Citr -- The Saturday Edge

Raunchy theme this week, based on Bonny Black Hare Day. New music from the new fRoots sampler and more.

Featured music from the new - and last - Bellowhead CD, a phone interview with Alberta songwriter Maria Dunn, a look ahead to the Bluegrass show with Michael Cleveland next Wednesday, and some more new releases and old favourites.

Included songs by many of the performers coming to the Vancouver Folk Music Festival (July 17 - 19). The line-up was announced this week. I also included usual smattering of concert previews and new releases, and ended the show wi a few songs to celebrate May Day

April In Paris. Mighty String Thing Guitar Extravaganza, Tributes to Prince, Lonnie Mack, Pete Zorn, and in memory of Sandy Denny

New releases from Cuba, Haiti, Brittany, Ukraine/Toronto. Also a whiff of 4/20 reefer, and a fond farewell to Spirit of the West, whose last ever gig is tonight at The Commodore. Previews of April In Paris - 10th annual festival of gypsy jazz at The Rogue, and lots more new Canadian music

Tributes to Merle Haggard and Thunderclap Newman, previews of Canadian music coming to town: Winnipeg's Small Glories, Vancouver's Jenny Ritter, Canadian String Quartet The Fretless, and the 10th annual festival of gypsy jazz - April In Paris - with 5 local bands in the Django style. Finishing up with Coco Love Alcorn's Hope for the World and Corin Raymond. Canada (folk) rocks!!

New releases galore; a sad farewell to the Railway Club; a preview of April In Paris; and much more!

Featuring an Interview with film maker Kerry Candaele in town this weekend to launch his documentary about Beethoven's 9th Symphony - Following The Ninth. Plus lots of new releases and an irreverent look at the last supper

New releases by Djelimady Tounkara (Malian guitar god) and Irish-American supergroup The Gloaming, plus features on Irish trad. legends De Danann and lots more new stuff. Thankfully no obits this week!

Tributes to departed icons Sir George Martin and Keith Emerson, also Louis Meyers of SXSW and Folk Alliance fame. Lots of Celtic music for St. Paddy's Week too.

Features on Festival du Bois, CelticFest Vancouver, The Maddest Musical March 5th, new releases, and music found at Folk Alliance

Features on Festival du Bois, CelticFest Vancouver, The Maddest Musical March 5th, new releases, and music found at Folk Alliance

Plus features on Oliver Swain, The Bills, Lennie Gallant - and a whole bunch of CDs acquired at Folk Alliance in Kansas City last week

Small tribute to Dan Hicks, who passed away this week, age 74, in California. New releases from Rokia Traore and Sidestepper. Looking ahead to Festival du Bois, CelticFest Vancouver, Eilen Jewell concert, Bumper Jacksons, etc. Tried to hook up to St. James Hall for a live feed at the Mayor's announcement saving the building. Couldn't get it to work. Oh well. Also SAM would not let me choose anything. I switched it off. Managed to restore its settings eventually!

To kick off Black History Month I started the show with several African-Canadian artists, before moving onto a mini-theme of Carnival / Mardi Gras. Featured music by Cape Breton Celtic combo Coig, Cuban-Canadian artist Alex Cuba (sold out show this evening at the Kay Meek Theatre in West Vancouver), upcoming Rogues like The Bills, Bumper Jacksons, Eilen Jewell, Oliver Swain, Sharon Shannon, De Danann, plus other performers coming to town including Aoife O'Donovan, Damien Dempsey, Jeff Lang, and new releases by Colin Linden, Rhiannon Giddens, Show Of Hands, and Tim O'Brien. Paid tribute to The Busby Babes, the Manchester United soccer team decimated in the Munich Air Crash 58 years ago today with a song by Mick Grove and Phil Beer (of Show of Hands.)

Features on Aurelio, The Jaybirds, Old Man Luedecke, and new releases by Baaba Maal, Tim O'Brien, Matt Andersen, Solas, and Show Of HandsBTW, this PSA / Ad list is really screwy!!

Small tribute to Glenn Frey of Eagles fame, features on Bumper Jacksons, Lydia Hol (Vancouver songwriter launching new CD this weekend), and Quebec's Felix Award-winning combo Le Vent du Nord, plus another tip of the hat to Andy M Stewart and to David Bowie, and a shout-out to legendary fiddler Dave Swarbrick, who's having some health issues this week. 2016 has been a tough year for music so far - we're losing too many luminaries too quickly and too often!

Return from Hawaii / mini features on Eilen Jewell / JP Cormier / The Revelers. Late start. Oops!

Guest host Paul Norton from CiTR's Code Blue show (Saturdays from 3 to 5 pm) spins his own brand of folk and world music.

More of my favourite albums of 2015, plus a small tribute to Scots singer Andy M Stewart, who died last week. Also a look ahead to some artists coming to town in the next few weeks