American Songcatcher
by Nicholas Edward Williams
Tracing the roots of American music from its cultured past to artists playing it forward, folk musician, musicologist and host Nicholas Edward Williams takes listeners on a unique documentary-style podcast experience. Dive into the stories of centuries-old Traditional songs and migrants who carried their musical heritage here, and uncover the lives of pioneers and integral musicians who created and shaped styles such as Bluegrass, Ragtime, Jazz and Swing, Country, Gospel, Blues, Old-Time, and the Folk music that's derived from it all. Here's to the songs of old, may they live on forever.
Episodes
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ROOTS MUSIC REVUE // Leah Song (of Rising Appalachia)
Today, we proudly present the very first live radio show from American Songcatcher, called "Roots Music Revue" centered on Appalachian music history. This new 60 minute program is recorded and filmed at the Earl Scruggs Center in Shelby, NC - and syndicated with our partner station WNCW. Our…
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ANNOUNCEMENT // ROOTS MUSIC REVUE
Coming this fall, listen in for American Songcatcher's "Roots Music Revue", the first live radio show centered on Appalachian music history, recorded at the Earl Scruggs Center in Shelby, NC and syndicated on NPR'S WNCW and online at WNCW.org. Season 1 Lineup: September 24th | Leah Song (of…
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Talkin' Blues // Cameron Knowler
Today, I'm sharing a conversation I had with guitarist, writer, archivist, teacher and scholar Cameron Knowler, who has lovingly absorbed an archive's worth of early American guitar styles, and it shows. His self-illustrated book Guitars Have Feelings Too views flat picking as a continuation of…
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TAKEOVER // Finding Lucinda: Episode 1
Today on the program, we're letting our friends at The Bluegrass Situation takeover our feed with a brand new series called "Finding Lucinda." Episode One: Introducing Finding Lucinda As we join the story, Ismay has been living and working on their family ranch for almost a decade – and they're...
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Earl Scruggs // King of the Five String
Today on the program, we're sharing our most robust and entertaining episode since beginning five years ago, honoring the king of the five string banjo, Earl Scruggs. Featuring more than 25 different voices all touched by Earl, this part narrative, part field recording feature will give you a...
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ANNOUNCEMENT // Béla Fleck Banjo Raffle
Get your raffle ticket here! For just a moment, put yourself in the shoes of a person who plays music, whether they're professional, amateur or just getting started. Imagine what it would be like to lose the instrument that helps you understand your life, to make sense of the world. Now, imagine...
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Talkin' Blues // Buffalo Nichols
Today, I'm sharing a conversation I had with one of today's most eclectic roots musicians, Buffalo Nichols. Since his earliest infatuations with guitar, Carl, who goes by the name Buffalo Nichols has asked himself the same question: How can I bring the blues of the past into the future? A student...
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ANNOUNCEMENT // American Songcatcher's Future
Over the last 5 years, we have had the privilege of bringing you stories of Pioneering musicians such as Bill Monroe, Sam Cooke, Johnny Cash, Lead Belly, Dolly Parton, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Pete Seeger, Jean Ritchie and so many more. However, a recently shift was forced upon the American...
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BONUS // Moses Asch & Folkways Records
A few years back, we had the pleasure of partnering with Smithsonian Folkways for a special two part series on Folkways Records founder Moses Asch, who was born 99 years ago earlier this month. To honor his legacy, we combined these two pieces and re-releasing them today. We'll traverse Moe's…
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WNC Roots Music History LIVE!
Back in July of 2024, I had the pleasure of bringing the first LIVE American Songcatcher podcast experience to the historic Graham County Courthouse in Robbinsville, NC. This time, I can't edit out all of my stumbles. The multimedia presentation traverses Western North Carolina music history...
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ANNOUNCEMENT // ReString Appalachia
ReString Appalachia www.americansongcatcher.com/ReStringAppalachia ReString Appalachia is an initiative by American Songcatcher to get instruments that were lost due to Helene back in the hands of musicians throughout Appalachia. This effort is supported by over 125 roots musicians, including…
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S3:E7 // Frankie & Johnny
Today on the program, we're proud to present the story behind the most widely recorded murder ballad in American history, the true St. Louis story of "Frankie and Johnny." Johnny's real name was Albert, and though the phrase "He was doin' her wrong" has been the constant refrain, the depiction of...
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Talkin' Blues // John McCutcheon
Today, I'm sharing a conversation I had with Grammy-nominated folk singer, storyteller, humanitarian, author and multi-virtuoso-instrumentalist John McCutcheon. During his five-decade career, John has released 44 albums spanning an eclectic catalog of ballads, historical songs, children's songs,...
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S3:E6 // Sam Cooke
Today on the program, we present the story behind the Father of Soul, Sam Cooke. Growing up in the church, Sam knew he wanted to be a singer by the time he was five years old. There was a magnetic and infectious quality to this young Gospel singer, and he knew he was destined for bigger things…
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S3:E5 // Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
Today on the program, we're proud to present the story behind the King of Western Swing, Bob Wills. One of the most influential and iconic bandleaders and musicians of the 1930's-1950's, Bob came from a humble life of a poor sharecropping family, and was deeply influenced by old time and…
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Talkin' Blues // Charlie Hunter
Today, I'm sharing a conversation I had with GRAMMY-NOMINATED American guitarist, composer, producer and bandleader Charlie Hunter. He first came on to the scene in the early 1990s, and simultaneously plays bass lines, chords, and melodies, on custom seven and eight-string guitars, as featured in...
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S3:E4 // Bascom Lamar Lunsford & A Living Tradition
Today, we proudly present something a little different on American Songcatcher. Instead of the usual documentary podcast-style piece, this is a compilation of field recordings I did in Buncombe and Madison Counties just outside of Asheville, NC. Considered the mecca of the long held traditions in...
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S3:E3 // Mississippi Fred McDowell
Today on the program, we present the story of the father of North Mississippi Hill Country Blues, Mississippi Fred McDowell. From humble beginnings, Fred was inspired from the likes of Charley Patton, his neighbor Eli "Booster" Green and the sounds he gathered from guitarists in Memphis,...
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S3:E2 // Shady Grove
Today on our program, we present the story of one of the most iconic American Folk songs, born from the lineage of 16th century ballads brought by immigrants from the British Isles, "Shady Grove". Often used in both dance and courtship, the timeless melody was the backbone for countless ballads…
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S3:E1 // John Hartford
Today on our program, we're delighted to release the first episode of Season 3, which will consist entirely of single stories. In this story, we dive into the life of renowned songwriter, riverboat pilot, folklorist, song collector, music historian, accomplished fiddler and banjoist, clog &…
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LOCAL FOCAL // The Pine Barrens Folk Music
Today, we proudly present the sixth installment of the LOCAL FOCAL series, where we're collaborating with artists around the country to share unique and lesser-known musical history. Our narrator today is Joe Makoviecki (mackavecky) who brings to the surface a near century-old lineage, the story…
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LOCAL FOCAL // Swamp Pop with Dustin Dale Gaspard
Today, we proudly present the fifth installment of the LOCAL FOCAL series, where we're collaborating with artists around the country to share unique and lesser-known musical history. Our narrator today is Dustin Dale Gaspard, a 9th generation cajun who comes from the deep, deep South, the Acadian...
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LOCAL FOCAL // Cowboy Song Collector Jack Thorp
Today, we proudly present the fourth installment of the LOCAL FOCAL series, where we're collaborating with artists around the country to share unique and lesser-known musical history. Our storyteller is cowboy & poet Andy Hedges, who hails from Lubbock, TX and is doing his part to keep the old...
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LOCAL FOCAL // The Other Side
For our third installment of the LOCAL FOCAL series, we present the following audio-rich piece - described as "sound painting" - brought to you by Muddy Boots Radio, a podcast that I only recently came into contact with by way of its creator, Tenali Hrenak. This particular episode honored a…
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LOCAL FOCAL // Last Wisps of the Old Ways
Today, we proudly present the first installment of the LOCAL FOCAL series, where we're collaborating with artists to share musical stories from different locations throughout America - in celebration of the parts that make up the whole fabric of American music history. First up, we're bringing…
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ANNOUNCEMENT // SEASON 3
ANNOUNCEMENTS! 1. Season 3 NEEDS your financial support! Can you commit to $1 a month via Patreon? - OR - Send a one-time donation through Venmo or PayPal 2. We're changing the format next season to SINGLE STORIES released every few weeks, so we can give each story full attention, and put out...
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S2:E9 // Moses Asch and Folkways Records (Part 2 - SEASON FINALE)
This is our season finale, part two of a special audio-documentary series on Folkways Records founder Moses Asch, in collaboration with Smithsonian Folkways. Part one walked us through Moe's childhood, teenage years, early career, the first two labels he created, bankruptcy, as well as the early...
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S2:E9 // Moses Asch and Folkways Records (Part 1)
Today, American Songcatcher is proud to present a special two-part collaboration with Smithsonian Folkways, going behind the curtain of Folkways Records founder Moses Asch, who was born 117 years ago on this date. This is the story of a ceaselessly stubborn Jewish immigrant with unstoppable...
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Talkin' Blues // Seth Walker
Today I'm sharing a conversation I had with American roots singer and guitarist Seth Walker, who has spent the last 20 years putting out incredibly diverse records, inspired by early blues to jazz, folk, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, early country and anything else he's been able to gobble up....
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S2:E6 // The Man in Black (Part 2)
Featured in this Episode: Johnny Cash Teaser: The story of the enigmatic "Man in Black" is a vast ocean that is impossible to cover every detail. But this three part series will attempt to further explain what listeners know about Johnny Cash, debunk a few myths, and uncover fascinating moments…
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S2:E5 // That Bad Man
Celebrating Black History Month! Featured in this Episode: Traditional - "Stagger Lee" (:42) Memphis Minnie (15:45) Lightnin' Hopkins (29:21) Taj Mahal (48:55) Teaser: This notorious murder story has been covered in more genres, by more artists and across more multi-media platforms than any other...
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AS Presents // Basic Folk feat. Chris Thile
Today on the program, I'm pleased to bring you a very special episode through American Songcatcher, sharing a wonderful podcast called Basic Folk in our feed. Now some of you may already be aware of these in-depth, honest interviews with host Cindy Howes, but I feel like the rest of you should…
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S2:E3 // God's Golden Shore
Season 2, Episode 3 // God's Golden Shore Featured in this Episode: Traditional - "Man of Constant Sorrow" (:28) Ma Rainey (13:08) Bill Monroe (31:40) Patsy Cline (51:29) Bruce Molsky (1:08:17) Teaser: Thought to be rooted in the early hymns brought to America, this old-time folk song has reveled...
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BONUS: Side B
It's a pleasure to bring you the second half of this special short series Side A // Side B, bringing some depth to the songs from my recently released traditional record "Folk Songs For Old Times' Sake". Today, we're flipping the record over, and diving in to the history behind Side B. Side B...
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BONUS: Side A
Since releasing the podcast, I've had a lot of people ask if the renditions at the end of each segment will be released, or streamable. Well I'm happy to say that over the last six months, I've been hard at work on a traditional record called Folk Songs For Old Times' Sake, that is now available…
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S2:E2 // Oh Little Liza
Season 2, Episode 2 // Oh Little Liza Featured in this Episode: Traditional - "Lil' Liza Jane" (:28) Dock Boggs (11:22) Snooks Eaglin (25:54) Nina Simone (43:36) Billy Strings (1:04:18) Teaser: Today, this song is a standard in New Orleans brass bands as well as old-time music, but its earliest...
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BONUS: Sitting In // Cristina Vane and Her New (Old) American Roots
For the final collaboration of the "Sitting In" miniseries, I'm excited to share a fantastic multi-instrumentalist, fluent in clawhammer banjo and slide blues guitar, named Cristina Vane. Born in Italy, and living many places overseas before arriving in America at 18 years old, Cristina…
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BONUS: Sitting In // Jody Carroll and the Newport Recordings
Today on the program will be my sixth guest for the "Sitting In" mini-series, Jody Carroll. Jody is a performer and songwriter who effortlessly creates bold interpretations of old Blues and American Folk music, and makes them his own improvisational musical journeys. He's a finger-style and slide...
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BONUS: Sitting In // Lon Eldridge and the Hawaiian Steel Guitar
Good people! I'm so pleased to share my fourth guest to embark on this "Sitting In" mini-series, a local legend in my neck of the woods, Chattanooga's own Lon Eldridge. Harboring a unique blend of traditional pre-war blues, ragtime, jazz and swing, Lon has spent the last two decades evoking the...
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BONUS: Sitting In // Willi Carlisle, Ozark Folksinger
Hey Folks! I'm so pleased to share the 3rd act of this "Sitting In" miniseries with you, none other than the inimitable Willi Carlisle. A multi-faceted writer, performer, and instrumentalist, Willi has spent the last several years collecting folklore, playing or calling square dances, and working...
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BONUS: Sitting In // Sparrow and The John C. Campbell Folk School
Hey Folks! I'm thrilled to share the second part of the "Sitting In" mini-series, where I hand over the podcast reins to some of my folky friends, so that they can share a story that ties into music preservation and play a few songs in line with their story. My guest today is Sparrow, who along...
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BONUS: Sitting In // Matthew Sabatella & "We Shall Not Be Moved"
Today, I'm delighted to share the first "Sitting In" mini-series episode with you, where I've handed the podcast reins over to a music preservationist and performer. First up, is a story of the African American spiritual turned protest song called "We Shall Not Be Moved", written and spoken by...
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Talkin' Blues // Fruition's Jay Cobb Anderson
Today I have the pleasure of sharing a conversation I had with multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter Jay Cobb Anderson, co-founder of the group Fruition, who has been making big waves in the major festival circuit during the last decade with blends of traditional sounds, contemporary folk...
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Talkin' Blues // Sierra Hull
Today, I'm delighted to share a talk I had with mandolin prodigy and Grammy nominated multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter Sierra Hull. Accomplishing more in her first 28 years of life than most could over a few lifetimes, Sierra made her Grand Ole Opry debut at the age of 10, played...
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Talkin' Blues // Oliver Wood of The Wood Brothers
Today, I have the pleasure of sharing a conversation I had with Oliver Wood. Since 2004, Oliver has been the frontman of The Wood Brothers, blurring the boundaries between folk, gospel, country-soul, and blues, earning an international audience and a Grammy Award-nomination along the way.…
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Talkin' Blues // David Holt
When I first set out with this podcast there were a few people in particular that I wanted to talk to, and today's guest is at the top of that list. David Holt is a four-time Grammy winner, multi-instrumentalist, and for 14 years performed as a duo on banjo with the legendary Doc Watson. He's…
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Talkin' Blues // Dom Flemons
Today on the program, I'm delighted to share a conversation I had with the Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist and preservationist Dom Flemons. Branded The American Songster from his diverse catalogue of tunes, Dom's not just a songwriter, he's a multi-instrumentalist, producer, actor, music...
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S1:E6 // I'll Die With That Hammer In My Hand
Season 1, Episode 6 // I'll Die With That Hammer In My Hand Featured in this Episode: Traditional - "The Ballad of John Henry" (:25) The Mississippi Sheiks - "Sittin On Top of the World" (11:09) Pete Seeger - "If I Had a Hammer" (22:05) Hank Williams - "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" (44:32) Tyler...
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S1:E5 // I'm Just Going Over Home
Season 1, Episode 5 // I'm Just Going Over Home Featured in this Episode: Traditional - "Wayfaring Stranger" (:30) Burl Ives - "Streets of Laredo" (11:45) Sister Rosetta Tharpe - "Up Above My Head" (28:50) John Prine - "In Spite of Ourselves" (44:27) Charley Crockett- "That's How I Got To…
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S1:E4 // Hang Your Head and Cry
Season 1, Episode 4 // Hang Your Head and Cry Featured in this Episode: Traditional - "Tom Dooley" (:27) Blind Blake - "Diddie Wa Diddie" (12:23) Woody Guthrie - "Ramblin Around" (23:46) Doc Watson - "Blue Railroad Train" (49:00) Justin Townes Earle - "Lone Pine Hill" (1:08:23) Teaser: A North...
About this show
Tracing the roots of American music from its cultured past to artists playing it forward, folk musician, musicologist and host Nicholas Edward Williams takes listeners on a unique documentary-style podcast experience. Dive into the stories of centuries-old Traditional songs and migrants who carried their musical heritage here, and uncover the lives of pioneers and integral musicians who created and shaped styles such as Bluegrass, Ragtime, Jazz and Swing, Country, Gospel, Blues, Old-Time, and the Folk music that's derived from it all. Here's to the songs of old, may they live on forever.
Hosted by
Nicholas Edward Williams