This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

 In the autumn of 1963, a new tune hit the charts that sparked the imagination of all of us aspiring young folksingers. 

It was 63 years ago this month that radio stations throughout our part of the world seemed to hourly played Bobby Bare’s new song. 

 
“500 Miles Away From Home” had a special meaning here, because Bobby was famously is of us, a native son of Ironton, Ohio.

This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

 As much as we try to use the rehearsals to work out arrangements to our regular tunes, we never drift too far away from The Flood’s original loose jam session vibe. 

 
That means there’s always room for “sometimes kinda tunes," like this one, heads-up, top-down and just flat-out rattling and rolling into the sunset!

This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

 This song got dressed up and went to town last week when Danny Cox came to the rehearsal with his sweet Gretsch Super Chet. 

 
Just listen to how Dan uses that classic 1970s hollow body guitar to bring sass and class to this long-time Flood standard.

This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

 Here’s the latest treasure that Randy Hamilton and Danny Cox have brought to The Flood’s table, a Charlie Starr composition from Alabama that resonates powerfully in our own Appalachian hills as well.

 

 

This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

 Here’s an audio snapshot of the end of last week’s rehearsal. 

We’d had a wonderful evening singing with Flood sweetheart Kathy Castner who had made one of her rare visits in from Cincinnati. 

 
At the beginning of this track you can hear folks packing up their instruments and saying their goodbyes. 

But at the same time, over in the corner, Danny Cox and his guitar have one more tune to do with Kathy. Listen as the guys realize what’s happening and join in for this sweet final moment of the night.

This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

 Here’s a tune that will be on the set list tomorrow night when The Flood opens the festivities at this year’s Diamond Teeth Mary blues festival in downtown Huntington. 

 
It’s a 1913 composition by the great Shelton Brooks. And if that name sounds familiar, you might be remembering last week’s podcast when we talked about Brooks’ best-known composition, the phenomenal “Darktown Strutters’ Ball.” 

As noted last week, by the time Brooks wrote that, his songwriting chops were already firmly established with songs like this one, which was performed by everyone from Sophie Tucker and Mae West to Tampa Red, Georgia Tom and Frankie “Half Pint” Jaxon. 

Here’s The Flood’s take on “I Wonder Where My Easy Rider’s Gone.” 

Remember, the Diamond Teeth Mary Medicine Show will be rocking downtown Huntington tomorrow night in the beautiful Heritage Station, 210 11th Street. The Flood takes the stage at 6 p.m.

This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

 We had our old buddy Jim Rumbaugh in the band room recently. Jim will be sitting in with us when The Flood plays at the latest Diamond Teeth Mary blues festival next week. 

Last week, after we’d worked on the blues tunes we’ll do for the show, we switched this rocking old Roaring Twenties number from Shelton Brooks. 

It all went well until I tried to tag it with a classic Chuck Romine ending. Hey, who knew there’d be spelling?!