Mulligan Stew

Bruce Cockburn has spent more than five decades writing some of the most enduring songs in Canadian music, and on his new album, The Blood of Others, coming Oct. 16, he turns his attention to the songs that shaped him long before he wrote a single lyric of his own.
The album gathers material written by others, tracing a musical lineage that stretches from the gospel and blues records he heard as a child in Ottawa to the folk clubs and coffeehouses where he first found his voice.
"What began back in the 80s as a vague notion grew over time into a strong desire to put together a collection of material, written by others, that I found sticking to the edges of my musical landscape," Bruce explained.
Few songs on the record carry the personal resonance of "I'll Be Seeing You."
Bruce described hearing a version on the radio in the '90s, in the aftermath of what he called "a brief but heart-opening relationship," and mishearing a lyric that reshaped how he understood the song.
"I thought that version ended with the line, I'll be looking at someone, but I'll be seeing you," he said. "That's not in the original lyrics. They only refer to the moon, but it hit me in a powerful way."
That memory led him to give the song a rhythmic treatment inspired by "I Only Have Eyes for You."
"The accumulation of these songs started in the 60s, before I'd even begun to try to create my own."
He sings That's All Right, not Elvis' version but Arthur Crudup's. Yellow Dog Blues was the first song he ever sang on stage as himself. He tells us he was terrified"
To honour Bruce and his legacy, we play covers of various Cockburn songs by
Frazey Ford
BN Ladies,
k.d.lang
Wonderful storytelling here, which is why I recommend the Mulligan Stew Podcast: The complete version of Bruce's Story

Amos Garrett. Guitarist, singer, trombonist, born in Detroit on 26 Nov 1941. Amos played lead guitar 1968-70 for Ian and Sylvia (appearing on their groundbreaking country-rock LP, Great Speckled Bird). Moving to Woodstock, NY, in 1970, Amos toured and/or recorded with Maria Muldaur, Paul Butterfield's Better Days, Todd Rundgren, Jesse Winchester, and others. His solo on Muldaur's 1974 hit 'Midnight at the Oasis' is considered a classic of its kind and is typical of the style that has been highly influential on other pop, rock and blues guitarists.
 
After two years in Boston, Amos lived 1976-89 in the San Francisco area. He continued with Maria Muldaur until 1978, worked as a studio guitarist, and eventually formed an Alberta-based band, the Eh! Team. Garrett had five albums issued 1978-88 in Canada under the Edmonton label Stony Plain: Amos Garrett & Geoff Muldaur (SPFF-1012), Go Cat Go (SPL-1034), Amosbehavin' (SPL-1053), The Return of the Formerly Brothers (SPL-1104), and I Make My Home in My Shoes (SPL-1132). The second-last, a collaboration with the singer, guitarist and organist Doug Sahm and the pianist Gene Taylor, received the inaugural Juno Award for best roots/traditional album in 1989. That same year Garrett took up residence in Turner Valley, near Calgary. The Garrett/Sahm/Taylor band recorded a second album, Live in Japan (SPCD-1164), in 1990. Amos' discography also includes recordings with Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris, Anne Murray, and Bonnie Raitt.
For many years, Amos organized and led the House Band at the hugely popular Edmonton Folk Music Festival, assembling musicians to support headlining artists who attended without a band.

We have a total of 10 Guests.
Nine of them come from the hot-rising Edmonton band Second Hand Dream Car. For the first time,  all 9 members showed up to talk.

We talked about the history of "horn bands". Everyone from Tower of Power to Tedeschi Trucks Band.
 
And this Friday they're releasing their second album, Get Ready.
 
As many of you know,  their first album, Answer the Call, led to three Canadian Blues Music Awards and a JUNO nomination for Blues Album of the Year. Also voted #6 album in the CKUA Top 100 albums of 2024.
Second Hand Dream Car launch their new Album Thursday, Friday and Saturday this week at the Varscona Theatre.  Lots of dates ahead, but two stand out
October 22, Horseshoe Tavern.   Toronto
New Year's Eve
Chateau Lacombe Ballroom, Edmonton.
 
Guest in Hour Two is  Colin James.
He is about to release his book Playing the Changes -  a musician's memoir.

Colin has released 21 studio albums, 8 Juno Awards, and 31 Maple Blues Awards. Induction in the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame and the Order of British Columbia. It all started in Regina.
Colin has also worked and become friends with Bonnie Raitt, Pops Staples, Keith Richards, Buddy Guy and more. However, his career took a leap when, as a young player, he was asked to form a band overnight to open for Stevie Ray Vaughn.

They became friends and toured together. Lots of road stories here.  All written by Colin.
One theme running through the book is his Quaker upbringing and a memorable journey through the Deep South by bus with his Mom.

I lovingly think of Steve Dawson as the Swiss Army Knife of music. Player.Producer. Writer. Arranger. Mentor. Creator. Recording engineer. Specializes in guitar and pedal steel. Touring band member for Allison Russell's Birds of Chicago and Matt Anderson. First noticed Steve as half of Zubot and Dawson. Then long time producer / co-writer for Jim...
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