Sandy Miranda’s Thirtieth Anniversary Special
Folk Music & Beyond Playlist for December 1, 2018
Sandy’s Thirtieth Anniversary Show
Thirty years ago this week, I got my 3rd class radio broadcast license and started doing music shows. The first song I ever played on the air was a Neville Brothers song over at KPFA in the funky old studio on Shattuck. It was 1988 and I started doing a regular show not long after that.
Good down-home music and great song writing, often with a southern tinge, because my whole family comes from Texas—except for me. I’m a San Francisco native, and I play lots of instruments, including electric and acoustic guitar, so this show will be pretty guitar-centric.
Today we’ll travel musically to Nashville, Austin, New Orleans, and beyond.
This first set is a condensation of my whole radio music career in three songs. First, Celtic folk rock, then Manouche guitar, and then back to an American singer-songwriter.
Fairport Convention / #1 Matty Groves / Liege & Lief / Island Records
Seventeenth-century borderlands ballad here set to tune of Appalachian Shady Groves. Three hundred versions exist, this one featuring Sandy Denny & Richard Thompson, KSJO cellular memory.
Coco Briaval Gipsy Swing Quintet /#2 Vero Valse / L’Age d’Or de la Musique Manouche / LEPM
Café in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, out at night at local café: = Chet Atkins.
Bob Dylan / #3 Cry a While / Love and Theft / Columbia (LYRICS!)
Listen to brilliant rhythmic changes downbeats to upbeats, growling, at Grammys, Oscar experience of sound check and 21,000 people audible gasp in recognition.
The fun side of getting in trouble
The Soggy Bottom Boys / #4 In the Jailhouse Now / O Brother Where Art Thou? / Mercury
Led by Dan Tyminski one off, lucky to see at Grammys.
Ray Wylie Hubbard / #5 Snake Farm / Snake Farm / Bordello
Incredible show Freight Austin; WWOZ Hawaii, kid shreds; guest to come.
Traveling Wilburys / #6 Seven Deadly Sins / Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 3 / Wilbury Records
Bob, backup singers George, Tom, Jeff.
Great lyrics
Bob Dylan / #7 Meet Me in the Morning (Take 1) / More Blood More Tracks Bootleg Series #14 / Columbia Legacy
New 6-CD set of out-takes and rehearsals from 1974–5 recordings/ handwritten notebook.
Paul Simon / #8 Hearts & Bones / Hearts & Bones (2011 remaster) / Warner Bros.
Cinematic writing, harmonies, psychological storytelling, PS not fuzzy but genius; used to “drive thru the night and end up down in Mexico” in the 70s.
Bob Dylan / #9 Early Roman Kings / Tempest / Columbia (Dylanologists do not agree)
Another allegory about the state of the world today, Nobel; Sicilian Court; David Hidalgo.
Great rhythm
Irma Thomas / #10 Back Water Blues / The Soul Queen of New Orleans / Maison de Soul
More great storytelling about Katrina, first interview ever, JazzFest x3 pre-Katrina.
Paul Simon / #11 The Obvious Child / The Rhythm of the Saints / Warner Bros.
Graceland, Bahia Batucada Olodum, Milton Nacimento, Naná Vasconcelos, João Neves Stanford Carnaval group, Caetano Veloso brought them to Masonic.
George Harrison / #12 Devil’s Radio / Cloud Nine / Dark Horse
Spent a year learning to play his songs, deep lyrics, great musically, Beware of Darkness.
Ry Cooder / #13 Wooly Bully / They All Played for Us: Arhoolie Records 50th Anniversary / Arhoolie
This just before Ry (on purpose?) blew his vintage amp...Great American next night CD.
Many live broadcasts
The Aqua Velvets / #14 Guitar Noir / Radio Waves / KPFA NYE 1997 / Jim Bennett engineer
Sandy playing windchimes. Produced many live studio performances. Got a call in Dec. come down and host...qualified for Grammys! Miles Corbin: lived in Paradise LOST.
Three songs about love
Rev. Al Green / #15 Old Time Lovin’ / The Legendary Hi Records Albums / London
During Folk Alliance in Memphis, went to his church! Hi Rhythm section: Hodges Brothers, Charles, Leroy, Teenie, Howard Grimes, Memphis Horns at Willie Mitchell’s Royal Recording Studio in Memphis. Circle Star theater. Gospel-Soul.
Bob Dylan / #16 I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight (live) / Another Self Portrait 69–71 / Columbia
A big favorite in college, Robbie Robertson twanging away on Telecaster, Isle of Wight.
Boz Scaggs / #17 Little Miss Night & Day / Out of the Blues / Concord
First rock concert at Oakland Paramount party, “Miranda” outfits, dated keyboardist, still great then, even better now.
Hawaii for >50 years, lots in common with Texas
George Kahumoku Jr. / #18 Hi`ilawe / Freight & Salvage 2/15
Many broadcasts from Freight, greatest of all Hawaiian songs, calling sacred hula moves.
Tau Moe Family + Bob Brozman /#19 Meleana E / Listening to Songs of Our Youth / Rounder
Hawaiian/Samoan traveled world, film interview in Laie, used by BBC later.
Milton Brown & the Musical Brownies 1932–1937 / #20 Do the Hula Lou / Milton Brown: The Father of Western Swing / Texas Rose Records
Texans that created an exciting new music mix of jazz and country with a dash of Tin Pan Alley, danceable and fun. Milton Brown, b. 1903, was from Ft. Worth.
The Boswell Sisters / # 21 Shine On, Harvest Moon / The Boswell Sisters / Storyville
Better than the Andrew Sisters, they sang with soul.
Ray Wylie Hubbard / #22 Rabbit / Snake Farm / Bordello
Great lyrics, English major, part of Austin music mafia, shredding son, funky drummer.
Hot Rize / #23 Radio Boogie / Hot Rize’s 40th Anniversary Bash / Ten in Hand Records
The great Tim O’Brien, Brian Sutton, et al. Broadcast from Freight several times.
Bob Dylan / #24 Call Letter Blues (Rehearsal) / More Blood More Tracks / Columbia
The Divorce album, released out takes and rehearsals.
Wilco & Billy Bragg / #26 California Stars / Mermaid Avenue / Electra
Words by Woody Guthrie.
