Find New Music Online At Roaming The Arts! Visit Us Today!

On the Bookshelf – Recent Reads

Authors, many without websites or first time published, from and about locations around the world.

You hear about “Walking the Camino.” Maybe even know people who have done it. Read this – Suzanne Redfearn – Call of the Camino

We don’t often place an author with their own Roaming the Arts post on this list, but are making an exception. This is an inspiring story about so many things, one of which is a level of effort that most people don’t imagine they are capable of. The author was, and wrote a terrific character driven novel thereafter.

Story of a great film director making a late career movie – Jonathan Coe – Mr. Wilder and Me

Billy Wilder made some of the most iconic movies of his time, Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Irma la Douce, Front Page, The Fortune Cookie, to name just a few. This historical fiction piece is told through the eyes of a young Greek woman who meets Wilder and his team and winds up working on the 1977 production of the the film Fedora.

Irish family saga over decades up to 2008 recession – Paul Murray – The Bee Sting

Paul Murray’s The Bee Sting, an irresistibly funny, wise, and thought-provoking tour de force about family, fortune, and the struggle to be a good person when the world is falling apart. Told by four family menbers, father mother, daughter, son, each a voice in conflict with the moment. Over 500 pages. Stay the course.

Another first book makes lasting impression – Amanda Peters – The Berry Pickers

An amazingly perfect use of the device where the reader is shown where the story will go, but is often brought near tears on the way. The story of two families, two cultures, and both love and heartbreak throughout a lifetime. An especially good read.

What happened when Dorothy returned to Kansas? – Gordon McAlpine – After Oz

With the release of “Wicked” on film, Dorothy is once again topical and Oz again a fantasy destination. This novel, the authors last before his untimely passing, suggests what may have happened in the days and months after the tornado that whisked the young girl away and back again.

Fantasy author delivers a terrific crime thriller – Dave Dobson – What Grows From the Dead

North Carolina college professor, improv comic, and writer provides an ensemble cast supporting an unlikely hero who has hit bottom in life and career, only to find he had inherited little from his mom except trouble.

New book about an old city – Ruth Reichl – The Paris Novel

Novelist and food writer takes us to Paris in the 1980’s with a young woman needing to find herself (not a cliche, but a charming rendition and tour guide.) Book Club book, gourmet treat, and travel instigator. Already looking at flights.

American Literary Icon who passed away in 2023 – Russell Banks – American Spirits

An American treasure whose stories focus on the locales and people in the Adirondacks of upstate New York. Check out this recent PBS video tribute and a 1995 feature on CBS Sunday Morning which gives an interesting perspective on what young people cared about…30 years ago.

From the 1990’s – Henning Mankell – Faceless Killers

Terrific series taking place in Southern Sweden and featuring Wallender, a main character played deftly on the PBS series by Kenenth Branaugh.

New book from old favorite – Tim O’Brien — America Fantastica

An American Master returns: the author of The Things They Carried and In the Lake of the Woods delivers his first new novel in two decades.

First time author – Nilima Roa — A Disappearance in Fiji

What is told as a mystery is really an amazing history lesson of British colonialism, and Indian and native culture in the Fiji Islands off the coast of Australia in 1914.

Blues Time with Bill Wax

Bill Wax on the Blues

For those who are unfamiliar with me, I was the Program Director and Host of Bluesville on XM Satellite Radio. The channel was renamed B.B. King’s Bluesville in 2008. I managed the channel from its inception until 2013, when I retired. I also have over 35 years of experience in non-commercial radio, both as a host on various Blues and Rhythm and Blues shows and as Program Director at two stations: KOPN in Columbia, MO, and KBOO in Portland, OR.

I never thought much about writing until they reached out to me about working on Roaming The Arts. They were quite convincing, and I loved the concept for the website. So here I am. I hope to promote contemporary blues musicians, as well as recognize those who have already left the stage.

Watch Bill tell his story on Time Signatures with Jim Ervin ( from Capital Area Blues Society – Lansing, Michigan)

There are two men in the music I want to highlight in our first post.

The first is David Earl, founder and owner of Severn Records, a label located near Annapolis, MD. David passed on September 7, 2025, at the age of 57. I first met David in the early to mid-1990s, when he started showing up at open mics with his guitar and eventually played in a couple of DC/Baltimore Blues bands. In 1997, David began Echo Records and changed its name to Severn Records in 1998. The catch phrase for the label was ‘Roots Music for the 21st Century, and that is just what his label became. His first three releases were Darrell Nulisch’s “The Whole Truth”, Big Joe Maher’s “I’m Still Swinging”, and Benjie Porecki’s “Servin’ It Up”. His label has since issued over 60 discs. Some of the artist who have recorded for Severn, an incredible roster, include: Steve Guyger, Sugar Ray and the Bluetones, Lou Pride, Mike Morgan and the Crawl, Tad Robinson, Jimmy Earl, Kim Clark Organ Trio, Ola Dixon, Roy Gaines, Louisiana Red, J Street Jumpers, Nora Jean Burso, Roy Carrier, Bruce Katz, Alex Schultz, Buck Hill, Clarence Spady, Charles Wilson, Johnny Moeller, Mud Morganfield, The Nighthawks, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Bryan Lee, and Ursula Ricks. Below is a starter list of some of my favorite tunes from Severn’s catalogue:

Roy Gaines – Hind Ends and Elbows

Darrell Nulisch -Leaving On the Morning Train

Clarence Spady – Just Between Us

Sugar Ray and the Bluetones – The Last Words of a Fool

Tad Robinson – Broken Hearted Man

Mud Morganfield/Kim Wilson – I Love the Life I Live

Ursula Ricks – My Street

The Nighthawks – Damn Good Time

Big Joe and the Dynaflows – How Come People Act Like That?

Steve Guyger – I’m Shakin’

Happy 100th Birthday B.B. King – September 16, 2025 (click link for a welcome rememberence)

The second musician I want to highlight is Sherman Holmes, the last man standing from the Holmes Brothers Band. They were a roots blues music group that was active between 1975 and 2015. They recorded 11 discs and won two Blues Music Awards. Sherman turned 86 on September 29, 2025. One of the most rewarding benefits of doing a radio show is that you never know who is listening. Sherman’s cousin is a fan of my radio show on WPFW. He heard me announce that I was going to play several tunes featuring Sherman and contacted Sherman so he could listen. I, of course, was both honored and touched that Sherman might be listening. I was also a bit intimidated that he might be listening. After the show, I got a note to call Pinky Sherman, who lives with Sherman. They called to thank me for playing the tunes and remembering Sherman and the Holmes Brothers. It made my week, and when Pinky told me Sherman was smiling, well, that makes it all worthwhile. Below is a starter list of some of the songs that Sherman sings lead on with the Holmes Brothers or from his solo disc called “The Richmond Sessions”:

Sherman Holmes/Joan Osborne – Dark End of the Street

Holmes Brothers – There’s A Train

Holmes Brothers – Promised Land

Holmes Brothers – If I Needed You

Holmes Brothers – If I Had a Boat

Sherman Holmes – I Want Jesus

Holmes Brothers – Something Is Missing

Thanks for reading and listening.

More About Bill

Search for Bill’s on air shows at: “Roots and Fruits” on WPFW

Click here for posts of Roaming the Arts’ collection of Blues artists.

Roaming the Arts Radio

Launch – Roaming the Arts Radio on Spotify

All Set Playlists open in Spotify and are free to listen to whether you subscribe or not.

(Click “Show All” when playlists are on screen)

Time Capsules and Progressive Radio Sets created over more than 45 years.

Each Time Capsule was created in the year shown. (1975-1994)

Followers are saying they have listened while driving cross country and have not run out of music.

Sample Playlists:

What is your favorite year?

Roaming Artist’s Studios

Music gets airplay and bands appear live, authors books make best-seller lists and get promoted through Book Bub and other media. Visual artists create their work in a studio, hope that people will see it and appreciate it, and attempt to create an online presence to assist in that goal. This post allows Roaming the Arts to be a patron, visit studios, and drive traffic to those websites. This site will not comment on the art, for indeed, “the eye of the beholder” applies here, so click either the name or the image and visit the site.

Atizana Inspired – Haitian Art

Creating art from metal, including oil drum lids.

Kelsey

Originals and prints from an artist working in the Arts Warehouse in Delray Beach, FL

Deborah Kozak

Hand-made, original woodcut, linocut and drypoint prints.

For more artist posts – click here

Molly Tuttle

Molly Rose Tuttle is an American vocalist, songwriter, banjo player, guitarist, recording artist, and teacher in the bluegrass tradition. She is noted for her flatpicking, clawhammer, and crosspicking guitar prowess. Wikipedia

“A female flat picker extraordinaire with agility, speed, and elegance who distinctively brings American roots music into the spotlight.”—NPR

“A vibrant blend of bluegrass with flashes of Old West, anchored by Tuttle’s earthy-yet-angelic vocal and the entire group’s ace musicianship.” —Billboard

Raised in northern California, singer-songwriter and bluegrass musician Molly Tuttle moved to Nashville in 2015. In the years since, she has been nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy and won awards for Album of the Year at the 2023 International Folk Music Awards, Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2022 International Bluegrass Music Awards, and Instrumentalist of the Year at the 2018 Americana Music Awards. She also won consecutive Guitar Player of the Year awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association in 2017 and 2018—and was the first woman to win the award, let alone win it twice.

Tuttle and her band, Golden Highway, released their latest album, City of Gold, in July 2023. The Grammy-winning album followed Tuttle’s acclaimed 2022 record, Crooked Tree, which also won a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album. Produced by Tuttle and celebrated progressive bluegrass musician Jerry Douglas, City of Gold was inspired by Tuttle’s constant touring with Golden Highway, during which she and the band have grown and cohered as musicians and performers. Musical Instrument Museum

Her song Crooked Tree (video w/Jerry Douglas) also visits the subject of Alopecia Areata (article) and Molly.

Molly Tuttle has ushered in an exciting new chapter in her career by forming an all-female touring band, stepping away from the four-year run with Golden Highway. This change aligns with the release of her new solo album So Long Little Miss Sunshine, set for August 15, 2025. It signals a stylistic expansion beyond bluegrass, blending pop, country, and rock – a direction further emphasized in her all-female backing band choice.

The Boneshakers

The Boneshakers w/Jenny Langer

The iconic band lead by world-renowned guitarist Randy Jacobs of Was (Not Was). The Boneshakers and members have toured and recorded with Bonnie Raitt, BB King, Seal, Keb Mo, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Mindi Abair, Bootsy Collins, Tears 4 Fears, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Iggy Pop…just to name a few. STORIED CAREER Flashback to 1980 — During his maiden session for Don and David Was, Randy Jacobs meets Sweetpea Atkinson on a cold night in the Motor City at Sound Suite Studio (the recording home of the fledgling band Was (Not Was). The connection was immediate and a bond was forged between the two artists. Their combined talents would help Was (Not Was) become a successful act during the 80’s and into the early 90s culminating with the worldwide hit “Walk The Dinosaur ” co-written by Jacobs. After their European tour with Dire Straits in 1992, the Was Band went on hiatus and Randy started playing and recording with the likes of Bonnie Raitt, BB King, Seal, Paula Abdul, Kris Kristofferson, Ofra Haza, Tears For Fears, Warren Hill and others. Sweetpea was in Los Angeles adding background vocals to artists like Neil Diamond, Bonnie Raitt, Keb Mo, and Bob Segar. When Atkinson heard that Jacobs was putting together a new project, he jumped at the chance to be a part of it. It was Bonnie Raitt who inadvertently gave them their name “Boneshakers” while they were working on her “Longing In Our Hearts” CD. In 1996, the two were signed to Pointblank/Virgin Records and produced two CDs for the label: “Book Of Spells” (1997) which included Randy’s rockin’ swing arrangement of James Brown’s “Cold Sweat” and the powerful “Shake The Planet” (1998). Over the years, The Boneshakers released another four successful albums. Additionally, they joined forces with sax queen Mindi Abair and released Live in Seattle on Concord Records. Two more albums were credited to Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers: The EastWest Sessions (2017) and All I Got for Christmas Is the Blues (2018).

In 2020, the band suffered an unimaginable loss with news of the passing of Sweetpea. THE LEGACY CONTINUES Now in 2022, as The Boneshakers celebrate the 25th anniversary of their first release, a new energy and excitement has emerged. Producer John Wooler, who originally signed The Boneshakers in 1997, connected Randy and the incredible Jenny Langer– a powerhouse singer who was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame (NYC and VA) at the age of 28 and won the 2020 Int’l Blues Challenge for Best SelfProduced Album. What started as a few tracks for her project quickly morphed in a new album with The Boneshakers featuring no-holds-barred funk, blues, and rock that marries the sounds and spirits of Detroit Rock City, Memphis, and Mussel Shoals. Produced by Wooler, it is back to the original vision of The Boneshakers’ fiery sound, with the vocal dynamo Jenny Langer behind the mic and original musicians from “The Book Of Spells” Sergio Gonzales (Drums), Nathan Brown (Bass), Jon Gilutin (Keys), The Texacali Horns (Joe Sublett, Mark Pender, and Randy’s former band mate from Was (Not Was) Sir Harry Bowens on vocals.

BAND MEMBERS:
Randy Jacobs (Guitar/Vocals)
Holly Montgomery (Bass/Vocals)
Arthur Thompson (Drums/vocals)
Jenny Langer (Vocals)

Old Crow Medicine Show

Old Crow Medicine Show got their start busking on street corners in 1998, from New York state and up through Canada, winning audiences along the way with their boundless energy and spirit. They eventually found themselves in Boone, North Carolina where they caught the attention of folk icon Doc Watson while playing in front of a pharmacy. He invited the band to play at his festival, MerleFest, and the rest is history.

It’s been over twenty years since these humble beginnings. The band has gone on to receive the honor of being inducted as members of the Grand Ole Opry, and have won two Grammy Awards: “Best Folk Album” for Remedy (2014) and “Best Long Form Music Video” for Big Easy Express (2013). Additionally, their classic single, “Wagon Wheel”, received the RIAA’s Double-Platinum certification in 2019 for selling over 2,000,000 copies while the band’s debut album O.C.M.S. has been certified Gold (500,000 copies). The band’s latest release is Live At The Ryman (2019) which was released on Columbia via The Orchard. Old Crow Medicine Show’s latest endeavor is the Hartland Hootenanny, a variety show hosted on You Tube that features music, storytelling, special guests, socially distanced square dancing and more. (Courier Express)

Dawes

Dawes is an American folk rock band from Los Angeles, California, composed of brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith, along with Wylie Gelber and Lee Pardini. The band has been described as being influenced by the Laurel Canyon sound, found in such artists as Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young. Wikipedia

A group of road warriors who’ve carved out their blend of amplified folk-rock, the music is nuanced and collaborative, with no single instrument dominating the track list.

Dawes-FB page

The Wood Brothers

Kathleen Edwards

S. A. Cosby

Little Feat

Joseph Craig English

Wisconsin Avenue

Georgetown, Washington, D.C.

Recent Posts

Music/Books/Art and More