Adam Harris, Author at West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Listen: Kat Edmonson Has The Mountain Stage Song Of The Week – ‘Nobody Knows That’

This week’s Mountain Stage features encore performances by progressive-roots band River Whyless, jazzy pop singer Kat Edmonson, Haitian troupe Lakou Mizik, piano and keyboard master Neal Francis, and guitarist, singer, and songwriter Margaret Glaspy. Join us on our NPR Music affiliates starting Friday, Feb. 24.

In her fourth appearance on Mountain Stage, jazzy singer and songwriter Kat Edmonson performs a wonderful duo set accompanied by pianist Roy Dunlap.

Our Song of the Week, “Nobody Knows That,” is a sweet and timeless love song, from the perspective of a friend longing for more from a lover with another on their mind.

On this week’s encore episode, we also hear an enthralling set from piano power house Neal Francis and his band, songwriter, guitarist and singer Margaret Glaspy, progressive roots band River Whyless perform songs from their album MONOFLORA, and we cross oceans and cultures thanks to the captivating sound of Haiti’s Lakou Mizik.

They’re all in our encore performance on these stations, starting Friday, Feb. 24.

Listen: Joan Osborne has the Mountain Stage Song of the Week, ‘Shake Your Hips’

Eight-time Grammy nominee Joan Osborne returns to Mountain Stage for the ninth time on this week’s broadcast. Osborne joined us to perform songs from her latest album including her groove-heavy version of Slim Harpo’s “Shake Your Hips,” which we’ve chosen as our Song of the Week.

Eight-time Grammy nominee Joan Osborne returns to Mountain Stage for the ninth time on this week’s broadcast.

Osborne is known as a great song interpreter, putting her unique touch on the songs of Bob Dylan, Allen Touissaint, and The Grateful Dead to name just a few. Her latest album on her Womanly Hips label, Radio Waves, features in-studio radio performances from throughout her career.

Osborne joined us to perform songs from that new release, including her groove-heavy version of Slim Harpo’s “Shake Your Hips,” which we’ve chosen as our Song of the Week.

Elsewhere on this week’s episode we hear from songwriter and singer Griffin House, modern alt-country ring-leaders Abby Hamilton and 49 Winchester, and the driving rock sound of Dave Hause & the Mermaid.

Check out the entire episode when it hits our NPR Music stations starting Friday, Feb. 17, and be sure to register for updates from our email newsletter.

Listen: Janis Ian Has The Mountain Stage Song Of The Week, ‘At Seventeen’

This week’s encore broadcast features a special appearance from folk-icon Janis Ian, recorded on her last tour. We also hear from Italian guitarist and singer Beppe Gambetta, Canadian/Columbian artist Lido Pimienta, New England based alt-folk songwriter Philip B. Price, and Morgantown, West Virginia’s own Chris Haddox.

This week’s encore episode of Mountain Stage was recorded in Morgantown, West Virginia last April on the campus of West Virginia University with our friends at WVU Arts & Entertainment. Host Kathy Mattea welcomes a special performance from folk-music icon Janis Ian, who joined us on her final tour.

Our Song of the Week is Ian’s performance of her landmark hit from 1975, “At Seventeen.” It’s one of many “evergreen” songs Ian has penned since she began songwriting at the age of 14.

In promotional materials, Ian is quoted as saying, “It’s a piece of luck when you can hit on a universal theme like ‘At Seventeen.’ It’s what you strive for as a writer. I’m astonished that the song has lived this long, but I’m also horrified that it, and ‘Society’s Child,’ are both still so relevant. I would have hoped that by now so many things would be better.”

The song was awarded a Grammy in 1976 for Best Pop Vocal Performance-Female.

We’ll also hear from Italian singer/songwriter and guitarist Beppe Gambetta, who shows off some dazzling finger-style fretwork. Colombian-Canadian performing artist Lido Pimienta joins us with an innovative sound and songs from her critically acclaimed effort Miss Columbia. We’ll hear a solo performance from New England’s Philip B. Price, who fronts the alt-folk group Winterpills. We’re also treated to a set from Morgantown-based singer/songwriter and professor Chris Haddox, whose self-titled release was produced by Mountain Stage Band leader Ron Sowell.

Join us for the entire episode of Mountain Stage starting Friday, April 15 on these NPR Music stations.

Plan a trip to be a part of our live audience by visiting the Live Show Schedule and pick up tickets via Eventbrite.

Lido Pimienta performing on Mountain Stage. This episode hits airwaves starting Friday, April 15. *Credit: Chris Morris/Mountain Stage*

Italian guitarist, singer and songwriter Beppe Gambetta performs on Mountain Stage this week. *Credit: Chris Morris/Mountain Stage*

Morgantown-based singer and songwriter and professor Chris Haddox performs songs from his debut album on this week’s episode of Mountain Stage, starting April 15. *Credit: Chris Morris/Mountain Stage*

Songwriter Philip B. Price, who writes and sings for the alt-pop band Winterpills, returns to Mountain Stage on this week’s episode, starting April 15. *Credit: Chris Morris/Mountain Stage*

Janis Ian finishes her set while host Kathy Mattea applauds the folk icon. *Credit: Chris Morris/Mountain Stage*

LISTEN: James McMurtry Has The Mountain Stage Song Of The Week From Our ‘Love’ Special

This week’s episode of Mountain Stage touches on that greatest of subjects – love. We approach the topic in four parts, with performances by Robert Cray Band, Rhiannon Giddens, Adia Victoria, Emmylou Harris and more.

This week’s episode of Mountain Stage touches on that greatest of subjects – love. We approach the topic in four parts, with performances by Robert Cray Band, Rhiannon Giddens, Adia Victoria, Emmylou Harris and more.

As love slowly fills the air, Mountain Stage is heading into February with a very special episode, hosted by Kathy Mattea and curated by our artistic director Larry Groce, with help from the Mountain Stage team of producers Jeff Shirley, John Inghram and Patrick Stephens. The show is presented in four parts: “Isn’t Love Great,” “You Get It All,” “The Same Love That Makes You Laugh,” and “I Know Love Is All I Need.”

Our Song of the Week is the narrative love song “Canola Fields” by journeyman songwriter James McMurtry, who sings about “Cashing in on a 30-year crush/You can’t be young and do that.”

“Canola Fields” is the opening track of McMurtry’s acclaimed New West release The Horses and the Hounds.

We’ll also hear performances by the likes of Los Lobos (“Luz De Mi Vida”), Joy Oladokun (“If You Got a Problem”), Emmylou Harris (“Love Hurts”), Joan Osborne (“Brokedown Palace”), Rhiannon Giddens (“Black is the Color”), and many others.

Check out the playlist and listen on one of these public radio stations starting Friday, Feb. 3.

Be on the look out, because this special episode drops as a podcast on Valentine’s Day, Tuesday, Feb. 14.

Listen: Kyshona’s ‘Cleft Of The Rock’ Is Our Mountain Stage Song Of The Week

Listen this week for an encore show featuring performances by Peter Mulvey, SistaStrings, Kyshona, Jill Sobule, and Smith & Sollee.

On this week’s encore episode of Mountain Stage, we welcome Peter Mulvey, who is joined by Michigan based string-duo SistaStrings, who have a set of their own earlier in the show.

We’re also joined by the incomparable Jill Sobule, plus a duo performance from cellist Ben Sollee and vocalist Scott Smith, who preview their upcoming release as Smith & Sollee.

Our Song of the Week comes from the powerful voice and insightful songwriting of Kyshona.

She began her career as a music therapist, writing her first songs with her patients – the students and inmates under her care. She soon found the need to write independently and find her own voice, an endeavor which led her to the fertile ground of the Nashville creative community and songwriting culture.

Written along with Micah Dalton, “Cleft of the Rock” is included in Kyshona’s 2021 release Live from the Sanctuary, and her performance of the song, backed by members of the Mountain Stage Band and vocalists Maureen Murphy and Nickie Conley, is our Song of the Week.

Join us for this week’s episode on these NPR stations starting Friday, Jan. 27, and visit our Upcoming Live Shows to plan your trip to Almost Heaven.

Peter Mulvey performing with SistaStrings, Monique Ross (cello) and Chauntee Ross (violin). *Credit: Chris Morris/Mountain Stage*

Monique Ross on cello, and Chauntee Ross on violin, SistaStrings. *Credit: Chris Morris/Mountain Stage*

Witty singer-songwriter Jill Sobule performs on Mountain Stage this week, starting April 8, 2022. *Credit: Chris Morris/Mountain Stage*

Scott T. Smith and Ben Sollee comprise the duo of Smith & Sollee. *Credit: Chris Morris/Mountain Stage*

Listen: Kieran Kane & Rayna Gellert Have Our Mountain Stage Song of the Week: 'Bailout Blues'

This week’s encore episode of Mountain Stage features a pickers paradise as we’re treated to sets from J2B2, the John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band, plus the GRAMMY-nominated bluegrass group Della Mae, 2019 IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year Tray Wellington and his band, plus a duo set from Kieran Kane & Rayna Gellert, and topical singer-songwriter Crys Matthews.

This week’s encore episode of Mountain Stage features a pickers paradise, as we’re treated to sets from J2B2, the John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band, plus the GRAMMY-nominated bluegrass group Della Mae, 2019 IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year Tray Wellington and his band, plus topical singer-songwriter Crys Matthews, and a duo set from Kieran Kane & Rayna Gellert, who have our Song of the Week.

In their second appearance together on the show, Kieran Kane & Rayna Gellert perform their original song “Bailout Blues” from their most recent release, The Flowers That Bloom in Spring.

Kieran Kane & Rayna Gellert – Bailout Blues, Live on Mountain Stage

The acoustic duo performs their song "Bailout Blues"