The Birth of Rock 'n Roll

Rock 'n Roll is a music form that is uniquely American - it originated in the U.S. in the post-World War II era during the late 1940s and 1950s as an eclectic mix of Blues, Swing, Jazz, Country, Gospel, R&B and whatever else was being played that had an upbeat tempo and a persuasive back beat.  The music that we now call rock 'n roll was in fact around for a long time before the name was even coined to describe the genre that was the product of mixing and blending of all of those diverse musical forms, it just went by a variety of names.

I'm telling you this because my old friend Bill Audette, the original old-time rock 'n roll rebel who rocks the airwaves every Saturday afternoon from 1:30 to 3:00  on WMPG, southern Maine Community Radio (90.9FM/www.wmpg.org) with the Night Train Show went above and beyond the call of duty this past Saturday with a two hour special, following his regular show, in which he showcased the music  from the very early years of rock 'n roll - the Birth of R&R, as he titled the show.

As he does with all of his shows, Bill uploaded the show to his website, Billsnighttrain.com, so his fans (like me) can listen at their convenience. I'm still listening to it for the first time but I plan on listening many more times because it's that good! In fact it's too good to keep to myself and that's why I want to share it with you so you can listen, too, and enjoy some of the raucous, raunchy,  rollicking, sometimes racy but always entertaining sounds that became what we call "rock 'n roll", and that artists today are still covering, emulating, copying and trying to make their own.

So go here billsnighttrain presents the history of R&R to download the two one-hour segments, kick back and relax, and prepare to enjoy two hours of the best early rock 'n roll you ever heard.  If you love real rock 'n roll I promise this will make you love it even more.

If you like what you hear - and I guarantee you will - drop Bill an email to tell him so and thank him for all he does to keep the spirit of old-time rock alive and well on the airwaves.  Better yet, send a few bucks to WMPG (www.wmpg.org - click on the "Donate" button) to help them stay on the air and provide a microphone for Bill to continue to tell the story of the history of rock 'n roll.

Tell them Dirigonzo sent you.