What's that song I just heard?

The bluegrassy theme song that opens and closes our show may be annoying to some of you, but laboratory tests have shown that it has statistically significant positive therapeutic effects for those suffering from PMS and hemorrhoidal flare-ups.

The music is called "Dawggy Mountain Breakdown." It was written and performed by a guy named David Grisman, who is perhaps the world's foremost jazz/bluegrass mandolin player (like he has a lot of competition in that field!).

Grisman refers to his particular blend of music as "Dawg" music, hence all the "dawg" references. Why "Dawg"? We have no idea (David, send us an e-mail and explain it to us!).

"Dawggy Mountain Breakdown" appears on the 1983 Grisman album "Dawg Grass/Dawg Jazz," on Warner Brothers Records, which is now out of print. This song also appears on the album/CD "DGQ-20", which is available from Acoustic Disc Online [catalog # ACD-20]

If you'd prefer to download a copy, it's also available via Apple's iTunes music store.

Who could possibly write a tune as amusingly twisted as our Stump The Chumps theme music? BJ Leiderman, that's who. Who's BJ Leiderman, you ask? Well, the guy is a veritable fount of public radio tunes. BJ's practically written them all, including the theme music for Morning Edition, "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" and Weekend Edition.

And, finally, he's written music for Car Talk. Which means, what? He's now entirely unemployable. Smart move, BJ.

Every week, we get about 25 calls from listeners saying "I know this is a really strange question, but what's the name of that beautiful little piano and guitar piece you play at the mid point of your show?"

Well, if that's such a strange question, how come 1,300 people a year call us to ask it?

The music is from a song called Dixie Flyer by songwriter Randy Newman. It's on his album "Land of Dreams" on Warner Brothers Records.