Arlo & Woody Guthrie
In Memoriam: Jimmy Martin

10 p.m. to Midnight Host: Steve Winters

What a night of music, compliments of my son Matthew who was manning the microphone while I was on vacation. Arlo Guthrie was appearing at Sacred Heart University the next night and we were giving away tickets to the show, so Matt turned the first hour partly into a “father and son” perspective.

In the second hour he paid tribute to Jimmy Martin, the “king of bluegrass,” who died on May 15 at age 77 after a lengthy illness. Martin was a virtuoso guitarist who sang in a high tenor voice. He joined Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys in 1949 and was an integral part of the Monroe band’s classic recordings in the early 1950s. Those times were regarded by many as Monroe’s most musically productive period and included such classic recordings as “Uncle Pen”, “I’m On My Way To The Old Home” and “Walking To Jerusalem.” In 1956, Martin began his own career as a leader, calling his group the Sunny Mountain Boys where he built a reputation as an ornery, humorous and sometimes eccentric bandleader.

Matt’s no stranger to radio stations, having made his debut on WSHU’s “Profiles in Folk” at the tender age of four. Now, at age 25, he has been host for the past seven years of “The Moonshine Show”, New York City’s premier bluegrass radio program on WKCR-FM (89.9) on Sundays from 10 a.m. to noon and for several years a co-host on WKCR of “Live From Miller Theatre”, a Friday afternoon drive-time program of the arts.

  • Artist, "Title", Album, Label

  • Arlo Guthrie, “The Motorcycle Song”, Alice’s Restaurant, Rising Son

    ---------------

  • Arlo Guthrie, “City Of New Orleans”, “Miss The Mississippi And You”, “When I Get To The Border”, All Over The World, Rising Son

    ---------------

  • Arlo Guthrie, “When The Ship Comes In”, “This Land Is Your Land”, More Together Again, Rising Son

    ---------------

  • Woody Guthrie, “Hard Travelin’”, “Talking Columbia”, “Two Good Men”, Hard Travelin’, Smithsonian Folkways

    ---------------

  • Woody Guthrie, “Who’s Gonna Show Your Pretty Little Foot”, “Baltimore To Washington”, Muleskinner Blues, Smithsonian Folkways

    ---------------

  • Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, “Howdido”, “The Car Song”, “Why O Why”, The Lost Topic Tapes: Isle of Wight/1957, Hightone

  • Jimmy LaFave, “Oklahoma Hills”, Pastures Of Plenty: An Austin Celebration Of Woody Guthrie, Deja Disc

  • Ray Wylie Hubbard, “Jesus Christ/Vigilante Man”, Pastures Of Plenty: An Austin Celebration Of Woody Guthrie, Deja Disc

    ---------------

  • Jimmy Martin, “Hold On To Watcha Got”, “Prayer Bell Of Heaven”, “You Don’t Know My Mind”, “Hit Parade Of Love”, You Don’t Know My Mind, Rounder

    ---------------

  • Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys, “I’m On My Way Back To The Old Home”, “I’m Blue I’m Lonesome”, “In The Pines”, “Walking In Jerusalem”, “No Mother Or Dad, ” Bill Monroe: 1950-1959, Bear Family

    ----------------

  • Interview With James Martin Jr., recorded on May 17, 2005 by Matt Winters of WKCR-FM.,

    ---------------

  • Jimmy Martin, “Sunny Side O The Mountain”, You Don’t Know My Mind, Rounder

    ---------------

  • Jimmy Martin, “Homesick”, You Don’t Know My Mind, Rounder