This week, we take a look at how the U.S. government built a secret city in East Tennessee during World War II to work on the atomic bomb. Also, almost everybody has a favorite cup or coffee mug, but how far would you go to replace it? And, we hear from a cabinetmaker on the physicality of poetry.
Listen: Tyler Grant & Robin Kessinger have the Mountain Stage Song of the Week
Robin Kessinger and Tyler Grant perform some traditional flatpicking on this week's episode of Mountain Stage, hitting airwaves starting Nov. 22Brian Blauser/ Mountain Stage
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Our Song of the Week comes to us from two flat-picking champions, Tyler Grant and Robin Kessinger.
A treasure of West Virginia flatpicking and old-time music, Robin Kessinger comes from a prominent musical family. Kessinger first met Tyler Grant in 2005 at the Wayne Henderson Festival and Contest in Virginia. Kessinger was a judge for a flatpicking contest that was won by Grant. The pair developed a friendship and, eventually, made some duo arrangements of classic material connected in some way to the Kessinger family. The friendship and arrangements would grow into the album called Kanawha County Flatpicking.
Our Song of the Week, “My Blue Ridge Mountain Home,” was used as a theme by Robin’s father Bob Kessinger and his band, “The Mountaineers.”
Hear Tyler & Robin’s entire set, plus music from Shovels & Rope, Cris Jacobs, Kelsey Waldon and Wayne Graham on this week’s new episode of Mountain Stage. Find a station in your area here and be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss a note.
Credit Brian Blauser/ Mountain Stage
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Members of the Mountain Stage cast return to the stage for one last number. Hear the entire show starting this Friday on 240 NPR stations across the country.
Our Song of the Week comes from the charming, topical folk singer-songwriter, Loudon Wainwright III, who has made over 17 appearances on Mountain Stage across every decade that the show has existed since 1983. His performance of “Middle of the Night” is our Song of the Week.
Listen this week for an encore broadcast of Mountain Stage featuring Larkin Poe, Victoria Canal, Raye Zaragoza, Ron Pope, and Christian Lopez. This episode was recorded with our host Kathy Mattea on the campus of West Virginia University, thanks to our friends at WVU College of Creative Arts and Media.
Our Song of the Week comes from the legendary jazz fusion band, best known for their 70s era records with the great pianist Herbie Hancock, The Headhunters. “Watermelon Man” was written by Hancock and was first released in 1962. On this live recording, you’ll hear Michael Clark on drums, William Summer on Vocals and Percussion, Donald Harrison on Saxophone, Shea Pierre on Piano, and Chris Severin on bass.