Crackin' the Vault

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Crackin the Vault features musical nuggets from the last five decades of Centrum programming, including Country Blues, Fiddle Tunes, Voice Works, Slide and Steel, and one-time shows from the 90s. More than 55 National Heritage Fellows have participated in Centrum programming, and we’ll be broadcasting some of their finest performances. Hosted by Peter McCracken

Centrum | Peter McCracken


    • May 14, 2021 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 59m AVG DURATION
    • 24 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Crackin' the Vault

    Remembering John Dee Holeman, and John Hartford

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2021 63:00


    Remembering John Dee Holeman who passed last week at the age of 92 Never before heard cuts from John Dee at a house party in 1991 … and a John Hartford retrospective from 1999 This is a special day, the 10th birthday of KPTZ, and coincidentally the birthday of Larry Stein. Hope you tune in. Crackin’ the Vault will go on hiatus for the summer, this will be the last show for a while (though we will play a rerun next week). Thank you dear listeners, we hope you’ve enjoyed these shows. They’ll still be available on the Centrum podcast channel: https://centrum.org/artists-in-place/crackin-the-vault-2/ See you soon I hope – enjoy every sandwich! Peter

    Best and Weirdest Gigs

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2021 61:29


    Strange and Wondrous Gigs Gregg Miller and The Lips go head-to-head with the Mafia, and…? George Rezendes’ Dream Gig comes true, but how? Del Rey – the good, the bad, and the ugly, from Amsterdam to Texas The Original Foghorn String band represents all of American music - in Borneo! … and some pickin’ from Jerry Ricks If you can’t hear it live - most Crackin the Vault shows will be available on the Centrum podcast channel: https://centrum.org/artists-in-place/crackin-the-vault-2/ Thanks for listening, have fun!

    Run the Entire River, the Mighty Mississippi

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2021 60:26


    Floating Down the Mississippi From the headwaters in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, some music from every state we pass If you can’t hear it live - most Crackin the Vault shows will be available on the Centrum podcast channel: https://centrum.org/artists-in-place/crackin-the-vault-2/ Thanks for listening, have fun! Peter

    Mariachi with Don Esteban Hernandez

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2021 58:33


    Don Esteban Hernandez and Mariachi Los Galleros de Pedro Rey A look and a listen to some of the six generations of the Hernandez dynasty, from the middle of the 19th century until today and some Balkan, blues, and banjo If you can’t hear it live - most Crackin the Vault shows will be available on the Centrum podcast channel: https://centrum.org/artists-in-place/crackin-the-vault-2/ Thanks for listening, have fun! Peter

    Musicians from Port Townsend

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2021 60:18


    A look at the eclectic and creative musicians in our town, featuring: George Rezendes * George Radebaugh * The Delta Rays Simon Lynge * Janna Marit Murphy and Marckx * Those Darn Accordions Bobbie Nikles * The Jack Dwyer Band Abakis * Micaela Kingslight Bertram Levy and Kirk Sutphin * Neville Pearsall Danny Barnes * Jonathan Doyle * LA Jones * David Grisman and The Blue Crows If you can’t hear it live - most Crackin the Vault shows will be available on the Centrum podcast channel: https://centrum.org/artists-in-place/crackin-the-vault-2/ Thanks for listening, have fun! Peter

    Accordions Rule!

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2021 58:49


    Featuring: Joseba Tapia Dwight Lamb Joshua Horowitz Raynald Ouellet Smokey McKeen Chrissie Marshall If you can’t hear it live - most Crackin the Vault shows will be available on the Centrum podcast channel: https://centrum.org/artists-in-place/crackin-the-vault-2/ Thanks for listening, have fun! Peter

    The First Fiddle Tunes 1977 - March 26

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2021 58:03


    1977 Fiddle Tunes Festival, the first one Featuring: Benny Thomasson * Mark Graham Kenny Hall * Hank Bradley * Larry Hanks Jerry Gallaher * Nancy Katz * Tony Marcus Marty Somberg * Ann Hansen * Scott Nygaard and The Gypsy Gyppo String Band If you can’t hear it live - most Crackin the Vault shows will be available on the Centrum podcast channel: https://centrum.org/artists-in-place/crackin-the-vault-2/ Thanks for listening, have fun!

    Let's Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2021 57:47


    Éirinn go Brách - Irish musical delights Get ready for St. Patrick’s Day with selections from: Liz Carroll and John Doyle Martin Mulhaire, Seamus Connolly, Seamus Egan Liz and Yvonne Kane, with Django Amerson Martin Hayes And a short moment of reflection for Vesta Johnson, who passed away last week. If you can’t hear it live - most Crackin the Vault shows will be available on the Centrum podcast channel: https://centrum.org/artists-in-place/crackin-the-vault-2/ Thanks for listening, have fun! Peter

    Denmark Makes Me Happy

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2021 58:15


    Danish Music with Morten Alfred Høirup and Mia Guldhammer, A conversation with Morten and Mia And selections from Ruthie Dornfeld, Kristian Bugge, Sonnich Lydom, and Jamie Fox If you can’t hear it live - most Crackin the Vault shows will be available on the Centrum podcast channel: https://centrum.org/artists-in-place/crackin-the-vault-2/ Thanks for listening, have fun! Peter

    The Gu-Achi Fiddlers, and Manmay Lakay

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2021 60:20


    The Gu-Achi Fiddlers, and Manmay Lakay Music from hot places: the Tohono O’odham from Arizona, led by Elliot Johnson and Manmay Lakay from St. Lucia, led by Augustin “Charley” Julian And thoughts from Jeanie McLerie and Ken Keppeler For a sobering and heart-breaking video about the wall built through the middle of the Tohono O’odham reservation (19 minutes): https://emergencemagazine.org/story/border-nation/ If you can’t hear it live - most Crackin the Vault shows will be available on the Centrum podcast channel: https://centrum.org/artists-in-place/crackin-the-vault-2/ Thanks for listening, have fun! Peter

    Singers of Note

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2021 60:08


    Singers of Note Singers from many Centrum programs, lots of duets, including: The Brain Marshall Family Band, Laurel Bliss and Cliff Perry Jody Stecher and Kate Brislin, Pharis and Jason Romero, Mary Sherhart, Alice Gerrard, Julie Fowlis, Shaye Cohn and Erika Lewis, the Lonesome Doves, Morten Alfred Høirup and Mia Guldhammer, Riley Baugus, and the Birmingham Sunlights If you can’t hear it live - most Crackin the Vault shows will be available on the Centrum podcast channel: https://centrum.org/artists-in-place/crackin-the-vault-2/ Thanks for listening, have fun! Peter

    Every Month is Black History Month

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2021 59:51


    Every Month is Black History Month Let’s retire Black History Month and incorporate Black history into every year-round history curriculum nationwide. In the meantime, we’ll listen to some Black musicians who have participated in Centrum programs. Including: The Carolina Chocolate Drops, with Joe Thompson Jerron Paxton and Phil Wiggins Howard Armstrong Boo Hanks and Dom Flemons Lynn August The Creole Cowboys and a little bit of Etta Baker Rhiannon Giddens has been loading one awesome post per day this month on her Facebook page, about Black history in general, highly recommended: https://www.facebook.com/RhiannonGiddensMusic/ If you can’t hear it live - most Crackin the Vault shows will be available on the Centrum podcast channel: https://centrum.org/artists-in-place/crackin-the-vault-2/ Thanks for listening, have fun! Peter

    New Mexican fiddlers and players

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2021 58:58


    Cleofes Ortiz Fiddlers from Northern New Mexico are all but gone. We’ll spend some time talking with Ken Keppeler and Jeanie McLerie about Cleofes and Tonie Apodaca, and the disappearance of culture. If you can’t hear it live - most Crackin the Vault shows will be available on the Centrum podcast channel: https://centrum.org/artists-in-place/crackin-the-vault-2/ Thanks for listening, have fun! Peter

    Honoring Pedro Dimas

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2021 57:55


    Don Pedro Dimas El Maestro, the dean of Purepecha fiddlers, passed last week, and we’ll spend some time listening to his music and telling some stories, and remembering him. … and a conversation with Zaidee Stavely about his life and legacy. For a look at Mirando al Lago (it’s worth it), Don Pedro’s orchestra, with dancers wearing regalia that he designed, dancing his choreography - tune in to the Quarantine Happy hour on Sunday, January 31, at 5:30pm PST. https://www.facebook.com/groups/quarantinehappyhourmusic If you can’t hear it live - most Crackin the Vault shows will be available on the Centrum podcast channel: https://centrum.org/artists-in-place/crackin-the-vault-2/ Thanks for listening, have fun! Peter

    Voice Works 2015 and a chat with The Bobs

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2021 57:58


    The Bobs! How they started, how they got their name, and a chat with Matthew Stull, founding member and selections from a Voice Works concert in 2015. Including: The Thundering Cannonballs; Moira Smiley; Elizabeth Laprelle; Eli West; Cedric Watson; The Peña-Govea Family – Miguel, Susan, Rene, and Cecilia; and some of the Bobs early hits If you can’t hear it live - most Crackin the Vault shows will be available on the Centrum podcast channel: https://centrum.org/artists-in-place/crackin-the-vault-2/ Thanks for listening, have fun! Peter

    Voice Works 2015 and a Chat with Cathy Jordan

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2021 59:17


    A chat with Cathy Jordan, lead singer with Dervish, and how Reeb Willms came to know her. And selections from a Voice Works concert in 2015. Including: A look back at Christine Balfa’s triangle record; Cedric Watson; The Peña-Govea Family – Miguel, Susan, Rene, and Cecilia – with a corrido and a polka; Joel Savoy, Kelli Jones, Reeb Willms, Caleb Klauder; Cathy Jordan herself, with Mark Simos and Moira Smiley; If you can’t hear it live - most Crackin the Vault shows will be available on the Centrum podcast channel: https://centrum.org/artists-in-place/crackin-the-vault-2/ Thanks for listening, have fun! Peter

    Remembering John Morton

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2021 58:47


    Alas, John passed way too soon, on January 2. We'll take an (inadequate) listen to some of the music John loved, vintage jazz, choro, and Italian dance music. With: a few cuts of John on clarinet and bass clarinet; some of the source material for the Italian music that John played, including Tony Flores and his family and his connection to Port Townsend; Ricardo Tunzi; Paul Rangell and Emily Abbink; Irene Herrmann and Paul Hostetter If you can’t hear it live - most Crackin the Vault shows will be available on the Centrum podcast channel: https://centrum.org/artists-in-place/crackin-the-vault-2/ Thanks for listening, have fun! Peter

    Songs About Drinking

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 1, 2021 59:58


    Songs About Drinking (and other mood-altering substances), wishes for 2021, and a conversation with Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms about what it was like to be a touring band in 2020 and what it might look like going forward. With: Neville Pearsall The Whiskey Spitters Steve James Tex Jackson and the Panhandlers Richie Stearns Tiny Moore Bearcat Wildcat Eric and Suzy Thompson Caleb and Reeb Bill Kirchen Outlaw Social (featuring Pharis Romero) Martin, Bogan, and Armstrong

    Unusual Christmas Music

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2020 58:52


    New Christmas Music from Louisiana, and a chat with Chas Justus about his recent Yuletide Project With: Dirk Powell, fret-free The Roches Red Simpson The Stony Point Quartet (Dudley Connell, David McLaughlin, Linda Lay, and Bill Lux) Bill Kirchen The Silent Knights, featuring Brody Douglas Hunt Chas Justus Blake Miller and Amelia Biere Jamie Lynn Fontenot and Miriam McCracken Megan Constantin and Kelli Jones Corey Porche and Bird Courtney Granger (my favorite living male singer) Johnny Paycheck … and a few others If you can’t hear it live - most Crackin the Vault shows will be available on the Centrum podcast channel: https://centrum.org/artists-in-place/crackin-the-vault-2/ Thanks for listening, have fun! Peter

    Klezmer Music

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2020 58:57


    Klezmer Music, Thoughts from Alicia Svigals about celebrating Hanukkah, Seven-Day Weddings, and Inviting Itzhak Perlman to Fiddle Tunes With: Alicia Svigals, Patrick Farrell, Lauren Brody Cookie Segelstein, Margot Leverett, Don Weeda, and Mark Rubin If you can’t hear it live - most Crackin the Vault shows will be available on the Centrum podcast channel: https://centrum.org/artists-in-place/crackin-the-vault-2/ Thanks for listening, have fun! Peter

    hanukkah vault centrum crackin alicia svigals
    Dance Music from Quebec

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2020 59:50


    With: De Temps Antan - Andre Brunet, Pierre Luc-Dupuis, and Eric Beaudry; Genticorum - Pascal Gemme, Yann Falquet, and Alexandre de Grosbois-Garand. Kevin Desrosiers with the mighty Lisa Ornstein ….. and a big band update from the McBeebee Twins leading off the show. If you can’t hear it live - most Crackin the Vault shows will be available on the Centrum podcast channel: https://centrum.org/artists-in-place/crackin-the-vault-2/ Thanks for listening, have fun! Peter

    Gospel Music at Centrum

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 30, 2020 59:45


    You’ll hear: Ross Brown with George Reynolds Mark Graham and Sandy Silva Marley’s Ghost Pete Sutherland The Neolithic Broadcasters Sheila Kay Adams Scott Nygaard, Jerry Gallaher, and Jack Link Lightnin Wells Ethel Caffie Austin And another episode of itmightabeen, featuring Abner Jay. Most Crackin the Vault shows will be available on the Centrum podcast channel: https://centrum.org/artists-in-place/crackin-the-vault-2/ Thanks for listening, have fun! Peter

    1988 Fiddle Tunes Choice Cuts

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2020 59:06


    With a spotlight on the Heartbeats and a short chat with Tara Nevins You’ll hear: Jimmy and Nancy Borsdorf Molly Tenenbaum and Mark Graham Tony Marcus Evo and Jemmy Bluestein The Hillbillies from Mars Eileen Ivers and Mick Moloney Ralph Blizard and the New Southern Ramblers And the Heartbeats – Tara Nevins, Rose Sinclair, Beverly Smith, and June Drucker If you can’t hear it live - most Crackin the Vault shows will be available on the Centrum podcast channel: https://centrum.org/artists-in-place/crackin-the-vault-2/ Thanks for listening, have fun! Peter

    The 1994 Port Townsend Country Blues Festival Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2020 58:31


    Selections from the Country Blues festival featuring all 12 faculty members, including six National Heritage Fellows. John Cephas and Phil Wiggins Rich and Maureen DelGrosso Orville Johnson Jack Owens Mary Flower John Jackson Suzy Thompson John Dee Holeman Steve James Howard Armstrong Del Rey John Miller Lagniappe of the week: look here for a video of John Dee Holeman and Algia Mae Hinton buck dancing. https://www.facebook.com/ptcentrum If you can’t hear it live - most Crackin the Vault shows will be available on the Centrum podcast channel: https://centrum.org/artists-in-place/crackin-the-vault-2/ Thanks for listening, have fun! Peter

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