Springtime with Bunk Johnson
Happy Mother's Day!
Listen to Special Episode: 30 Greatest Living American Songwriters
Playlist: Bunk Johnson
Hi -
Ok. A very important and essential playlist today. Truly some of the best music on Earth.
When I was touring constantly in my 20s and 30s, we never did especially well in New Orleans, but we always made sure the tour went through there anyway, just so we could have at least one wild night in that magical city.
I found a few incredible record stores there and would leave with piles of New Orleans records based entirely on the owners’ recommendations. My greatest discovery was Bunk Johnson, and his music has been close to me ever since.
A lot of the records I found are now on the digital outlets, so I’ve put together nearly 5 hours of some of my favorites.
These mid-40s recordings — live, loose, and roomy sounding — bring you right into the room in a way very few recordings can. Like a lot of early New Orleans jazz, this music somehow feels very joyful and very sad at the same moment.
No way to really describe this stuff, so I'd just say throw this on and you’ll see.
Truly some of my favorite recordings ever made.
I save them for springtime, when the flowers start coming out.
Happy Mother’s Day!
If you’ve been enjoying the show, becoming a member is the best way to support it — and get the whole experience.
