As I mentioned last week, my weekly program, Folk Roots/Folk Branches is heard Thursday mornings from 9-11:30 (Eastern) on CKUT, 90.3 FM in Montreal, and available live on the web via RealAudio. The CKUT RealAudio feed is available at the Folk Roots/Folk Branches site.

In the second hour of Folk Roots/Folk Branches this week, we'll feature "THE MARTINS AND THE COYS," a 40-minute ballad opera produced for the BBC by Alan Lomax in 1944 and now reissued as "The Ballad Operas: The Martins and The Coys (Rounder)," part of the Concert and Radio Series in the Alan Lomax Collection.

Featured players: Burl Ives (narrator), Will Geer (Uncle Boone Martin), Geoffrey Bryant (Ben Martin), Jimmy Dobson (Oaty Martin), Katherine Raht (Dellie Coy), Helen Claire (Sary Coy), Woody Guthrie (Alex Coy).

Featured musicians: Lily May Ledford, Pete Seeger, Fiddlin' Arthur Smith, Hally Wood.

Supporting musicians: Tom Glazer, Cisco Houston, Rosalie Allen, Sonny Terry.

In addition to the narration and dialogue, the ballad opera includes 16 traditional and topical songs. (Note: The CD contains an additional six related bonus tracks that were not part of the BBC production and which will not be heard at this time).

There's lots of other great music on the show before and after the feature.

Mike Regenstreif