For country singer Kaitlin Butts, 2023 was very good and 2024 was even better, with an Americana Award nomination, praise in Rolling Stone magazine, and festival dates she’d been dreaming of. Her reputation and acclaim grew on the strength of her feisty stage temperament, her bold and cutting voice, and her fearless songs. Raised in Oklahoma on theater and country music, the iconic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical set in her state became a touchstone. Years later, she’d take the bold step of writing and recording a concept album reacting to and enlarging on the themes of the show. It’s called Roadrunner!, and it was among the most impactful albums in Americana and country music last year.
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I've posted a couple of coy, mysterious photos of clear blue ocean on my socials this week, but now I'll come clean. For the second year in a row, I was invited to be an official part of Delbert McClinton's Sandy Beaches Cruise, the longest running music cruise in the business and a who's who of Texas/Gulf Coast blues and R&B. My job is to host daytime interview sessions with selected artists, this year Paul Thorn, The McCrary Sisters, Teresa James and the mighty Los Lobos. Last year you might recall, I posted an account of my experience with context about the music cruise business as both a web story and an hour of The String. This is not that. I just wanted to dash off a postcard in hopes that it will send a little warmth and energy back home to a chilly Middle Tennessee.
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It was 50 years ago this month that a 23-year-old Mickey Raphael felt his way through his first recording session with his relatively new band boss Willie Nelson. And it was no small thing, producing the iconic Red Headed Stranger. It was one event in a charmed life that set this Dallas musician on a path to the ultimate steady gig for more than 50 years, plus stature as the world’s most on-call harmonica player. Raphael’s played and recorded with Merle Haggard, Leon Russell, Don Williams, Emmylou Harris, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Norah Jones, Wynton Marsalis, and even U2 and Motley Crue. In a session taped at WMOT’s East Nashville satellite studio, we talk about it all.
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This one’s personal. Eight years ago, when we launched the Roots Radio format on the historic signal WMOT 89.5 FM, a few of us knew we could have no better program director than Jessie Scott, and we were fortunate that she was in the right time and place to come on board. Her 50 years of on-air experience, her expertise in Americana music, and her warm and knowledgeable voice have become the core of WMOT’s sound. She governs the deep and excellent WMOT playlist and its mix of new and legacy music, plus she’s a fountain of enthusiasm on the air every weekday afternoon from 4 to 7 pm. So after all this time and hearing some of her career stories, it was time to invite her on The String for a special year-end episode.
LINER NOTES
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Listen to Jessie Scott as she sits down with William Prince for a Words & Music session.
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The gang from Fruition sat down with Jessie Scott for a special Words & Music set Monday, November 18th.
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A new original song for SAFPAW from Nashville songwriter, Tim Easton. See the video and find out more about SAFPAW and Tim's support of their mission for the past ten years.
WMOT VIDEO: LIVE SESSIONS ON NPR MUSIC
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Dave Alvin and The Guilty Ones performed "Johnny Ace is Dead and "Long White Cadillac" live at the 2024 AmericanaFest Day Stage. Watch clips from the performance here.
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Roots rock band Uncle Lucius performed "Tuscaloosa Rain" and their Yellowstone hit "Keep The Wolves Away" at AmericanaFest 2024. Watch the video highlights here.
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Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Leyla McCalla performed "Tree" and the title track of her latest release, 'Sun Without the Heat' at the 2024 AmericanaFest Day Stage. Watch clips from her performance here.
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Oliver Wood performed "Light And Sweet" and "Grab Ahold" from his latest solo project 'Fat Cat Silhouette' live at the 2024 AmericanaFest Day Stage. Watch clips from the performance here.
NPR Top Stories
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Tennis star Novak Djokovic was booed by some sections of the crowd after retiring injured from his Australian Open semifinal against German Alexander Zverev.
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Members of the family who own OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, and the company itself, agreed to pay up to $7.4 billion in a new settlement to lawsuits over the toll of the prescription painkiller.
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Pamela Hemphill, who pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor charge and spent 60 days behind bars for her role in the Capitol riots, says she no longer believes the lies President Trump promoted.
Win a pair of tickets to Alison Brown at The Franklin Theatre on February 15, 2025
Win a pair of tickets to Lucy Dacus at Ryman Auditorium on April 29, 2025
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