Tootle of a Devilish Song
Summary
Reported from Basel’s Jodlerfest, this episode traces the global journey of yodeling from Alpine cattle calls to a cornerstone of American country music. Reporter Gabe Bullard explores how the vocal technique evolved through tourism and was famously blended with blues by Jimmie Rodgers. The story also covers Switzerland’s post-WWII efforts to distinguish its yodeling identity and highlights modern artists reinventing the tradition for new generations.
Topics discussed
Sponsor Reads: Sachi Art and Kit Kat
Arrival in Basel and the Jodlerfest atmosphere
Interviews with yodelers and festival attendees
The history of yodeling and its global spread
Origins: Cattle herders and early documentation
Theories on why herders yodeled
The Grand Tour era and yodeling as performance
Mark Twain's complaints and the oral tradition
Notating yodels and spreading to Europe
Yodeling arrives in the United States
Jimmie Rodgers and the birth of country music
Blending blues and yodeling in 'T for Texas'
Jimmie Rodgers' massive popularity and legacy
Yodeling in 1930s country and Hollywood
The lasting vocal flip in modern country music
Swiss identity and the 1943 yodeling textbook
Modern resurgence and university yodeling programs
New artists blending yodeling with other genres
Transition to archival recordings segment
Sponsor Reads: Sachi Art, Kit Kat, Ro, Certada
Earliest recordings of yodeling in the US
The 7 Musical Magpies and calliope imitation
Black artists and the erasure in country music history
Credits and final sponsor reads
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