Deeper Roots Radio

The charts for the year 1956 were overtaken by Elvis. No question. There were a few others that illuminated the jukebox namely Fats Domino, Webb Pierce, Little Richard, and The Platters. Rock ‘n roll’s impact swept the floor with most burying some fairly incredible performances in it’s wake. Call it an avalanche. Call it a mudslide. Call it what you like. As I began to assemble a show looking at the top of the charts for the year, I found that starting at the bottom and working my way up was a revelation. Whether it was country, rhythm & blues, rock ‘n roll or pop...there were some delicious also-rans that I could not ignore so chose to ignore the Top 30 and focused today’s show on the so-called losers below the waterline of the Top 40. And what a joy it was! We’ll hear from some of them including Big Joe Turner, The Dells, LaVern Baker, Clyde McPhatter, Carl Smith and Kitty Wells in today’s show. I hope you’ll find some time, morning, noon or night, to listen in.

The debate is over; what's say we have ourselves another. There's certainly no debating democracy at work. Today's Deeper Roots show will find us circulating through the connective tissue of song: themes that connect with one another. A little bit of eclectic free form fused with all the delightful sounds of country, pop, rock and tradition. Our guiding light will be the truth and the American way. Yes, there's always bubble gum, apple pie, and Sunday church but then we also have the bats**t crazies who will blame all the good, the bad and the ugly on those who don't resemble themselves or their own views. So take a break with us on this summer of broken hearts and we'll share country from Don Gibson to Rosanne Cash, rock and roll from The Stray Cats to Fats Domino, and a little bit of sass and blues from Etta James and Charles Brown. Summer's almost over and election day is fast approaching. So make sure you vote.

Some dynamite gospel this week that leans heavily on the influencers, but we won’t let that lock us in. We’ll be cutting a broad swath across the Americana landscape, with deeper gospel tracks from some of the greats like the Selah Jubilee Singers, the rollicking Reverend Robert Ballinger, The Bronzeman, and some other greats you may or may not know. But we’ll also share tracks from the next generation secular branding with just a taste of gospel in their music: Johnny Taylor, Edwin Hawkins, and Curtis Mayfield. We’ll also share a couple of Marty Stuart gospel tracks in another look at the deepest roots from the past century. So grab the headphones and get ready for a revival without beating you about the head with any false fundamentalism. All for our favorite listeners, beaming down from the ether on KOWS Community Radio

A little bit of good, a little bit of bad, and a whole lot of Americana classics. This morning’s Deeper Roots show runs the gamut from boogie Woogie to country ballads, classic rock, soul, blues, gospel and everything but the kitchen sink. Dave Stroud will be featuring songs that celebrate the band of gold, bad boys, bad girls, schooldays nostalgia, and the silly notion that black cats are no more than a warning when, in fact, they are a sign from on high of the very best being yet to come. Tune in for the likes of Stephen Stills, Johnny Cash, Cleo Brown, NRBQ and...yes, Billie Eilish as we celebrate America’s roots from then until now where no ocean is wider nor mountain is high. Celebrate a free form extravaganza with us as we push our way through August, well past the dog days and into the breezy, cool nights of summer’s waning. All for you and the neighborhood on KOWS Community Radio.

It’s a mellow, laid back collection of sounds from the past century for you this morning. The “ember” months have arrived and we’re winding our way through the last sunsets of summer. So lay down your burdens and join us on another Deeper Roots Friday morning as we share some sweet sounds from near and far, all anchored in an American landscape of dreams and waning nights of warmth. And warmth is what we’ll focus on...from JJ Cale and Leon Russell to Leo Reisman’s Orchestra, Sam Cooke, Randy Newman and Levon Helm. All of this and more, as they say, as we approach the final two months of election promises. I’m hoping that everyone’s placed a high value on truth and goodness because the hate, the lies, the gutter talk all need to be evaporated at long last. Send the vermin back into their holes of hate and let’s get on with the business of making our lives better. Because it’s not politicians that can do that. It’s us.