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The Travelin' McCourys

Brain Blauser / Mountain Stage

Siblings Ronnie and Rob McCoury struck out on their own to form The Travelin' McCourys after playing music with their father Del McCoury for over 20 years. The sons of bluegrass royalty, the younger McCourys expanded their following beyond bluegrass by working with artists in a variety of styles.

They began generating a reputation for experimentation by joining the late Jeff Austin and his band for their "Grateful Ball" shows, playing music inspired by the Grateful Dead. They have also toured along with country star Dierks Bentley, appearing on Mountain Stage in 2011 in support of Bentley's release, Up On the Ridge, in 2010. Later they went on to appear on the show with jam-grass luminary Keller Williams, who they joined for his 2013 release Pick.

No shocker that this set touches many styles while keeping the clean and crisp harmony and instrumental prowess that the band is known for. All of the songs performed here are on group's 2018 self-titled release, which was received the Grammy Award in 2019 for best bluegrass album.

Heard here are Ronnie McCoury on mandolin, Rob McCoury on banjo, guitarist Cody Kilby, fiddler Jason Carter and bassist Alan Bartram. The opener, "Let Her Go," sung by Ronnie, was a pop hit by Passenger (songwriter Michael David Rosenberg). Following that Cater sings lead on "Lonesome On'ry and Mean," a song written by Canadian Steve Young that was recorded by Waylon Jennings.

A highlight in this performance is "The Shaker," a song bassist Alan Bartram co-wrote with Becky Buller. It's an extension of the legend of railroad worker John Henry, about the less-remembered role of the Shaker, the laborer that held the drill for the hammer-swinging Henry at Big Bend Mountain in West Virginia when the pair took on the steam-powered drilling machine.

"That drill sure was a demon, a lot of noise, a lot of steam/ but I saw right away it was no match for John and me."

The Travelin' McCourys will join back up with their father this summer for dates with the Del McCoury Band, and they'll be playing throughout the fall, including some dates with mandolin-phenom Sam Bush.

Set List:

• "Let Her Go"
• "Lonesome On'ry and Mean"
• "The Shaker"
• "Borderline"
• "Cumberland Blues> Cumberland Gap"

Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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Del McCoury performs a Tiny Desk Concert on July 11, 2018 (Samantha Clark/NPR).

Samantha Clark / NPR

There is a moment, near the top of this Tiny Desk concert — when three voices gather 'round a single microphone to deliver the chorus of "That Ol' Train" — that is so pure and beautiful it made my eyes well up with tears when we filmed it. Not since bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley played the Tiny Desk in 2009 have I felt vocals resonate so deeply.

Del McCoury is another bluegrass legend, singing, playing guitar and writing songs for the past 60 years, including his days with the "father of bluegrass," Mr. Bill Monroe. The Del McCoury Band itself is 50 years strong, and these days includes Del's sons Robbie on banjo and Ronnie on mandolin and vocals. All are astonishing players, here joined by the five-time award-winning fiddling of Jason Carter and this year's International Bluegrass Music Association bass player of the year Alan Bartram.

For their visit to the Tiny Desk, the group brought along some traveling songs. The first (of two) train tunes, "That Ol' Train," comes from their new album Del McCoury Still Sings Bluegrass,while their closing gospel tale "All Aboard" is a staple from 2001's Del and the Boys. The other (a motorcycle song), "1952 Vincent Black Lightning," was written by another master of his craft, British folk icon Richard Thompson, and has been a part of Del's repertoire for a while now. It shows not only the deep connection that bluegrass has to British folk music, but also Del McCoury's willingness to keep his sound fresh all these years on.

These are story songs; Del is, of course, quite the storyteller, taking his time between them to reminisce. At 79 years old, he's got a lot of them tell.

Set List

• "That Ol' Train"
• "1952 Vincent Black Lightning"
• "All Aboard"

MusiciansDel McCoury (vocals, guitar), Ronnie McCoury (mandolin, vocals), Rob McCoury (banjo), Alan Bartram (bass, vocals), Jason Carter (fiddle)

CreditsProducers: Bob Boilen, Morgan Noelle Smith; Creative Director: Bob Boilen; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Bronson Arcuri, Khun Minn Ohn; Production Assistants: Catherine Zhang, Téa Mottolese; Photo: Samantha Clark/NPR.

Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

Story does not include AP content

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Del McCoury reaches back to the era of singles. He and his band are on a streak of releasing single songs, rather than waiting to complete entire albums. We hear the latest on this week’s Across the Blue Ridge.

Del McCoury Band

New recordings, a preview of roots music from a public TV series, and some classic fiddle tunes and bluegrass cuts share the spotlight this week. We get a preview of music from Season 2 of David Holt’s State of Music, with songs and tunes from Dom Flemons, Rayna Gellert, The Branchettes, and The Kruger Brothers. Plus … new meets old as Alice Gerrard and Kay Justice release an album of country and folk classics, new compositions, and some ancient-sounding fiddle tunes from southwest Virginia. We hear new releases from Zoe & Cloyd, and the latest single from Del McCoury, one of the most respected figures in bluegrass. The song You Could Be Me is a tragicomic look at the ups and downs of life that transcends genres and is sure to appeal to a broad audience.

Playlist

1. Sugar Tree Stomp

Kenny Baker

Master Fiddler 2. You Could Be Me

Del McCoury

single 3. I Heard The Bluebirds Sing

Kay Justice & Alice Gerrard

Tear Down The Fences 4. Train On The Island

Kay Justice & Alice Gerrard

Tear Down The Fences 5. Walking In My Sleep

Luther Davis

Home recording 6. Walking In My Sleep

The Mostly Mountain Boys

The Mostly Mountain Boys 7. Break 1 - Lost Girl

Chance McCoy & The Appalachian String Band

Chance McCoy & The Appalachian String Band 8. Watches The Clouds Roll By

The Kruger Brothers

Tunes From David Holt's State Of Music 2 9. Your Baby Ain't Sweet Like Mine

Dom Flemons

Tunes From David Holt's State Of Music 2 10. Swannanoa Waltz

Rayna Gellert

Tunes From David Holt's State Of Music 2 11. If It Wasn't For The Lord

The Branchettes

Tunes From David Holt's State Of Music 2 12. Roll On Buddy

David Holt, Wayne Henderson, Jeff Little

Tunes From David Holt's State Of Music 2 13. Fortune

Tommy Jarrell & Fred Cockerham

Tommy & Fred - Best Fiddle-Banjo Duets 14. Break 2 - Puncheon Floor

Jesse Milnes & Emily Miller

The Deep End Sessions 15. Let's All Go Down To The River

Zoe & Cloyd

Eyes Brand New 16. Old Stone Wall

Zoe & Cloyd

Eyes Brand New 17. Billy In The Lowground

Clark Kessinger

The Legend Of Clark Kessinger 18. Brickyard Joe

John Johnson

Strange Creek Fiddling 1947 19. Hey Porter

Lynn Morris Band

The Bramble & The Rose 20. May I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight Mister

Kilby Snow

Masters of the Old Time Country Autoharp

atbr #david holt’s state of music #dom flemons #rayna gellert #the branchettes #the kruger brothers #alice gerrard #kay justice #zoe & cloyd #del mccoury

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