Bluegrass Unlimited's Podcast: Recent Episodes
Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine
In this weekly podcast Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine editor, Dan Miller, interviews bluegrass musicians. Both the new up-and-coming artists and the bluegrass legends are featured.
This week we feature flatpicking guitar master Russ Barenberg and talk with him about his long career performing and recording with the acoustic guitar. We will follow his career from his early days in Pennsylvania, then moving to his days in New York and Boston and then his making the move to Nashville. We'll talk about some of the bands that Russ performed with along the way, including Country Cooking, Fiddle Fever and the trio with Jerry Douglas and Edgar Meyer. We'll also talk about the solo projects that he has released over the years, and more.
This week we feature mandolin player and builder David Harvey. Dave has recently retired from working at Gibson and we take a look back at his career as both a performer and instrument builder. Dave talks about his father, mandolinist Dorsey Harvey, and about performing with artist like Red Allen, Larry Sparks, Claire Lynch, Larry Cordle, the Moody Blues and more.
This week we feature fiddler Craig Duncan. We talk with Craig about his many instructional books and his recordings covering a variety of genres of fiddle music. We will also talk about the performance work that he does in Nashville, his approach to teaching fiddle and some of the now famous fiddle students that he has taught over the years.
This week we feature clawgrass banjo player Mark Johnson who was one of this year's inductees to the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame. Mark talks to us about his clawgrass style of banjo, his relationship with Tony Rice and the Rice Brothers, winning the Steve Martin Banjo Prize and his work with Emory Lester.
This week we are featuring Heather Berry Mabe and Tony Mabe. We'll talk with them about how they got started in bluegrass, the various bands they have worked with, their work with Junior Sisk and their recent recording and performing with Red Camel Collective. You will also get to hear a few cuts from their upcoming album.
This week we feature guitar and mandolin player Mickey Abraham. Mickey has recently released a wonderful new album with Kathryn Belle Long titled Voices: A Folk Opera. We talk with Mickey about his career in music and the making and release of this new album, plus his work as a guitar and mandolin instructor.
This week we feature banjo player Frank Evans. We talk with Frank about his new album titled Fit For A Dog. Frank toured for years with the Slocan Ramblers and is now out on the road as a member of Bronwyn Keith-Hynes' band.
This week we feature Michael Daves and talk with him about his growing up in bluegrass music, performing with Chris Thile, working with Tony Trischka and his new album with Jacob Jollif that plays tribute to Jim and Jesse. We also talk to Michael about his ArtistWorks vocals course.
This week we feature Billy Cardine and Mary Lucey and talk with them about their new band Tanasi and the album that they recently released. We will explore both Mary and Billy's backgrounds in music and then talk about the new album and play a couple of cuts from the record.
This week we feature bluegrass banjo legend Tony Trischka and talk with him about his two Earl Jam projects and tour. Tony tells us the story about how the two Earl Jam projects came together and we will talk about his love and respect for Earl's banjo playing and his relationship with Earl Scruggs over the years. We'll also talk about his teaching banjo on ArtistWorks.
This week we feature multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Chris Stuart. Chris has written many songs that were recorded by various well-known bluegrass artists, then he stepped away from writing bluegrass songs for a while, but has now come back to it. We talk with Chris about his bluegrass journey and his song writing.
This week we feature guitar player Jack Lawrence and talk with him about his early years in bluegrass, the many years he spent performing with Doc Watson and what he will be teaching to flatpicking guitar players in August 2026 at the Monroe Mandolin Camp.
This week we feature fiddle player, songwriter and singer Sara Watkins, famously of Nickel Creek and now performing with I'm With Her. We talk with Sara about the Nickel Creek days and what I'm With Her has going on this year, including the recent release or their live album.
This week we are featuring Ralph Stanley II. We talk with Ralph about his life growing up in bluegrass as the son of a bluegrass legend and we will talk about this year's upcoming Dr. Ralph Stanley Hills of Home Bluegrass Festival held at the Stanley homeplace over Memorial Day Weekend. We'll also talk about the Stanley Brothers recent induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
This week we feature bass and guitar player Randy Barnes and talk with him about the many bluegrass bands that he has performed with over the years and his new solo recording on Mountain Fever Records.
This week we feature guitar player, singer and songwriter Paige Anderson. We'll talk about her early work with her family band and subsequent work with her siblings in a band called The Fearless Kin. We then talk with Paige about her most recent work with the band Two Runner and you will get to hear several of Paige's original songs that she recorded with Two Runner.
This week we feature multi-instrumentalist Robert Bowlin. Robert has performed with many bluegrass and country artists over the years and has the distinction of being Bill Monroe's last fiddle player. We talk with Robert about his career in bluegrass, his newest projects and his schedule for the summer of 2026.
This week we feature Canadian mandolin player Andrew Collins. We talk with Andrew about his background in music leading up to a discussion about the Andrew Collins Trio's newest project titled Retro. You'll also hear a couple of tracks from that album.
This week we feature guitar player and singer David Parmley. We talk with David about his induction into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame last fall, along with his Bluegrass Cardinals bandmates. He will also tell us about the history of that band and we will follow his career up through the release of his newest music.
This week we feature guitar player Jordan Tice and talk with him about his career in bluegrass starting with the release of his first solo album when he was still a teenager. We'll talk about his other solo album releases over the years, his work with Hawktail and we will discuss some of the other collaborations that he has had with artists like Andrew Marlin.
This week we feature fiddle player Samantha Snyder Berry and talk with her about her life in bluegrass starting out as a young fiddler with her family's band and then moving on to play with folks like Darin and Brooke Aldridge. We'll also talk about her teaching fiddle, teaching mathematics and writing and self-publishing a novel.
This week we feature guitar player Jeff Autry. Jeff has a fairly new single out and will have a new album out in the near future. We talk with Jeff about that project as well as dive back into his long bluegrass career.
This week we feature singer, songwriter, and banjo and guitar player Tabitha Agnew Benedict of The Foreign Landers and talk with her about her unique bluegrass story and the band's newest project Made To Wonder. You will also hear a couple of tracks from that album.
This week we feature singer, songwriter and guitar player Shannon Slaughter and talk with him about his career in bluegrass music, including the various bands who he has performed with, his work as a school teacher, his newest recording, his songwriting and recently making the move to Mountain Fever Records.
This week we feature California-based mandolin player Jesse Appelman. We will talk about how he got interested in playing bluegrass mandolin, the many prominent California musicians who he has performed with, his ideas about teaching students how to play the mandolin and we'll also talk about his new CD.
This week we feature fiddler, singer and songwriter Tammy Rogers of The SteelDrivers. We will talk about her career in bluegrass, her songwriting, The SteelDrivers recent Grammy nomination and the band celebrating their 20 year anniversary last year.
This week we feature banjo player Barry Abernathy of the Appalachian Road Show. We'll talk with Barry about his early days in bluegrass performing with Doyle Lawson and Mountain Heart and then we will talk about Appalachian Road Show's newest recording and you will hear a cut from that album.
This week we feature Rebekah Speer and talk with her about her life in bluegrass, her work as an audio engineer, graphic designer, songwriter and recording artist. We'll also talk about her newest single and you will get to listen to that single towards the end of the podcast.
This week we feature mandolin player Wayne Benson and talk with him about his long career in bluegrass music, the recent recorded collaborations with his wife Kristin Scott Benson and his YouTube channel for mandolin players. You'll also hear a some music from Wayne and Kristin.
This week we feature banjo player Russ Carson. We'll talk about his early years in bluegrass in his home state of Pennsylvania, his work with Audie Blaylock and his becoming the banjo player for Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder. We'll also talk about his new CD and you'll hear a few cuts from the recordings.
This week we feature Nick Hornbuckle, the banjo player with John Reischman and the Jaybirds. In addition to talking with Nick about his career in bluegrass to date—which includes how he had to go from playing Scruggs three-finger style banjo to producing the same sound using only two fingers, due to a physical issue—we will also talk with Nick about the Jaybirds newest recording.
This week we feature singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Shawn Lane of Blue Highway. We'll talk with Shawn about how he got his start in bluegrass, the bands he performed with early in his career, his work with Blue Highway over the past 30 years and performing with his talented sons Grayson and Garrett.
This week we feature fiddler Jimmy Mattingly and talk with him about his career playing in fiddle contests as a young fiddler, performing in bluegrass band such as Spectrum, the Osbourne Brothers and the Grascals and working with country music acts such as Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood and others. We will also talk about him being the fiddle instructor at the Bluegrass Unlimited Workshop Weekend in February 2026 in Owensboro, Kentucky.
This week we feature Jaelee Roberts, the lead singer and guitar player for Sister Sadie. We talk with Jaelee about growing up in a prominent bluegrass family, performing with an award-winning band, recording her solo albums and performing on the Grand Ole Opry. You will also hear a couple of songs from Jaelee's newest solo album.
This week we feature mandolin master Don Stiernberg. A protégé of the great Jethro Burns, Don is known for both his bluegrass and jazz chops on the mandolin and guitar. In this podcast I'll talk with Don about his years learning from and performing with Jethro Burns and the connections that Jethro had with music legends like Hank Williams, Sr., Chet Adkins, Bill Monroe and Red Rector. We'll also talk about Don's work with Special Consensus over the years.
This week we feature Avril Smith, the guitar player with Della Mae, and talk with her about her career in music, her teaching at Bryan Sutton's guitar camp, Della Mae's newest recording and what 2026 has in store for the band.
This week we feature banjo player Jeremy Stephens. After we discuss how he got his start in bluegrass music, the various bands that Jeremy has performed with over the years and the groups he is with currently, we will talk about his deep interest in Don Reno's banjo style and his study of Reno's life story.
This week we feature Dobro player Fred Travers of the Seldom Scene. We'll talk about how Fred became interested in playing the Dobro, his interest in Mike Auldridge's approach to the Dobro and how he got the chance to take lessons with Mike. We'll also talk about the early bands he performed with and then how he eventually got the opportunity to take the Dobro spot in the Seldom Scene after Mike left the band about 30 years ago.
This week we feature mandolin player and fiddler Andy Leftwich and talk with him about his early days playing fiddle contests, joining Valerie Smith at age 15 and then Ricky Skaggs' band at age 19. He spent about 12 years playing with Skaggs and has since moved on and recently recorded a couple of new albums. His album The American Fiddler came out in 2022 and his new yet to be titled album will come out early in 2026. We talk with Andy about all of that and more.
This week we feature mandolin player Ashby Frank and talk with him about his work with the many different bluegrass bands that he has performed with over the years, both in his native North Carolina and in Nashville. We will also talk about his songwriting and his new solo recording. Additionally, you will get a chance to hear a couple of tunes from that recording.
This week we feature mandolin player Harry Clark. Harry performs and records with one of the hottest bands in bluegrass music today, East Nash Grass. We talk with Harry about his early years in Arkansas and follow his bluegrass career up to the present day.
This week we feature fiddle player Deanie Richardson. Deanie has a long history in bluegrass music and fiddling and is a founding member of the award winning bluegrass band Sister Sadie. We talk with her about her early years playing fiddle contests, her work with the New Coon Creek Girls and various country artists, and the new projects she has been involved with recently.
This week we feature fiddler Christian Ward. As many bluegrass fans know, Christian joined both the Del McCoury band and the Travelin' McCourys after Jason Carter left those bands. We talk with Christian about his early bluegrass years in California, his songwriting and joining with the McCourys.
This week we feature Dobro player Andy Hall of the Infamous Stringdusters. We talk with Andy about his growing up as a rock and metal guitar player and then transitioning into playing the Dobro during his college years at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, his move to Nashville shortly after college and the bands he performed and recorded with there before becoming a founding member of the Infamous Stringdusters 20 years ago.
This week we feature guitar player Zeb Snyder. Zeb started out his career performing with his family band and is now the guitar player for the Appalachian Road Show. He also has recently released a new solo album. I’ll talk with Zeb about his career in bluegrass, his studio work, the lessons he teaches, bands he performs with and the new recording.
This week we feature mandolin player Casey Campbell. Casey grew up in bluegrass music, literally taking his first steps in Bill Monroe’s dressing room at the Grand Ole Opry. He has performed with many bluegrass bands in Nashville over the years. We caught up with Casey at the ROMP festival where he was performing with Vickie Vaughn. We’ll talk with Casey about growing up in a musical family, his influences on mandolin and his mandolin duo album.
This week we feature banjo and guitar player Jason Burleson and talk with him about his career in bluegrass, his thirty years with Blue Highway and a new single that he and his wife have recently released that will lead to his first solo album. You'll also hear that single on the podcast.
This week we feature multi-instrumentalist and singer Sandy Rothman. Sandy has a long history in bluegrass music in California, but also performed with Bill Monroe and spent time performing with bands in Ohio. Back in the mid-1980’s Sandy was in a band called the The Bay Ramblers and has just released a two-CD set of the band’s music in order to honor the memory of the band’s singer and guitar player Alan Senauke who passed away last year. We will talk with Sandy about the CDs and play a few cuts during the show. If you are interested in ordering the CD-set, contact Sandy at: rothmansandy@gmail.com
This week we feature guitar player and singer Randy Waller. Randy is the son of the legendary Charlie Waller of the Country Gentlemen. After his father passed, Randy kept the band going and a new recording of one of their live shows in Holland from 2006 has just been released. We talk with Randy about growing up with the Country Gentlemen, his career in music and the new recording.
This week we feature sixteen year old mandolin player Wyatt Ellis. Wyatt has gained the attention of the bluegrass and mandolin worlds and he did so starting at a very young age. He is now is touring with his own band and working on a new album. Several singles from that project have been released and you will have the chance to hear three of those singles here on this podcast.
This week we feature bass player Ronnie Simpkins. Ronnie has had a long career in bluegrass starting with his family’s band and moving on to bands like the Bluegrass Cardinals, the Virginia Squires, the Tony Rice Unit and now he has been a member of the Seldom Scene for 30 years.
This week we feature banjo player Carolyne Van Lierop Boone. Carolyne is the banjo player with Amanda Cook’s band. Amanda is on the cover of our August 2025 issue and so we thought it would be a good to time talk with Carolyne about her background in bluegrass, working with Amanda Cook and banjo pickin'.
This week we feature mandolin and guitar player Caleb Klauder. Caleb has a diverse musical background that includes bluegrass, old-time, Cajun and classic country music. His band, the Foghorn String Band, was featured in Bluegrass Unlimited in March of 2023 and he and his wife Reeb Willms have put together a new bluegrass band and we’ll talk about all of that.
This week we feature fiddler Jeremy Garrett. Jeremy is a member of the Infamous Stringdusters and now has a new solo album out. We’ll talk to Jeremy about his bluegrass career, his twenty years with the Stringdusters, his songwriting and the new album. You will also hear a few cuts from the album.
This week we feature multi-instrumentalist Bryan McDowell. Bryan tore up the contest circuit on fiddle, guitar and mandolin about fifteen years ago and then went on to play with Claire Lynch and recorded a duo record with Mark Schatz. He has also spent time performing with Sierra Hull, Molly Tuttle, Missy Raines and many others. He now has a new album out under his own name and you will hear some of those cuts during the podcast.
This week we feature guitar player, singer and songwriter Danielle Yother. Danielle is a very talented flatpicking guitar player who came to the attention of the flatpicking world about ten years ago at a very young age. Now she is performing with the band The Wilder Flower and they have a new album out. We talk with Danielle about the band, her guitar picking and her songwriting. We’ll also play some cuts from the new recording.
This week we are featuring guitar and mandolin player, and singer, James Kee. Originally from the Chattanooga area of Tennessee, James now lives in Nashville and performs and records with East Nash Grass. We talk with James about his early bands, his move to Nashville, his work with East Nash Grass and the band’s new record due out in August 2025.
This week we feature guitar and banjo player Ron Block. Ron is best known for his guitar and banjo work with Alison Krauss and Union Station, but he got his start growing up in southern California, later attending South Plains College and then performing with the Weary Hearts and Lynn Morris Band before joining Alison Krauss. We talk with Ron about his years with Alison and his work with his newest band Southern Legacy.
This week we feature singer, songwriter and guitar player Tony Kamel. Tony is best known for his work with the band Wood & Wire. He now has a solo album out and is doing some solo touring this year. We’ll talk with Tony about how he got his start in bluegrass all the way up to the recording of the new record.
This week we feature singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sarah Jarosz. Sarah started her career in bluegrass at a young age and has continued to grow her career both as a solo artist and with the band I’m With Her. We talk to Sarah about her early years in bluegrass up through her current solo and band projects.
This week we feature singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Phil Rosenthal. Phil is best known in bluegrass for his time spent as a member of the Seldom Scene in the 1980s. He has continued to perform and record music since that time and has a new recording with his son that has been recently released.
This week we feature fiddle player and singer Andrea Zonn. Andrea has spent time on the road with many top acts in both country and bluegrass music, including Vince Gill, Lyle Lovett and, for the last twenty-three years, James Taylor. She currently has a new recording out with John Cowan. We’ll talk about that album and you’ll also hear a cut from the recording.
This week we feature guitar player and singer Clay Hess. Clay first came to national prominence in bluegrass playing guitar with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder. He later toured with Mark Newton, Sierra Hull, Mountain Heart and his own Clay Hess Band, among others. He is now the newest member of the Seldom Scene and has released a few singles from an upcoming solo album. This week we talk about Clay’s entire bluegrass journey, including his first few months with the Seldom Scene.
This week we feature singer, songwriter and guitar player Mason Via. We’ll talk about his growing up learning bluegrass music and songwriting from his father, songwriter and bluegrass musician David Via. We will also talk about his time with the Old Crow Medicine Show and his new self-titled album. You’ll also hear a few cuts from that album.
This week we feature guitar player Lucas White. Lucas has had a very interesting career in bluegrass starting from the time he was a teenager in Texas. We’ll talk about his relationship with Tony Rice, working with the Zac Brown band while he was still a teenager, his work in Washington, D.C. advocating for musicians and recording engineers and his current band, Off The Rails.
This week we feature banjo player Chris Pandolfi of the Infamous Stringdusters and talk with him about his career in bluegrass and various other aspects of bluegrass music, practicing, performing and banjo playing.
This week we feature bass player, singer and songwriter Reed Jones. Reed played in Audie Blaylock’s band, Redline, prior to Audie’s untimely passing. He recently teamed up with a special group of musicians who were friends and bandmates of Audie’s to record a tribute single titled “Ran Out of Road.” We talk with Reed about the song and his work with Audie Blaylock.
This week we feature fiddler Michael Cleveland. Michael and Jason Carter have a new album out. We talk with Michael about how he got his start in bluegrass music, the various bands that he has performed with, forming his own band, and the new recording.
This week we feature guitar player and singer Ginger Boatwright. Ginger performed with Red, White and Bluegrass starting in the late 1960s and then worked with Doug Dillard from 1981 until Doug’s passing 33 years later.
This week we feature mandolin player Jeremy Chapman. Jeremy played with his family band for years and now he and his brothers run one of the most successful acoustic music stores in the country. He also has a new mandolin instructional book out that is really well done and is reviewed in the April 2025 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine.
This week we feature mandolin player Dick Staber. Dick has recently written a very interesting memoir about his life in bluegrass music and after reading it, we got in touch with Dick and asked about conducting a podcast interview. Dick notably play with Del McCoury from 1968 to 1975 and also performed with Don Stover, Bob Paisley, Leon Morris, Bill Clifton and many others.
This week we feature multi-instrumentalist Greg Luck. Greg has performed with many of the top bands in bluegrass, including Lost & Found, the Lynn Morris Band, Bluegrass Cardinals, J.D. Crowe and the New South, IIIrd Time Out and Sideline. He also is a recording engineer who has worked with a number of the well-known bands in bluegrass.
This week we feature multi-instrumentalist Gerald Jones. Every year in March we provide the Workshop and Camp listings for the year and Gerald has just taking over running Camp Bluegrass in Levelland, Texas. Camp Bluegrass is one of the oldest bluegrass music camps in the country and Gerald will be leading that camp this year and into the future. We talk with Gerald about his career playing bluegrass in Texas and what he has in store for Camp Bluegrass 2025.
This week we feature mandolin player, fiddler, singer and producer Don Rigsby. Don has performed with many of the top bands in bluegrass over the years and is currently a member of our cover story band for March 2025, Southern Legacy. We talk with Don about all of the various bands he has been involved with over the years, his work with Southern Legacy and his new solo projects that are coming out in 2025.
This week we feature fiddler Casey Driessen and talk with him about his bluegrass journey including his years at the Berklee College of Music as a student, the bands he performed with after graduating from Berklee, his work as the director of Berklee’s Masters program in Spain and the interesting projects that he has been involved with since returning from the job in Spain. That all leads up to talking to Casey about his fiddle camp.
This week we feature guitarist, singer and bandleader Danny Paisley. Paisley started out in bluegrass 50 years ago as a teenager performing with his father Bob Paisley and continues that legacy today. Known for his distinctive bluegrass voice, Danny has won the award for IBMA’s male vocalist of the year four times, including last year in 2024.
This week we feature guitar player and singer Russell Moore. Russell performed with Southern Connection before joining Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver in mid-1980s, then in 1991 he became a founding member of IIIrd Tyme Out and has been with that band since. But now, as most bluegrass fans know, Russell has joined Alison Krauss and Union Station. We talk with Russell about his bluegrass career and the move to Union Station.
This week we feature mandolin master John Reischman. John performed with a number of prominent west coast bands, including the Tony Rice Unit, before starting his own band John Reischman and the Jaybirds. We’ll talk with John about all of various groups he has performed with, his solo projects and what lies ahead for his band.
This week we feature flatpicking guitar player Larry Keel. We talk with him about bands he performed with during his early years leading to the formation of his own band the Larry Keel Experience. We'll also talk about the many people who performed with him over the years, including such legends as Curtis Burch, Tony Rice and Vassar Clements. Additionally, we talk about the work he is doing on stage and in the studio this year with John Stickley.
This week we feature fiddler Tim Crouch. Tim has a long history in bluegrass music dating back to the days as a teenager playing with his Uncle Dub Crouch - who was a legend in bluegrass music in Missouri and was a friend and mentor to our cover story artist this month John Hartford. Tim also spent time with Jim & Jesse, The Whites and Mike Snyder.
This week we fearture Kody Norris of the Kody Norris Show. We will talk with Kody about his bluegrass journey to date and focus on some of the bands latest recordings, including hearing a couple of songs from his last two recorded projects.
This week we feature mandolin player Jacob Jolliff and talk to him about his early years in Oregon, his attending the Berklee College of Music, the various bands he has performed with, including Joy Kills Sorrow and Yonder Mountain String Band, and then we talk about him starting his own band. We’ll also talk about his band’s last two solo albums and his upcoming album with Michael Daves.
This week we feature fiddler Maddie Denton. Maddie performs with both East Nash Grass and the Dan Tyminski Band and she will be the fiddle instructor at our Bluegrass Unlimited Workshop Weekend during the weekend of February 7th to the 9th, 2025 in Owensboro, Kentucky. We’ll talk with Maddie growing up as a contest fiddler, her work with her current bands and her approach to teaching the fiddle.
This week we feature fiddler with Johnny Warren. As most listeners will know, Johnny is the son of bluegrass fiddle legend Paul Warren who spent years performing with Flatt & Scruggs and then toured with Lester Flatt and the Nashville Grass after Flatt and Scruggs parted ways. Johnny is the fiddle player for the Earls of Leicester. We talk with Johnny about his father and about playing his father’s role as the fiddler in the Earls of Leicester.
This week we feature fiddler Fred Carpenter. Fred has had a long career in bluegrass music and with selling and repairing fiddles at his shop in Nashville. He also has a new album out titled One More Thing that includes an impressive group of special guests. We’ll talk with Fred about his years of playing fiddle in bluegrass and country music, his fiddle shop and the new recording.
This week we feature songwriter, singer, record producer, fiddler, and guitar player Shawn Camp. Lester Flatt is on the cover of our December 2024 issue and Shawn plays Lester Flatt’s role in the Earls of Leicester. We’ll talk with Shawn about working with the Earls of Leicester and his career as a songwriter and performer.
This week we feature mandolin player Andy Statman. Andy has been involved in bluegrass music and mandolin playing that extends to jazz and klezmer music since the 1960s. We’ll talk with Andy about his long career and then discuss his newest recording, titled Bluegrass Tracks. You will also hear a couple of cuts from the new recording.
This week we feature singer, songwriter, fiddler and band leader Becky Buller. We talk with Becky about her career in bluegrass leading up to starting her own band, her decade of working as a bandleader, her songwriting and the story behind her latest recording project, titled Jubilee. You’ll also hear the title song from Jubilee as well as a song from Becky's Christmas album.
This week we feature guitar player Mark Cosgrove. Mark is a national flatpicking guitar champion who has toured with musicians like Jerry Douglas and Liz Meyer and, most recently, he spent 12 years on the road with David Bromberg and has performed and recorded with many others, including his own band called Good Medicine. Mark has also produced a number of solo albums over the years and is recognized as one of the heroes of flatpicking guitar.
This week we fearure singer Jen Larson and talk with her work as the manager of the archives at the Grand Ole Opry and her approach to teaching vocal lessons. She will be one of the vocal instructors at Bluegrass Unlimited’s workshop weekend in February 2025, which will be hosted by the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
This week we feature multi-instrumentalist Tim May. Tim spent fifteen years performing with the band Crucial Smith and has also toured with Patty Loveless, John Cowan, Eddie Rabbit, Rodney Dillard, Kathy Mattea and many others. Tim is also a popular instructor at music workshops and camps and has produced a number of instructional books and videos.
This week we feature fiddler Kenny Kosek. Kenny has played for many great bands over the years, including Country Cooking and Breakfast Special back in the early 1970s, and also has produced instructional books and videos that are popular amongst bluegrass fiddlers. He now has a new album out titled Twisted Sage. We’ll talk about the new album and also play a cut off of the record.
This week we feature banjo player Gena Britt. We speak with Gena about her many years in bluegrass music. We talk about how she got started, the many bands that she has performed with over the years and her current job with Sister Sadie.
This week we feature fiddler Steve Thomas and talk with him about his years playing bluegrass with legends such as Jim & Jesse, The Osborne Brothers and The Whites, plus his work with a number of country music stars. We will also talk about his current job with the new all-star bluegrass band Southern Legacy and his own band Steve Thomas & The Time Machine.
This week we feature singer, songwriter and guitar picker Rebecca Frazier and talk with her about her new album on Compass Records called Boarding Windows in Paradise. First we’ll talk with Rebecca about her bluegrass and flatpicking guitar journey and then we’ll talk about the recording and hear several cuts from the album.
This week we feature legendary Dobro player Jerry Douglas. Jerry not only was recently inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, but his band has a new album out titled The Set. We talk with Jerry about his career in bluegrass, the Hall of Fame induction and the new recording.
This week we feature banjo player Chris Warner. We talk with Chris about the two periods of time that he spent with Jimmy Martin and also discuss his performing with Del McCoury, Tom Adams, Audie Blaylock and others. We also talk about Chris’ time as a music store owner and instrument repairman.
This week we feature 93-year-old bluegrass, folk and country music legend Bill Clifton. Bill has had an amazing career in bluegrass music both in the United States and Europe. We talk with Bill about his career in bluegrass and also about his friendships with such music legends as A.P. Carter and Woody Guthrie. This one runs longer than most of our podcasts, but with Bill having such a long career, we went ahead and let this one run long.
This week we feature Del McCoury’s brother, bass and guitar player Jerry McCoury. In addition to spending time performing and recording with Del, Jerry has played music with a impressive list of other bluegrass greats—including Red Allen and Reno & Smiley. We talk with Jerry about his time performing with those bands and more.
This week we feature mandolin master Ronnie McCoury and talk with him about his many years playing with his father Del and his work with The Travelin’ McCourys. We’ll also talk about his mandolin heroes, his many IBMA awards, and the latest Del McCoury Band project.
This week we feature Dan Tyminski and talk to him about his new live album and the Dan Tyminski Band. We will also talk to Dan about how he got started in bluegrass and his years with the Lonesome River Band and Alison Krauss and Union Station. You will also hear several cuts from the new record.
This week we feature Rhonda Vincent’s banjo player Aaron McDaris. We’ll talk about the various bands that Aaron has played in over the years, his purchase of the "Rocky Top" banjo from Sonny Osborne, the time he has spent in Rhonda’s band and his acquisition of the Starvey Creek Bluegrass Festival.
This week we feature fiddle player Randy Lanham. Randy is the Education Director at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum located in Owensboro, Kentucky. I’ll talk with Randy about his career performing music and we will discuss all of the in-person and online opportunities that he makes available through the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
This week we feature Blue Highway’s bass player and lead singer Wayne Taylor. We talk about Wayne’s early years in bluegrass, his 30 years performing and recording with Blue Highway, the newest Blue Highway recording and the Blue Highway festival.
This week we feature banjo player Daniel Grindstaff and talk with him about his newest album Heroes and Friends. Early in his career Daniel played with several of the first generation bluegrass legends, such as Jim & Jesse and The Osborne Brothers. He has also been on the road with Marty Raybon and with Marty’s brother Tim. We will talk about his time spent with those bands and will discuss some details about the new album. You’ll also hear some cuts from the album.
This week we feature Darin and Brooke Aldridge. We talk with them about their careers in bluegrass music, how they met, their recordings, performances and songwriting and their latest album titled Talk of the Town. During the podcast you’ll have the chance to hear a few cuts from the album.
This week we feature multi-instrumentalist and singer Keith Little. We talk with Keith about his long career in bluegrass starting on the west coast playing with Vern and Ray and various other California bands, then working with the Country Gentlemen, going to Nashville to work with Ricky Skaggs and Dolly Parton and then back out west to work with David Grisman and Peter Rowan.
This week we feature fiddle player Jim VanCleve. We talk with Jim about his early days in Florida, his work with bands like Lou Reid and Carolina, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, Mountain Heart and the Appalachian Road Show. We also discuss his mentoring of the young band Indigo Roots, who are featured in our July 2024 issue.
This week we feature guitar and bass player Jed Clark. In our July 2024 issue we include a story about the Indigo Roots Band. The core of the band is comprised of the three Kelley siblings. Jed often plays guitar to make up the fourth member of the band. We talk with Jed about his early days in Arkansas performing with his brother Harry and the many bands he has performed with in Nashville.
This week we featured guitar player, singer and vocal instructor Dede Wyland. Dede spent years performing with our July 2024 cover story artist in the band Skyline, but she has had a full career in bluegrass both before and after performing in that band. She is also a well-known vocal instructor. We talk with Dede about her career in bluegrass music and her current bands and projects.
This week we feature banjo player, singer and songwriter Alan O'Bryant of the Nashville Bluegrass Band. We talk with Alan about his early days in North Carolina, his move to Nashville and early experiences there working with James Monroe, his years with the Nashville Bluegrass Band and then we move on to talk about his current musical endeavours.
This week we feature singer, guitar player and bass player Terry Eldredge. Terry has had a long career in bluegrass and has spent time in bands with a number of our first generation bluegrass heroes. He was also a founding member of The Sidemen and The Grascals. He is currently performing with The Farm Hands. We talk with Terry about the many aspects of his very interesting career in bluegrass music.
This week we feature singer, songwriter, producer and guitar player Jon Randall. Jon will be best known to bluegrass fans as a member of Emmylou Harris' band and then as a member of the Sam Bush Band. He is also a very successful songwriter and producer in Nashville and back in 2010 he produced a bluegrass album for our June 2024 cover story artist Dierks Bentley.
This week we feature mandolin player Jesse Brock. Jesse is currently a member of Authentic Unlimited and the band has two new albums out. We talk with Jesse about his career leading up to performing with Authentic Unlimited and you'll have a chance to hear a few tracks from the band's new recordings.
This week we feature bass player Todd Phillips. Todd has had a long career in acoustic music performing with many legendary musicians such as David Grisman, Tony Rice and Joan Baez. He was also a member of the Bluegrass Album Band and currently performs with the Appalachian Road Show. We talk with Todd about many aspects of his career in bluegrass in this week's podcast.
The week we feature guitar player and songwriter Peter McLaughlin. Peter started his bluegrass career in the Washington, D.C. area and has now lived in Tucson, Arizona for many years. He has been active in the bluegrass music scene in the southwest for decades. We'll talk with Peter about his work with Laurie Lewis, The Perfect Strangers, Chris Brashear, the Sonoran Dogs and more.
This week we are talking with banjo player and record label owner Alison Brown. We talk with Alison about her career in music, starting with how she became interested in the banjo and her early days in southern California up to her recent recordings with Steve Martin. We will also discuss her thirty years as a record label owner and talk about what is new in bluegrass from Compass Records.
This week we feature banjo player Grace van't Hof. Our May 2024 issue features Chris Jones on the cover and Grace currently plays banjo with Chris Jones and the Night Drivers. We talk with Grace about learning to play the banjo, her professional bluegrass journey, her love of old country music and the other unique instrument that she plays with the band, which is not quite a baritone uke and not quite a tenor guitar.
This week we feature Rick Faris. In addition to being a great singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Rick is also a talented guitar builder and has recently moved to Owensboro, Kentucky to build guitars at the Kentucky Guitar Works. We talk with Rick about growing up in a family bluegrass band, his years with Special Consensus, going out with is own band and building guitars.
This week we feature bass player March Schatz. For anyone who has been around bluegrass music for a while, Mark is no stranger. Throughout his career he has played with many of the top bluegrass artists. He started with bands like Tasty Licks and Spectrum and also spent time with Tony Rice, Tim O'Brien, Nickel Creek and Claire Lynch. Most recently he has been out on the road with Bela Fleck as part of the My Bluegrass Heart tour.
This week we feature banjo player BB Bowness. Originally from New Zealand, BB is a founding member of the band Mile 12. Among other things, we'll talk with BB about how she became interested in the banjo, how she learned how to play and her approach to teaching students.
This week we feature mandolin player David Benedict. David is known for his work with the band Mile 12 and is currently recording and performing with his wife Tabitha in The Foreign Landers. He is also known in the mandolin world for his long running weekly YouTube series Mandolin Mondays.
This week we feature fiddle player Bronwyn Keith-Hynes. Currently Bronwyn plays the fiddle for Molly Tuttle's band Golden Highway. We talk with Bronwyn about the band's great success over the past few years, their 2024 Grammy win and Bronwyn's new solo album.
This week's podcast features banjo legend Larry McNeely. McNeely famously played with Roy Acuff for many years on the Grand Ole Opry and is also well known for performing with Glen Campbell. Larry shares the details of his long career as a bluegrass banjo player in this week's podcast.
This week we feature Travis Book, the bass player for the Infamous Stringdusters. Jerry Garcia is on the cover of our March 2024 issue and many of today's bluegrass musicians have been influenced by the music of The Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia. Travis Book is one of them. We talk about Travis' bluegrass journey and the Garcia influence.
This week we are talking with guitar player Eric Thompson. Jerry Garcia is on the cover of the March 2024 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited and Eric performed in a band with Jerry prior to Garcia forming The Grateful Dead. We talk with Eric about his long career in music and his days performing with Garcia.
This week we are talking with Chris Joslin, the Executive Director of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum about some exciting events and projects that are coming up this year at the museum and at other locations in and around Owensboro, Kentucky. This includes a special Jerry Garcia exhibit at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the ROMP festival, The Kentucky Guitar Works and more.
This week we feature guitar player and singer Jimmy Haley. This month Terry Baucom is on the cover of Bluegrass Unlimited and Jimmy, along with Terry Baucom, was famously an original member of Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. He later also performed with Terry in the band Baucom Bibey Graham & Haley. We talk with Jimmy about his career in bluegrass and his relationship with Terry Baucom.
This week we feature guitar player, singer and songwriter Wes Golding. Since Terry Baucom is on the cover of our February 2024 issue, we are talking with musicians this month who have performed with Terry over the years and Wes is someone who has known Terry since they were teenagers and Wes was in the band Boone Creek with Terry. We talk with Wes about his career in bluegrass and his work with Terry in Boone Creek.
This week we feature fiddler Mike Hartgrove. Terry Baucom is on the cover of our February 2024 issue and Mike spent time in a few bands with Terry over the years. We'll talk to Mike about his career in bluegrass, his time spent with Terry Baucom and his fiddle set-up and repair business. I hope you enjoy the Mike Hartgrove podcast.
This week we feature Bill Amatneek, the author of the new book Discovering Tony Rice. Bluegrass Unlimited ran excerpts from Bill's book in our December 2023 and January 2024 issues. We talk with Bill about his time spent with Tony Rice in the David Grisman Quintet and the writing of his new book.
This week we feature Dudley Connell. A founding member of the Johnson Mountain Boys and a long-time member of the Seldom Scene, Dudley talks about his career in bluegrass music and updates us on what the Seldom Scene is up to in 2024.
This week we feature C.J. Lewandowski, the mandolin player with the Po' Ramblin' Boys. C.J. was working on a recording project with Bobby Osborne at the time of Bobby's passing. We talk about that project and about C.J.'s friendship with Bobby Osborne. We also discuss the latest from the Po' Ramblin' Boys and C.J.'s acquisition of his Lloyd Loar mandolin.
This week we feature fiddler, singer and songwriter Laura Orshaw. We talk with Laura about her early life in bluegrass, her work with the Po' Ramblin' Boys and her latest solo projects.
This week we feature Danny Roberts, the Grascals' mandolin player. Danny has been working on a new solo album, the Grascals are also working on a new album for their 20th anniversary year in 2024, and Danny keeps busy when he is off ther road reparing and setting up mandolins. We'll talk about all of that and more on this edition of the Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine podcast.
This week we feature singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jody Stecher. Jody has a new album out with the band Mile 12. The album is titled Mile 77. We talk with Jody about his long career in music and about the new album. You'll also hear a couple of cuts from the record.
This week we feature singer, songwriter and guitar player Jim Lauderdale. Jim has recently put out an album with the Po' Ramblin' Boys. We talk with Jim about his long career in music which includes recording with bluegrass legends like Ralph Stanley and winning two Grammy awards. We will also discuss his success as a songwriter in country and bluegrass music, his recording with the Po' Ramblin' Boys, and much more.
This week we feature singer, songwriter and fiddler Corrina Rose Logston Stephens. Corrina and her husband, Jeremy Stephens, are in the band High Fidelity and they both also spent time performing with Jesse McReynolds. Since Jim & Jesse are on our cover this month (December 2023), we thought it would be nice to talk with Corrina about her time performing with Jesse and find out what High Fidelity has been up to lately. You will also hear some music from High Fidelity.
. This week we feature fiddle and banjo player Buddy Griffin. Jim & Jesse McReynolds are on the cover of our December 2023 issue and as part of his long and distinguished bluegrass career Buddy performed with Jim & Jesse, and continued to perform with Jesse after Jim's passing. At the same time he performed with Jesse, Buddy was also performing with Bobby Osbourne. Since the bluegrass world lost both Jesse & Bobby this year, we felt it was a great time to feature Buddy on the podcast and talk with him about working with both of these bluegrass legends.
This week we feature Noah Wall, the singer and fiddle player with The Barefoot Movement. We talk with Noah about her career in music thus far, including her time at ETSU and the origin of The Barefoot Movement, all the way through the band's current Christmas tour and the series of new singles they are releasing every month this winter. You will also hear some new music from the band.
This week we feature the Blue Highway’s Dobro player Gary Hultman. Gary grew up performing with his family's band and is a graduate of the bluegrass program at ETSU. He performed with the Boxcars before joining Blue Highway in 2019.
This week we feature the talented Dobro and bass player Jeff Partin, who is currently performing with Rhonda Vincent and the Rage. We talk with Jeff about getting his start with his family’s band as a young kid, the various groups he has performed and recorded with over the years, his work as a recording engineer and his upcoming new album.
This week we feature the extremely talented multi-instrumentalist, and the IBMA's five-time Dobro Player of the Year, Justin Moses. We talk with Justin about how he got started playing music in his family’s band, the various bands that he has performed with since that time and his touring with Bela Fleck over the past couple of years.
This week we feature multi-instrumentalist and singer Gaven Largent who plays the Dobro with East Nash Grass and the Dan Tyminski Band. Jerry Douglas is on the cover of our November 2023 issue and so our podcasts this month highlight Dobro Players and first up is Gaven Largent.
This week we feature banjo player Cory Walker. Cory is currently performing and recording with the band East Nash Grass, as well as others, like The Dillards, Tim O'Brien and Jason Carter. He has also recently come out with a solo album titled School Project. We will talk with Corey about his bluegrass banjo journey to date and the new recording.
This week we feature guitarist Ben Garnett. Missy Raines is on the cover of our October 2023 issue and Ben is the current guitar player in Missy’s band Allegeheny. We’ll talk with Ben about his move from rock and jazz guitar to bluegrass music while he was in college, about being a member of Missy’s band, and his newest solo recording.
This week we feature mandolinist Steve Smith. Our cover story artist for October 2023 issue is Missy Raines. Steve and Missy performed and recorded in the mid-1980s in a band called Cloud Valley. We’ll talk with Steve about his work with Missy and trace his career up through the present day, highlighting bands he has performed with, recordings he has been involved in and his work teaching music lessons and running music instructional events.
This week we feature guitar master Jim Hurst. Our October 2023 cover story artist is Missy Raines. Jim and Missy have worked together as members of Claire Lynch’s band and also as a duo. We talk with Jim about guitar pickin’, various aspects of his career and his work with Missy Raines.
This week we feature singer, songwriter and band leader Claire Lynch. Our October 2023 cover story artist is Missy Raines. Claire and Missy have a history of working together in Claire's band. We talk with Claire about her career in bluegrass music and about having Missy in the band. She also tells us what she has been up to lately in her relatively new home country of Canada.
This week we feature Dean Osborne. As the Director of Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music at the Hazard Community and Technical College, he worked closely with our September 2023 cover story artist Bobby Osborne at that school, as well as other projects, including the Osborne Brothers Hometown Festival. We talk with Dean about his career in bluegrass music and his relationship with Bobby and Sonny Osborne.
This week we feature the Grascals bass player Terry Smith. Terry has had a long and interesting career in bluegrass music and part of time—13 years—he performed with the Osborne Brothers. Since we have Bobby Osborne on the cover of this month’s issue and are remembering Bobby, we will talk with Terry about his time with the Osbornes and other aspects of his bluegrass career.
This week week we feature Lauren Price Napier of the Price Sisters. Our September issue honors bluegrass legend Bobby Osborne. Lauren studied mandolin with Bobby and spent a lot of time creating over one hundred YouTube videos with Bobby and her husband Scott Napier under the title "Tremolo Tuesday." We talk with Lauren about her career in bluegrass and her time spent with Bobby Osborne.
This week week we feature singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Darrell Scott. Darrell’s career has seen him as a prominent part of the musical worlds of Americana, country, folk and bluegrass. Recently he has put a new band together called the Darrell Scott String Band and recorded a new album called Old Cane Back Rocker. We talk with Darrell about various aspects of his career, the new band and the new album.
This week we feature mandolin player Mark Stoffel. Being from Germany, Mark has an interesting bluegrass story. He is probably best known in his role as the long-time mandolin player for Chris Jones & The Night Drivers. We talk with Mark about his bluegrass journey, his work with Chris Jones, his 2020 solo album Coffee and Cake and his new soon-to-be released album True Tones.
This week week we feature songwriter David Stewart. A highly successful songwriter, David has written several number one bluegrass songs for our August 2023 cover story artist Lorraine Jordan and her band Carolina Road. I talk with David about those songs and other highlights of his long career, including walking all the way from Wyoming to Nashville to play on the Grand Ole Opry!
This week week we feature Grammy award winning bluegrass singer, guitar player and songwriter Molly Tuttle. We talk with Molly about her background in bluegrass, her Grammy winning album Crooked Tree and her newest album City of Gold. We’ll also listen to a few tracks from the new recording.
This week we feature bluegrass veteran Raymond McLain. Raymond has had a long and distinguished career as a bluegrass performer, recording artist, educator, and world-wide ambassador of bluegrass. He talks about his family's history, his interactions with first generation bluegrass legends, and his work at various college level bluegrass programs.
This week we feature singer and guitar player Josh Richards, a long-time member of Michael Cleveland’s band Flamekeeper. We talk with Josh about his early years in bluegrass and his long relationship with Michael Cleveland. We also discuss Michael's newest recording and talk about singing, songwriting, and guitar picking.
This week I’m talking with singer and guitar and mandolin player Jeff White. Michael Cleveland is on the cover of our July 2023 issue and Jeff was a co-producer on Michael’s newest album. I’ll talk with Jeff about his work with Michael on that recording and also his current work with the Earls of Leicester, his long relationship with Vince Gill, his work with Alison Krauss and his current touring with Lyle Lovett.
This week we feature fiddler, singer and songwriter Mike Mitchell. Mike has a fairly new album out titled Fathers and Sons and a few cuts from that album have been rising up the bluegrass charts. We talk to Mike about his recording, his band, his songwriting and his work at the Floyd Music School in Floyd, Virginia.
This week we feature a master of the flatpicked guitar, and the current IBMA “Guitar Player of the Year,” Cody Kilby. Our July 2023 cover story is about Michael Cleveland and Cody performed on Michael’s newest album. We’ll talk with Cody about his background in bluegrass, his work with Michael Cleveland, a solo album that he will be releasing soon, and his work recording and performing with the Traveling McCoury’s.
This week we feature the six time IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year, Dale Ann Bradley. We talk with Dale Ann about her background in music, singing, and songwriting, her work with the various bands she has performed with over the years and her new solo album Kentucky For Me.
This week we feature singer and songwriter Casey Penn. Casey, who also plays guitar and fiddle, is a regular columnist for Bluegrass Unlimited writing a column called "The Story Behind the Song." She has recently released a new CD on the Mountain Fever label titled One Step Away and we talk with Casey about that recording.
This week we feature Jason Barie, the fiddle player for our June 2023 cover story band Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers. We talk with Jason about his work with the various bands he has performed with over the years and about his new solo recording titled Radioactive.
This week we feature guitar player, singer, and songwriter Robbie Fulks and talk about his new Compass Records release titled Bluegrass Vacation. We will first talk about Robbie’s early days in music and his long and distinguished career to date. That will lead up to talking about the new recording and the all star bluegrass cast of musicians that Robbie called in to help him record the album.
This week we feature Tara Nevins of Donna the Buffalo and talk with her about her career in music, her work with Donna the Buffalo, her Grass Roots festivals and the associated Culture Camp, a music and dance instruction camp that provides a wide variety of music and dance classes in July each year. We hope you enjoy the Tara Nevins podcast.
This week we feature Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer. After battling breast cancer Marcy, along with her partner Cathy, have produced a released a new film titled All Wigged Out. The film takes the viewer through a musical journey of the trials and tribulations of cancer diagnosis and treatment. Tom Paxton says of the film, “All Wigged Out is heartwarming, touching, hilarious and so relatable.” We talk with Cathy and Marcy about their careers in music and about the making of the new film.
This week we feature guitar player and singer Leon Morris. Leon has been well-known in the Washington, DC area bluegrass scene for decades and Putuxent Music recently released an album titled The Best of Leon Morris. We talk with Leon about his long career in bluegrass music and the new album.
This week we feature banjo player Greg Cahill who has had a very long and distinguished career with the Chicago-based bluegrass band The Special Consensus. We talk with Greg about his nearly 50 years with that band and about the band’s newest album.
This week we feature singer and guitar and mandolin player Mark Newton. Mark has had a long career in bluegrass music playing with bands like the Heights of Grass, Knoxville Grass, the Virginia Squires and Bill Emerson. Mark has recently had some medical issues required both liver and kidney transplants. I will talk to Mark about various aspects of his bluegrass career and the challenges of his medical problems.
This week we feature the Infamous Stringdusters guitar player Andy Falco. The Stringdusters have recently released a tribute album to Flatt & Scruggs. We talk with Andy about his early days in bluegrass, his work with the Stringdusters, and the new album.
This week we feature mandolin player and singer Andrew Marlin and his work with the new all-star band Mighty Poplar. Andrew is best known for his work with the band Mandolin Orange, now known as Watch House. However, he recently joined up with Noam Pickelny, Chris Eldridge, Greg Garrison, and Alex Hargreaves to record the self-titled album Mighty Poplar. We talk with Andrew about his career in music to date and his work with this new band.
This week we feature guitar player and singer Mo Pitney. Mo is best know as a country music star, but like a number of well known country performers, Mo started out in bluegrass and has come back to it with a recording and great video of the classic “Old Home Place.” We talk with Mo about his bluegrass days and the new recording.
This week we feature fiddle player Bob Forrester. Bob is the son of two people who have great importance in bluegrass music as they were both members of Bill Monroe’s early bands. Bob’s father was fiddler Howdy Forrester and his mother, Billie, was known during her time with Monroe as Sally Ann Forester and played the accordion in Monroe’s band.
This week we feature banjo player, recording artist, and banjo instructor Ross Nickerson. We talk with Ross about his career in bluegrass music and the various books, videos, and workshops that he has created for bluegrass banjo players.
This week we feature the phenomenal singer and guitar picker Trey Hensley and his musical partner, Dobro master Rob Ickes. We talk about how they came to start performing together and their newest recording, Living In A Song.
This week we feature one of the finest singers in bluegrass music, Junior Sisk. We talk to Junior about the various bands he has performed with and recordings he has made over the years and we will play you some cuts from his newest recording.
This week we feature singer and songwriter Irene Kelley. We talk with Irene about her career as a performing and recording artist and songwriter, her songwriting process and her newest recording Snow White Memories. You will also hear several cuts from the new album.
This week we feature the talented siblings Theo and Brenna MacMillan. We talk with Theo and Brenna about their background in bluegrass and their newest recording titled Dreams For Sale. You will also hear several cuts from this new recording.
This week we feature guitar player, singer, and songwriter Greg Blake. Greg is known for his work with the Bluegrass Missourians and Jeff Scroggins and Colorado. He is currently with Special Consensus. We talk with Greg about his newest band recording with his band Hometown and his new solo record. You will also hear cuts from both albums.
This week we feature guitar player Grant Gordy. We talk about Grant’s background, his musical career and collaborations to date and his newest recording, Peripheral Visions.
This week we feature singer, songwriter, and band leader Amanda Cook and talk with her about new album "Changes" and her work with Mountain Fever Records.. You will also hear several cuts from the new album.
This week we feature Eric and Leigh Gibson of the Gibson Brothers talking about how they got their start in bluegrass and about how their long career in music has developed. We also talk about their newest recording, titled “Darkest Hour,” and play a few cuts from the album.
This week we feature multi-instrumentalist Rickie Simpkins. Rickie has played with many great bands over the years, including the Virginia Squires, The Tony Rice Unit, Continental Divide, the Lonesome River Band, the Seldom Scene, Carolina Star, Emmy Lou Harris, and more. He has also been recorded on over one hundred albums during his long career and we talk about some of those projects.
This week we feature bass player Mark Hembree. As many bluegrass fans know, Mark played bass with Bill Monroe back in the 1980s and has since written a book titled “On The Bus with Bill Monroe” about his experiences with the father of bluegrass. We talk to Mark about his time with Monroe and his work on the book.
This week we feature guitar player, singer, songwriter, and band leader Chris Jones. We’ll talk with Chris about his early years in bluegrass music all the way up through the present day as the leader of Chris Jones and the Nightdrivers. Additionally, we’ll talk with Chris about his radio show and his work with Bluegrass Today.
This week we feature Larry Stephenson. Larry has had a long career in bluegrass, including spending time playing with our January 2023 cover story artist David Parmley in the Bluegrass Cardinals. We’ll talk with Larry about his early days in bluegrass and about the many years he has been fronting the Larry Stephenson band.
This we feature fiddler Jason Carter of the Del McCoury Band and the Traveling McCourys about his new solo album Lowdown Hoedown. We talk with Jason about how he got his start in bluegrass, and his joining the Del McCoury Band thirty years ago. From there we talk about each track of his new album and you will hear some cuts from the recording.
This week Dan Miller reaches back into his interview archives to present an interview he conducted in 1999 with banjo player Billy Ray Latham. Dan talks with Billy Ray about his early career and his work with the Country Boys, the Kentucky Colonels, the Dillard and Clark Expedition, the Dillards, and more.
This week we feature banjo and guitar player Tom Adams. We talk with Tom about his early years in bluegrass performing with his family’s band and his moving on to perform with the Johnson Mountain Boys, Jimmy Martin, Blue Highway, Lynn Morris, Bill Emerson, Michael Cleveland and others.
This week we feature banjo player Charlie Cushman. We are calling December 2022 banjo month since Earl Scruggs is on our cover and this week we talk with Charlie Cushman, of the Earls of Leicester, about his career in bluegrass and his friendship with Earl Scruggs.
This week we feature banjo player Jim Mills. We are calling December 2022 banjo month since Earl Scruggs is on our cover and we feel fortunate to have the opportunity to talk about Earl with some of the best Scruggs style players in the country this month. We are going to kick it off this week talking with Jim about his career in bluegrass, Earl Scruggs, J.D. Crowe, and his vintage Gibson banjo business.
This week we feature guitar player and band leader Jon Stickley. Jon and banjo player Andy Thorn met in high school and performed in a number of bands together prior to Jon joining the Biscuit Burners and then later forming his own band the Jon Stickley Trio. We talk to Jon about his career in music and you’ll hear a few cuts from the Jon Stickley Trio.
This week we feature mandolin player Joe K. Walsh. Our November issue features an article about Darol Anger and Joe is currently in a band with Darol. We’ll talk with Joe about that band, his early career performing with the Gibson Brothers, his teaching position at the Berklee College of Music and his new solo album. You'll also get a chance to hear some cuts off of that album.
This week we feature John Carlini. John was involved with the original David Grisman Quintet, as its musical director, and from that time forward he continued a close relationship with Tony Rice. Although known primarily as a guitar player, John is also a skilled banjo player and was close with legendary fiddler Tex Logan, who he considers his bluegrass mentor. In this podcast we talk with John about his long, varied and vast career in music.
This week we feature bass player and vocalist John Cowan. John, along with Sam Bush, was a member of both configurations of the New Grass Revival. We talk with John about his New Grass days and also about all of the many musical endeavors he has been involved with post-New Grass Revival.
As our podcast listeners will know, we produce a new podcast every week, but on occasion we will put out a special podcast in addition to our weekly offering. This is one of those special occasions because our October 2022 issue was a tribute to Keith Whitley and after that issue came out our friend, radio host Orin Friesen, sent us an interview that he had conducted with Keith back in October of 1984. If you enjoyed our Keith Whitley tribute issue, here is Keith himself telling his story to Orin Friesen. We thank Orin for providing this special edition of the Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine Podcast.
As our podcast listeners will know, we produce a new podcast every week, but on occasion we will put out a special podcast in addition to our weekly offering. This is one of those special occasions because our October 2022 issue was a tribute to Keith Whitley and after that issue came out our friend, radio host Orin Friesen, sent us an interview that he had conducted with Keith back in October of 1984. If you enjoyed our Keith Whitley tribute issue, here is Keith himself telling his story to Orin Friesen. We thank Orin for providing this special edition of the Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine Podcast.
This week we feature Curtis Burch, one of the founding members of the New Grass Revival. Curtis and I talk about his early days in bluegrass music and his time spent working with our November 2022 cover story artist Sam Bush in the New Grass Revival.
This week we feature Curtis Burch, one of the founding members of the New Grass Revival. Curtis and I talk about his early days in bluegrass music and his time spent working with our November 2022 cover story artist Sam Bush in the New Grass Revival.
This week we are featuring Ron Thomason, founding member of the Dry Branch Fire Squad. In our October 2022 issue we reviewed a new DVD titled Bluegrass Court Jester: Ron Thomason—An Unusual History of Bluegrass Music. In this podcast we talk with Ron about his career in bluegrass and the new video project.
This week we are featuring Ron Thomason, founding member of the Dry Branch Fire Squad. In our October 2022 issue we reviewed a new DVD titled Bluegrass Court Jester: Ron Thomason—An Unusual History of Bluegrass Music. In this podcast we talk with Ron about his career in bluegrass and the new video project.
This week we feature bass player Steve Bryant, who played music with Keith Whitley in J.D. Crowe’s band in the late 1970s and early 80s. Steve remembers his time performing and recording with Keith and talks to us about his years as a studio musician in Nashville and his current project teaching bass lessons online.
This week we feature bass player Mike Gregory. The October 2022 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine celebrates the bluegrass career of Keith Whitley and in this podcast Mike remembers his time playing music with Keith as a member of J.D. Crowe’s band in the late 1970s.
This week we feature banjo player Max Wareham. Max is the banjo player for Peter Rowan’s band and he has just published a new instructional book for banjo titled Rudy Lyle: The Unsung Hero of the Five String Banjo, which we reviewed in the October 2022 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited. After talking with Max about his background with the banjo, we talk about the details of Rudy Lyle's life and banjo playing that are presented in the book.
This week we feature Kenny and Amanda Smith. We talk with Kenny and Amanda about how they met, their careers in bluegrass music, song selection, songwriting, and their newest album. You will also get to hear a couple of cuts from that album.
This week we feature Kenny and Amanda Smith. We talk with Kenny and Amanda about how they met, their careers in bluegrass music, song selection, songwriting, and their newest album. You will also get to hear a couple of cuts from that album.
This week we feature a group of musicians—Johnny and Jeanette Williams and Jay Shelton, from Virginia, who have recently released a new album under the band name Shelton & Williams. The album is titled "So Much Time, So Much Love" and after getting some background information from Johnny, Jeanette, and Jay, we talk with them about each track of the recording and you will hear three cuts from the album.
This week we feature a group of musicians—Johnny and Jeanette Williams and Jay Shelton, from Virginia, who have recently released a new album under the band name Shelton & Williams. The album is titled "So Much Time, So Much Love" and after getting some background information from Johnny, Jeanette, and Jay, we talk with them about each track of the recording and you will hear three cuts from the album.
This week we feature Alice Gerrard, one of the first ladies of bluegrass music. Her musical partnership with Hazel Dickens led her to being inducted, along with Hazel, into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2017. Alice was also part of the group that started Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine in 1966 and she later was the founder of the Old Time Herald. During the interview we talk about her music career starting in the 1950s all the way up to the present day.
This week we feature Alice Gerrard, one of the first ladies of bluegrass music. Her musical partnership with Hazel Dickens led her to being inducted, along with Hazel, into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2017. Alice was also part of the group that started Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine in 1966 and she later was the founder of the Old Time Herald. During the interview we talk about her music career starting in the 1950s all the way up to the present day.
This week we feature Sammy Shelor of the Lonesome River Band. Sammy has had a very long and successful career in bluegrass music and in this interview we will discuss the various stages of Sammy’s career leading all the way up to the Lonesome River Band’s newest album release titled “Hey Day.” You'll also hear a couple of cuts from the new album.
This week we feature Sammy Shelor of the Lonesome River Band. Sammy has had a very long and successful career in bluegrass music and in this interview we will discuss the various stages of Sammy’s career leading all the way up to the Lonesome River Band’s newest album release titled “Hey Day.” You'll also hear a couple of cuts from the new album.
This week we feature Brad Davis. In addition to being a talented songwriter and well-known performing and recording artist, Brad is also a recording engineer and record producer who teaches audio engineering at Texas A&M in Commerce, Texas. In this interview we will focus on Brad’s work as a recording engineer since our theme in August revolves around those important folks who work behind the scenes in the bluegrass music world.
This week we feature Brad Davis. In addition to being a talented songwriter and well-known performing and recording artist, Brad is also a recording engineer and record producer who teaches audio engineering at Texas A&M in Commerce, Texas. In this interview we will focus on Brad’s work as a recording engineer since our theme in August revolves around those important folks who work behind the scenes in the bluegrass music world.
This week we feature radio broadcaster Lee Michael Demsey. Lee has been in broadcasting since mid-1970s, was awarded IBMA’s broadcaster of the year award in 1991 and in 2019 received IBMA’s Distiguished Achievement Award. He also is the person who puts together our monthly National Bluegrass Survey chart.
This week we are talking with video producer and record label owner Sammy Passamano III. Sammy started out working with his family at Rural Rhythm Records. He is now involved with Bluegrass Music TV and owns 615 Hideaway Records, which is record label under the umbrella of his 615 Hideaway Entertainment Company.
This week we are talking with video producer and record label owner Sammy Passamano III. Sammy started out working with his family at Rural Rhythm Records. He is now involved with Bluegrass Music TV and owns 615 Hideaway Records, which is record label under the umbrella of his 615 Hideaway Entertainment Company.
This week we feature songwriter Mark “Brink” Brinkman. In our August 2022 issue we feature some of the behind-the-scenes folks in bluegrass music, including songwriters. Brink is one of the most prolific songwriters in bluegrass music. We talk about his background in music and songwriting and he lends some great advice to budding songwriters in bluegrass.
This week we feature banjo player Blake Williams. As most bluegrass fans know, Blake played banjo with Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys for about a decade and before that he also performed for a year or two with Lester Flatt and the Nashville Grass. He has some wonderful stories to tell us about being on the road with both Lester Flatt and then Bill Monroe.
This week we talk with Wes Corbett, the banjo player in the Sam Bush Band. Wes had a solo project titled "Cascade" released a year or two ago and he has since come out with an instructional book for banjo players that includes transcriptions from that album. We talk with Wes about the album and the new book and you'll hear a couple of cuts from the album.
This week we feature mandolin player Scott Napier. In our July 2022 issue we a few of the many college-level programs that include instruction in bluegrass music. We talk with Scott a program that he is involved with called the Hazard Community College’s Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music. We also talk about Scott’s career in bluegrass and some other interesting projects that he is involved with these days.
This week we feature bluegrass banjo legend John McEuen, who along with his brother, William, and his bandmates in the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was responsible for the landmark 1972 record album “Will The Circle Be Unbroken”. John has just published a new book that celebrates the 50-year anniversary of the “Will the Circle Be Unbroken" album release and in this podcast we talk with John about the recording of that historical project and the contents of his new book.
This week we feature legendary bluegrass singer, songwriter, guitar and mandolin player Peter Rowan. Peter has a new record on the Rebel label titled “Calling You From My Mountain.” We talk with Peter about this new recording and you will also get to hear some of the tracks from the album. I hope you enjoy the Peter Rowan podcast.
This week we are featuring fiddler Richard Greene. Richard grew up in Los Angeles and was part of the early bluegrass scene in Southern California. Most bluegrass fans are aware that he later went on to play with Bill Monroe, Seatrain, Muleskinner, Old and in the Way, The Grass is Greener and many more. He has had a very long and distinguished career in bluegrass and acoustic music.
This week we feature writer, author, performer and historian Neil Rosenberg. Our June issue focuses on early California bluegrass and one of the earliest bluegrass bands in northern California was a band Neil was in called the Redwood Canyon Ramblers. We talk with Neil today about the time he spent with that band and his history as a performer and writer in the world of bluegrass music.
This week we feature Dobro player LeRoy McNees, who is also known as LeRoy Mack. Our June issue focuses on early California bluegrass and and one of the earliest bluegrass bands in southern California was the Country Boys, who later changed their name to the Kentucky Colonels. LeRoy was the Dobro player in that band and then went on to have a career playing gospel music and recording several solo albums.
This week we feature Rodney Dillard. Our June issue focuses on early California bluegrass and the Dillards were right in the middle of what was happening in the Los Angeles music scene starting when they moved out there from Missouri in the early 1960s. Rodney talks about the early years of the Dillards in Los Angeles and the thriving music scene at the time.
This week we provide a phone interview that Dan Miller conducted with Tony Rice in September of 1998 in preparation for a cover story article in Flatpicking Guitar Magazine. The main interview is at the beginning, with a short follow-up interview tagged onto the end.
This week we provide you with the second part of an interview that Dan Miller conducted with Jimmy Martin at his home in 2003. In this segment of the interview, Jimmy will get out his guitar and demonstrate some of his rhythm guitar technique and singing. He and Mary Ann Garrison will also talk about the documentary film that was released about Jimmy’s life in music back in 2003.
This week Dan Miller digs into his interview archives and present the first part of an interview conducted with Jimmy Martin at his home in 2003. Jimmy will talk about his early life in bluegrass, his time spent with Bill Monroe and some of his own early bands. Plus, Jimmy will give some of his opinions about early bluegrass music and the bluegrass of the day. We hope you enjoy part one of the Jimmy Martin interview.
This week we are presenting the second part of the interviews that were conducted with Charles Sawtelle in 1997. At the beginning we continue to ask Charles questions about his background and work with Hot Rize. Then, for the remainder of the interview we will get into more technical questions about sound reinforcement and guitar playing.
This week we are presenting part one of a two part series of archived interviews with Hot Rize guitarist Charles Sawtelle. These interviews were conducted in 1997 in preparation for the writing and publishing of a book titled The Bluegrass Guitar Style of Charles Sawtelle. Saddly, Charles lost his battle with leukemia in March of 1999.
This week we feature multi-instrumentalist Darren Beachley, who was a member of Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver for four or five years starting in about 2005. He has also played with many other great bluegrass bands over the years, including Legends of the Potomac. We talk with Darren about his career in bluegrass, his time with Doyle and his latest bluegrass album on Turnberry Records.
This week we feature multi-instrumentalist Lou Reid. Our April 2022 issue features Doyle Lawson on the cover and Lou was a member of Doyle’s original Quicksilver. We talk with Lou about his early days in bluegrass and continue the conversation through his time with Doyle Lawson, his own band Carolina, and all the way to his present gig as a member of the Seldom Scene.
This week we feature the Duke of Drive, banjo master Terry Baucom. Our April 2022 issue features Doyle Lawson on the cover and, starting in 1979, Terry was a member of Doyle Lawson’s original Quicksilver. Since that time has performed with a number of top-tier bluegrass bands and now fronts his own band Terry Baucom and his Dukes of Drive. We talk with Terry about his work with Doyle Lawson and the many other bands his has performed with over the years.
The legendary bluegrass mandolin and guitar player Roland White passed away late last week (April 1st, 2022). After Roland’s passing, a radio host from Kansas, Orin Friesen, generously sent us a recording of an interview that he conducted with Roland White in September of 1982 when Roland was a member of Country Gazette. We thank Orin for sharing this wonderful archival interview.
Saddly, last week the bluegrass world lost one its true legends—Roland White. Recently bluegrass banjo player, and former Blue Grass Boy, Bob Black wrote a book about Roland White's life, which will soon be released by the University of Illinois Press. In this podcast we will talk with Bob about his career in bluegrass and then we will discuss his writing of the Roland White biographical book.
This week we feature banjo master Butch Robins. Butch has had a very long and distinguished career in bluegrass music and was famously a member of Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys. Butch will share with us his always insightful perspective about Bill Monroe and bluegrass music.
This week we feature the extremely talented multi-instrumentalist Ron Stewart. Our March 2022 issue features J.D. Crowe on the cover and Ron spent a number of years performing with J.D. Crowe and the New South. We talk with Ron about how he got his start in bluegrass, his days working with J.D. Crowe, his work with Tony Rice, and his current job as a member of the Seldom Scene.
This week we talk with guitarist Richard Bennett. Our March 2022 issue features J.D. Crowe on the cover and Richard spent a number of years performing with J.D. We talk with Richard about his early career, his days with J.D., his friendship with Tony Rice and work with Tony’s brother Wyatt, and Richard will also tell us about what he has been doing musically in recent years.
This week we feature mandolin master Jimmy Gaudreau. On the cover of our March 2022 issue we are honoring J.D. Crowe. Jimmy was a member of J.D.’s band in the 1970s, he also performed with Bill Emerson in the Country Gentlemen and he was a member of the Tony Rice Unit. In this podcast we talk with Jimmy about his work with all of these legendary bluegrass musicians who have recently passed.
This week, we feature Kim Fox. Kim is well know for her work with her family band, The Fox Family, which later became 3 Fox Drive. Currently she is working with our February 2022 cover story artist Dale Ann Bradley. We talk with Kim about her career in bluegrass, her songwriting, and her work with Dale Ann.
This week we feature Mike Simpson. Mike is currently the Chairman of the Board of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA). Since our February 2022 features bluegrass organizations, associations, societies, and clubs, we will talk with Mike about the mission of IBMA, its current activities, and its plans for the future.
This week feature Matt Leadbetter. Matt is the son of Dobro master Phil Leadbetter who we sadly lost last year. He is also currently playing the Dobro in Dale Ann Bradley’s band. I will talk with Matt about the loss of his father and about his work with various bands throughout his career, including our February 2022 cover story artist Dale Ann Bradley.
This week we feature with Paul Brewster. Paul spent about a decade performing with the Osborne Brothers and was also with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for twenty five years. Paul talks about being on the road with the Osborne Brothers and will also talk about the mentoring program he is working with Wyatt Ellis, one of our feature artists in the February 2022 issue. We also talk with Paul about what he is doing now that he is no longer touring with Kentucky Thunder.
This week we talk with Dick Spottswood, a music historian, record collector, and radio programmer who has written several books and hosts The Dick Spottswood show on bluegrasscountry.org. Dick was also one of the founders of Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine. Dick shares with us some great stories of the early years of the magazine and talks about his radio show.
This week we feature John Lawless of Bluegrass Today. We talk with John about the column that Sonny Osborne wrote for the Bluegrass Today website and we discuss John's work with AcuTab publications and videos and how he got started at Bluegrass Today.
This week's podcast features Daryl Mosley. We talk with Daryl about the time he spent on the road playing with the Osborne Brothers and also talk about his songwriting and his newest bluegrass project titled "Small Town Dreamer."
This week's podcast features bluegrass fiddler Blaine Sprouse. We talk with Blaine about his astounding early career playing in bluegrass and we also discuss the time he spent playing with the Osborne Brothers and he shares some stories about being on the road with Sonny Osborne.
This week's podcast features bluegrass fiddle master Glen Duncan. We talk with Glen about the time he spent on the road with the Osborne Brothers and his long friendship with Sonny and Bobby Osborne. He also slips in a few stories about his time spent on the road with Bill Monroe and with Earl Scruggs.
This week's podcast features banjo player and teacher Bill Evans. We talk with Bill about two of the legendary banjo players who we have lost in 2021, Bill Emerson and Sonny Osborne. We also discuss various instructional and recording projects that Bill is currently involved with, as well as the music camps he will be involved with in 2022.
This week we feature bluegrass legend Larry Sparks. We will be talking with Larry about his time spent with the Stanley Brothers and Ralph Stanley. We also talk with Larry about leaving Ralph Stanley to start his own band and about his guitar playing, his singing and his latest gospel recording.
This week we talk with Gary Reid. In addition to writing the "Notes & Queries" column in the magazine, Gary is one of the leading experts on the Stanley Brothers and their music. We talk to Gary about his history with the Stanley Brothers music and his one-man play A Life of Sorrow—The Life and Times of Carter Stanley.
This week's podcast features George Shuffler’s youngest brother, Ron Shuffler. Ron, a master bass player himself, will be talking about George’s guitar and bass playing and telling stories about the days when George performed and recorded with the Stanley Brothers.
This week's podcast features bluegrass guitar master Kenny Smith. We talk to Kenny about the Kenny and Amanda Smith band and his online guitar lessons website. You’ll also get a chance to hear two of Kenny and Amanda’s latest singles.
This week we feature west coast band leader, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter Laurie Lewis. We talk with Laurie about women in bluegrass, west coast bluegrass, her many career highlights in bluegrass music and her new album titled “and Laurie Lewis.”
This week's podcast features Valerie Smith of Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike. We talk with Valerie about getting started in bluegrass music, her work with Bell Buckle Records and Bell Buckle Radio and her newest CD titled Renaissance.
This week's podcast features bass player and singer Vickie Vaughn. Our November 2021 issue features an article about Jeremy Stephens of the band High Fidelity and Vickie is a member of that band. Additionally, Vickie is also a member of the band Della Mae. We will talk with Vickie about her work with both of those bands and other musical happenings in her life.
This week's podcast features Ranger Doug of Riders in the Sky. Although Doug is well know for his Western style music these days, he has a long history in bluegrass when he was known as Douglas B. Green and was one of Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys. Additionally, he is a noted bluegrass music historian and wrote many articles for Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine back in our early days. During this podcast, we will first focus on Doug’s bluegrass past and then talk a bit about his work with Riders in the Sky and the Time Jumpers.
This week's podcast interview features Washington, DC area bluegrass legend Cliff Waldron. Cliff was recently honored with the IBMA’s distinguished achievement award. We talk with Cliff about the award, his early days in bluegrass, his years playing with Bill Emerson, his work with Cliff Waldron and the New Shades of Grass and much more.
This week's podcast features five-time banjo player of the year, and a long-time member of the Grascals, Kristin Scott Benson. We will talk about her family's long history in music, her career in bluegrass, her online banjo lessons, the Grascals newest CD, a new project she has been working on with her husband Wayne Benson, and her new book project with Bill Evans.
This week we feature bluegrass legend Ronnie Reno and talk with him about his life in bluegrass music with his father Don Reno, the Osborne Brothers, Merle Haggard and more. We will also discuss his exciting new online project bluegrass music TV.
This week's podcast features two-time IBMA "Mandolin Player of the Year" winner Alan Bibey. Today we talk to Alan about his long and distinguished carrier in bluegrass music, his band’s newest record Hitchhiking to California, his annual music camp, and how he approaches teaching students how to play the mandolin.
This week's podcast features Tristan Scroggins. We talk with Tristan about his IBMA award nominations, his ten years performing with his father’s band, Jeff Scroggins and Colorado, his work cataloging John Hartford’s enormous 3X5 card collection and his online mandolin lessons.
This week's podcast features Akira Otsuka, the mandolin player for the Japanese bluegrass band Bluegrass 45. Last week we completed a sixteen article website series about Bluegrass 45’s 1971 tour of the United States. Today we talk to Akira briefly about that tour, but then go on to discuss what he and the other band members have been doing since that historic tour fifty years ago.
This week we feature Marty Lanham of the Nashville Guitar Company. Since Wilma Lee Cooper is featured in our September 2021 print issue, we first talk with Marty about his days playing music with bluegrass legends Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper and then we discuss acoustic instrument maintenance, restoration, repair, and building.
This week we feature Ken Hooper of Hooper Guitars. Our September 2021 issue features an article about Zack Arnold, Rhonda Vincent’s new guitar player, and Zack is just one of the guitar players in bluegrass who plays a Hooper guitar. You will hear Ken talk about all aspects of his guitar building process as well as the models and custom features that he offers.
This week we feature Mark Freeman of Rebel Records. Mark talks about Rebel’s long history in bluegrass music starting with his father Dave's involvement with County Records and County Sales dating back to the mid-1960s. We also talk about some of the new artists Rebel is working with today. Plus, you will get to hear several cuts from some of Rebels new releases.
This week our podcast features Jon Weisberger. Jon has not only had a long career as a bass player in bluegrass music, but he has also been a journalist, writer of liner notes, writer of songs, radio personality, record producer, and also currently works in artist development and repertoire for Organic Records and Mountain Home Music.
This week's podcast features Missy Raines the nine-time IBMA “Bass Player of the Year.” We talk with Missy about her background in bluegrass music, her recording, songwriting, producing, and her role as a band leader. We will also talk about her new band Missy Raines and Allegheny and you will hear a couple of cuts off of her Grammy-nominated CD Royal Traveller.
This week's podcast features Bill Nowlin. Bill is one of the three founders of Rounder Records and has recently released a new book titled Vinyl Ventures: My Fifty Years at Rounder Records. We will talk with Bill about this book, about other books that he has published over the years, and about his five decades working at Rounder.
This week our podcast features Jerry Salley. Jerry has a long history as an award-winning songwriter in bluegrass, country, and gospel music. He is also a record producer and one of the founders of Billy Blue Records. Additionally, he is a talented performing and recording artist. We will be talking with Jerry Salley about his songwriting, his work at Billy Blue Records, and his new album.
This week were feature mandolin and bass player Sharon Gilchrist and talk with her about her early days learning bluegrass in Texas, her time studying mandolin at Belmont University in Nashville, her work with Tony Rice and Peter Rowan, and the Harmonic Tone Revealers album she recorded with John Reischman and Scott Nygaard.
This podcast is a special podcast that we are adding this week because the legendary bluegrass fiddler Byron Berline passed away a couple of weeks ago. After Byron’s passing a radio host from Kansas, Orin Friesen sent us an interview that he conducted with Byron at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas, in 1981. In this podcast you will hear Byron talk about his pre-1981 life in bluegrass music.
This week's podcast features longtime bluegrass writer, educator, performer, and recording artist Jack Tottle. Today we talk with Jack about his early life in bluegrass, his work founding the bluegrass music program at ETSU and some of the things that keep him busy these days, including the new CD release that features material he and Tim Stafford recorded in the late 1980s.
This week we are talking with Frank Solivan of Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen. Today we talk with Frank about his time spent in the Navy as a member of the Navy bluegrass band Country Current, what kept him busy during the pandemic, and what we can look forward to from the band in the near future.
This week's podcast features Tina Adair of Sister Sadie. In our July 2020 issue we included a group of articles about college bluegrass music programs. For the past 18 years Tina has worked at Belmont University in Nashville in the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business. We will talk with Tina about her work at Belmont, and about her brand new self-titled solo album. You will also get to hear a couple of cuts from that album.
This week we are talking with Steve Swan about the bass because June is our annual instrument issue month and although just about every bluegrass band has a bass, the bass is an instrument that doesn’t get as much attention as the other instruments in the band. We felt like that instrument deserves a little more attention and we know that Steve Swan is a guy who can answer any and all questions related to the bass. If you want to know more about the standup bass, this is the podcast for you.
This week's podcast features Tom Nechville of Nechville Musical Products. Nechville is known for their innovative banjo designs and today we talk with Tom about some of his ideas about banjo construction and design, the products Nechville offers, the different models of banjos that are in their catalog, and their new operation in Sisters, Oregon.
This week we talk with multi-instrumentalist David McLaughlin. David is best known as the mandolin player for the Johnson Mountain Boys and as such was inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in the fall of 2020. Today we talk with David about his role in Christopher Henry’s Monroe Style Improvisation Course, about his musically rich upbringing in the Washington, D.C. area, about his relationship with Bill Monroe, and much more.
This week's podcast features Christopher Henry, son of the talented musicians and instructors Red and Murphy Henry and brother to bluegrass banjo player and teacher Casey Henry. Christopher has performed with his family, has fronted his own band and has been a member of Peter Rowan’s bluegrass band for the past six or seven years. Today we are talking with Christopher about his online Monroe Style Improvisation course that was featured in the June 2021 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine.
Our podcast interview this week features Doctor Howard Marshall, Professor Emeritus from the University of Missouri. Doctor Marshall is an expert on Missouri style fiddling having written two very in-depth books about the subject. Fiddler Mike Hartgrove, who was featured in our May issue, learned from some of Missouri's master fiddlers. In speaking with Howard Marshall, we learn more about Missouri fiddle styles. You will also get to hear old recordings from six of the fiddlers we discuss.
Our podcast interview this week features bluegrass bass master Mike Bub. Mike has performed with a long list of bluegrass bands, including The Weary Hearts, The Del McCoury Band, The Sidemen, Tim O’Brien, The Peter Rowan and Tony Rice Quartet, and many more. Today we talk with Mike about his home-away-from-home at the Station Inn and he shares many stories about his life on the road and in the studio with the above mentioned bands.
Our podcast interview this week features banjo player Marc Pruett. Marc has had a long career in bluegrass music having played for Jimmy Martin in the 1970s, the Marc Pruett band in the 1980s, Ricky Skaggs in the 1990s, and Balsam Range for the past fourteen years. Marc recently published a book about his life growing up in the North Carolina Mountains and career in bluegrass titled "Rascally Mountain Boy." Marc his here today to answer questions about this wonderful new book.
Our podcast interview this week features Joe Mullins, a well known banjo player and radio broadcaster from the southwestern area of Ohio. Today we talk with Joe about his involvement in the Industrial Strength Bluegrass project that was featured in our April 2021 issue and we catch up with the latest from Joe’s band the Radio Ramblers. You will also listen to a couple of cuts from the Industrial Strength Bluegrass recording.
Our podcast interview this week features Murphy Henry, who our subscribers will know from her “General Store” column in the magazine. Today we are talking with Murphy about her “Murphy Method" instructional DVDs, the process of learning to play by ear and her banjo camps series.
Our podcast interview this week features Jake Workman, the guitar player with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder. The focus of our April 2021 print issue is “Learning How to Play” and Jake has been teaching private lessons for guitar, mandolin, and banjo for many years. Today we talk with Jake about his approach to teaching private bluegrass music lessons and about his newest CD "Landmark."
Our podcast interview this week features bluegrass banjo legend Pete Wernick. The focus of our April 2021 issue is “Learning How to Play” and part of the motivation to learn how to play is being able to play with other people. Today we talk with Pete about his Wernick Method Jam Camps, which provide students with a safe and comfortable environment to learn how to play music with other people. We talk about how the camps work for jammers at all ability levels and how you might become a Wernick Jam Camp instructor yourself.
Our podcast interview today features Bill Bay of Mel Bay Publications. The focus of our April 2021 issue is “Learning How to Play” and most people who have learned how to play a bluegrass instrument have, at some point in time, learned from a Mel Bay Publications book or video. Today we talk with Bill about how the company started, how it developed to fit the needs of bluegrass players, where it is today and plans for the future.
Our podcast interview today features Steve Kaufman. Steve is well known for his many flatpicking contest victories, his instructional books and videos, his weekend workshops for guitar and mandolin players, and his summer music camps for old-time and bluegrass musicians. Today I will talk with Steve about all of his music camp and teaching activities as April is "Learn to Play' month.
Our podcast interview this week features bluegrass singer and multi-instrumentalist Josh Williams. Josh is best known as the guitar player with Rhonda Vincent, but has also toured with the Tony Rice Unit, performed with the Bluegrass Album Band and has been on the road with his own Josh Williams Band. Today we talk with Josh about his time spent on stage with Tony Rice, his band and solo recording, and we catch up with him regarding his recent work with Rhonda Vincent.
Our podcast interview this week features bluegrass guitar master Bryan Sutton. Bryan first came to be well known in bluegrass as a member of Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder and has since gone on to perform and record with a very long list of bluegrass and country artists. He is a member of Hot Rize and has toured with his own band. He continues to keep busy with recording sessions in Nashville. We talk to Bryan about his relationship with Tony Rice, his work with the Artist Works instructional site, and some of his plans for the future.
Our podcast interview this week features Punch Brothers guitarist Chris Eldridge. Chris was a founding member of The Infamous Stringdusters, and the Punch Brothers, was a member of the Live From Here band and also performs and records with Julian Lage. Recently he became a professor at Oberlin College in the music department. Today we talk with Chris about an amazing week that he spent with Tony Rice at Tony’s home 20 years ago while he was a student at Oberlin. Chris will also update us on all of his current musical activities.
Our podcast interview today features California flatpicker Jim Nunally. Jim is well known for his work with a number of west coast bands including John Reischman and the Jaybirds and the David Grisman Bluegrass Experience. Today we talk with Jim about his work with those bands and some of his experiences with Tony Rice. You will also hear a cut from the Nell Robinson and Jim Nunally Band and the second cut from his duo album with Dix Bruce.
Our podcast interview today features guitar player, singer and songwriter Tim Stafford. Tim is well known in bluegrass music for his work with Blue Highway and for his talent as a songwriter. He is also the co-author of the Tony Rice biography Still Inside: The Tony Rice Story. Today we will be talking with Tim about his relationship with Tony Rice and we will also discuss his newest solo CD, his upcoming release with Steve Gulley, and much more. You will also hear a couple of cuts off of Tim’s newest solo album Tunes & Ballands.
Our podcast interview today features multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, record producer and all around great guy Carl Jackson. We talk with Carl about his time spent playing on the road with Jim & Jesse, his touring with Glen Campbell, his songwriting, the new Carl Jackson documentary film, and his work on a number of Grammy-winning record projects. You will also hear some cuts off of two of those projects.
Our podcast interview today features banjo player Mike Scott. Today we will talk with Mike about his time spent playing on the road with Jim & Jesse, his work with Ronnie Reno, and playing with his own band. We will also discuss some of Mike’s CDs and instructional material for banjo and you’ll get to hear a couple of cuts from Mike’s recordings. We hope you enjoy the Mike Scott podcast.
This podcast episode features Monroe-style mandolin master Mike Compton. Today we talk with Mike about his time spent in John Hartford’s band, his work on The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, Volume 1, his involvement with the Monroe Mandolin Camp, his CD with Norman Blake titled Gallop to Georgia, his work with Joe Newberry, and more. You’ll also get to hear cuts from the Gallop to Georgia CD and a live recording with Joe Newberry.
Our podcast interview today features fiddler Matt Combs. Matt has performed with a long list of Nashville’s top bluegrass and country artists and was a protege of John Hartford. We talk with Matt today about his work compiling the book John Hartford’s Mammoth Collection of Fiddle Tunes and his work producing the Grammy Nominated album The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project Volume 1.
Our podcast interview today features fiddle maestro Stuart Duncan. A long time member of the Nashville Bluegrass Band, Stuart has also played on nearly 900 recordings in multiple genres working as a session musician. Today I will talk with Stuart about his participation in the Sturgill Simpson Cuttin’ Grass projects, his early years playing bluegrass in California, his session work, the recent passing of Tony Rice, and much more.
Our podcast interview today features bluegrass banjo master Scott Vestal. Scott has a very long history in bluegrass having played with Larry Sparks, Southern Connection, Doyle Lawson, Live Wire, Continental Divide, John Cowan and Sam Bush. We talk to Scott about his time in these bands, his engineering and production work, his winning the Steve Martin banjo prize, his stealth banjos, his work with Sturgill Simpson, and more. You will also hear a tune from Scott’s most recent solo recording and something from his newest various artist project Bluegrass 2020.
Our podcast interview today features Sierra Hull. Sierra, a two-time IBMA mandolin player of the year award winner, is one of the most outstanding musicians and singers in bluegrass music today. In this podcast we talk with Sierra about her involvement in Sturgill Simpson’s Cuttin’ Grass projects, her hosting of the IBMA virtual awards show, her newest album release 25 Trips, her work with husband Justin Moses on his new CD Fall Like Rain, and much more. You will also hear a cut from Sierra’s 25 Trips album.
Our podcast interview today features Sierra Hull. Sierra, a two-time IBMA mandolin player of the year award winner, is one of the most outstanding musicians and singers in bluegrass music today. In this podcast we talk with Sierra about her involvement in Sturgill Simpson’s Cuttin’ Grass projects, her hosting of the IBMA virtual awards show, her newest album release 25 Trips, her work with husband Justin Moses on his new CD Fall Like Rain, and much more. You will also hear a cut from Sierra’s 25 Trips album.
Our podcast interview today features Sierra Hull. Sierra, a two-time IBMA mandolin player of the year award winner, is one of the most outstanding musicians and singers in bluegrass music today. In this podcast we talk with Sierra about her involvement in Sturgill Simpson’s Cuttin’ Grass projects, her hosting of the IBMA virtual awards show, her newest album release 25 Trips, her work with husband Justin Moses on his new CD Fall Like Rain, and much more. You will also hear a cut from Sierra’s 25 Trips album.
Our podcast interview today features Sierra Hull. Sierra, a two-time IBMA mandolin player of the year award winner, is one of the most outstanding musicians and singers in bluegrass music today. In this podcast we talk with Sierra about her involvement in Sturgill Simpson’s Cuttin’ Grass projects, her hosting of the IBMA virtual awards show, her newest album release 25 Trips, her work with husband Justin Moses on his new CD Fall Like Rain, and much more. You will also hear a cut from Sierra’s 25 Trips album.
This podcast features Tim O’Brien. Tim’s skills as a singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter will be familiar to anyone who has followed bluegrass music. An original member of the band Hot Rize, Tim has also released many projects under his own name, led several configurations of his own band, partnered to record and tour with multiple well-known musicians, such as Darrell Scott, and he has written dozens of well-known songs that he and other bands have recorded.
Our podcast interview this week features Roland White. Roland is a true legend in bluegrass music having played with such prominent bands in as the Kentucky Colonels, Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys, Lester Flatt and the Nashville Grass, the Country Gazette, the Nashville Bluegrass Band, and now the Roland White Band. Roland discusses time spent with those bands and we play you a few cuts from a couple of Roland’s most recent CDs.
This week's podcast interview features Bluegrass Hall of Fame bass player Tom Gray. In this interview Tom talks about how he discovered bluegrass, the Washington DC bluegrass scene in the 1950s, his time spent performing with with the Country Gentleman and the Seldom Scene. He also discusses the early years of Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine.
This week's Podcast features banjo legend Alan Munde. Alan has a long history in bluegrass music starting back in the 1960s with Poor Richard’s Almanac and then Jimmy Martin. He spent a short time with the Flying Burrito Brothers, toured in Europe with the New Kentucky Colonels, and, starting in 1972, was long-time member of the Country Gazette. In 1986 Alan joined the faculty of South Plains College and taught bluegrass music there for over twenty-years. He currently teaches at various music camps and workshops and performs with the Alan Munde Gazette. In this podcast we focus on Alan’s early experiences with bluegrass music, his time with Jimmy Martin, and discuss his thoughts about some of the early bluegrass bands. You will also hear Alan play is wonderful arrangement of “Durang’s Hornpipe.”
This week's Podcast features banjo legend Alan Munde. Alan has a long history in bluegrass music starting back in the 1960s with Poor Richard’s Almanac and then Jimmy Martin. He spent a short time with the Flying Burrito Brothers, toured in Europe with the New Kentucky Colonels, and, starting in 1972, was long-time member of the Country Gazette. In 1986 Alan joined the faculty of South Plains College and taught bluegrass music there for over twenty-years. He currently teaches at various music camps and workshops and performs with the Alan Munde Gazette. In this podcast we focus on Alan’s early experiences with bluegrass music, his time with Jimmy Martin, and discuss his thoughts about some of the early bluegrass bands. You will also hear Alan play is wonderful arrangement of “Durang’s Hornpipe.”
This week's Podcast features banjo legend Alan Munde. Alan has a long history in bluegrass music starting back in the 1960s with Poor Richard’s Almanac and then Jimmy Martin. He spent a short time with the Flying Burrito Brothers, toured in Europe with the New Kentucky Colonels, and, starting in 1972, was long-time member of the Country Gazette. In 1986 Alan joined the faculty of South Plains College and taught bluegrass music there for over twenty-years. He currently teaches at various music camps and workshops and performs with the Alan Munde Gazette. In this podcast we focus on Alan’s early experiences with bluegrass music, his time with Jimmy Martin, and discuss his thoughts about some of the early bluegrass bands. You will also hear Alan play is wonderful arrangement of “Durang’s Hornpipe.”
This podcast features an interview with Stephen Mougin, guitar player with the Sam Bush Band and owner of Dark Shadow Recording. Stephen talks about his work with the Sam Bush Band and his duo with Ned Luberecki, Nedski and Mojo. He also discusses his engineering and production work with artists on his record label, his True Fire guitar lessons, his harmony singing instructional CDs, and his band coaching work. You will also hear two cuts off of Stephen newest solo recording Ordinary Soul.
This podcast features Dan Cary. Dan is a legend in bluegrass music known for being one of the early lead guitar players in bluegrass. He has played with a variety of bands over the years including the Bluegrass Alliance, Berline, Crary and Hickman, and California. He now performs with Crary, Evans and Barnick. In this podcast Dan talks about his experiences with bluegrass in the 1960s, his time with the Bluegrass Alliance, and his work with his current band. You will also hear two cuts from Crary, Evans, and Barnick’s newest CD.
Our podcast interview today features Nate Lee. Nate is a graduate of South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, where he studied with Alan Munde and Joe Carr. While still in college he performed with The Hard Road Trio and the Alan Munde Gazette. Since moving to Nashville in 2006, Nate has performed with the Jim Hurst Trio and is currently with The Becky Buller Band. In 2015 Nate was the winner of the IBMA’s Momentum Award in the Instrumentalist of the Year category. We are going to talk with Nate about his time at South Plains College, his involvement with the aforementioned bands, and his instructional material. Additionally, you will hear a couple of cuts off of Nate’s solo CD, "Wings of Jetliner," which was released earlier this year (2020).
This episode of the Bluegrass Unlimited podcast features banjo player Ned Luberecki. Ned, who was the 2018 IBMA banjo player of the year, has a long history in bluegrass music having played banjo with the Rarley Herd, Larry Cordell and Lonesome Standard Time, Gary Ferguson Band, Radio Flyer, Paul Adkins and the Boderline Band, and Chris Jones and the Night Drivers. Ned is currently the banjo player for the Becky Buller Band. Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine Editor Dan Miller talks with Ned about his role in Becky’s band as well as his Sirius XM radio shows, his collaborations with Stephen Mougin, his solo recording, Take Five, and his banjo lessons and instructional material. We hope you enjoy the Ned Luberecki podcast.
This episode of the Bluegrass Unlimited podcast features Dan Boner. Dan is the director of the East Tennessee State University Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Program. When Dan is not busy with his college duties he is also a touring member of the Becky Buller Band. BU editor Dan Miller talks to Dan Boner about the ETSU program, the Becky Buller Band, and his additional side job of repairing vintage amplifiers. You will also hear a couple of cuts off of Dan’s latest solo CD “West of West Virginia.” Please enjoy the Dan Boner Podcast.