"SJI" on the air in Pittsburgh

An interesting note came in today from Jason Baldinger, who has a radio show in Pittsburgh called "Does Your Hometown Really Care." He just did an episode of "SJI" versions. There's no way, I gather, for you (or me) to actually hear it, but he does have the playlist up right here. There a few items on his list that I'm not really familiar with, so that bears further investigation.

Notably: Elton Britt, "St. James Avenue," and Tony Rice, "St. James Hospital." Also, the Dock Boggs versions that's mentioned here, I've heard a snippet of that, but have never gotten around to investigating the full story.

He also includes a couple of items that might be familiar to dedicate readers of this site (anybody? anybody?) such as the Die Like a Dog recording, and Barbara Dane's recording of "When I Was A Young Girl."

Update: Mr. Baldinger passes along a bit of extra info on the above tunes.

Elton Britt's "St. James Avenue," he says, is a "just a slight variant based on Jimmie Rodgers' take, a little peppy country-politan number complete with the Jordinairres."

Tony Rice's "St James Hospital" is "a bluegrass version that is note for note Doc Watson's version from his self titled Vanguard release from 1964." (Both are on iTunes, see below.)

More later on Dock Boggs, and "When I Was A Young Girl."


"St. James Hospital," Tony Rice

"St. James Hospital," Doc Watson