In the summer of 2001, I had recently moved to New York City after leaving a position as a radio journalist in Tampa. At the time, I had set out to begin producing long form radio documentaries. I had gotten a lead on a story about a Maryland resident named Leon Kagarise who had stacks of rare outdoor country music performances. Leon had recorded these shows throughout the late fifties and early sixties setting up recording equipment on stage at Maryland’s outdoor venues such as Sunset Park and New River Ranch. His collection was discovered by record store owner Joe Lee. Kagarise and Lee had spent hours listening to stacks of tapes and then digitally archiving them. On these tapes are unedited performances of country and bluegrass legends such as Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash and Hank Snow before they were stars. Leon’s collection offered more than a glimpse into the Goldan Age of Country Music, at a time when candid moments were rarely documented. Leon also recorded radio and TV shows when stations themselves weren’t archiving their own broadcasts.
I took a bus from New York to Towson, Maryland. I stayed at a motel for a couple nights, Joe Lee picked me up and graciously drove me around to meet and interview Leon and local musicians. This radio documentary project started a few months before September 11, 2001.
Its been more than two decades since this documentary aired, broadcasting on several radio stations including WMNF, WMOT and WPLN