This week, ballads tell stories about all kinds of real-life events, but after Hurricane Helene, one group of ballad singers felt some topics were still too raw. Also, the author of a new book on ancient Ohio credits a former grad student with introducing him to the region’s mysterious earthworks. And, the legacy of Affrilachian poet Norman Jordan includes a summer camp for teens to study their heritage.
LISTEN: Darrell Scott Has The Mountain Stage Song Of The Week
Darrell Scott performs with Kathy Mattea on Mountain Stage.Chris Morris/Mountain Stage
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On this week’s encore broadcast of Mountain Stage, host Kathy Mattea welcomes Dan Tyminski, Darrell Scott, I Draw Slow, Kieran Kane & Rayna Gellert, and Jacob Jolliff Band. This episode was recorded live at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, West Virginia.
Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Darrell Scott returned to Mountain Stage and performed a special rendition of Paul Simon’s “American Tune,” which is our Song of the Week.
Tune in to a station near you starting Friday, Feb. 27 to hear more from Darrell Scott, plus performances by bluegrass singer-songwriter and Avicii collaborator Dan Tyminski, Dublin-based Irish-Appalachian group I Draw Slow, acoustic folk duo Kieran Kane & Rayna Gellert, and The Jacob Jolliff Band featuring a virtuosic group of pickers with former Joy Kills Sorrow/Yonder Mountain String Band mandolinist Jacob Jolliff.
Our Song of the Week comes from Margaret Glaspy, a California-born, New York-based indie folk rocker and singer-songwriter. During her third appearance on Mountain Stage, she performed a handful of original songs and covers from her latest release, The Golden Heart Protector. Our Song of the Week is a stripped-down version of her original song “Get Back,” which appears on her 2023 album, Echo the Diamond.
This week’s Inside Appalachia features storytellers from around the region, including author, television host and five-time West Virginia Liars Contest winner Bil Lepp. Here he is back in 2019, telling a story during a Mountain Stage performance at the West Virginia Culture Center.
Our Song of the Week comes from Ray Benson. During his tenth visit to the show, he performed "Faded Love," a Bob Wills tune often covered by Benson's longtime band, Asleep at the Wheel, who have been creating music together for over 50 years.
