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Back Country as usual today. Celebrating birthdays, people playing out and lots of new music.

A set of requests to kick off this week's show. From the Mother's Best recordings in 1952, going out to Bill and Annabelle in Farmington.

Inspired by last week's set for Ian Tyson's 88th birthday, a listener requested this song. I chose Waylon's version, recorded about a year after Ian and Sylvia's. From the A & M label in 1964.

Gene Harris wanted to hear a Rodney Crowell song. Rodney was Johnny's erstwhile son-in-law and it takes some nerve to rework any artist's hit song.

Happy 75th birthday today to Jo-El Sonnier. In his career he has often highlighted the common threads of Cajun and country music.

Happy 35th birthday on Monday to St. Louis' own Ryan Koenig, here with his version of the Cajun national anthem.

One of Uncle Dave's early recordings, this one from 1926 on the Vocalion label. Sam McGee accompanies on guitar.

From late in Chubby's career, one written by Fred Rose and recorded first in 1942 by Roy Acuff. The Osborne Brothers, Larry Perkins, Gene Wooten and Mike Bub helping out on this one.

J.P.'s old-time record from this year included this one, also known as Otto Wood the Bandit.

This group of old timey musicians includes our own Jim Nelson. They are at the Focal Point on October 30th, 7PM. Here they perform one of three murder ballads whose events took place in St. Louis. The other two are "Stagger Lee" and "Frankie and Johnny."

From her debut album 25 years ago, one of her original compositions. Happy Birthday today to a great artist.

Happy 84th on Monday to the great Lloyd Green. Here he covers a Gram Parsons song which he originally played on the "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" album in 1968.

Roy Book Binder will be 78 years old on Tuesday. He was first a student, then a combination chauffeur/touring artist for the Reverend Gary Davis. Roy also dug the Travis style of guitar, hence this hybrid composition.

Jeremy's third album officially hit the streets yesterday. He's a fine songwriter and performer from Kentucky.

More new music from this Texas-based group.

The ubiquitous Charley Crockett has released his 10th album in six years, and the last track is a cover version of Henson Cargill's best-known recording.

A set of music of artists playing in our area. Beautiful touch and tone on this medley. David returns to the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville for a show next Tuesday.

Two of Chet Atkins' Certified Guitar Players recorded this record a couple of years back. Tommy will team up with guitar wizard Richard Smith for two shows on October 13 and 14 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

If I was a betting man, I'd bet that Dallas Moore will be playing some cuts from his new album when he appears at Gene's Country Club in Pevely on October 15.

A set of music to remember George Frayne IV, aka Commander Cody, who died on September 27th at the age of 77. From the classic Lost Planet Airmen lineup of Andy Stein, Billy C. Farlow, Bill Kirchen (listed as Kircher), Lance Dickerson, Bruce Barlow, John Tichy, Bobby Black and the Commander.

This album came out a year before Country Casanova, and set the standard for Commander Cody and his LPA. The classic song written by Terry Fell and first released in 1954.

This album was recorded at several venues in the UK and showed them in live settings. The Titan of the Telecaster, Bill Kirchen co-wrote this one with Billy C. Farlow.

Leon Rausch joined Bob Will's Texas Playboys as lead singer in the mid-50s and stayed a decade. He and Tommy Allsup recorded a triple album of Wills' tunes for this release, here covering one written by Playboys fiddler Jesse Ashlock.

Asleep at the Wheel teamed up with Rausch in 2010 to release this album. One of many songs written by the incomparable Cindy Walter that Bob Wills recorded.

Congratulations to Asleep at the Wheel for their new release celebrating 50 years of great music. Several of the female artists who have been Wheel members combine their vocals on this one: Chris O'Connell, Elizabeth McQueen and Katie Shore.

A wonderful debut album from Sophia Johnson and Rose Sinclair, one co-written by the two. Sophia is on electric guitar and Rose plays her lap steel.

Connie Smith's new album is pure country gold. This is her 54th album since her first one came out in 1964. That's almost an album a year. At age 80 her voice is still powerful, and evokes the raw emotion of country songs.

Sierra Ferrell's debut album recently came out and it's a good one. Lots of fine players on this one, including Chris Scruggs on pedal steel here.

One of my favorite songs from neo-traditionalist Dale Watson.

From the RCA label in 1967, the title track to Porter's album, which depicts one of the classic album covers in country music history. I played this one to salute the late Pete Drake, who plays his pedal steel guitar on this song of betrayal and revenge.