish and American artists, Mick Moloney has left a legacy of recordings that will stand the test of time. The Folk Brothers toured Ireland with Mick, and Bill had been in Galicia with Mick just a few weeks before his untimely death.

Although the "Once Were Brothers" documentary has been out for a few years, The Folk Brothers only streamed it this past week (it's available on Hulu and Kanopy). We listened to a track by The Band and the song from which the doco got its title, then mildly debated the merits of a story told only thru Robbie Robertson's point of view.

Also today: new tracks from Joan Shelley, Martin Joseph, Lloyd Maines, Lucy Kaplansky, Kathy Kallick, and more.

It's not too often that alt-folk musicians are profiled in high-impact publications like The Guardian and The New York Times, but singer-songwriter Joan Shelley was, last week. The Lousiville, Kentucky, native just released her latest album, The Spur, which is garnering international attention. Also on today's show, new music from Eddie Berman, Heidi Talbot, Sharon Shannon, Kevin Morby, Bella Hardy, Vieux Farka Toure, and much more.

This week's show is devoted to the music of Jim Miller, who passed on March 24 at the age of 69. Jim was a founding member of Donna The Buffalo and, most recently, Western Centuries. In a long career as a vocalist and rhythm guitarist, he collaborated with the likes of Dirk Powell, Tara Nevins, Jim Lauderdale, Richie Stearns, and Tim O'Brien. He was also a professional lepidopterist and curator/researcher at The American Museum of Natural History.