Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly 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 Library of Congress list Releases (The Grass is New) The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist Scroll on Buddy Billy Strings a capella quertet Jacob Jolliff Vera performance Other bits Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/ The Grass is (mostly) New 202...
Apr 22, 2024•9 min•Ep. 382
Kristina R. Gaddy joins me again to celebrate the paperback release of her fascinating book “Well of Souls: Uncovering the Banjo's Hidden History”. We chat about the reception to the book's publication in hardback, what information has come to light since publication, Kristina's hopes that her book will inspire others to pick up where she left off and dig deeper, plus how Beyonce's 'Cowboy Carter', featuring Rhiannon Giddens (who wrote the foreword to Kristina's book) increased the attention on ...
Apr 16, 2024•21 min•Ep. 381
**This interview was originally posted in September 2022** My guest this week is Kristina R. Gaddy, who joins us to discuss her fascinating book “Well of Souls: Uncovering the Banjo's Hidden History”. We chat about how she came to write the book and some of the key discoveries she made along the way, in particular the banjo’s unknown history as an instrument of ritual and rebellion. Kristina’s research in diaries, letters, archives, and art, traces the banjo’s beginnings from the seventeenth cen...
Apr 16, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 380
Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly 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 Church Street Blues reissue Releases (The Grass is New) The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist Other bits Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/ The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist Full list of interviews Peghead Nation Use the code ‘jamalong’ fo...
Apr 15, 2024•10 min•Ep. 379
My guest this week is Matt Glaser, Artistic Director of Berklee's Center for American Roots Music. Matt joins me to celebrate 15 years of the program, but also to delve into some of the themes of his superb Keynote Speech at IBMA 2023. In the speech, Matt sets out the idea that American music can be seen as one thing, rather than simply a series of genres, and goes on to give countless examples of early musical connections between styles. We chat about his approach, how music education differs i...
Apr 09, 2024•55 min•Ep. 378
Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly 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 Fretboard Summit Rhiannon Giddens on collaborating with Beyoncé on 'Cowboy Carter' Releases (The Grass is New) The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist Scroll on Buddy David Benedict ‘How I Transcribe’ Hillary Klug Kickstarter Other bits Sign up for emails https://bluegr...
Apr 08, 2024•11 min•Ep. 377
This week we're jamming along to the classic tune Temperance Reel. This is a performance track, rather than a backing track. It's me playing both tune and backup so you've got a reference to listen to if you're new to the tune, or just want to be able to listen a few times to the whole thing. Don't forget to check out the other three episodes when you're done and jam along! If you want a chord chart (or just want to find out more or get in touch), head to bluegrassjamalong.com Send a message to ...
Apr 02, 2024•4 min•Ep. 376
This week we're jamming along to Temperance Reel and I've got three brand new backing track episodes for you. This is the jam along track where I play backup, followed by the melody then we keep swapping. It's four times through in the key of G at 75 bpm. Don't forget to check out the other three episodes when you're done. If you want a chord chart (or just want to find out more or get in touch), just head to bluegrassjamalong.com Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include y...
Apr 02, 2024•9 min•Ep. 375
This week we're jamming along to Temperance Reel and I've got three brand new backing track episodes for you. This is the you play lead track where I play backup so you can work on the tune. It's four times through in the key of G at 75 bpm. Don't forget to check out the other three episodes when you're done. If you want a chord chart (or just want to find out more or get in touch), just head to bluegrassjamalong.com Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I ...
Apr 02, 2024•5 min•Ep. 374
This week we're jamming along to Temperance Reel and I've got three brand new backing track episodes for you. This is the you play rhythm track where I play the melody so you can work on backup. It's four times through in the key of G at 75 bpm. Don't forget to check out the other three episodes when you're done. If you want a chord chart (or just want to find out more or get in touch), just head to bluegrassjamalong.com Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name s...
Apr 02, 2024•5 min•Ep. 373
Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly 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 IBMA ticket info Releases (The Grass is New) The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist Scroll on Buddy Bob Minner - Sulphur Dell Other bits Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/ The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist Full list of interviews Peghead Na...
Apr 01, 2024•9 min•Ep. 372
My guest this week is Lindsay Lou, who joins me to talk about her wonderful record Queen of Time . We talk about the arc of Lindsay's creative journey, from her previous record Southland to this record, and beyond. We also chat about why it's important to know where you came from, both personally and musically, and why that led to Lindsay using interviews with her grandmother on two tracks on the record, plus I got the chance to ask about Lindsay's recent experience of joining the Transatlantic ...
Mar 26, 2024•56 min•Ep. 371
Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly 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 Well of Souls - Kristina Gaddy Releases (The Grass is New) The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist Scroll on Buddy Punch Brothers - Just What I Needed Other bits Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/ The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist Full list ...
Mar 24, 2024•9 min•Ep. 370
My guest this week is Bill Amatneek, who joins me to talk about his fascinating new book 'Discovering Tony Rice.' Bill shares his memories of playing with Tony in the David Grisman Quintet, officiating at Tony's wedding to Leela and spending time with him on the road. He also talks about how an article on Tony turned into a 260 page book and what he learned about Tony from interviewing his friends, musical colleagues and family in the process. It's a fascinating insight into one of the most extr...
Mar 19, 2024•52 min•Ep. 369
Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly 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 Earl Scruggs Music Festival lineup Mike Marshall and Caterina Lichtenberg’s mandolin retreat Releases (The Grass is New) The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist Scroll on Buddy The Last Repair Shop Other bits Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/ The...
Mar 18, 2024•14 min•Ep. 368
My guest this week is singer-songwriter, producer, author, and playwright Michael Johnathon. Michael is probably best known as the founder, producer and host of The Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour. He joins me to talk about Woodsongs' extraordinary history, from its humble beginnings in a tiny room with an audience of 12, to being broadcast on 537 radio stations and heard by over two million listeners. We also chat about his SongFarmers project, a global network where musicians become leaders and ...
Mar 13, 2024•54 min•Ep. 367
Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly 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 North Carolina Guitar Celebration Chris Thile’s Acousticamp Releases (The Grass is New) The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist Scroll on Buddy New Music Streaming Bill Pitchfork Mixmag Other bits Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/ The Grass is (m...
Mar 11, 2024•10 min•Ep. 366
My guest this week is guitarist Ethan Sherman. Ethan joins me to talk about his new record 'Passages', which is due out on March 8th. We chat about working with producer Wes Corbett on the project, why it was important to write for specific players and how Ethan came to string band music in the first place. We also chat about a wonderful book Ethan co-wrote with Adam Levy called 'String Theories'. I've been working with it for a couple of weeks and it's really inspired me to focus more on where ...
Mar 05, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 365
Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly 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 Lessons With Marcel Tony Rice video Releases (The Grass is New) The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist Scroll on Buddy Earl Scruggs’ D18 Other bits Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/ The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist Full list of interviews...
Mar 04, 2024•11 min•Ep. 364
My guest this week is Missy Raines. We talk about Missy's wonderful new album 'Highlander' and her journey from being a bass player to becoming a singer/songwriter and bandleader. Along the way Missy talks about being part of a musical tradition, what that means to her, how working with producer Alison Brown shaped the record and why it felt like coming home to a place she'd never left to begin with. It's a great record and I really enjoyed the conversation. To find out more about Missy, includi...
Feb 27, 2024•57 min•Ep. 363
Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly 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 Song Farmers Casey Driessen’s Blue Ridge Fiddle Camp Releases (The Grass is New) The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist Scroll on Buddy Scott Nygaard on playing for people to dance to Other bits Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/ The Grass is (mo...
Feb 26, 2024•11 min•Ep. 362
My guest this week is fiddle player George Jackson. George, originally from New Zealand, now living in Nashville, won the 2022 IBMA Instrumentalist Of The Year Momentum Award. He's played with a wide range of artists with artists such as The Jacob Jolliff Band, Jake Blount, Tall Poppy String Band, The Local Trio, Front Country, Peter Rowan and Missy Raines. He joins me to chat about a fascinating project he's working on with Tristan Scroggins, called The Old Time 100. George and Tristan recorded...
Feb 20, 2024•53 min•Ep. 361
Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly 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 Steve Gulley Memorial Scholarship Bluegrass Today piece Crandall Creek website New Mexico Banjo Camp Discovering Tony Rice Book Releases (The Grass is New) The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist Scroll on Buddy Bela Fleck - In Defence of Rhapsody in Blue Richard Davis ...
Feb 18, 2024•12 min•Ep. 360
My guest this week is Kyle Tuttle. Lots of you will know Kyle as the banjo player in Molly Tuttle's band Golden Highway, but he also has a fantastic new record called 'Labor of Lust', which he's joining me to chat about in this episode. We talk about the roots of the record, the theme that runs through it, Earl Scruggs' influence on Kyle (and the banjo in general) and using effects on the banjo, both to change the sound in the studio and to get a fuller sound live, particularly as the venues Kyl...
Feb 14, 2024•53 min•Ep. 359
Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly 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 Michael Daves Facebook page Bluegrass in La Roche Releases (The Grass is New) The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist Scroll on Buddy Alex Hargreaves ArtistWorks course Other bits Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/ The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 p...
Feb 12, 2024•11 min•Ep. 358
This is the final episode in the series celebrating Earl Scruggs' 100th birthday. My guest for this one is Jim Mills. Jim is a fantastic banjo player, who spent over a decade playing with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder. He's also an expert on pre-War Gibson banjos, so is the perfect person to talk about how the banjos Earl played influenced the sound and, as a result, the type of banjo people look for to this day. If you want to find out more about Jim, including infohon his business buying a...
Feb 07, 2024•38 min•Ep. 357
Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly 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 IBMA official showcase Ramble applications Green Mountain Bluegrass & Roots Festival Releases (The Grass is New The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist Scroll on Buddy George Jackson & Tristan Scroggins - Old time 100 Tristan’s Instagram George’s Instagram Chris...
Feb 05, 2024•11 min•Ep. 356
This is part 3 of the celebration of Earl Scruggs' 100th birthday. In this episode we're talking about Earl's influence on the younger generation of players and also celebrating his wonderful guitar playing. You'll hear from: Trey Hensley, on Earl being his main influence on the guitar, as well as getting to meet and play with Earl Kyle Tuttle, on why no banjo record is complete without a tip of the hat to Earl Scruggs and why Earl is perhaps one of the most imitated musicians in history Willow ...
Feb 01, 2024•56 min•Ep. 355
Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly 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. Podcast news Earl Scruggs 100th birthday celebration part 1 Part 2 Releases (The Grass is New) The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist Other bits Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/ The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist Full list of interviews Peghead Nation Use the code ‘jamalong’ for a f...
Jan 29, 2024•10 min•Ep. 354
This is part 2 of the celebration of Earl Scruggs' 100th birthday. Earl's influence on bluegrass is huge, as you'll hear from my guests this week. You'll hear from: Jerry Douglas, on Earl being one of the first sounds he heard and why starting The Earls of Leicester felt like a calling Alison Brown on why the timing of Earl's arrival on the bluegrass scene (and the wider music scene) had such an impact on the music, and on Earl's career Tim O'Brien on Earl's role in the development of bluegrass ...
Jan 24, 2024•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 353
