Blogs

Cool, bebop, and soul jazz, plus some of the great female vocalists tonight.

Ever heard of  "Old time Americana Fusion" want to know what it sounds like? Join us with the Ruby Mountain String Band. Once upon a time, in a town called Haiku (spelled backwards) four devotees of trad music bumped into each other in an organic food co-op; one was a cellist, one a fiddler, two played guitars, banjoes and sang. A banjo player and guitarist also favored song writing. All liked CapeBreton/scottish fiddle tunes. So, how many musicians walked into the co-op?.

Cliff Landis - Guitar, Vocals, Banjo and Fiddle, Julia Landis - Guitar, Vocals, Darin Smith - Cello, other things.

Visit them at https://www.facebook.com/rubymountainband/info?tab=page_info

Shawzam hosts Zappaman this week for a special talk about lemons, window screens, mosaics, & the tea bells you hear after eating crumpets.  Hot Rats is the soundtrack to baby possum gangs "just trying to get by"- all while sticking it to the man.   Who is the man?    Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, Don "Sugarcane" Harris, Jean-Luc Ponty, and former Mother Ian Underwood all contribute.    What does this all have to do with Captain Kangaroo?   Tune in this Thursday at 5pm to find out.

Let's talk about guitar riffs and guitarists that set music on fire. Stephen Hendry, 23  from Lodi, CA, is our guest this Friday. His earliest influences are pop-punk bands like The Offspring, New Found Glory, Sum 41, and Blink 182, but today he follows bands and artists like Airbourne, Social Distortion, and Frank Turner. Stephen’s  musical interests are based in punk, metal, and especially rock'n'roll, with a touch of blues and pop. Stephen’s most profound influences are Jimmy Page, Joe Perry, Keith Richards, Pete Townshend, and Mike Ness. Stephen plays around the Sacramento area, either jamming with or backing up most of the local musicians on the scene. Whether practicing or keeping busy with gigs, his motivation always boils down to the fact that he loves to play and takes pride in his abilities.

Join in the celebration of National Radio Day August 20th, as KDRT joins communities across the country highlighting the efforts of local, community-based public radio.  “This is the first coordinated national event in honor of National Radio Day,” stated Sabrina Roach, the lead organizer. “I wanted to introduce an opportunity for all kinds of non-commercial stations to work together and to engage their communities by celebrating radio with listeners and independent producers.” KDRT listeners can share their thoughts about their local, "grassroots station" by posting on our FB page at https://www.facebook.com/kdrtfm or by calling 530-792-1648 during a special edition of "Live Tracks" airing Th. from 7 to 9pm, and stream live at http://kdrt.org/page/listen-now

Upbeat jazz, mostly duets tonight, mostly 1954 to 1962: straight-ahead jazz, West Coast cool, a little Vegas. Then Ella at Montreux in 1975, and some Brazilian jazz from Gerry Mulligan with Jane Duboc.

Forget about winter. Autumn is coming. 

Xochitl, Casey Groat, and Justin Carson: Three talented musicians, producers, and performors, joining us in the studio to discuss not only their own projects but also the health of the music industry today. Join us!

Join Jesse and Pieter as we listen to an early vinyl pressing of the classic Santana album, Abraxas. Released in 1970, this album is a sprawling blend of sounds, incorporating influences from latin jazz, electric blues and rock. Featuring Carlos Santana’s incredible electric guitar work and an extensive percussion section, our opinion is that this album is best experienced on vinyl. While there are many newer pressings to pick from that get great reviews, the one that we’re going to play is from the early 1970’s. And the album jacket is a classic! Painted by artist Mati Klarwein in 1961, the artwork drew inspiration from Hermann Hesse’s novel, Demian. The novel is quoted on the back cover of the jacket:  "We stood before it and began to freeze inside from the exertion. We questioned the painting, berated it, made love to it, prayed to it: We called it mother, called it whore and slut, called it our beloved, called it Abraxas….”. The artwork incorporates symbology from several religions.

An hour of soul jazz tonight! Late 50’s to mid 60’s small-group performances featuring organ or piano, sax and guitar, with a mellow, “earthy bluesy” sound. Tuesday 8 pm; repeats Saturdays at 9 pm.