Music
December 14, 2025 — Scott Johnson
Revising an old collection of favorites, I thought I would program a set of music featuring lesser known modern folk tracks that take me out of myself and send me off looking for more of the same. The premise of this collection is that one or more of these might do the same for you. With all the murder in the news, it’s a sad day. Maybe a mental health
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December 7, 2025 — John Hinderaker
President Trump presented the 48th annual Kennedy Center Honors at the White House yesterday. The honorees, as described at the Kennedy Center site, were country superstar George Strait, members of the rock band KISS, actor Michael Crawford, disco star Gloria Gaynor, and Sylvester Stallone. Putting aside the fact that Crawford is British, the theme of this year’s awards was the honorees’ status as American icons and patriots. Here are the
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December 7, 2025 — Scott Johnson
Steve Cropper died this past Wednesday at the age of 84. As the guitarist for the Stax Records house band — Booker T. and the MG’s — Cropper was instrumental (no pun intended) to the rise of soul music in the 1960s. His New York Times obituary is here. Any errors in the comments below are unintentional. Please forgive them. I loved the music then and love it now. I
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November 30, 2025 — Scott Johnson
I attended each of the two shows John Oates played at the Dakota back in November 2023. I snapped the photo at the right from my table during the first show. I had high expectations, but in the event he exceeded them by a long shot. If you like roots music or Hall and Oates, it is highly likely you will enjoy his show. At age 76, he remains a
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November 23, 2025 — Scott Johnson
I celebrated Jesse Colin Young’s birthday when he turned 83 last year. I wrote up this installment of my Sunday Morning series in honor of his 80th birthday and again when Jesse died this past March. Jim Farber’s New York Times obituary is here. He would have turned 84 yesterday. I want to remember Jesse again this morning and keep the music alive with this slightly expanded edition. I plan
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November 16, 2025 — Scott Johnson
I’ve been looking for an occasion to revisit Emmylou Harris. I was a latecomer to Emmylou’s artistry. I discovered her indirectly through my love for the music of the Byrds. In a transitional version of the group, country-rock proponent Gram Parsons jumped on board their groundbreaking Sweetheart of the Rodeo album in 1968. Following that album Parsons and original Byrd Chris Hillman left the Byrds to found the Flying Burrito
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November 9, 2025 — Scott Johnson
The anniversary of the birth of Mose Allison arrives this week on November 11. Born in Tippo, Mississippi, he was naturally musical and and naturally witty. Combining a taste for jazz and blues, he was a sort of American music all-star. I particularly appreciate the wit of what manifests as occasional bitterness in his songwriting, though he could do optimism too. Let’s take a brief look back at an artist
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November 2, 2025 — Scott Johnson
I’ve been a fan of Boz Scaggs for a long time, going back to his days in the original Steve Miller Band, roughly since I first heard “Baby’s Calling Me Home” on Children of the Future (1968). I flipped over his self-titled album on Atlantic the following year. When he became a major star with Silk Degrees in 1976, I wondered what had taken so long. I’ve seen Boz several
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October 31, 2025 — Scott Johnson
In years past on WUMB’s Saturday morning Highway 61 Revisited, host Albert O has devoted the entire four hours to songs befitting Halloween. He has played oldies ranging from the traditional “Long Black Veil” (The Band’s cover) to Donovan’s “Season of the Witch” (and covers by Terry Reid, Vanilla Fudge and Al Kooper/Stephen Stills) as well as the traditional “Tam Lin” (covered by Fairport Convention). He never fails to include
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October 26, 2025 — Scott Johnson
Last year I compiled a set of songs to observe the coming of fall. Let us take another spin through the variety of composers, artists, and genres exploring the theme. The seasons offer a powerful metaphor for poets and songwriters. Shakespeare provides a supreme example in Sonnet 73 (“That time of year thou mayst in me behold”). The songs provide a musical break from the news of the day with
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October 25, 2025 — Scott Johnson
The showing of Midas Man at the Twin Cities Jewish Film Festival in Minneapolis this past Thursday evening was preceded by a local Beatles cover band — The Shabby Road Quintet, featuring Adam Levy, John “Strawberry” Fields, Ken Chastain, Joe Carey, and John Eller. The Shabby Road guys are preparing for their November 1 performance of the Beatles’ Revolver at the Dakota. Among the songs they played Thursday were “Taxman,”
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October 19, 2025 — Scott Johnson
Yesterday was the anniversary of the birth of singer/songwriter Laura Nyro. She would have turned 78. It doesn’t sound too old to me. However, Laura died way too young of complications from ovarian cancer in 1997 at age 49. Let’s keep the music alive. Please forgive an overstuffed edition of this occasional series that I have adapted from my tribute to her several years ago. Having influenced a lot of
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October 12, 2025 — Scott Johnson
Paul Simon turns 84 tomorrow. He is one of the songwriters in the pantheon of the great American songbook. He has earned his own place in it many times over. Let’s take a sort of Reader’s Digest look back. We first met Simon in the duo with Art Garfunkel. Simon and Garfunkel actually recorded the single “Hey, Schoolgirl” (1957) as Tom & Jerry. Simon was 16 at the time. They
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October 10, 2025 — Scott Johnson
Writing a weekly humor column for us over the past 12 years, Susan Vass has gone by the pseudonym Ammo Grrrll. I thought it would be funny to post a thumbnail photo of her so her fans would not be deceived by the pseudonym. That was my contribution. I never saw Susan Vass doing her standup thing, but I am in awe of her career making people laugh for a
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October 5, 2025 — Scott Johnson
The Beatles’ first single — “Love Me Do” b/w “P.S. I Love You” — was released on this day in 1962. It was a key moment, if not the first shot, in what led to the British Invasion. I thought I would take a slightly off-center look at it in a revised edition of this series that I wrote in search of happier days five years ago during the Covid
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September 28, 2025 — Scott Johnson
After I wrote about David Bromberg this past Sunday, a reader wrote to invoke Bromberg’s friendship with Jorma Kaukonoen. He mentioned that Jorma is still touring at age 85. Like David Bromberg, Jorma has deep knowledge of traditional American music. They are both music nuts. Jorma has a gift for making the music beautiful while keeping it alive. I looked back on my enjoyment of his work when he turned
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September 27, 2025 — Scott Johnson
Middle East Forum executive director Gregg Roman reports that two NATO warships are escorting the current Greta flotilla on a collision course not with the Israeli navy (and the principles of international maritime law). The “Global Sumud Flotilla” challenges challenging Israel’s (legal) maritime blockade of Gaza. As Italy’s frigate Alpino and Spain’s patrol vessel Furor steer this convoy of over fifty civilian vessels toward the twelve-nautical-mile limit of Israel’s sovereign
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