Welcome to the 500th episode of Bluegrass Jam Along! My guest this week is Trey Hensley, who joins me to celebrate the very first record he bought – Flatt and Scruggs at Carnegie Hall. This historic album was a pivotal moment for bluegrass and also served as a personal intro to the music for many…
Read MoreThis week's Bitesize episode celebrates one of the most important dates in bluegrass music – December 8th. The main reason this date is so important is that it marks the first time Earl Scruggs joined Bill Monroe at The Opry, on December 8th 1945, leading many people to describe it as 'the birth of bluegrass'….
Read MoreWelcome to this month’s Bluegrass Briefing, a monthly series of episodes taking a look at what’s going on in the world of bluegrass. Here are the links to stuff mentioned in this episode. News and announcements – church street news European Bluegrass Summit registration Alison Krauss & Union Station – Live – vinyl reissue Bela…
Read MoreMy guest this week is David Grier, who joins me to celebrate the classic album 'The White Brothers – Live in Sweden' (recently remastered and reissued in an expanded form as 'The New Kentucky Colonels – Live in Sweden'). We talk about what makes this recording special, including the fact it was recorded live and…
Read MoreIn an age where pop culture dominates the airwaves, understanding the rich variety of music beyond the mainstream becomes increasingly important. In this week's episode, journalist and broadcaster Craig Havighurst joins me to talk about his new book “Musicality for Modern Humans,” his journey of exploring musical literacy and the importance of 'listening for' something…
Read MoreMy guest this week is Eddie Barbash. We chat about his unique journey as a saxophonist who has embraced the world of fiddle tunes. He shares insights into the challenges and joys of transitioning from jazz to fiddle music, the intricacies of improvisation, and the importance of social music-making. Eddie also talks about his three…
Read MoreWelcome to this month’s Bluegrass Briefing, a monthly series of episodes taking a look at what’s going on in the world of bluegrass. Here are the links to stuff mentioned in this episode. News and announcements – church street news Old & In the Way Live vinyl release Craig Havighurst book Blue Ridge Guitar Camp…
Read MoreThis week's Bitesize episode features a conversation I had with Chris Eldridge from Punch Brothers and Mighty Poplar celebrating Tony Rice's classic album Church Street Blues. Chris talks about Tony's ability to combine big musical gestures with intricate detail, how other musicians played better when they played with Tony and why you should listen to…
Read MoreMy guest this week is Darol Anger, who joins me to discuss his new album 'Diary of a Fiddler 2 – The Empty Nest'. We chat about the original 'Diary of a Fiddler', released in 1999, and how the second volume celebrates and deepened Darol's connection to the fiddle community, in particular the players he's…
Read MoreThis week's episode is another special recorded at IBMA's World of Bluegrass in Chattanooga. I have four shorter interviews for you, each with someone connected to Dark Shadow Recording. First up is Becky Buller. Becky came onto the podcast in August of 2024 to chat about her record Jubilee. This time we're talking about her…
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