Songs From the Doc Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Mountain Stage at 30: Songs From the Doc (Part Seven)

Mountain Stage’s 30th anniversary season was certainly one for the books. While some might think this year’s stellar roster of artists is extraordinary in some sense, the truth of the matter is that the impressive list of musicians that Larry Groce and the Mountain Stage crew put together sticks pretty closely to what the show has been targeting since its inception.

For their big 3-0, Mountain Stage stuck with their tried and true for formula of mixing world renowned talent with emerging artists for a year’s worth of music that spans the gamut–rock, country, indie, blues, and then some–virtually everything found its way on Mountain Stage.

It pains me a bit to say goodbye to the ‘Songs From the Doc’ series. But, ‘Mountain Stage at 30: A Radio Retrospective’ will certainly have some shelf live of its own.

Now, do your part and help Mountain Stage digitize and release their entire archive of 2,000+ hours of live performance radio.

Robert Earl Keen – “I Gotta Go”

Keen is one of those great songwriters in that, if it weren’t for the increasingly saturated nature of music in the 21st century, every one would own one (or all) of his records. His style undoubtedly pulls from his Texas roots and mixes While Keen’s was featured on the show as early as 1989, his music remains so relevant I can’t think of a better choice for a headliner to kick off the show’s 30 season.

Kathy Mattea – “Coal Tattoo”

Kathy Mattea is such an incredibly warm and friendly person that Mountain Stage web coordinator Josh Saul and I refer to her in casual conversation as “Aunt Kathy”. (Aunt Kathy–if you’re out there reading this and are bothered by it, please let us know and we will stop.)

Returning to Mountain Stage for their 30th season, Mattea performed a set highlighted by her latest record Calling Me Home. It was her captivating rendition of Billy Edd Wheeler’s “Coal Tattoo” that made the cut for the documentary.

KathyMattea_CoalTattoo.mp3

Kathy Mattea – "Coal Tattoo"

Jason Isbell – “Flying Over Water”

Alabaman Jason Isbell first made a name for himself as a guitarist and songwriter for Drive-By Truckers in the early 2000s. Since then, his solo career has skyrocketed, particularly with the release of his latest album, Southeastern.

As Isbell told me for the documentary, playing Mountain Stage affords him the opportunity to “preach to somebody besides the choir.”

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Jason Isbell – "Flying Over Water"

Ben Sollee – “Whole Lot to Give”

“There’s not a path through the woods of the music industry for a signing cellist. That’s very, very true,” Sollee told me when I interviewed him for the documentary.

“But, when I come on Mountain Stage I feel like there is an opportunity to connect with a community that is very accepting, that has an open mind as to what music can be.”

Simply put: he nailed it with those words. It’s almost as if artists like Sollee and Mountain Stage have figured out how to feed off of one another but keep a unique identity.

If you’ve never heard Mr. Sollee, do yourself a favor and start here. But I’ll warn you: his potential and musical ability cannot be limited to just this. Dig deeper. You can thank me later.

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Ben Sollee – "Whole Lot to Give"

Dawes – “Most People”

Ask Larry Groce what he thinks about the L.A.-based rock band Dawes and he’s likely to begin by mentioning the song “A Little Bit of Everything”. While that song comes from the group’s sophomore record Nothing is Wrong, they have maintained their ability to craft timeless rock-drive song like the song “Most People” from their latest release, Stories Don’t End.

Mountain Stage at 30: Songs From the Doc (Part Six)

I’m sad to report that this sixth ‘Songs From the Doc’ post marks the penultimate in the series that documents the music used in ‘Mountain Stage at 30: A Radio Retrospective’. It’s been a lot of fun putting these posts together and being able to share the music that’s help shape the history and identity of the show.

But never fear, dear music lovers, these last two post are certainly on par with their predecessors. There’s also the forthcoming Mountain Stage Digital Archive Project that’ll give the world access to over 2,000 hours of live performance radio. Until that project sees the light of day, enjoy these songs from the doc.

Mavis Staples – “I’ll Take You There”

Mountain Stage kicked off their 28th season in grand fashion by traveling across the pond to Glasgow, Scotland. Although the show had been presented in Canada and had been presented around the world via the Voice of America, the trip to Scotland mark the first and (at least to date) only the time had left North America.

On the bill was longtime friend Tim O’Brien, his sister Mollie and her husband Rich Moore, Dougie MacLean, Joy Kills Sorrow, and the legendary Mavis Staples.

Here’s Staples belting out one of the many R&B/Gospel classics first recorded with her family band, The Staples Singers.

Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain, & Edgar Meyer – “Bubbles”

Banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck has appeared on Mountain Stage as a member of a wide swath of projects, as band leader of the jazz fusion/progressive bluegrass outfit The Flecktones, as a duo with his wife Abagail Washburn, with her project the Sparrow Quartet, as well as with bluegrass supergroup New Grass Revival. In May 2011, Fleck teamed up with bassist Edgar Meyer and tabla guru Zakir Hussain for a performance that proves how diverse and impeccable his talent truly is. The project, marked by the recording The Melody of Rhythm, is the intersection of Eastern and Western styles of music and is both ethereal and corporeal simultaneously.

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Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain, & Edgar Meyer – "Bubbles"

Tim O’Brien – “Workin'”

It’s safe to say the blue collar ethic West Virginia is known for is deeply rooted in the way Mountain Stage operates. Not surprisingly, West Virginia native Tim O’Brien found a way to perfectly distil that ethic into song. Here’s a video produced by Mountain Stage web coordinator Josh Saul that ties all of that together.

Larry Groce & The Mountain Stage Band – “Simple Song” (Live from Fairbanks, Alaska)

“Simple Song” has opened Mountain Stage for more than two decades now and its Larry Groce-penned lyrics have warmed up radio audiences around the world through one very to-the-point message:

“The world is turning around a simple song.”

While audiences around West Virginia get to enjoy two takes of the theme (one for Francis Fisher’s ears to approve and the other a signal that the show is rolling), crowds elsewhere usually only get to hear one take.

One of the audiences that only got to hear one go-through was the crowd in Fairbanks, Alaska in August 2012. In speaking to Lori Neufeld of KUAC for the documentary, she said sometimes the audience takes it for granted that the theme song is performed live. In this version of “Simple Song” recorded in Fairbanks, you can truly tell the audience’s excitement to hear the theme and their realization of what’s coming next.

SimpleSong_Alaska.mp3

Larry Groce & The Mountain Stage Band – "Simple Song" (Live from Fairbanks, Alaska)

Editor’s Note: Mountain Stage at 30: Songs From the Doc is a multi-part series that serves as a companion to a recent documentary that details the history of the show. Stay tuned to wvpublic.org as the series is rolled out over the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Mountain Stage at 30: Songs From the Doc (Part Five)

In case you haven’t been tuning in (or, “logging on”, rather) to the ‘Songs From the Doc’ series, the music presented in these posts is pulled from an hour-long radio documentary I produced for the 30 year anniversary of our live performance radio show, Mountain Stage.

As I’ve mentioned before, the songs used in the documentary represent only a fraction (about 1/700, by my rough math) of the show’s “Smithsonian grade” archives. While Mountain Stage is looking to digitize their entire catalog, they need some help in making that possible. And YOU can help. But, until the entire archive becomes available, their podcast archive and the ‘Songs From the Doc’ series will have to suffice.

Todd Snider – “Alright Guy”

Take a listen to any of Todd Snider’s songs and it won’t take long to realize why he’s a been a favorite of Mountain Stage host Larry Groce since he first came to play on the show in February 1995. Snider’s smart, witty, and has a keen ability to criticize American culture and politics that’s unapologetic and nearly impossible to argue with.

Because I knew Snider would headline the 30th Anniversary show in December (and also because I’m a big fan) I wanted to somehow incorporate him into the documentary. He wasn’t available for an interview that I could use for broadcast (phone line quality wasn’t going to cut it for a documentary), so using a tune of his was the next best thing.

If you listen closely to the opening of ‘Mountain Stage at 30: A Radio Retrospective’ (the part immediately following the “teaser sound bites”) you can hear the first few bars of Snider’s “Alright Guy”–but, it’s quickly faded down. What I’m trying to say is that if you liked the documentary and wanted to learn more about the music, this one is a real treat.

Bottle Rockets – “Welfare Music”

Brian Henneman is arguably one of the most underrated songwriters and guitar players in American music. From his days in alt-country (whatever that’s supposed to mean) forerunners Uncle Tupelo and Chicken Truck to forming the incomparable Bottle Rockets, Henneman has established himself as a mainstay in blue collar, roots-driven rock music.

Songs like “Thousand Dollar Car”, “Radar Gun”, “I’ll be Comin’ Around” off their second full-length release The Brooklyn Side prove the Rockets’ ability to craft songs for the everyman without being too simple or too complicated, either. Rightfully so, their song “Welfare Music” is one of Larry Groce’s–and the entire Mountain Stage family’s–favorites.

TheBottleRocketsWelfareMusic.mp3

Bottle Rockets – "Welfare Music"

The Band – “The Weight”

The first time The Band played the show technical issues almost kept the show from happening.

However, Levon Helm and the boys returned to Mountain Stage in April 1996 and chief engineer Francis Fisher was back at the helm of mixing the show for broadcast. Performing songs like “Rag Mama Rag” and Bob Dylan’s “Blind Willie McTell”, The Band came and did what they always did: hit right to the heart and soul of Americana.

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The Band – "The Weight"

Ricky Skaggs – “How Mountain Girls Can Love”

Ricky Skaggs stopped by our Charleston studios in August for an interview for ‘Mountain Stage at 30: A Radio Retrospective’. He cheersed us after he was finished and, don’t worry, that’s a cup of coffee (thanks to Mountain Stage assistant producer Vasilia Scouras).

Bluegrass has always been an important part of the identity of Mountain Stage for obvious reasons and, not surprisingly, the show has hosted a long line of greats from the genre, including Bill Monroe, Doc Watson, Peter Rowan, and Tony Rice. Although Skaggs has only played Mountain Stage twice, I felt his status as a bluegrass legend and his ties to Appalachia made him a perfect interview subject for the project. He stopped by our Charleston studios in August to chat for a bit about the show’s roots in Appalachia and how that translates to a family feel. Here he is performing on Mountain Stage’s 400th episode in November 1996.

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Ricky Skaggs – "How Mountain Girls Can Love"

Mountain Stage at 30: Songs From the Doc (Part Four)

Ask anyone who has worked on Mountain Stage or has been to the show more than a few times and they’ll tell you picking a favorite show or act would be like asking someone to choose their favorite child. There’s simply been too much incredible music to whittle it down to just one or two favorites.

That remains ever-so-true for me, too, but this post is my hands-down personal favorite of the ‘Songs From the Doc’ series I’ve put together. It’s not just because of the inclusion of R.E.M. and how great their crew has been to West Virginia Public Broadcasting and to me personally. I’m a rock and roll guy at heart (it’s fair to say the music of The Band has changed my life) but, I have really come to grasp the importance of Bob Thompson’s incredible playing.

The Mountain Stage archive is massive and this slice of it proves it with performances that are–to steal a phrase about the show widely used by others–of “Smithsonian grade.”

R.E.M. – “Losing My Religion”

When R.E.M. shared the Mountain Stage documentary on their website and social media channels, their fans have begged for the release of this entire set and for good reason. With the band only playing three shows in 1991 to promote the release of their chart-topping release Out of Time, their appearance on Mountain Stage has appropriately reached legendary status.

Billy Bragg – “Tank Park Salute”

The most fascinating part about music for me is its potential to be catalyst for personal discovery and its ability to articulate the way we feel in such a way that we couldn’t (or hadn’t been able to) express ourselves. Of all the songs included in ‘Mountain Stage at 30: A Radio Retrospective’ none more hits as close to home for one member of the Mountain Stage family as this tune does. I could tell the story myself but, I’ve only witnessed it second hand. It’s all best left up to Mountain Stage crew member Lance Schrader. Ask him sometime, and I’m sure he’ll have no problem telling you about the bond he’s forged with Bragg thanks to this song.

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Billy Bragg – "Tank Park Salute"

Bob Thompson – “Blues for America”

Although Bob Thompson had been a frequent guest on Mountain Stage since the very beginning (he was even one of the acts on the March 1981 pilot show), it wasn’t until 1991 when he became a member of the Mountain Stage Band.

This tune, penned by Thompson himself is included on his Live On Mountain Stage release from 2007 and was recorded at the Paramount Theater Bristol, Tennessee in July 2006.

Thompson is true a treasure to Mountain Stage and West Virginia and we sure are glad to have him.

BobThompson_BluesforAmerica.mp3

Bob Thompson – "Blues for America"

The Band – “The Shape I’m In”

The only show Mountain Stage’s audio wizard Francis Fisher ever missed was when The Band was booked at the last minute in January 1994. Assistant engineer Dave McClanahan took the reigns and had to deal with some seemingly impossible technical issues but somehow found a way to make the show go on. The results are exactly what you’d expect.

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The Band – "The Shape I'm In"

Mountain Stage at 30: Songs From the Doc (Part Three)

Lyle Lovett – “Cowboy Man”

One of the most impressive things about Mountain Stage’s roster of guests isn’t just who has played the show but when they did so. Acts like Alison Krauss, Ani DiFranco, Norah Jones, Counting Crows, and Phish performed on Mountain Stage before they were widely known across America and the world. While this practice of introducing audiences to emerging talent is par for the Mountain Stage course these days, it took awhile for the show to stabilize itself and be able to develop this side of its identity. One of the first acts the show introduced the rest of world to was country crooner Lyle Lovett in May 1987.

Ray Wylie Hubbard – “Dallas After Midnight”

Mountain Stage host Larry Groce and singer-songwriter Ray Wylie Hubbard have known one another most of their lives, having both graduated from Adamson High School in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas, Texas together. Hubbard first came on Mountain Stage in June 1988 at the Kerrville Folk Festival. During that performance, he played this song and even teases the crowd for a bit with “I Fought The Law”.

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Ray Wylie Hubbard – "Dallas After Midnight"

Richard Thompson – “Turning of the Tide”

When I interviewed Richard Thompson for ‘Mountain Stage at 30: A Radio Retrospective’ he was extremely contemplative in answering my questions but was also (very appropriately) careful in describing what the show is and means. He gave answers that teetered on both sides of the proverbial fence.

“I think that Mountain Stage definitely is Americana. You can say it’s Americana. You can say it isn’t as well."

Thompson’s playing is much like the way he describes Mountain Stage. It’s exactly rock but also folk. It’s exactly folk but also rock. It’s both of those styles and neither at the same time.

And while discussions of genre can inevitably become an idiosyncratic rabbit hole, I’ll save us all a whole lot of time. Richard Thompson’s music is simply good music.

Kevn Kinney & Peter Buck – “The Last Song of Maddie Hope”

When R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck joined Drivin N Cryin’s Kevn Kinney on Mountain Stage in April 1990, he told Larry Groce he wanted to bring his band back to be on the show. As one might expect, Groce couldn’t believe it, but–in the end–Kinney and Buck’s appearance on the show paved the way for R.E.M. to land on the show a year later. The rest is history.

KinneyBuck_LastSongOfMaddieHope.mp3

Mountain Stage at 30: Songs From the Doc (Part Two)

First off, Merry Christmas!

Hello again and welcome back (presuming, of course, you stopped by for the first installment in this series a few days ago)! While Monday’s post is a nice run-down of the earliest moments of Mountain Stage, from here on out you can expect some incredible performances from a wide range of artists included in ‘Mountain Stage at 30: A Radio Retrospective’.

I really can’t emphasize enough the fact that the music used in the documentary barely scratches the surface of the Mountain Stage archives. With over 1,200 artists and 2,000 hours of live performance radio, an hour-long documentary couldn’t ever do the show’s history due justice. But never fear: soon enough the full vault will be available to the public. In the meantime, Mountain Stage could use some help in making that possible.

The Fabulous Twister Sisters – “Look What I Do To You”

After appearing on the show’s first episode in December 1983, Deni Bonet and Julie Adams were recruited rather quickly to have reoccurring role on Mountain Stage as The Fabulous Twister Sisters. With an incredible pop-based sensibility, The Twisted Sisters twisted their vocals around one another for a sound all their own. Here they are performing together on Mountain Stage’s first regular broadcast in December 1983.

Hot Rize – “Radio Boogie”

There’s arguably no other musician who has played Mountain Stage that’s been a bigger champion and ambassador for the show as Wheeling, West Virginia native Tim O’Brien. Mountain Stage jumped quickly at the chance to feature his nationally recognized bluegrass group Hot Rize when O’Brien’s mother wrote a letter to the show asking to have him on. Hot Rize’s appearance helped take the show to the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina in June 1985, which was the first time Mountain Stage was broadcast nationally via NPR.

HotRize_RadioBoogie.mp3

Hot Rize – "Radio Boogie"

Kathy Mattea – “Love at the Five and Dime”

Country music star and West Virginia native Kathy Mattea first appeared on Mountain Stage in 1985 as a then-unknown. By the time she came on a second time in April 1986, the trajectory of her own career and Mountain Stage’s popularity were already headed straight up. Here’s Mattea performing on the show in San Diego at the Public Radio Program Director’s Conference.

KathyMattea_LoveAtTheFiveAndDime.mp3

Kathy Mattea – "Love at the Five and Dime"

Stark Raven – “Can’t Go Back”

As the Mountain Stage band began to solidify its lineup in the mid-’80s, the show recruited musicians from locally revered band Stark Raven, which included Bonet and Adams. Drummer Ammed Solomon, bassist John Kessler, and guitarist Ron Sowell of the band were all added very early on to the mix. Here they are performing a song by Steve Goodman as one of the featured acts on Mountain Stage in April 1984. Members of Stark Raven reunited for the Mountain Stage’s 30th anniversary celebration in December.

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Stark Raven – "Can't Go Back"

Townes Van Zandt – “If I Needed You”

Townes Van Zandt signs the wall backstage at the Capitol Plaza Theater while Guy Clark looks on. The two performed on Mountain Stage together in 1987 and again in 1991.

There’s pretty much nothing that can be said to fully describe the emotional heft of this performance by Townes Van Zandt on Mountain Stage. Just listen.

TownesVanZandt_IfINeededYou.mp3

Townes Van Zandt – "If I Needed You"