Sunday Supper: 08/09/20

Within the world of "Sunday Supper" there's a certain bias for singer-songwriters, and within that, a special place for Chicago artists from the '70s. That's when I met Steve Goodman, John Prine, Bonnie Koloc, and many more talented young denizens of the fertile folk scene. In 1976, Michael Smith, who was already known for "The Dutchman," joined that pantheon, and it seemed his songs were everywhere. With Smith's passing of cancer at 78 in Chicago, this week's "Sunday Supper" pays tribute to a songwriter's songwriter.

One of Michael Smith's champions was Claudia Schmidt, whose exquisite version of "Spoon River" we'll hear on today's show. She'll be webcasting, along with Thom Chacon and Frank & Allie Lee, on Tuesday on Facebook Live and YouTube at "John Platt's On Your Radar." On today's show Ben Harper and Rhiannon Giddens honor another songwriting icon, Nick Drake, with their collaboration, while Mary Chapin Carpenter, Heathcote Hill, and Tracy Grammer also offer new releases.

If you had to endure a power outage, thanks to Hurricane Isaias, you'll find everything at full strength from 5-6 p.m. EDT at 90.7 FM and wfuv.org or anytime on demand in the WFUV Weekend Archives, on the WFUV app, or on the failsafe smart speaker of your choice.

Photo by Kevin Viol