New music from Fraser & Haas, Vasen, Maria Muldaur and more. A look back at favourite recordings and concerts of 2025. A fond - and extended - look back at my favourite festival of 2025 (Tonder, in Denmark last August), and a look ahead at 2026 with concert previews and more new releases. For the full version of the final song, go to the podcast of the show. Trust me, it's worth it!

Some of my favourites in a wide range of genres from a great musical year, plus sad R.I.P.s to English bluesman Mick Abrams and English melodeon legend Rod Stradling. Also a few songs for Boxing Day, The 12 Days of Christmas, and New Year's Eve.

Seasonal favourites old and new sprinkled amongst new releases from around the world. Plus a sad RIP to Texas songwriter Joe Ely. Previews of Cool Yule (the final Rogue show of 2025) and the first two shows in Jan uary (J.P. Cormier, Fraser & Haas), and, of course, my trademark 40th annual mash-up for Christmas Day (The Pogues, Monty Python, Steeleye Span etc.)

New music from Africa to start the show, featuring Putumayo's excellent latest release - Desert Blues. Lots more from across the "dark continent", then music from Iran, Romania, and Cuba before paying respect to Raul Malo, who died this week. Great lead singer with The Mavericks. Some stirring instrumentals from across Canada, some wonderful new topical songs, and then another RIP - this time to Quebec's amazing bass player / composer Simon Lepage (Les Grands Hurleurs) - followed by some great new Quebecois trad. The big Celtic finale featured some powerful tunes and a few poignant songs.

Memphis guitarist and Stax Recrds co-founder Steve Cropper died this week. Such a big influence on music - especially my favourite roots music of the sixties. Also paid tribute to reggae pioneer Jimmy Cliff, and Scottish songwriter / educator Adam McNaughton with a couple of songs towards the end of the show (including the condensed "Hamlet". The whole play in 4 minutes to the tune of The Mason's Apron!). Also a Get Well Soon to English troubadour Rory McLeaod, who is recovering from a heart attack. I included lots of new, mostly Canadian, music as well, and local concert previews, of course.

New music from North Africa, Middle East, Brazil, and Cuba then some blues from Calgary's Tim Williams who died today. New music from the USA and across Canada, with plenty of new and mighty local releases. A feature on SK's Jake Vaadeland and the Sturgeon River Boys who make their Vancouver debut next Friday. Groovy fiddle tunes, trad songs and more from Eire, Scotland, Quebec, Alberta, and B.C. and some fond memories of our trip to our favourite "Hummingbird Hideaway" near Ladysmith BC last week

A plethora of new releases, including the latest from Alex Cuba (Alexis Puentes) from Smithers BC, local concert previews galore, and a few idiosyncratic personal choices - plus some songs and tunes for my partner Margaret's birthday

50 years on from the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Gordon Lightfoot's masterpiece. That song, new songs from Mavis Staples and Vancouver's Sinead X Sanders, a tour around Africa, some Celtic and trad delights, a few powerful anthemic songs, and some very hot picking at the end, and there you have it, folks: a four hour odyssey that is built to stir the soul and the passions every Saturday morning here on CiTR

Fond farewells to Scots singer Archie Fisher (tracks 50-54), Breton trad singer Yan Fanch Kemener (tracks 17-19), and American songwriter Bob Franke (tracks 27 & 28). A few songs for Remembrance Day. Tasty new releases from Denmark, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, BC, Alberta, USA, Mali, and Senegal. Plus a couple of tracks from the amazing young Scots lowland piper Brighde Chaimbeul, who plays in town this evening.

New music from as far afield as Malawi, Senegal, Mali, and Zimbabwe, and from all across Canada from Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, to PEI, Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Yukon, and BC. Plus a couple for tracks from the great new albums by Alison Brown & Steve Martin, and Robert Plant's new project. Previews of local concerts, too.

This week's show featured Canadian singer Martin Kerr, whose new album is a powerful condemnation of the American fascist party and the lunatic in chief down there. Three songs about failed covert operations during WWII, including a brand new one about an incident with the Queen Mary, which was operating as a troop ship bringing American soldiers over to Europe. She was under strict orders not to stop for any reason. She hit a British cruiser midships, and that cruiser sank, with 300 of the 400 on board lost at sea. The Queen Mary did not stop to pick up the survivors. Speaking of scary, it was also my annual Halloween feature, and there were plenty of new releases from all around the world. We are still alive and kicking (back!)

Canadian songwriter Martin Kerr leads a vitriolic attack on the rise of fascism in America. Plus loads of new releases, a look at the Celtic Colours Festival and this evening's finale, and a few local concert previews.

A feature on many of the performers who will be broadcast on the live stream from www.celtic-colours.com over the next few days (and available until the end of the month if you missed them). Also new releases from Le Vent Du Nord, Martin Kerr, Cheikh Lo etc. and local concert previews too.

Tracing a line from Pied Pumkin through Spirit of the West, Nyetz, The Bills, Outlaw Social, and Viper Central to the Unfaithful Servants, my "take" on BC's special West coast sound! Started with some hot new sounds from Africa, featured a bunch of local concert previews, some tasty new releases, and a few songs which came to mind on our recent cruise around the British Isles, Eire, and Norway

The great English bass player Danny Thompson died this week at the age of 86. He made signature contributions to hundreds of recordings and memorable concerts in his 70 year career. I only included 16 tracks today. He played on everything from trad folk to blues, jazz, African music, and country, as well as underpinning memorable singer songwriters' highest achievements. He was a remarkable humorist and MC as well. He will be sorely missed, but what a catalogue of music he has created and embellished for us to relish! Started the show with lots of music from Mali, then sprinkled some Danish music recently acquired, and added some stirring new Canadiana, too.

The first ship to carry exiled Scots from The Highlands to Pictou, NS was The Hector. It left Ullapool on September 15th 1773. Commemorated in songs and tunes on a CD I found in the Ullapool Museum last month. Plus lots of new releases , Rogue previews (Unfaithful Servants & Ms. Shari Ulrich, John Doyle, Little Miss Higgins), and more. Unfortunately, a power outage crippled CiTR and the podcast servers but the fm signal worked, and I saved this show so some could tune in live. The podcast is now online as well.

Some excellent new releases from Putumayo, Dar Williams, Songlines magazine, Denmark, Louisiana, SK, BC, ON etc. Plus congrats to the winners at this week's Americana Festival Awards in Nashville, and the 57th anniversary of the first LP I ever bought with my own (pocket) money - the 2nd LP by Traffic. Also a bunch of Canadian and Irish music by performers coming to The Rogue over the next few weeks.

A fond look back at last week's amazing Tonder Festival in Southern Jutland, Denmark. Plenty of great Canadian artists were on the bill, and it was the last ever gig by England's Oysterband. Also a Fall Season launch of The Rogue Folk Club, with plenty more Canadian (and Irish) performers.

Highlights from two of my favourite folk festivals: Towersey Village Festival 1990, and Doolin Folk Festival 2015, plus a look ahead to this week's Tonder Festival in Denmark

highlighting two of my favourite folk festivals: England’s Towersey Village Festival 1990, and Ireland’s Doolin Folk Festival 2015, plus a look ahead to this week's Tonder Festival in Denmark (where Margaret and I will witness the last ever concerts by one of our favourite bands, Oysterband, amongst many other fine acts - many of them Canadian!)