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WoodSongs 986: John Paul White and Sideline Apr 16, 2020

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JOHN PAUL WHITE grew up in tiny Loretto, Tennessee, and now lives in Florence, Alabama, not far from Muscle Shoals. He has cultivated a music career in Nashville for two decades, first as a songwriter for a major publisher, then half of The Civil Wars – a groundbreaking duo that won four Grammy Awards before disbanding in 2012. With ‘The Hurting Kind’, John Paul White has crafted a stunning album that draws on the lush, orchestrated music made in Nashville in the early 1960s. Yet these songs retain a modern feel, whether he’s writing about overwhelming love, unraveling relationships, or fading memory of a loved one. SIDELINE is a pedigreed six-piece powerhouse whose style has set the pace in Bluegrass for over two decades. Founders Steve Dilling, Skip Cherryholmes and Jason Moore can all claim their own historical significance to the genre as members of highly awarded groups, multiple Grand Ole Opry appearances and years of national and international touring. What started as a side project for the seasoned players soon moved to the front and center as the three were joined by talents of Bailey Coe; guitar, Troy Boone; mandolin, and Daniel Greeson; fiddle, and began to record and release albums in earnest. Combine all this with their on-stage energy and finesse as well as their powerful and affecting harmonies, and you have the embodiment of the North Carolina Bluegrass sound. The Griffin Miller Band hail from Georgia and Florida and features 11-year-old Sadie Miller on vocal and Bryce and Brett Griffin on bass and acoustic guitar.

WoodSongs 985: The Lee Boys and Grady Champion Apr 16, 2020

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THE LEE BOYS are one of America’s finest “sacred steel” ensembles and have been bringing their joyful noise around world for over 10 years. This family group consists of three brothers, Alvin Lee (guitar), Derrick Lee and Keith Lee (vocals) along with their nephews, Alvin Cordy Jr. (7-string bass), Earl Walker (drums) and Roosevelt Collier (Pedal Steel) and Chris Johnson, a young pedal steel player from Miami, that is making quite a name for himself. The band’s new album ‘Live On The East Coast’ continues the Lee Boys reputation of playing eclectic, soulful music that incorporates elements of rock, country, R&B, jazz, hip-hop, funk and more. GRADY CHAMPION is a 21st Century Bluesman. This Mississippi-based songwriter/entertainer/musician has been captivating audiences for more than two decades. Champion has been the winner of prestigious Grammy and Blues Music Awards as well as the recipient of the 26th International Blues Challenge. His new CD, ‘Steppin' In’, is a tribute to legendary Texas bluesman ZZ Hill who died 35 years ago. Hill particularly inspired CHAMPION because Hill’s combination of blues & soul stylings helped to restore the blues to modern black consciousness.

WoodSongs 984: Yasmin Williams and Emily Wolfe Apr 16, 2020

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YASMIN WILLIAMS is an acoustic finger style guitarist with a nod to the great MICHAEL HEDGES. Growing up in northern Virginia, her music has been commonly described as refreshing, relaxing, and unique and has been called some of the most imaginative guitar music out today. She utilizes various techniques including alternate tunings, percussive hits, and lap tapping in her music to great effect. She has won various local talent shows, was a finalist in the Rolling Stones Young Gun guitar competition, was the Grand prize winner of New York University’s Ultra Violet Live talent show, and won the grand prize in Culpeper Has Talent. She was recently featured on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday show. EMILY WOLFE transcends the ranks of ordinary musicians. Her creative songwriting keeps her fans aglow thanks to her strong, powerful lead vocals and dominating guitar style. This Austin, TX’s resident rocker has shared stages with the likes of Heart, The Pretenders, Peter Frampton, Billy Gibbons and Gary Clark Jr. Wolfe a self-taught guitar player starting at the age of 5, has honed her craft over the past 22 years and has been described as a sonic merging of PJ Harvey and Jack White. Featured by the Wall Street Journal, MTV, NPR, and American Songwriter, Emily Wolfe is definitely one to watch. She released a debut self-titled, full-length album earlier this year.

WoodSongs 983: George Winston and Andrew Bird Apr 16, 2020

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GEORGE WINSTON is undeniably a household name. He's inspired fans and musicians alike with his singular solo acoustic piano songs for more than 40 years while selling 15 million albums. A tireless road warrior playing nearly 100 concerts annually, live performance for Winston is akin to breathing. Winston's music is evocative, offering us all a chance to take a step back from our perpetually busy lives and let our minds adventurously wander. ‘Restless Wind’ is the acclaimed 15th solo piano album and a portrayal of Winston's place in a chaotic world -- his compositions extend solace with an idiosyncratic grace. ANDREW BIRD is an internationally acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, whistler, and songwriter who picked up his first violin at the age of four and spent his formative years soaking up classical repertoire completely by ear. Since beginning his recording career in 1997, Bird has released 13 albums and performed extensively worldwide. He has recorded with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, appeared as “Dr. Stringz” on Jack’s Big Music Show, and headlined concerts at Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and festivals worldwide. New album 'My Finest Work Yet' is out now.

WoodSongs 982: Danny Burns and Reed Turchi Apr 16, 2020

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DANNY BURNS is a red-headed, storytelling, hard-touring Irishman whose own voice is just as evocative as his songwriting. He grew up in the Irish county of Donegal surrounded by singers and instrumentalists receiving a first-class education in Irish folk music along the way. He kicked off his career as a traveling folksinger, logging shows on both sides of the Atlantic. He's been on the road ever since, sharpening a sound that mixes the folk traditions of his native Ireland with diverse American influences. ‘North Country’ is Danny’s new collaborative album filled with appearances by icons like Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, and Tift Merritt. REED TURCHI was raised in the Swannanoa valley of Western North Carolina and grew up playing piano, focusing on boogie woogie and New Orleans styles before becoming infatuated with slide guitar. While learned Hill Country Blues (RL Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, Mississippi Fred McDowell) firsthand in North Mississippi, he’s become a master of guitar driven blues that shapeshift seamlessly between acoustic slide, electric juke joint boogie, and the improvisational, groove-driven, massive sound of his band. Reed’s eleventh album, ‘Midnight in Memphis’ was recorded live at legendary Sun Studio featuring his Kudzu Choir band. WoodSongs Kid: Christian Gisborne is a sixteen-year-old indie rock & roll singer and songwriter from LA.

WoodSongs 981: Queen Bee & The Honeylovers and Jamie Drake Apr 16, 2020

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QUEEN BEE & THE HONEYLOVERS is an unabashedly joyful swing band that performs legends who first defined the genre. The Honeylovers hail from Asheville, North Carolina; a Historic township where tradition collides with contemporary innovation to create *brand new* art and culture. Their arrangements are upbeat and nostalgic - with enough ‘sweetness’ for the whole hive. Vocal-driven with an infectious groove, the Honeylovers are guaranteed to put a grin on your face and a tap in your toes. JAMIE DRAKE is one of LA’s best-kept musical secrets co-writing and collaborating with the likes of Jim James, Mikael Jorgensen (Wilco), Peter Yarrow (Peter, Paul and Mary), Ed Helms, Glen Phillips, Sara and Sean Watkins (Nickel Creek), and Moby. Drake has all the while been carefully honing her own craft and preparing to take center stage. Now, over 4 million people have discovered Drake’s premiere tracks from her upcoming album, ‘Everything’s Fine’ a record that embraces heartbreak and hope, with indie-pop stylings wrapped in lush orchestrations reminiscent of Jon Brion and Van Dyke Parks and delivered with rich vocals, derivative of her varied musical influences ranging from Harry Nilsson to Sufjan Stevens; from Lucius to Joni Mitchell. WoodSongs Kid: Evan Singleton is a ten-year-old musician from Lexington, Kentucky. Evan will be performing the Earl Scruggs banjo classic “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” on the marimba.

WoodSongs 980: Jimmie Vaughan Apr 16, 2020

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JIMMIE VAUGHAN has dedicated his life to making sure the blues not only stays alive, but remains full of life and an inspiration to all who listen. For the past 50-something years, music has been the guiding light for Vaughan. He started playing young, and when the blues of Freddie King and Frankie Lee Sims crawled deep inside his young soul, it would stay there forever. After worldwide success with the Fabulous Thunderbirds during the ’80s, it came time to leave that band and build his own path in exploring different approaches to the blues.’Baby, Please Come Home’, is a rolling and righteous celebration of everything the blues can be. WoodSongs Kid: Jack Triebold is an 18-year-old guitar player from Charleston, South Carolina.

WoodSongs 978: Celebrating the Music of Kentucky Apr 16, 2020

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NEWTOWN features the first-rate vocal and instrumental work of five of the finest musicians in acoustic music who share a bond that combines individual virtuosity with a background of formal training. The band is based in Lexington, Kentucky and fronted by award-winning vocalist/fiddler Kati Penn Williams and her singer/banjo-picker husband, Jr. Williams. They are joined by the extraordinary talents of guitarist/vocalist Hayes Griffin, mandolinist Mitchell Cannon, and bassist/vocalist Travis Anderson – all who have college education backgrounds in music in addition to their collective decades of performing experience. The band’s newest album is ‘Harlan Road’. LARK WATTS is yet another talented singer/songwriter from the state of Kentucky (Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, Dwight Yoakam) His songs have a very traditional country element to them, but that voice is pure Memphis soul. RYVOLI is Jenn Whiteman and Samantha Ayres an indie-folk band based in Lexington, KY. WoodSongs Kid. Logan Smith is a talented Singer/Songwriter from Lexington, Kentucky and a WoodSongs Crew member.

WoodSongs 977: Laurie Lewis and Nefesh Mountain Apr 16, 2020

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LAURIE LEWIS is internationally renowned as a singer, songwriter, fiddler, bandleader, producer and educator. This Grammy Award-winning musician was a founding member of the Good Ol’ Persons and the Grant Street String Band and has performed and recorded since 1986 with her musical partner, mandolinist Tom Rozum. Laurie has twice been voted “Female Vocalist of the Year” by the International Bluegrass Music Association and has won the respect and admiration of her peers. Her latest album with her band the Right Hands ‘The Hazel and Alice Sessions’, was nominated for the Best Bluegrass Recording Grammy in 2017. NEFESH MOUNTAIN is the place where American Bluegrass and Old-time music meet with Jewish Heritage and tradition. Band leaders, genre-pioneers, and husband and wife Doni Zasloff and Eric Lindberg are the heart of this eclectic offering, and share their love for American music, their own cultural heritage, and each other with audiences throughout the world. The result of this unexpected and beautiful mix is staggering; and while complete with the kind of adept string virtuosity and through composed arrangements one would hope for from a newgrass band with influences from Bluegrass, Old-Time, Celtic, and Jazz, they also play and sing songs of the heart creating music with a sense of diversity, oneness, and purpose for our world today. Their newest and most adventurous recording to date called ‘Beneath The Open Sky’. WoodSongs Kid: Fallon Marie is a fourteen-year-old and from Elizabethtown, Kentucky. She loves to sing and play mandolin.

WoodSongs 976: Gary Morris and Jason Coleman & Meagan Taylor Apr 16, 2020

Show notes

GARY MORRIS is known world-wide for his vocal mastery. His recording career garnered five #1 and 16 Top 10 singles, including “Why Lady Why,” “The Love She Found in Me,” “Baby Bye Bye.” Morris’ original rendition of the classic “Wind Beneath My Wings” won both the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music “Song of the Year” awards. Morris was also named Billboard’s “Male Artist of the Year” early in his career. At the height of his Nashville recording career, the Texas-bred tenor was tapped to play the lead role of Jean Valjean in Broadway’s epic hit Les Misérables, to critical acclaim. ‘Sense of Pride’ is Morris’ latest and his 13th album release. JASON COLEMAN & MEAGAN TAYLOR grew up with two legends at their instruments. Coleman’s grandfather is the legendary pianist Floyd Cramer whose “slip note” piano style was an essential part of countless country, pop, and rock hits in the 1950s and ‘60s and exemplified by his 1960 smash hit, “Last Date”. Taylor picked up the guitar at 18 and turned to her uncle, one of the world’s preeminent guitar virtuosos and most prolific record producers, “Uncle Chester” Chet Atkins for help in the months before he passed away. Their new album ‘Feel Like Home’ honors their families love of music with a deep appreciation of the rich musical heritage while carrying it forward. WoodSongs Kid: Zoe Shiner lives in New Albany Indiana and has been playing mandolin since she was eight-years-old.

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