My guest on the podcast this week is guitarist and Peghead Nation founder Scott Nygaard. We chat about playing with Chris Thile and Tim O'Brien, including how Scott got the gig with Tim after a chance meeting. We also talk about how Peghead Nation was founded, the IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award they're receiving next month…
Read MoreMy guest this week is Cameron Knowler. Cameron is a multi-instrumentalist who specialises in bluegrass, old time and jazz. I was first introduced to Cameron by Bob Minner, who I interviewed back in March 2022 (episode #177). Cameron also writes regularly for Acoustic Guitar magazine and has written a fascinating book called 'Guitars Have Feelings…
Read MoreMy guest this week is Steve Nall, better known as Nully, head of production at Collings guitars. I didn't realise till we sat down to chat that it was exactly five years to the day since Bill Collings passed. We talked about Bill, his approach to guitar making (and life in general), as well as…
Read MoreMy guest this week is Marcel Ardans, from the Lessons With Marcel YouTube channel. Marcel has spent hours (probably weeks) transcribing the playing of bluegrass players. In this episode he picks four of his favourites and we chat about their styles, influences and what makes them unique. First up is Billy Strings, followed by Trey…
Read MoreYesterday was June 8th 2022 and would have been Tony Rice's birthday. As a tribute to Tony I've put together a compilation of some of the conversations I've had for this podcast where the guests mentioned Tony. I wanted to wait till today to release it as yesterday, Tony's actual birthday, I was speaking to…
Read MoreMy guest (again) this week is Jake Eddy. Jake was my first ever guest on Bluegrass Jam Along. If you want to check out that episode it's here Jake came back to chat to me about his latest project, 'Nor' Easter', a new collaboration with mandolin legend Andy Statman. Jake explains how the project came…
Read MoreMy guest this week is Bob Minner. Bob has been the acoustic guitarist for country icon Tim McGraw for almost 30 years now, and he's also a fantastic bluegrass picker. His latest project, 'From Sulphur Springs To Rising Fawn : The Songs of Norman Blake' is a wonderful tribute to the music of Norman and…
Read MoreThis week's interview is with author Tim Brookes, about his fascinating book 'Guitar – An American Life.' The book looks at how the guitar took shape as the modern instrument we know today, but also its place in American culture and how it went from being a fringe instrument to reaching the point where it…
Read MoreMy guest this week is the brilliant Chris Eldridge. Chris is a member of my favourite band in the world, Punch Brothers, but he also records and tours with Julian Lage as a duet, as well as recording, writing and producing with a whole range of musicians, from Paul Simon to Renee Fleming and many…
Read MoreMy guest this week is the fabulous Charlotte Carrivick. Charlotte's one of my favourite guitarists and we've been chatting about getting this interview done since July, so I'm thrilled we finally managed to find a time to record it. It would be quicker to tell you which instruments Charlotte doesn't play than which she does,…
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