The Midnight Special, January 31, 2026

By Marilyn Rea Beyer |

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Playlist

  1. Lead Belly: The Midnight Special THEME (excerpt 1); Lead Belly; Midnight Special; RCA Victor LPV-505
  2. Claudia Schmidt: My Soul (Mayer); Claudia Schmidt; Hark the Dark; Claudia Schmidt 7 00261 46122 9
  3. The Dangling Participles: Swimming in Lake Superior (Kaufmann/Kaufmann); The Dangling Participles; Folkstage: The Dangling Participles at St. Tim’s; WFMT FS 10112025
  4. Girlyman: Superior; Girlyman; Little Star; Daemon DAM 19052
  5. John Wort Hannam: Great Lakes; John Wort Hannam; Brambles and Thorns; Borealis BCD219
  6. Steve Poltz: Lake Wish Again; Steve Poltz; Folksinger; 98 Pounder Records 6 41444 16982 5
  7. John Prine: Bottomless Lake; John Prine; Aimless Love; Oh Boy! OBR 002CD
  8. Matt Watroba: Farewell, Superior Sperm (Fresh Water Whaling); Matt Watroba w/David Mosher; The Far Si: The Si Kahn Funny Song Sing-Along; Matt Watroba 6 49288 42062 1
  9. Lee Murdock: The Great Lakes Song (Silverstein/Dailey); Lee Murdock; The Great Lakes Chronicles, Disk 1; Depot Records DEP-022 CD
  10. Kitty Donohoe: Great Lakes Lights; Kitty Donohoe; Bunyan & Banjoes; Roheen Records RR002
  11. Mustard’s Retreat: The Great Lakes Fishing Trade (Hough); Mustard’s Retreat; Back to Back; Red House Records RHR CD 72
  12. Sally Rogers & Claudia Schmidt: “Lovely Agnes”; Sally Rogers & Claudia Schmidt; Closing the Distance; Closing the Distance/Flying Fish FFCD 70425
  13. Jeremy Facknitz: Michigan (Something in the Water); Jeremy Facknitz; Smilin’ at the Future; jeremyfacknitz.com
  14. Mary Flower: Michigan Water; Mary Flower; Blues Jubilee; Resounding CD: 408
  15. Gordon Lightfoot: “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”; Gordon Lightfoot; Gordon Lightfoot Songbook Disc 3; Gordon Lightfoot Songbook/Rhino R2 75802 3 of 4
  16. Travis, Merle: “Midnight Special” Travis picked guitar; Merle Travis; In Boston 1959; Travis Pickin’ | CMH 6255
  17. Joe Jencks: The Coming of the Years; Joe Jencks; The Coming of the Years; Turtle Bear Music TBM 080122-01
  18. Kray Van Kirk: Fury Road (Van Kirk/Jencks); Kray Van Kirk; Empire; Kray Van Kirk 1 95269 39920 7
  19. Joe Jencks: Who Will Speak for Me (Kahn); Joe Jencks; The Forgotten – Recovered Treasures from the Pen of Si Kahn; Turtle Bear Records 020118-01
  20. Joe Jencks: Ripple in the Water; Joe Jencks; What Kind of Brother; Turtle Bear Music TBM 1101002-1
  21. Mon Rovia: Running Boy; Mon Rovia; Bloodline; monroviaboy.bandcamp.com 1.9.2026
  22. Uncle Bonsai: Truly We Are Godless Now (The Colossus of Rhodes); Uncle Bonsai; Uncle Bonsai Live; Yellow Tail Records YT-10030
  23. Crys Matthews: Sleeves Up!; Crys Matthews; Sleeves Up! (single); Apple Music 1.19.2025
  24. Walter Parks & The Unlawful Assembly: “Shoulder It”; Walter Parks & The Unlawful Assembly; The Unlawful Assembly; Atomic Sound 91021
  25. Buddy Mondlock: Temporary Grace; Buddy Mondlock; Poetic Justice; Poetic Justice | Major Bob MBPCD 0002
  26. Vance Gilbert: Castles Made of Sand (Hendrix); Vance Gilbert; Angels, Castles, Covers; “Disismye Music Disismye Music 005
  27. Ye Vagabonds: The Flood; Ye Vagabonds; All Tied Together; River Lea Records RLS 038
  28. Aparna Nancherla: How Did We Get Here; Aparna Nancherla; Just Putting It Out There; Bentzen Ball Records BBR001
  29. The Minnesota Klezmer Band: Land of the Frozen Chosen; The Minnesota Klezmer Band; Bulka’s Song; Frozen Chosen Productions FCP198
  30. Rabbi Joe Black w/Maxwell Street Klezmer Band: Tumbalalaika / Strum, Balalaika; Rabbi Joe Black w/Maxwell Street Klezmer Band; You Should Be So Lucky; Shanachie 67006
  31. Maxwell Street Klezmer Band: Midnight Special Theme; Maxwell Street Klezmer Band; WFMT’s Folkstage; WFMT Folkstage 12.04.21
  32. Bob Gibson: The Mermaid of Ontario (Silverstein); Bob Gibson; Stops Along the Way; B*G Records B*G 1004 CD
  33. Jed Marum/Hugh Morrison/Mason Brown: The Belles of Ontario; Jed Marum/Hugh Morrison/Mason Brown; Sands of Aberdeen; Boston Road Records 34479 87703
  34. Archie Fisher: Ontario Dust; Archie Fisher; Windward Away; Red House Records RHRCD124
  35. Jared Rabin: Lake Affected; Jared Rabin; Chasing the Light; bandcamp 10.7.2022
  36. Emily White: What Do I Know; Emily White; Staking Flags in the Valley;
  37. Beth Nielsen Chapman: Sand and Water; Beth Nielsen Chapman; Greatest Hits; Reprise 9 47302-2
  38. Tom & Chris Kastle: The Black Dog of Lake Erie; Tom & Chris Kastle; Earthways / Waterways; Sextent Music SX39910 CD
  39. Stan Rogers: The Nancy; Stan Rogers; From Fresh Water; Borealis BCD218
  40. Flanders & Swann: “A Song of the Weather”; Michael Flanders, br; Donald Swann, p; The Complete Flanders and Swann; EMI CDFSB-1
  41. Bill Morrissey: Ice Fishing; Bill Morrissey; North; Philo PH 1106
  42. Ronnie Cox: The Ice Fishing Story; Ronnie Cox; Ronny Cox at the Sebastian Theatre Disc 1; Bay Sound Records BSR9601 1
  43. Ronnie Cox: Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled (Stewart/Nichols); Ronnie Cox; Ronny Cox at the Sebastian Theatre Disc 1; Bay Sound Records BSR9601 1
  44. Emily Scott Robinson w/Duncan Wickel: The Water is Wide (trad.); Emily Scott Robinson w/Duncan Wickel; Appalachia; Oh Boy Records Oh Boy 0903
  45. Robby Hecht: They Are You; Robby Hecht; Carved In Time; robbyhecht.com 2024 – 7
  46. Laura Love: I Still Believe (Unplugged); Laura Love; She Loved Red; Laura Love 88295 68276
  47. Andrew Beyer: “The Midnight Special – cigar box slide”; Andrew Beyer; Midnight Special Collection; Midnight Special Collection AABeyer/MS 004