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Miscellaneous music programs - 1970s
Classical, Contemporary, Ethnic, Jazz, Electronic, Traditional, Blues, Baroque, Early
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Here you will find samples, some complete shows, many partial recordings, of music programs heard on KRAB, listed in rough chronological order. Where we have found multiple recordings of a series of programs, they have been placed in their own pages, which are accessible through the Audio Archives main menu.
Problems listening, or comments? Please let us know. E-mail archive@krabarchive.com
An Interview with Morton Subotnick - Rec Feb 22 or 24, 1971; KRAB Apr 14, 1971
9:15 One of the originators of electronic music in this country, a man who co-founded the San Francisco Tape Library, who has been Musical Director of Lincoln Center, and who is now primarily interested in the theatrical uses of mixed media. He is presently on the faculty of the California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles. Interviewed for KRAB by Nick (Baltic) Johnson.
10:00 The Wild Bull - a composition for electronic-music synthesizer by Morton Subotnick. (A Nonesuch Records Commission, 1967)
This was recorded when Morton Subotnick was in Seattle for two concerts sponsored by New Dimensions in Music and performed at A Contemporary Theatre on lower Queen Anne hill. When broadcast on KRAB, the interview was followed by an airing of Subnotick's composition "The Wild Bull", which was not included in the concert, but was in the KRAB library. There were three works performed at ACT:
Sidewinder - Electronic Music and modulated laser beams (the record was released later in 1971)
Circles - Electronic music and synthesizer, with computer film by Doris Totten Chase. (Doris Totten Chase also designed opera and dance stage sets, some of which ended up being stored at KRAB's Harvard and Union Ave Fire House.)
Windows - Controlled tape and synthesizer, with two films by Don Levy and two dancers
Announcing, and joining Nick with a question, sounds like Phil Bannon.
Wayne Johnson of the Seattle Times reviewed the performance/concert (attached).
Listen now - An Interview with Morton Subotnick - KRAB Apr 14, 1971 - Rec Feb 22 or 24, 1971 (41:34)
Now listen to - The Wild Bull by Morton Subotnick (Nonesuch Records) - KRAB Apr 14, 1971 - (28:10)
For more about Morton Subotnick see www.mortonsubotnick.com
Recording courtesy Jack Straw Foundation, PA0181; The Wild Bull courtesy Morton Subotnick
The Art of the Solo Songster, with Stephen Stubbs - KRAB 1972
Browsing the archive, one will find a sizable presence of traditional American folk, blues and early jazz. Largely missing from the archive collection (so far), but found in the guides, are many examples of western classical, baroque, renaissance and "early" music. The paucity of examples of this music in the archive make it a significant event when we find something that brings them into the focus.
KRAB's first music director, Robert Garfias, scheduled a variety of programs featuring music of many genres in creative juxapositions; Jon Gallant, a KRAB founder, produced a program of Deleted Records featuring classics that were not generally heard on other stations; Ed Mignon did a series on opera; in 1971 Dick Palm started a program called Krumhorns and Kings featuring early and baroque music; Randy McCarty started Musica Rara in Sep 1971; in Dec 1971 George Shangrow, founder and director of Orchestra Seattle and the Seattle Chamber Singers, took over Krumhorns for a month before passing it on to Randy McCarty; Randy did Krumhorns until Aug 1973 when he became the host of Morning Music, which was soon renamed Earlie Musick; Tom Berghan hosted it for awhile; then Dave Bennett; and then Stu Witmer took over in Mar 1975 and kept Early Music going until Jan 1984. Like many of the other music programs on KRAB, the producers were knowledgeable of less well known forms, some self-taught, but many musicians themselves.
This is all by way of introducing the producer of this program, Stephen Stubbs, who tells us it is his first KRAB program and he is sitting in for George Shangrow. Though the tape label says "circa 1970", I believe it is actually from early 1972 when Shangrow was doing a Thursday afternoon program named "Music from Anywhere". Stephen Stubbs' bio says he "was born in Seattle, Washington, where he studied composition, piano and harpsichord at the University of Washington. In 1974 he moved to England to study lute with Robert Spencer. . . . ."
Stubbs went on to a considerable career performing, conducting, and establishing organizations to provide and support education, training and performance of baroque music styles.
Stephen Stubbs is Senior Artist in Residence and member of the faculty of the School of Music at the University of Washington. Were KRAB still around I would hope he might consider producing a program. In this program he features music examples of John Dowland (Peter Pears and Julian Bream), Mississippi John Hurt, Donovan, Taj Mahal, and two of his own compositions.
Listen now - The Art of the Solo Songster, with Stephen Stubbs - KRAB 1972 (61:00)
Recording courtesy Jack Straw Foundation, JSF inv M1545
“Between the Lines”, a composition by Philip Munger - KRAB Nov 25, 1972
Phil Munger studied music composition at Oberlin and at the University of Washington and served as KRAB’s co-Music director, News Director, and producer of the morning program from 1970 until 1973, when he left Seattle for the wilds of Alaska. He describes this piece, one of his experimental programs, created for KRAB, as his “Goodbye!” to hosting the morning show and working at KRAB. The work is now in his catalog as Op. 10, No. 2.
Program guide description: "Echoes & silent sections from some colossal Romantic works, re-oriented through, tape, permutation (& other such tricks)"
Assisting in the production were the following:
Michael Wiater – voice
Leila Gorbman – voice
D.J. – voice
Pamela Jennings – production
Jerry Jensen and New Dimensions in Music – Buchla synthesizer
Since the over-the-air recording was made at the house of volunteer Leslie Mohrman, located on the south side of Queen Anne, KRAB’s signal had to traverse many obstacles and unfortunately seems to have suffered from multipath distortion which added some of the whooshing and swishing noises. At least that is what may be happening in some places.
Listen now - Between the Lines by Philip Munger (26:51)
These days Phil is still in Alaska, composing, conducting, teaching, and writing. There is an autobiographical sketch at firedoglake. More of his music can be found at Music of Philip Munger. And his writings about politics and the environment can be found on his blog Progressive Alaska.
Recording courtesy Phil Munger
Roswell with Live Jazz: The Chrono Synclastic Infundibula - Aug 12, 1973
This was probably one of the first live music broadcasts from firehouse 25. Since a lot of guides from 1973 are missing from the archive, we can't know exactly what was scheduled the night of Aug 12th, but the tape label says this:
The musicians are Jeff Johnson, guitar; Dean Johnson, bass; David Lewis, electric piano; Robert Harris, percussion; Rekovic (?), tenor sax and flute.
"Play various tunes including "Badia" by Weather Report, and various originals. Bad gaps in program caused by tech problems when recorded."
Roswell and the musicians may be annoyed as the levels change dramatically at the gaps, but I've left them in anyway. Bob Friede's (music director and general manager of that time) Sharpie scrawl is distinctive on the tape label.
Was Roswell reading The Sirens of Titan?
Listen now - Roswell with Live Jazz: The Chrono Synclastic Infundibula - Aug 12, 1973 (32:10)
Recording courtesy of the Jack Straw Foundation, JSF inv M-1583
Bob Gwynne introduces the Seattle Bop Orchestra - KRAB Aug 19, 1973
JAZZ FOR A SUNDAY AFTERNOON - Bob Gwynne
The Seattle Bop Orchestra:
Brian Hodel, guitar
Ed Howard, alto, flute, soprano, clarinet
Bernard Wray, percussion
Does anyone know the whereabouts of Brian Hodel, Ed Howard, or Bernard Wray? Tell us, please.
Recorded by Bob Friede.
When the "music studio" was new. 
Listen now - Bob Gwynne introduces the Seattle Bop Orchestra - KRAB Aug 19, 1973 (31:11)
Recording courtesy Jack Straw Foundation, JSF M1177
The Labyrinth, with Pamela Jennings - Rec Dec 17, 1973; KRAB soon there-after
THE LABYRINTH comes creeping after 'im, creeping, crawling and confusing with the light. Pamela holds on to the ball of twine. (As described in Feb 1974 guide)
"The Labyrinth" is only found scheduled in a few guides between Feb and Apr 1974, for Tuesday nights, alternating with Gary Danzl, and Pamela's other late night program "Underwater Ballet". This recording starts with Tom Berghan playing lute; followed by Bob Gronenthal playing guitar; Tom Berghan again; Pamela reads a bit from John Donne while Tom plays; and then Bob Gronenthal returns and plays piano. Details are on the tape label, although the order of play is a little different.
The Labyrinth, with your host Pamela Jennings - Rec Dec 17, 1973 (56:19)
Recording courtesy Jack Straw Foundation M0216
Live Christmas Service from the House of Refuge Church of God Pentecostal - KRAB Dec 25, 1974
1974 was the year KRAB went wild with live remotes, from the Folklife Festival to Pioneer Square and Capitol Hill. In Oct or early Nov music director Jeff Follette auditioned several churches. And on Dec 25, 1974 KRAB broke all the old rules regarding holidays, with virtually the entire day devoted to some variety of holiday related programming. The day started at 7:30 with Harold Street, Theda Berkeley, David Strimpson, and others performing an adaption of A Christmas Carol, produced by Rita Rega. Then Randy McCarty's Earlie Musicke with carols, hymns and masses, and then, at 11:00am, the following:
Not a live broadcast, but a LIVE broadcast from the House of Refuge Church of God Pentecostal, complete with its remarkable congregation and choir, drums, piano, organ, trumpet, tambourine, and a special Christmas sermon by the Reverend Robert J. Causey.
Engineered by Tom Eckels and Jeff Follete, with Leila Gorbman on duty in the control room, and scheduled for two hours, the LIVE broadcast ran a bit longer, overflowing into Basil Rathbone's rendition of Peter and the Wolf. After the services, Leonie Groper took over with the amorous adventures of Santa. Hours later, Reinsch read "Christmas" from "House of the Dead", there were Christmas songs of Peter Cornelius, the Garfield High School Choir presented a program of holiday music, ethnomusicologist Robert Garfias had Puerto Rican Christmas Carols, Melissa Garman read her favorite poetry and played music for Christmas, and The Ham Radio Hours started a fire.
Click here for another KRAB broadcast from the House of Refuge Aug 18, 1968
Recording courtesy the Bob West estate, BW0111
The Tibetan Book of the Wet - KRAB Sep 3, 1975, recorded Aug 18, 1975
A walk through the KRAB rain forest, realized the day the roof leaked everywhere. An impromptu composition. ("Liquid" -- the Daily Rag.) With the KRAB Aqua-Infinity Arkestra, Including: Jeff Follette, ethereal space conduit; Leila Gorbman, Pepsi can: Lee Read, orange juice bottle and shovel; Chuck Reinsch, tape, jar, and vacuum cleaner hose; Johnny Walker, heating grate: Stu Witmer, conduit and soprano buckets; Greg Palmer, bass buckets; Shanti, styrofoam cup; Bob Weppner, sheet metal and acoustic bead curtain. Produced by Tom Eckels, with the assistance of Gravity.
A summer storm (mid-afternoon Aug 18, 1975) brought the KRAB staff together for a spontaneous collaboration that started with a rush to protect the Production Room equipment and a search for containers to catch the deluge. Do any of the perpetrators remember whose idea it was to broadcast this live?
Listen now - The Tibetan Book of the Wet - KRAB Sep 3, 1975 (37:53)
Recording courtesy of the Jack Straw Foundation, JSF inv M-1483
Home-Made Music with Melissa Gustafson, Candace Sieger, and Danae Lauran - KRAB Mar 18, 1976
Home-Made Music on guitar and mandolin, with Melissa Gustafson and Candace Sieger. Poetry by Danae Lauran.
Melissa Gustafson, guitar and vocals
Candace Sieger, mandolin and vocals
Danae Lauran, poetry
Recorded by Judith Hadley.
Recording courtesy Karen Berge, kb0027
Music of Seattle's Taverns - KRAB Apr 6, 1976, recorded Mar 22, 1976
P. K. Dwyer and Donna Beck; Barbara Bush, and Ron W. Bailey, some of Seattle's best pass-the-hat tavern musicians, bring you solos, duos, trios and quartets, from a LIVE-at-KRAB pub-jam session on March 22, 1976. Run-fetch-a-pitcher-and-get-the-baby-some-beer!
Here are some links for more info about the performers:
Produced and introduced by Judith Hadley, with a "semi-live audience".
Listen now - Music of Seattle's Taverns - KRAB Apr 6, 1976 (66:27)
Recording courtesy Jack Straw Foundation, M0218
200 Years of Obnoxious American Music - Greg Palmer with a Bicentennial Special - Jun 7, 1976
Just in time for America's special day.....
A Marathon presentation of obnoxious, or loathsome, or simply inane recordings; either performer, material or both performer and performance reaching crud standards. Including notes for other obnoxicologists.
Listen now - 200 Years of Obnoxious American Music - Greg Palmer with a Bicentennial Special (38:56)
Recording courtesy of the Jack Straw Foundation, JSF inv M-0552
Tuesday Night Live at KRAB: Marlene Fontenay, the only French Cabaret singer in town - KRAB, Oct 19, 1976
A live concert from the Seattle Folklore Society Clubhouse. Chanteuse Marlene Fontenay plays piano, sings, and speaks with KRAB Music Director Bill Noll about her life and music. She performs classics as well as her own work of surprising authenticity. Click here for 1981 review in the New York Times.
In the mid-1970's KRAB went nuts with live broadcasts from around Seattle. This is from a series entitled "Tuesday Night live at KRAB". See also Blues and Hokum: Part I
Listen now - Marlene Fontenay Tuesday Night Live at KRAB (90:47)
Recording courtesy of the Jack Straw Foundation, JSF inv 311
Tuesday Night Live at KRAB: Blues and Hokum: Part I - KRAB Feb 8, 1977
First of a two part live radio concert of some of Seattle's finest; tonight Brian Butler, Baby Gramps, Mike Dumovitch, Art Messer, and Harry Basin. Jack Cook Hosts. The second part will be heard in two weeks, Feb 22nd. Live from the KRAB studios.
Tuesday night live at krab seeems to have started Oct 5, 1976, and the last one was May 5, 1981. Bill Noll, KRAB's music director in 1977 introduces the program. Another of the Tuesday Night Live series can be found at Marlene Fontenay, the only French Cabaret singer in town
Hosted by Jack Cook, the actual performers were a little different than those scheduled in the guide: In order, they were
Bill Noll (1:53)
Mike Dumovitch, Sr (20:45)
Brian Butler and Kim Thiel (18:21)
Art Messer (17:37)
Baby Gramps (15:43)
Larry Conklin (15:14)
Liza Dietrichson (9:50)
Keith Keller joined by Jack Cook (24:16)
Listen now - Tuesday Night Live at KRAB: Blues and Hokum: Part I - KRAB Feb 8, 1977 (123:39)
Recording courtesy of the Bob West Collection, BW0156
International Women's Day - Ellen Thorne, Jill Johnson, Gwen Harrel, Mary Litchfield - KRAB Mar 8, 1977
Tuesday Night Live At KRAB - A Women's Day presentation tonight featuring peformers: Sandy Bradley and Jill Johnson with Balkan folk songs; Ellen Thorn, banjo; and Gwen Harrell, guitar. This is live from the KRAB studios.
These two recordings came from Karen Berge's collection of tapes from her Production Assistant days at KRAB. In 1977 she orgainzed the programming for International Women's Day.
The first recording begins with Ellen and Jeff Thorne; then Jill Johnson with Sandy Bradley; and then Gwen Harrell guitar and vocal. The second tape is of Mary Litchfield playing guitar and singing. 
Unfortunately, these tapes suffer from some distortion which may have been caused by overloading of the microphones, or clipping in either the microphone preamps or the tape deck. Record volumes could be set in either the board (mixer) or in the tape deck, and operators sometimes did not monitor both.
Listen now - Tuesday Night Live at KRAB - Mary Litchfield - Mar 8, 1977 (39:22)
Recordings courtesy Karen Berge, KB0031, KB0032
PATCHWORK, The Original Optimist Radio Hour, and Mondo Bando - KRAB Mar 19, 1977
The humor and music of the demented residents of "Cookie House," presenting the best of their material from PATCHWORK. [Editor's note: The only program guide listing for The Original Optimist Hour we could find was Sept 21, 1977]
Yet another editor's note: My workdays at KRAB generally started at 8:00am, which meant I really did not hear much of what was happening on the air after 11:59pm. So "Cookie House", "Uncle Cookie", "The Original Optimist Hour", and certainly Mondo Bando were unknown to me until I ran across an Uncle Cookie poster and received an email with an attached audio file. And then I had to ask Carl Smool what he knew about it and/or them:
"I remember a fair amount about the Original Optimist from our first meeting Patch in the early '70s when we lived a few blocks south of the little building on Roosevelt from which KRAB broadcasted. It was later when we moved to a house just off of University Way and 50th. Mark Wheaton, Mark Sargent, Conrad Uno and I lived there for a few years. It was there where we developed the Original Optimist Hour, bringing in my sister Gail, Mike Freeman, and Patti George. Mark Wheaton had a recording studio in the basement of the house, and he recorded a piece that I called 'Kitchen Cantata.' I had rented a tank of Helium that raised the pitch of my voice. It was a humorous piece."
The show starts with Patch, then The Original Optimist Radio Hour theme, Carl Smool, The Original Optimist, puts in an appearance and introduces Mondo Bando, who play for awhile. Then Carl comes back with some more optimism.
Recording courtesy Mark Maye (Mondo Bando, guitarist)
Syncopated Ecstasy with Roswell - KRAB Nov 6, 1977
Always on a Sunday night; the first scheduled show was Mar 22, 1970, described as "ROSWELL - mellow morning miscellanys in a jazz vein"; and a week later titled "Roswell's Rut - more syncopated ecstasy from the Jazz master". Four years later, in Oct 1974, the title changed to "Syncopated Ecstasy". Roswell always followed Robotnor, until 1981 when KRAB became Robotless.
Heard on this recording are the last few minutes of The Robotnor Hours, followed by about 37 minutes of Syncopated Ecstasy.
Roswell's last show was Feb 14, 1982, when the schedule was reorganized.
Syncopated Ecstasy with Roswell - KRAB Nov 6, 1977 (46:25)
Recording courtesy Gregg Whitcomb, GW0034
Saturday Afternoon Blues with Jack Cook (maybe?) - KRAB 1978
Between 1974 and 1982 KRAB blues hosts seemed to be always moving. In the Sep 1976 program guide it was announced:
Starting in September, Baby Biscuit Blues goes away, to be replaced by Jack Cook and Karl Kotas, alternating, Saturdays, at 2:30PM
Here is another cassette recording made off the air by Anne MacFadden. Jack, is this you?
Saturday Afternoon Blues with Jack Cook (maybe?) - KRAB 1978 (31:07)
Recording courtesy Anne MacFadden, AM0002
True Blues with Dave White - KRAB sometime between 1978 - 1982
Although the label on the cassette says, "Jack Cook", at the end of the tape, Phil Bannon says it was Dave White. And Phil should know. "True Blues" was the name of the show and it ran from Nov 1978 to Feb 1982, and was hosted, alternately, by Karl Kotas, Jeff Poskin, and Dave White.
Jack Cook, sometimes with Steve Patterson, hosted "Blue Shadows" for a while in 1974, then took over King Biscuit Time from Bob West, then Double Biscuit Blues in 1976, and then Saturday Afternoon Blues until 1978.
Listen now - True Blues with Dave White - KRAB sometime between 1978 - 1982 (45:15)
Recording courtesy Anne MacFadden
Robert Hunter, Lyricist for the Grateful Dead, in a benefit concert for KRAB - Jun 23, 1978
8:00 (SECRECY)! - This program is so underground at the moment that even the ground hogs are mum. All we can say is that if you appreciate the live broadcast of local music concerts on KRAB, you should wander toward the end of your dial tonight. [Jun 23, 1978]
12:00 PATCHWORK: "DEAD AIR" - A rebroadcast of the June 23 KRAB benefit with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. [Aug 5, 1978]
Robert Hunter is solo on the first two tracks. He then introduces Larry Klein (of Comfort), who plays with him for the rest of the show. June 23, 1978 was Robert Hunter's 37th birthday. "KRAB radio" gets a mention near the end of track 14, "Delia Delyon and Staggerlee", and again at the end of the concert. As does Dipstick Duck (created by Ray Collins - if you know Ray, please let him know.)
Robert Deardorf, known to KRAB listeners as Patch, describes it like this:
yes, I remember my 'greatful dead dj' days ... a group effort actually spearheaded by a fellow I met during the days at Draft Resistance (before we all became part of SDS) ...
we tried to mount a 'main band' concert as a benefit for the station but wound up with their songwriter instead ... worked out well for everybody ... big difference between producing that act and a guy with his guitar ...
I also remember a Hunter show for us at The Rainbow tavern on 45th which was recorded by Rick Chinn on a date which escapes me (like much of the decade) ... while the big hub show also featured Danny O'Keefe as the opener
over the better part of a year, i hosted bootleg tapes of the band curated by these folks and attended by the mob ... funny part? they were all quite quiet and orderly until the music started and they would all talk at once about past shows they'd attended and, of course, the quality of the acid taken ...
my only memory of Robert himself is being a sweet guy who revealed that his performance abilities rose just as his writing abilities began to fade so, as he put it ... he got two lives out of the same material ...
it was as you imagine any deadhead meeting ... happy woozy people merrily chatting away to the famed shuffle sounds with at least one statuesque blonde woman in a floor-length summer dress twirling about with hands raised ...
Our copy of the audio comes to us from 3 fellows who somehow acquired a copy of a tape, digitized it, and made the files available to us. We put it up in archive.org's Live Music Archive, which Robert Hunter has authorized to host (and share) audio of his concerts.
Audio files courtesy Jamie Waddell, Jason Chastain, John Wenzel, Robert Hunter, and archive.org. Ticket stub courtesy Dennis Koessel, who has attended a lot of concerts. And, thanks to Patchman for his memories.
Patchwork with Patchman - An interview of Arnold Grizzley - KRAB Aug 25, 1979
Patchwork - Chinas Comidas, Red Dress, 84 year old Arnold Grizzly, the Blackouts! & other local luminaries on vinyl, on tape, on mike & on drugs. Also stars Patchman, Bill Dempsey and you.
Patch was KRAB production manager for a time. He was sometimes mildly outrageous and always provocative. He was Cerberus standing at the entrance to the record library
Ed note: After 1977 I worked for organizations that required me to be conscious during "normal business hours", so KRAB after midnight was a mystery to me. It still is.
Patchwork with Patchman - An interview of Arnold Grizzley - KRAB Aug 25, 1979 (14:28)
Recording courtesy Robert Deardorf, RD0002
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If you possess any souvenirs (program guides, tapes, or photos) or have a story about your experience with KRAB you are willing to share, please email archive@krabarchive.com