Song Of The Soul

A look at some of the finalists of the Songs for Social Change contest in 2019, artists with a variety of styles & themes, all about change for the better. With reggae, electronica, rock, & folk, 6 different artists share their various soulful songs, working for a better world, with first prize going to Mary Lou Fulton for Not Going Back. Contest judge Ed Glassman walks us through the organization and the songs. Songs can be submitted for the coming year before December 1st, either via SonicBids.com, or on the RAWA.com website. Featured Music: Good Morning America - by Abigayle Rose Tribe of the Gods - by Soul Glitch Power to the Peaceful - by Shawn Galloway Give Me Your Tired - by Rebecca Lang Fiorentino Wake up - by Blue Alien Mystic Not Going Back - by Mary Lou Fulton (see the video)

Sparky Rucker was introduced to the music of the civil rights movement when his mother took him to his first march at the age of 14, but he was already steeped in the music of the era in the black Pentecostal church of his youth and the distinctive Appalachian culture of Eastern Tennessee. Sparky Rucker has woven together music, activism, history and culture for more than 5 decades, raising and inspiring spirits everywhere. Listen to our interview with his wife Rhonda back on August 28, 2016 All songs are performed by Sparky & Rhonda Rucker, and written by those noted: Crossroads (Live) - by Robert Johnson (some lyrics by Sparky Rucker) Big Road Blues - by Tommy Johnson Go Down Moses - traditional C. C. Rider - by Ma Rainy The Good Old Way/Down In the River to Pray - traditional Midnight Thirst - by Sparky Rucker Visit this link to see Sparky and Rhonda's performance of "We Shall Not Be Moved" at the Mystic Sea Music Festival in Mystic, CT. Now available! A new novel by Rhonda Lynn Rucker, Welcome to Bomb

Joe Newberry has a wonderful voice, and writes tunes & lyrics to enrich that wonderful voice to the point of sublime. Writing music that tends toward old-timey, bluegrass, spirtuals, torch songs, & more beyond that, Joe's songs draw deeply on the Missouri of his youth and the North Carolina of his adulthood. Renowned for his clawhammer banjo playing, Joe has won multiple awards from the IBMA, and was a frequent performer on A Prairie Home Companion. He performed with the Red Clay Ramblers, Big Medicine, and in duos with Mike Compton and April Verch, among others. All songs are written and performed by Joe Newberry, unless otherwise noted: Baby I'm Blue - from Going Home, Joe Newberry & April Verch Resurrection Day - live performance on Prairie Home Companion with Joe Newberry, Garrison Keillor, Heather Masse, & the Exchange Street Quartet The Darker the Night, the Better I See - live performance with Joe Newberry, Jon Shain,& JF Ventre Reminiscent - from Crow the Dawn with Joe Newberry, Jo

Though Rick Ruskin has a voice sometimes reminiscent of James Taylor, with all the enchantment that implies, and though he's got a lot of wonderful lyrics & tunes, the way that Rick most distinctively shines is through his magic on the guitar. Born and raised around Detroit, Michigan, migrating to California in the late 1960's, and having played for years with prominent artists like Olivia Newton John & Jackie DeShannon, Rick Ruskin has been located in Seattle for the past few decades in a home complete with an excellent recording studio plus a drum kit for creativity, exercise and therapy. . All songs are written and performed by Rick Ruskin, unless otherwise noted: Kudah Duxx - on In The Beginning Corvair's Exodus - written with B.T. Willis, on Microphone Fever You Make Me Nervous - on Perfect Pitch Rain Man - on Perfect Pitch Lullaby - on In The Beginning Home Is Where The heart Is - on Home Is Where The Heart Is Long Walk Home - on In The Beginning

Leslie Evers has been singing and writing songs forever, but she waited decades to release them to the world. With her beautiful voice, lyrical skill, and trusty guitar and banjo, she casts magical-musical spells. Located on the folk-jazz continuum, Leslie has also performed for years with The Gryphon Carolers. Home is Palo Alto, CA, and she will soon release her first hymn! All songs are written and performed by Leslie Evers, unless otherwise noted: Wonder Woman - from I Can't Remember My Dreams I Can't Remember My Dreams - from I Can't Remember My Dreams Last Call - from I Can't Remember My Dreams Powerless - from I Can't Remember My Dreams Freshet - with Ed Johnson on Ed Johnson's Over That Wave Nunca Mais Desespera (Despair No More) - co-written with Ed Johnson, performed by The Gryphon Carolers (choir Ed Johnson & Carol McComb, Founded 1975)

Robinlee Garber started out from New York, explored other cities & states while also exploring careers in creating art, stage production, and clinical art therapy, but she found home in Chicago, where she also found found fulfillment in adding music performance to her art therapy work. Her musical passions are life-long, centering around folk, blues, jazz, and what she calls torch-folk, although she only began performing music professionally in the last 15 years or so. She has released two albums, one of torch/jazz standards, and the other of folk/singer-songwriter character, with many more of her songs ready for studio recording when the opportunity presents itself. Unless otherwise noted, all songs in this program are written & performed by Robinlee Garber. Road To Paradise - from Resilience Be the Change - home recording Smiling eyes - home recording Lovin Your Mama - home recording Have Your Say - home recording These Foolish Things - by Eric Maschwitz/Jack Strachey, from Somewhere There's Music

Laura Farley, along with her husband, Jym, are High and Rising, a duo from La Crosse, Wisconsin, getting ready to release their first CD. For some years now they, and up to 4 other people, are known as the Merry Weathers, playing folk/Americana, including bluegrass, folk, country, and rockin music, with a major emphasis on original tunes and including some long-loved covers. Unless otherwise noted, all songs in this program are written & performed by High and Rising (Laura & Jym Farley). The recordings featured here are simple living room tracks, until COVID-19 allows for studio access: Howl John's Song (for John Prine) Mississippi National Moth Song Shakedown Street - written by The Grateful Dead In The Dark

Larry Heagle is an Eau Claire-centric, Midwest-roaming musician with a specially in comedy stand-up, who just published a memoire, of sorts, loaded with all the kinds of comedy & quirky world-view he's famous for. It's called Not Really Sane, Not Really Sorry: Tales of an Itinerant Performer and you better get ahold of Larry if you want a copy - not Amazon or anyone else. You can find Larry on Facebook or you can email Larry. All songs in this program are written & performed by Larry Heagle: Rocket Action Oldsmobile - from Irish Heart The Irish Drinking Song - from Rude, Crude, and Poor Iowa Ditch Weed - from Rude, Crude, and Poor The Big Tomato - from Irish Heart Short Daddy - from Rude, Crude, and Poor 800 Talkin' Blues - from RRude, Crude, and Poor

Remembering the Gems & Jewels of Summer 2019 shows, with Jerry Hui (Voices United) and Jennifer Evans (Just Folk in Boston) and Randall Adams (Wind, Waves, Dreams, & Music) and Regla Garcia-Schmidt (Sweet Angel Warrior) and John McCutcheon In Person! and Joe Iadanza (Long Island's Exceptional Common Man) and Ben Reel (Ireland's Darkness & Light) and Steve Suffet (Old-Fashioned Folk Singer). Featured Music: Regina Caeli & Regina Caeli a 8 - performed by Schola Cantorum, Gregorian chant & written by Francisco Guerrero - Voices United: full Jerry Hui interview I Missed Her - from The Last Cheap Hotel - Just Folk in Boston: full Jennifer Evans interview Oil in the Water - written by Randy's sister, Sandra Odom - Wind, Waves, Dreams, & Music: full Randall Adams interview Creator - by Regla & Alan Smith - Sweet Angel Warrior: full Regla Garcia-Schmidt interview Unaware - John McCutcheon In Person: full interview Common Man - from Common Man - Long Island's Exceptional Common Man: full Jo

Song of the Soul broadcast retrospective of a simpler, less COVID-19, time, one year ago, in 2019, with Victoria Shoemaker (Bewitching) and Kora Feder (Painting the Sky with Music) and Peter Phippen (Living Music, Sacred Flute) and Ira Levin of The Levins (Harmonizing With Lamed Vavniks, Hafiz, & The Gita) and Sally Rogers (Happy 100th Birthday Pete Seeger) and Pat Humphries of Emma's Revolution (Pete Seeger's Last Songs) and Charlie King (Pete Seeger's Last Songs) and Annie Patterson (Pete Seeger's Last Songs). Featured Music: The Witching Hour - from The Witching Hour - Bewitching: full Victoria Shoemaker interview Still We Write - from In Sevens - Painting the Sky with Music: full Kora Feder interview Drawing Down the Moon - from Lavender Calm with Arja Kastinen - Living Music, Sacred Flute: full Peter Phippen interview Dropping Keys - from My Friend Hafiz - Harmonizing With Lamed Vavniks, Hafiz, & The Gita: full Ira Levin interview We'll Pass Them On - written & performed by Sally Rogers - Hap

When Tom Pirozzoli isn't making or playing folk music, you can pretty much find him painting in his New Hampshire studio. Having rambled widely over many continents, Tom has gathered lots of "grist for the mill" in his song writing. His fingers dance the guitar strings, his voice dances the tunes, and his heart dances touching, fun, and insightful lyrics into our lives. Be sure to catch his video of This Is What Love Is Like on Tom's Facebook page. All songs in this program are written & performed by Tom Pirozzoli: The Last Prophet - from Reckon by the Light Words That Tie - from Reckon by the Light, with Willy Porter & Patrick Ross If You Dream - from Reckon by the Light Tibet - from Travels Reckon By The Light - from Reckon by the Light Frog in a Pond - from Reckon by the Light

Kirk Mann weaves so much together - passion for the guitar, deeply spiritual lyrics & tunes, a seeking, listening soul, and healing work via Chinese Medicine. Find him on Facebook, on Reverbnation, and via his YouTube channel. All songs in this program are written & performed by Kirk Mann, unless otherwise indicated: Thy Music - from Ghost Dancer, by Hazrat Inayat Khan Johnny - from East Wind Sleep - from East Wind Spring Buds - written by Michael Hedges Roses & Dreams - from Roses & Dreams Shine Like a Lantern - from Shine Like A Lantern

Jude Johnstone touches hearts & souls with her songs, whether sung by her or by the likes of Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Nicks, Bette Midler, or so many others. From Maine, to LA to Nashville, Jude has found an enthusiastic reception for her music, and memorable companions on the path. In particular, her songs like Wounded Heart and Unchained powerfully evoke the stirrings of grief, sadness, compassion, and recovery in listeners. All songs in this program are written & performed by Jude Johnstone: Wounded Heart - from Coming of Age, with Jackson Browne Unchained - from Coming of Age, with Bonnie Raitt Never Leave Amsterdam - from A Woman's Work So Easy To Forget - from Living Room Spring In Paris - not yet released Deep Water - from On A Good Day, with Rodney Crowell

Deidre McCalla showed a flair for the limelight even when she was 7, so it was no surprise to find her performing folk music with her high school trio, Friendship, which brought them to the edge of local fame. A university theater degree got overridden by the comparative ease of a life as a performing musician, although Deidre later realized that a couple years at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music would shore up and deepen her musical skills. All songs in this program are written & performed by Deidre McCalla, unless otherwise indicated: Who Knows Where The Time Goes - written by Sandy Denny, performed by Judy Collins Nothing Ventured - written by Daisann McLane, from Deidre McCalla/WFMT Folkstage Live Too Few and Far Between - from With A Little Luck Walk Me Down to the River - from Playing For Keeps Even Now - unreleased

The musical genius gene came to Rita Hosking from her mother, and Rita has passed it faithfully on to her daughter, Kora Feder. Rita grew up in rural Shasta County, California, and caught the music bug as a teen, playing washboard as part of The Farmerettes. With detours to Religious Studies and Cultural Anthropology in college, time teaching History to 8th graders, and raising two daughters, Rita came back to her musical passion to release her 1st album in 2005. Self-described as creating country-folk music, Rita has released 7 albums filled with captivating story-telling and place-rooted music. All songs in this program are written & performed by Rita Hosking: The Coyote - from Burn When Miners Sang - from Burn California - from For Real Mama Said - from Frankie and the No-Go Road Sing - from Frankie and the No-Go Road

Mark Mandeville & Raianne Richards make beautiful, deep, real music, delivered with rich vocals supported & enhanced by a variety of instruments. Locally known for their annual Massachusetts Walking Tour, Mark & Raianne previously performed as 2/3's of The Accident That Led Me To The World, but have long performed a duo. If COVID-19 permits, they will be married this August. All songs in this program are written & performed by Mark Mandeville & Raianne Richards, unless otherwise indicated: There Will Come A Day - from Road May Rise Winds of Change - from Road May Rise The Island Gospel - performed by The Accident That Led Me To The World (Mark, Raianne, & Zack Ciras) Grain By Grain - from Grain By Grain Road May Rise - from Road May Rise Who Will Sing For Me - written by The Stanley Brothers

Ksenia Mack is great writing and performing on her own, but is part of a quintuple threat with the Porch Party Mamas. Her songs and music are evocative, warm, & touching, guiding the listener through complex landscapes & emotions, always in the company of beauty. The Porch Party Mamas are a Boston, MA, area group of women with deep talents and a great combined voice. All songs in this program are written by Ksenia Mack & performed by Porch Party Mamas, unless otherwise indicated: Jet White - from The Life I Own Moscow to Moses - from The Life I Own, co-written with Liz Cook Broken Line - from Porch Party Mamas Ink & Pen - from The Life I Own, co-written with Katrin Peterson Goes Like This - from Porch Party Mamas Something Nowhere - from Lost Across America

Laura Marie brings to her music exactly the talents & inspirations that make for exquisite, soul-moving, life-affirming, path-changing songs. With the honesty, vulnerability, clarity, and power of a person who has experienced daunting adversity, faced it squarely, and triumphed over the injuries, Laura Marie perfectly demonstrates how to make beautiful music, shining with soul. All songs in this program are written & performed by Laura Marie, unless otherwise indicated: Surface - from Drawn What's It Like - from Last of the Ones Hard Rain - from The Season, written with Jake Owen Be Love - from Stars Apart Crazy - from Stars Apart When Dawn Kindly Comes - from Stars Apart

Andi Renfree stormed into Nashville, scoring almost immediately with one of her songs recorded by Chris LeDoux. She's collaborated with a number of songwriter/performers, and has performed with several groups, for a number of years as one-third of 2-Bit Palomino, but now with her husband as The Renfrees. Andi touches hearts with her poetry & music of the soul. All songs are co-written by Andi Renfree, performed by those indicated below: Grace - performed by The Renfrees, co-written with Scott Barrier The Buffalo Grass - performed by Chris LeDoux, co-written with Willie McCulloch & Clay Canfield Drive By Town - performed by The Renfrees, co-written with Karen Kiley 97 Acres - performed by 2-Bit Palomino, co-written with Ren Renfree Things I Dream About - performed by 2-Bit Palomino, co-written with Sharyn Cassidy Love Lives - performed by Alyse Black, also co-written with Alyse Black

Spook Handy saw 2 images in the mirror, did not choose the actuarial path, and it has made all the difference. Taking the stage with Pete Seeger more than 50 times didn't hurt his street cred, but mostly his upbeat, folky, deep and relatable songs, along with Spook's poise and talent make him a pleasure and a joy to listen to and sing along with. When not solo, catch him with The Seed Planters, though no longer with Things Between (fka Sofa Kingdom). All songs in this program are written & performed by Spook Handy, unless otherwise indicated: Lead Us Home To The Promised Land - from Pete, Woody & Me, Vol 1: Keep the Flame Alive Do It In The Name Of Love - from Pete, Woody & Me: Dedicated To The Proposition, Vol 2 Old Devil Time - by Pete Seeger (except verse 4), from Pete, Woody & Me: Dedicated To The Proposition, Vol 2 Keep The Flame Alive - by Pete Seeger & Lorre Wyatt, from Pete, Woody & Me, Vol 1: Keep the Flame Alive Always Have A Song To Sing - from Pete, Woody & Me, Vol 2: D