Some Tuneful Frames for April

Four artists, all with new albums out, celebrate the music of legends and lesser-knowns in a slate of new shows.

If you’re looking for some new music suggestions as spring arrives, tune to Guest Mix, a WUMB-FM radio show I host that, this month, will feature four artists who play guest DJ for an hour, every Saturday at 1 p.m.

Jesse Colin Young | April 3

Jesse Colin Young at his South Carolina studio.

Jesse Colin Young was surrounded by guitars and other instruments in his South Carolina studio during a conversation over Zoom on February 23, 2021. Most folks know Young from “Get Together,” the 1967 hit on which he sang lead as frontman of the Youngbloods, but he’s also released a slew of great solo albums, including a new one called Highway Troubadour. The mix of Delta blues, Sixties soul, and rock ’n’ roll in his playlist are made even more penetrating by the 79-year-old Young’s wise words and incredibly resonant speaking voice.

Israel Nash | April 10

Israel Nash hit the Zoom from his Austin home.

The Texas freeze was hitting Austin hard when I spoke with Israel Nash on February 12, 2021. Speaking from his Hill Country home, Nash had just been dealing with a broken water pump when we got together to talk about his new album, Topaz, and about the set of tunes he picked for his guest DJ slot. “I thought I’d bring to you guys a playlist of just my pals [from Austin]. Because it’s got a rich scene, as we know, historically, and it keeps on going.” Listen to Nash’s list to hear several great artists you may be less familiar with, such as Erika Wennerstrom and David Ramirez.

Elizabeth Ziman | April 17

Elizabeth Ziman, of Elizabeth and the Catapult, recorded most of her latest album a few feet from where she sat for the interview in her New York City apartment.

Elizabeth Ziman is not only an incredibly gifted songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist, she’s whip smart and damn funny. You’ll learn a lot and laugh a lot from the conversation (recorded on February 19, 2021) and her choice of songs for the show, which includes the likes of Maya De Vitry, Bedouine, Harry Nilsson, and Valerie June. And you’ll also hear how Oslo, her Norwegian dwarf rabbit, helped inspire Sincerely, e, the new release from Elizabeth and the Catapult.

Gurf Morlix | April 24

Legendary producer Gurf Morlix has adjusted a few sets of cans in his career.

Austin-based Gurf Morlix is the producer behind a whole lot of great albums — including ones made by artists like Robert Earl Keen, Lucinda Williams, and Butch Hancock — so you know you can trust any playlist he puts together. His approach represented a first for Guest Mix: it’s almost exclusively a list of artists he’s produced or recorded with. You’ll hear from some of the aforementioned artists, as well as Mary Gauthier, Slaid Cleaves, and Ray Wylie Hubbard. “That’s an important song,” he said on March 12, 2021, about the Gauthier selection. “It’s the most touching song I can think of…it’s universal. It makes me cry, yet it’s uplifting. It’s just an absolutely beautiful piece of art.” The same can be said of Gorlix’s latest album, Kiss of the Diamondback, his 11th (or so) solo album, and latest testament to his continuing ability to write, perform, and release music that will stand the test of time.

From the Archive

You can also stream the two most recent episodes of Guest Mix, and the rest of WUMB’s weekend lineup, on the archive page. As of this article’s publication date, you can scroll down the page to hear:

March 20, 2021 Guest Mix: Sarah Jarosz

March 27, 2021 Guest Mix: Steep Canyon Rangers