Stay Connected“Bluegrass Jam Along is a great, great podcast” – Chris Eldridge
The IBMA Award winning podcast for anyone and everyone who loves bluegrass.
Every week we feature interviews with musicians, writers, instrument makers and other key figures from the bluegrass and string band world, plus regular news and new releases.
Guests include Alison Krauss, Sierra Hull, Tim O’Brien, Wyatt Rice, Jerry Douglas, Sarah Jarosz, Jarrod Walker and David Grisman.
For more info visit https://bluegrassjamalong.com
Copyright: © 2024 Bluegrass Jam Along
Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly series of episodes taking a look at what’s going on in the world of bluegrass.
Here are the links to stuff mentioned in this episode.
News and Announcements (Church Street News)
Releases (The Grass is New)
Scroll on Buddy
Other bits
Happy picking.
Matt
===
Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)
Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins and Token premium guitar picks
- Sign up to get updates on new episodes
- Free fiddle tune chord sheets
- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews
- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
- Review us on Apple Podcasts
My guest this week is Katie Harford Hogue, who joins me to chat about the wonderful album 'Julia Belle: The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, Vol. 2'
We discuss how the project came about, following the discovery of dozens of John Hartford's notebooks, kept between 1983 and 2001, full of as many as 4,000 original fiddle tunes he'd composed. That led to the book - 'John Hartford's Mammoth Collection of Fiddle Tunes', followed by two albums, the second of which we're exploring today.
Co-produced by Katie, with Sharon Gilchrist and Megan Lynch Chowning, 'Julia Belle' features a selection of John's original fiddle tunes, as well as some favourite songs, performed by some of the most beloved female artists in the Hartford-inspired bluegrass scene, including Rachel Baiman, Phoebe Hunt, Ginger Boatwright, Brittany and Natalie Haas, Deanie Richardson, Allison de Groot, Della Mae, The Price Sisters, Uncle Earl, Alison Brown, Missy Raines and Sierra Hull.
It's a wonderful record and made for a fascinating conversation. Check out the links below to buy the album and discover the many amazing resources available to celebrate John's music.
Happy picking,
Matt
More info...
Buy on CD from johnhartford.com
Download on Bandcamp
Listen - Matt Coombs plays John Hartford's Mammoth Collection of Fiddle Tunes
===
Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)
Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins and Token premium guitar picks
- Sign up to get updates on new episodes
- Free fiddle tune chord sheets
- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews
- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
- Review us on Apple Podcasts
Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly series of episodes taking a look at what’s going on in the world of bluegrass.
Here are the links to stuff mentioned in this episode.
News and Announcements (Church Street News)
Releases (The Grass is New)
Scroll on Buddy
Other bits
Happy picking.
Matt
===
Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)
Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins and Token premium guitar picks
- Sign up to get updates on new episodes
- Free fiddle tune chord sheets
- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews
- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
- Review us on Apple Podcasts
This Bitesize episode comes from an interview I did in April 2023 with Rachel Baiman about her wonderful record Common Nation of Sorrow
I re-listened to the episode (and the album) recently and this section really stood out. We chat about storytelling in music; the power of infusing a song with emotion; the importance of connection and conversation and how music can foster community.
I really enjoyed this and found it thought provoking to listen back to. I hope you find something interesting, inspiring or meaningful in it too. Do go and listen to Common Nation of Sorrow as well! Links below for more info on Rachel and to buy her music.
Happy picking!
Matt
Rachel's website – http://www.rachelbaiman.com/
Bandcamp: https://rachelbaimanmerch.bandcamp.com/music
Follow Rachel:
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/rachelbaiman/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Rachelbaimanmusic/
===
Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)
Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins and Token premium guitar picks
- Sign up to get updates on new episodes
- Free fiddle tune chord sheets
- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews
- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
- Review us on Apple Podcasts
Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly series of episodes taking a look at what’s going on in the world of bluegrass.
Here are the links to stuff mentioned in this episode.
News and Announcements (Church Street News)
Releases (The Grass is New)
Scroll on Buddy
Other bits
Happy picking.
Matt
===
Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)
Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins and Token premium guitar picks
- Sign up to get updates on new episodes
- Free fiddle tune chord sheets
- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews
- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
- Review us on Apple Podcasts
Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly series of episodes taking a look at what’s going on in the world of bluegrass.
Here are the links to stuff mentioned in this episode.
News and Announcements (Church Street News)
Releases (The Grass is New)
Scroll on Buddy
Other bits
Happy picking.
Matt
===
Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)
Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins and Token premium guitar picks
- Sign up to get updates on new episodes
- Free fiddle tune chord sheets
- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews
- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
- Review us on Apple Podcasts
My guest this week is Sierra Hull.
Sierra has been a guest on the podcast twice before and both times we chatted about an ongoing project she's been working on since her last record 25 Trips. That project eventually became her new album, the wonderful A Tiptoe High Wire, which we talk about in this episode.
Recorded over four sets of sessions over a two year period, the album features Sierra's current touring band, as well as including guest appearances from Béla Fleck, Tim O’Brien, Ronnie Bowman, Lindsay Lou, Aoife O’Donovan and Sierra's husband Justin Moses.
We talk about the process of writing the songs, some of which were written with these specific musicians in mind; the themes and inspiration behind the tracks; Sierra's desire to write more optimistic and hopeful songs; her decision to put the record out independently and how the album, co-produced by Sierra's friend Shani Gandhi, feels like one piece, despite being split over several different sessions.
It's a fantastic record and, as always, it was a real treat getting to chat with Sierra.
For info on where you can buy A Tiptoe High Wire and a full list of Sierra's upcoming tour dates, check out sierrahull.com
Happy picking,
Matt
===
Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)
Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins and Token premium guitar picks
- Sign up to get updates on new episodes
- Free fiddle tune chord sheets
- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews
- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
- Review us on Apple Podcasts
My guest this week is a legend of American string band music.
When David Grisman raised his middle finger to MCA Records, after being dropped for failing to meet arbitrary sales targets, he couldn't have known it would spark a 35-year musical revolution. As one of America's foremost, and best loved, mandolin virtuosos turns 80 this year, he offers a fascinating glimpse into the birth, evolution, and future of Acoustic Disc, the independent label he founded in 1990 that became a vital archive of American string band traditions, as well as home to over three decades of his own music.
Grisman's journey from frustrated artist to label founder came at a pivotal moment in music history, as CDs were eclipsing vinyl and the digital revolution loomed on the horizon. He built his own studio, using gear he bought from the iconic 1750 Arch Studios, and Acoustic Disc was born. The label's early success—including Grammy nominations for its first two releases—established a blueprint combining Grisman's new compositions, collaborations with luminaries like Jerry Garcia and Tony Rice, and carefully chosen historical recordings.
The switch from physical media to digital distribution liberated both Grisman's creative vision and business model.
"It's just too beautiful a concept to make one product and sell an infinite number without manufacturing anything," he explains.
This shift allows him to release an album every month, including expanded versions of classic recordings with Tony Rice, Jerry Garcia, and others. These "deluxe editions" offer fascinating insights into the creative process behind influential albums like Tone Poems, capturing not just the music but the conversations between master musicians at work.
Whether you're a huge Grisman fan, dedicated bluegrass lover or just a fan of acoustic music at its best, Acoustic Disc's extraordinary catalog offers a gateway into America's rich string band traditions.
Find out more at acousticdisc.com and, while you're there, sign up for their weekly newsletter to receive a free "Treat of the Week".
For updates, follow David on Instagram and Facebook
Happy picking.
Matt
===
Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)
Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins and Token premium guitar picks
- Sign up to get updates on new episodes
- Free fiddle tune chord sheets
- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews
- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
- Review us on Apple Podcasts
Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly series of episodes taking a look at what’s going on in the world of bluegrass.
Here are the links to stuff mentioned in this episode.
Pod News
News and Announcements (Church Street News)
Releases (The Grass is New)
Other bits
Happy picking.
Matt
===
Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)
Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins and Token premium guitar picks
- Sign up to get updates on new episodes
- Free fiddle tune chord sheets
- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews
- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
- Review us on Apple Podcasts
This week's episode is a Bitesize episode, which is a short section highlighting a previous episode you may have missed, which feels apt, given that this is episode #450, so the back catalogue is getting pretty big!
But, it's not a previous episode of Bluegrass Jam Along. This week I'm sharing part of an episode on mandolins and Beer, because the guest was....me!
Daniel has been on my podcast a couple of times and was kind enough to invite me onto Mandolins and Beer to chat about how I got into bluegrass, how the podcast started, how t's developed, some of my favourite moments and (of course) what my favourite beer is.
I really enjoyed chatting to Daniel for this. If you want to hear the full interview just head to the Mandolins and Beer website. You can also listen on Apple, Spotify or wherever else you get your podcasts.
Happy picking.
Matt
===
Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)
Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins and Token premium guitar picks
- Sign up to get updates on new episodes
- Free fiddle tune chord sheets
- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews
- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
- Review us on Apple Podcasts
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