Category: Uncategorized

The July 10 edition of Greasy Tracks featured Alligator Records which celebrates 50 years of “genuine houserockin’ music” in 2021. Included in the program was an interview with Alligator founder Bruce Iglauer and music from across the 350-plus albums the label has released.

Click here to check out an archive of the program, while a playlist is here. 

The iconic label — born at a perfect time when “underground”, “freeform” and “progressive” F.M. radio was on the rise — was in the thick of things as selling vinyl soon included analogue tape and in time, compact discs and then . . . streaming — has managed to prevail.

A native of Ann Arbor, Mich., Iglauer grew interested in what would become a lifetime passion: blues music. While a student at Lawrence Universirty in Appleton, Wisc., he attended a concert by Mississippi Fred McDowell at the 1966 University of Chicago Folk Festival which provided a personal revelation: he had to be involved with blues music.

Following a move to Chicago in 1970, Iglauer met  Delmark Records’ founder Bob Koester and signed on for $30 a week as a shipping clerk at the independent, primarily jazz-focused label that would increase its’ blues roster over the years. At the same time, he was one of the founding writers of the then-quarterly  Living Blues magazine in Chicago which was the nation’s first blues-specific publication.

Immersed in one of the nation’s traditional blue’s hotbeds, Iglauer now had the ability to see big-name players literally within blocks of singers and musicians who were either starting to gain attention or were completely unknown.

Hound Dog Taylor was one of those players who wasn’t that widely known and the person who would be the catalyst for Iglauer becoming the founder of a record label.

For nearly a year Iglauer tried to convince Koester to sign and record Taylor and his band, The HouseRockers, but each time, Koester said he wasn’t interested and suggested that Iglauer record Taylor.

Dedicated to making good on his goal to get Taylor recorded — at that time he and his group had released but two singles — Iglauer scraped together $2,700, got studio time and recorded the band on two-track and printed about 1,000 copies of what would become the debut release by Alligator Records: Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers.

Juggling his work at Delmark and trying to shepherd his new label were massive challenges for Iglauer who was sleeping on a mattress on the floor of an efficiency apartment, using was two sawhorses and a slab of wood as a shipping table and often subsisting daily on an order of fries and a Quarter Pounder with cheese — a new sandwich introduced by McDonalds in 1971.

At one point, Iglauer was driving around major parts of the country, stopping at every freeform commercial and college radio stations he could manage to personally introduce Hound Dog Taylor and the Alligator label to on-air hosts.

In many cases, the reaction was immediate and positive as the album often went right on the air and got regular airplay. Iglauer signed on with distributors and left stacks of albums with them, ultimately forcing him to return home to get more printed. In the first year, Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers would sell 9,000 copies, a substantial amount considering the independent status of Alligator. The album would also catapult Taylor out of tiny taverns and onto larger stages across the country and as word spread, performing as far away as Australia.

As business started growing at Alligator, Koester presented Iglauer with a decision his protégé would eventually have to make: was Iglauer going to remain working at Delmark or was he going to work for himself at Alligator?

Iglauer made the choice each man knew was inevitable — Iglauer was going to strike out on his own. Ever the supportive mentor, Koester would keep Iglauer on the payroll for the next eight months even though he was focusing on Alligator on a full-time basis and was technically “competing” with Koester.

It should be noted that Koester would run Delmark — the nation’s oldest jazz and blues independent label — until 2018 when he retired and sold it. Following his moving the label to Chicago from St. Louis in 1958, Koester opened the Jazz Record Mart, a destination for hardcore jazz and blues aficionados. The shop would have several locations around Chicago before Koester shuttered it in 2016. He would go on to open Bob’s Blues & Jazz Mart which he ran until his death in May at the age of 88.

When he went solo, Iglauer knew he had to put out a successful release each time if he was going to be able to fund a follow-up album. Acting at times as manager, roadie and publicist for Taylor, Iglauer went back to the role of producer and returned the band to Chicago’s Sound where they would record Natural Boogie, which would ultimately be Taylor’s final studio release as he passed away in 1975 at the age of 60.

Since he has since Day 1 at the label, Iglauer continues to be hands on. He has produced nearly one third of the 350 or so of Alligator’s releases. He is always looking for potential signings and to this day, rues his overlooking the opportunity to sign Stevie Ray Vaughan and Robert Cray.

“I heard the young Stevie Ray Vaughan. I thought, ‘Wow, he’s the world’s loudest Albert King imitator.’ I got it later; I didn’t get it then.”

–Alligator Founder Bob Inglauer

“I heard the young Robert Cray, too,” he continued. I thought, ‘Wow, he’s really good, but he wants to do all this R&B stuff. I wish he would do more blues.’”

Despite the ones he’s missed, the Alligator stable over the years has included some household names: Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Charlie Musselwhite, James Cotton, Koko Taylor, Lonnie Brooks, Johnny Winter, Elvin Bishop, Roy Buchcanan and Shemekia Copeland to name but a few.

Alligator won its first Grammy Award in 1981 for I’m Here by zydeco legend Clifton Chenier. In 1985, Showdown! by Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland and Robert Cray would pave the way for a second Grammy Award for the label and the release remains Alligator’s most successful release.

One of Iglauer’s younger signings, Mississippi-based guitarist  Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, represents one of the “future’s” of the blues, according to Iglauer who has known the guitarist since his early teens when he started generating interest based on his immense talent.

Heavily influenced by Muddy Waters, Ingram, 22, releases his second Alligator album, 662 on July 23. He debut, Kingfish, went to the top of the charts following its release in 2019.

In June, to mark the 50th anniversary, Iglauer released  Alligator Records — 50 Years Of Genuine Houserockin’ Music, a three-CD, 57-track collection.

The July 8 edition of Radio Kaos featured the second installation of an in-depth focus on the music of  Van Morrison.

While only scraping the surface of Morrison’s career — he not only sings but is a multi-instrumentalist — the primary goal is to provide an aural account of the development and maturity of his writing and musical style over the course of nearly 60 years as well as the philosophical and artistic interests he had at different points in his life.

In retrospective style, the multi-part program is a chronological overview of the career of the Belfast Cowboy, tracing his studio and on-stage efforts following his departure from Them in 1966.

Based on the success of such Them singles as “Gloria” and “Mystic Eyes,” there was no questioning Morrison’s ability as a writer and singer, but the extent of his future chart success and longevity as a solo artist couldn’t be estimated based on his infamous combative personality and history of drink-fueled social misbehavior.

Since the first part of the spotlight covered Morrison from his 1967 solo debut, Blowin’ Your Mind through Into The Music in 1979, the second edition will pick up with his 1980 release, Common One and feature at least one track from each of his subsequent albums.

The June 26 edition of Greasy Tracks took a decidedly bluesy focus via interviews with and new material from Chris Cain, Curtis Salgado and Gary Vogensen.

Click here to check out an archive of the program, while a playlist is here. 

Cain and Salgado are label mates at Alligator Records which just marked its 50th year since it was founded. Veteran guitarist Cain recently released Raisin’ Cain, his label debut for Alligator, while Salgado, a well-traveled singer and harp player, just put out Damage Control.

A protege of Michael Bloomfield, Vogensen has done just about everything in the music business over the last half century from touring sideman to session player and guitar instructor while taking time out to record his own albums from time to time. His just out Shot of Hope (Little Village Foundation) captures his chops with a solid collection of originals and interesting covers.

Their passion for playing music is obvious, but each have some interesting back stories when it comes to how they innocently enough got into the business.

Cain, who grew up in San Jose, Calif., had access to his father’s collection of records and was lucky enough to be going to concerts at a very young age. Thanks in part to his father, Cain took a particular liking to BB King and Albert King as a youth. That was where it all started and his passion grew along with his ability as a musician as he was adept at playing piano and saxophone along with guitar. Listening to records and copping licks as a youth just encouraged him to pursue music as a profession.

Based in Portland, Ore., Salgado played in a number of local bands before linking up with a group of musicians who would, in time, become the Robert Cray Band. Salgado appeared on the band’s debut, Who’s Been Talkin’ in 1980.

His path would also cross with John Belushi when Belushi was filming Animal House in Eugene, Ore. In no time, the two became friends and Salgado would end up influencing Belushi’s creation of The Blues Brothers. The band’s live debut, the chart-topping Briefcase Full of Blues in 1978, was dedicated to Salgado.

Following his departure from Cray’s band in 1982, Salgado linked up with Rhode Island’s Roomful of Blues and would front them for three years.

Vogensen officially got bitten by the music bug as a high school senior on Nov. 1, 1968, when he went to the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco to catch Genesis, Taj Mahal and The Byrds. Openers Genesis did nothing for him as they “didn’t have a guitarist,” but Taj Mahal had a hot Telecaster player with him, Jesse Edwin Davis, who, according to Vogensen, got under his skin and heart and left him saying: “I just have to do that.” By the time the headlining Byrds took the stage with an equally brilliant Tele player in Clarence White, Vogensen was already committed to becoming a musician.

A few years later, Vogensen was hanging out in the control room of Marin Recorders where Michael Bloomfield was involved with producing and playing on sessions that would end up on the one and only album by Melton, Levy & the Dey Bros. featuring ex-Country Joe & The Fish guitarist, Barry Melton.

At the urging of some friends, Vogensen asked if he could sit in on a jam the musicians were doing during a break from recording. Bloomfield, as the story went, eagerly encouraged Vogensen and ended up suggesting to Melton that Vogensen join the band as a rhythm guitarist for their tour.

This led to Vogensen playing as a touring sideman for a handful of bands before reconnecting with Bloomfield several years later which led to work with Maria Malduar, a tryout for Frank Zappa’s band, road work with Elvin Bishop who one night opened for Etta James. James’ guitarist had sprained a wrist and Vogensen was called in to handle guitar work for the night.

In the 1980s he was part of Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen, the following decade found him with New Riders of the Purple Sage and session and live work with Steve Miller, Boz Scaggs and Rick Danko to name but a few.

If anything, Owsley Stanley was nothing short of innovative. His chemical creations were one thing, but his ability as an audio engineer led to some of the most ingenious designs in concert sound reinforcement and live recordings.

During the June 5 edition of Greasy Tracks, one of Stanley’s concert recordings was featured as part of an extensive spotlight on Tim Buckley.

Click here to check out an archive of the program, while a playlist is here. 

Captured during a three-night run at the Carousel Ballroom in San Francisco where he was on the bill with Booker T and the MGs and It’s A Beautiful Day, Buckley and his bandmates were in superb form when they were recorded by Stanley June 15-16, 1968.

Buckley was in a stylistic transition at the time and decidedly more jazzy in his sound as evidenced by this stand at the Carousel which has been released as Tim Buckley Merry-Go-Round at The Carousel, part of the on-going Bear’s Sonic Journals series.

The program included interviews with Owsley’s son, Starfinder Stanley who is president of the Owsley Stanley Foundation; OSF board member Hawk, who served as executive producer of the Buckley release; bassist John Miller who was part of Buckley’s band at the time; lyricist Larry Beckett who worked extensively on Buckley’s first two releases; and Tim Buckley scholar, Pat Thomas.

In addition to tracking through the live release, there will be music from across Buckley’s career which was cut short in 1975 when he died of an overdose at the age of 28.

The Owsley Stanley Foundation is endeavoring to preserve Bear’s archive of more than 1,300 live concert soundboard recordings from the 1960s through the 1980s by 80-plus acts running the gamut from The Grateful Dead and Miles Davis to Johnny Cash and the Jefferson Airplane.

Check out another featured release by the foundation, Johnny Cash At The Carousel Ballroom April 24, 1968, by clicking here

The May 15 edition of Greasy Tracks focused on the career of Steve Cropper, and included an interview with the legendary guitarist as well as tracks from his just-released  Fire It Up (Provogue Records).

Click here to check out an archive of the program, while a playlist is here. 

Known as one of the architects of the Stax Sound, Cropper was part of such legendary bands as the Mar-Keys, Booker T and the MGs and the Blues Brothers. His writing and production credits are too numerous to list, but suffice to say, he had a hand in some of the most famous songs ever recorded.

In addition to music from across his Cropper’s storied career, there were interviews with Connecticut native Jon Tiven and Branford resident Roger C. Reale.

Tiven — who has worked with Cropper for 30 years — co-wrote, co-produced and played a number of instruments on Cropper’s first release in a decade following his Dedicated: A Salute To The 5 Royals. Reale provided vocals and co-wrote much of the material on the 13-track album.

Considered one of the most important guitarists in history, Cropper’s inimitable sound was a key component to legendary recordings by Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, William Bell, Eddie Floyd, Wilson Pickett and Rufus and Carla Thomas to name but a few.

Greasy Tracks marked 26 years on the air at WRTC on May 8 and to celebrate the anniversary there was a three-hour feature on Steve Marriott with special attention paid to the music of The Small Faces and Humble Pie.

Click here to check out an archive of the program, while a playlist is here. 

As the front man of The Small Faces and later Humble Pie, Marriott’s distinctive voice, guitar playing and songwriting made him one of the most influential musicians of the 1960s and early 70s British music scene.

Included in the program was an interview with drummer Jerry Shirley, a founding member of Humble Pie, who shared insight on the formation of the band; interesting recording sessions; and the highs and lows of what became a grueling touring life, especially following the success of the live album, Performance Rockin’ the Fillmore in 1971 and the follow-up studio release, Smokin’, only five months later.

As the longest-running show of its kind in the state, Greasy Tracks has garnered a reputation for well-produced features, devoid of hits and boring FM radio fare, but instead digging deep when it comes to airing quality artists and associated music.

Due to COVID-19, the 15th Trinity International Hip-Hop Festival went virtual after taking a year off due to the pandemic in 2020.

To see highlights from the fest, held April 9-11, click here.

Daniela Gomes, a visiting professor at Trinity, opened the proceedings with a talk on “Diaspora Circularities: How Hip-Hop and Activism Made an Afro-Brazilian Scholar.”

Performers included Grand Wizzard Theodore, MC T La Rock, Kid Freeze, D Smoke, Brittney Carter, Delta, the Bavubuka All Starz, Motilonas Rap and Blessings Divine.

Recent releases by The Sound Field and The Weight Band as well as interviews with band members were featured on the April 24 edition of Greasy Tracks.

Click here to check out an archive of the program, while a playlist is here. 

Guitarist and vocalist Deborah Grabien, who is also the primary songwriter for the San Francisco-based The Sound Field, discussed This Moment Of The Storm — the follow-up to the band’s 2017 debut, The Bucket List.

Among a number of musicians who joined the trio in the studio during the sessions were guitarists David Lindley and Mark Karan as well as keyboardist Henry Salvia.

In October 2019, The Weight Band was slated to play an acoustic show at the legendary Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, N.Y, To run through their proposed set of songs the night before the performance, the band headed to the basement of “Big Pink” in neighboring West Saugerties. This was the location — garnering the name due to the pink siding on the house — where members of The Band lived and recorded in the 1960s when they were backing Bob Dylan and recording their first albums.

Recordings were made during the rehearsal and the following night at Helm’s famed barn which led to Acoustic Live: Big Pink & Levon Helm Studios, a collection of classic Band tracks, some Weight Band originals and classic covers.

Guitarist Jim Weider, who was a member of The Band (1985-99) and drummer Michael Bram, talked about the new release and the interesting process that went into making it a reality.

Included in the program were some tracks from David Lindley’s catalog as he recently turned 77 as well as Humble Pie-era Peter Frampton material as the guitarist just had his 71st birthday.

A number of WRTC hosts will be paying tribute to Poco guitarist Rusty Young who passed away on April 14 at the age of 75.

Saturday’s edition of Greasy Tracks featured a segment of live performances by Poco, the band that Young helped found in 1968.

The April 19 version of The Devo Rock Show and the April 21 Boris Rock Show will include music featuring Young as well as an interview Devo and Boris did with him in 2009 where he discusses how the band was formed. The programs air 9 a.m.-noon.

Click here to listen live

Born in Long Beach, Calif., Young grew up in Denver and started playing in local rock bands, eventually recording a regional hit song that led to him being asked to play pedal steel guitar on one of the last recordings by the Buffalo Springfield, a Richie Furay track called “Kind Woman” in 1968. The band had never heard Young play before, but he was recommended by their road manager and duly flown to the coast for the session.

While on the trip, Young auditioned for a group that would become the Flying Burrito Brothers, but ended up joining Poco which was formed following the split of Buffalo Springfield by Springfield members Furay and Jim Messina who recruited bassist Randy Meisner and drummer George Grantham. Meisner would leave the band during sessions for their debut album and was replaced by Timothy B. Schmit.

While adept as a guitarist, Young was renowned for his ability as a pedal steel player and he’s regarded as one of the key people to bring it to the rock world as it was primarily linked with country music. Always an innovator, Young would often play his pedal steel through a Leslie speaker cabinet.

Poco’s lineup would change over time, but Young remained the sole founding member who remained for the band’s 50-year career. He would become a primary songwriter along with guitarist Paul Cotton. Two of Young’s compositions — “Rose of Cimarron” and “Crazy Love” — long remained fan favorites even though vocals were handled by Cotton and Schmit. “Cray Love” became Poco’s biggest hit, going to No. 1 in 1979.

Despite the musical chops of the members of Poco, the band was never able to gain the allure of the slicker, FM radio-friendly Eagles nor did they garner the mystique of the Gram Parson’s-era Flying Burrito Brothers.

Interviews with Sleep House vocalist Nick Gardyasz and guitarist Adam Mink was featured on the April 4 edition of Sunday’s With Syd.

Gardyasz and Mink discuss how the young alternative band based in the Philadelphia suburbs formed; some of the challenges of getting into the music industry at a young age; share some of their musical influences and how the group has dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program included a variety of music from the Sleep House catalog.

Sleep House, a young alternative band who grew up together in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Discussing their musical influences such as the Beatles and the Strokes, how they got together, what it was like entering the industry at a young age. Featuring new and old songs from their catalog and a live performance from 2017.