Best Matt Watroba Podcasts (2025)

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100 Community Sings a Year w/ Matt Watroba 31:38

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8h ago31:38

31:38

Matt Watroba has spent most of his adult life sharing his knowledge and passion for folk music. As a performer, Matt has delivered thousands of shows in every kind of setting. As a song leader, he is committed to facilitating at least 100 community sings every year. Matt is inspiring as he talks about his passion and experience in community singing…

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Sing Anyway w/ Ruth Pelham 27:46

2d ago27:46

27:46

Ruth Pelham is a songwriter, activist, and community organizer. Ruth spent over thirty years bringing music to street corners, libraries, festivals, and other neighborhood spaces in her hometown of Albany. In the process, she created songs that are instantly singable and adaptable, and she learned daily about the power of singing to build relations…

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Blue By Joni Mitchell With special guest, Susan Cattaneo 48:53

3d ago48:53

48:53

Released in 1971, Joni Mitchell's Blue set the bar for "confessional" songwriting. In a big year for popular music, from Masters Of Reality to Teaser and the Firecat, It showed what could be done with a mountain dulcimer, acoustic guitar, piano, and voice. 54 years after the release of Blue, it continues to influence the most popular songwriters of…

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Vocal Improvisation is Life w/ Rhiannon 29:36

16d ago29:36

29:36

Rhiannon is a vocal artist with a vision of music as a vehicle for innovation, healing, transformation, and social change. A vibrant, gifted singer, performance artist, composer, and master teacher, Rhiannon has been bringing her unique and potent blend of jazz, world music, improvisation, and storytelling to audiences for over five decades. From h…

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Singing as Cultural Cohesion w/ Reggie Harris 30:32

7d ago30:32

30:32

Reggie Harris has been singing and telling stories for over 50 years. He's a powerful educator about the history and the current state of civil rights, and, among other things, he is the musician for the Living Legacy Project, which offers pilgrimages to explore the history of civil rights in the South. In this episode Reggie explores how music fee…

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A New Podcast - How Can I Keep from Singing? 2:10

22d ago2:10

2:10

A new podcast that explores the power of group singing. Stuart Stotts interviews song leaders, choir members, authors and a range of people who provide insight and advice on this ancient human activity.By stuartstotts

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Anthology of American Folk Music wsg Jeff Place & Peter Stampfel 40:33

2y ago40:33

40:33

It wasn't a big seller when it was released in 1952, but the music on the Anthology of American Folk Music continues to inspire and influence roots music to this day. Join me for a chat with Jeff Place from Smithsonian Folkways Records and Peter Stampfel--one of the founding members of the the Holy Modal Rounders.…

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Dave Carter with Tracy Grammer When I Go WSG Tracy Grammer 39:15

2y ago39:15

39:15

Their career together lasted a brief 5 years before Dave Carter's sudden death in 2002, but the impact of Dave's songs continue to influence and inspire to this day. When I Go was their first record together. Recorded in Tracy's kitchen/ living room, When I go was an introduction to one of America's finest songwriters. Thanks to Tracy for joining m…

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Library Of Congress Recordings With Stephen Winick & Si Kahn 46:40

2+ y ago46:40

46:40

This episode is not about a single recording. Instead, I bring in Library of Congress Folklife Specialist, Stephen Winick, and Songwriter and community organizer Si Kahn to talk about the historic recordings of the Library Of Congress dating back to the 1920s. These recordings have, in many ways, kept folk music alive through the decades. They cont…

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Bonus Episode Louis Gossett Jr. 14:45

2+ y ago14:45

14:45

So this happened. I was doing research on the last episode about Richie Havens and his record Mixed Bag. I decided to take a chance and reach out to the great American actor Louis Gossett Jr to see if he would like to talk about his old friend Richie. If you heard episode 9, you know he co-wrote the song Handsome Johnny with him. The day after the …

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Richie Havens Mixed Bag WSGs John Platt & Cliff Eberhardt 33:14

2+ y ago33:14

33:14

Mixed Bag came out late in 1966 and introduced the world to the soulful interpreter of great songs, Richie Havens. His performance as the opening act at Woodstock cemented his fame, but he continued performing and recording for decades after. He was a beloved figure on the music scene. My guests for this episode are radio veteran John Platt, and Ri…

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John Hartford Aereo Plain with Art Menius 37:02

2+ y ago37:02

37:02

This record changed the landscape of bluegrass music. Sam Bush said there would be no New Grass without Aereo Plain and the Aereo Plain band.By John Hartford Aereo Plain

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Michael Smith On The Dutchman 21:41

2+ y ago21:41

21:41

This amazing song has traveled the world. Often mistaken for a traditional song (the highest compliment in my opinion) it was written by the late Chicago songwriter, Michael Peter Smith. We lost Michael in the Summer of 2020. I was able to have a long chat about the tune with him in the green room at the Ark in Ann Arbor, MI a few years before he d…

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Stan Rogers Between the Breaks Live With John Gorka & Garnet Rogers 41:56

2+ y ago41:56

41:56

Let's go behind the scenes of one of the best live recordings in folk, roots, & americana history. Great songs, amazing energy, and all from an artist who left this world way too soon. Stan's brother Garnet and John Gorka are my guests!By Stan Rogers

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John Prine With special guests, Don White & Andrew Calhoun 45:17

2+ y ago45:17

45:17

Released in October of 1971, John Prine's debut, self-titled recored was a game changer. It really was the blueprint for a decades long career that continues to inspire song writers and camp fire singers to this day. I am joined by Andrew Calhoun and Don White.By John Prine

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Kate & Anna McGarrigle with Eve Goldberg, Joe Boyd, and Chaim Tannenbaum 46:16

2+ y ago46:16

46:16

When Kate & Anna McGarrigle's self-titled, debut record was released in January of 1976 it sounded like nothing else of the time. Inventive harmonies, Innovative arrangements, and fresh writing combined to create 35 minutes and 6 seconds of sonic perfection. It's a recording that continues to inspire and influence to this day. With special guests E…

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Mississippi John Hurt Today With Garnet Rogers 44:20

3y ago44:20

44:20

Mississippi John Hurt made his first recordings in 1928. He didn't record again until 1963. His guitar playing has influenced thousands. He recorded "Today" for Vanguard Records in 1966. Let's dive into what made this sweet, gentle and talented man so influential. My friend Rev. Robert Jones helps me go track by track, and Canadian singer songwrite…

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Townes Van Zandt Bonus Episode 19:47

3y ago19:47

19:47

These are excerpts from an interview I did with Townes Van Zandt on December 12, 1992 in Detroit, MI. It includes two live performances. This stuff has not been heard by anyone in over 30 years! I got the date of the interview wrong in the podcast.By Matt Watroba

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Townes Van Zandt Live at the Old Quarter with special guest Don Gonyea 42:29

3y ago42:29

42:29

Explore with me the almost mythical life of one of our greatest songwriters, Townes Van Zandt. His Live at the Old Quarter is the perfect introduction to a songwriter who, many believe, set the bar for all of the others. My guest is National Public Radio's Don Gonyea.By Townes Van Zandt

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Skaggs & Rice With special guest, Kari Estrin 37:25

3y ago37:25

37:25

Two outstanding musicians converge in 1980 to record a tribute to the old-time duets of the 40s, 50s & 60s. A mandolin, a guitar, and 2 vocalists. That's it. The result is simplicity, goodness, and truth. Oh, and a record that is still inspiring decades after its release.By Skaggs & Rice with Kari Estrin

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Indigo Girls with Mary Gauthier 46:34

3y ago46:34

46:34

It was the second album and the debut major label release for this duo from Georgia, and it changed lives. Mary Gauthier is my guest as well as Laura Jones and Cara Valenti.By Indigo Girls with Mary Gauthier

1
A Little Break 5:37

3y ago5:37

5:37

Season 1 is complete and season 2 will start on November 14. But first, a little business...By Matt Watroba

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Pete Seeger & Arlo Guthrie Together In Concert WSG/ Joe Jencks 46:14

3y ago46:14

46:14

This iconic 2 record set bringing together 2 generations of folk singers turned a new audience on to the genre in 1975. With special guest, Joe Jencks.By Matt Watroba

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Gillian Welch Revival WSG Danny Schmidt 40:07

3y ago40:07

40:07

Released in 1996, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, along with producer T-Bone Burnett, created a timeless album of original songs that continues to inspire and influence americana music to this day. My special guest is singer and songwriter, Danny Schmidt.By Gillian Welch Revival wsg/ Danny Schmidt

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The Golden Ring 5 Days Singing, A Gathering Of Friends 39:10

3y ago39:10

39:10

Sometimes we make music for the sheer joy of community and song--that is the spirit of the Golden Ring. More of a concept than a group, the Golden Ring introduced so many folks to the sound of traditional music and the joy of making it with friends, This episode focuses on three records: A Gathering Of Friends For Making Music (1964) and Five Days …

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The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band-- Will the Circle Be Unbroken 41:21

3+ y ago41:21

41:21

This iconic triple album was recorded in 1971 and released in 1972. It's both a celebration of roots music, and a bridge between generations of players, singers and pickers. Doc Watson, Roy Acuff, Mother Maybelle Carter, Jimmy Martin...the list goes on. My special guest for this episode is Joe Newberry.…

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Doc Watson and Son 41:39

3+ y ago41:39

41:39

He is the Godfather of acoustic guitar players, an amazing singer, and a man who devoted his life to the preservation and presentation of American roots music. His 1965 Vanguard Records release, Doc Watson and Son, is a perfect snapshot of Doc as a musician and as an entertainer. My special guest is multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and performer, …

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Tom Paxton Ramblin' Boy 36:09

3+ y ago36:09

36:09

This episode will focus on Tom Paxton's first major label recording, Ramblin' Boy. I will use some archive tape from an interview I did with Tom in 2007, and my special guest will be New York folk D.J, Wanda Fisher.By Matt Watroba

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Marty Robbins, Gunfighter Ballads & Trail Songs 32:12

3+ y ago32:12

32:12

With special guest, Ranger Doug Recorded in 1959 on Columbia Records, this collection of western songs continues to inspire into the 21st century.By Matt Watroba

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Woody Guthrie Dustbowl Ballads 29:13

3+ y ago29:13

29:13

This amazing collection of songs was recorded and released in 1940. This is, what many consider to be, one of the first concept albums. My special guest will be Wood Guthrie scholar, Mark Fernandez.By Matt Watroba

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Harry Belafonte At Carnegie Hall: With James Keelaghan 33:55

3+ y ago33:55

33:55

This historic concert was significant for so many reasons, you'll just have to listen to find out what they are. Canadian singer songwriter James Keelaghan discovered this record as a young boy and it changed his life.By Matt Watroba