Explore every episode of the podcast Bluegrass Jam Along
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Title
Pub. Date
Duration
Jason Verlinde (Fretboard Journal) interview
21 Aug 2024
00:48:39
My guest this week is Fretboard Journal's Jason Verlinde.
Jason shares the story of how Fretboard Journal started, back in 2005, and how it's grown from a print magazine to include a series of great podcasts and The Fretboard Summit events.
We also chat about the current state of the acoustic instrument market and how the vintage market has changed over the past two decades, plus what people can expect from this year's Fretboard Summit, which kicks off in Chicago in just two days.
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.
This week, news of a brand new record by Daniel Patrick of the Mandolins and Beer podcast and a new flatpicking course from Grant Gordy on Peghead Nation.
There's also new music from Stephen Mougin and Ned Luberecki, Jason Carter and Michael Cleveland, Sarah Jarosz, Any Leftwich, Aoife O'Donovan and Hawktail and Jerry Douglas!
Don't forget, you'll find the new releases playlist here:
Roger Siminoff - Celebrating Lloyd Loar and the Gibson F5 Mandolin
17 Jul 2024
01:05:55
My guest this week is Roger Siminoff. Not only is Roger an authority on instrument making, the physics of music and tap tuning, he's also an expert on the life and work of Lloyd Loar.
Loar worked at Gibson in the early 1920s and oversaw the production of some truly remarkable, game changing instruments - most notably the F5 mandolin, which went on to become an integral part of bluegrass music and shape how we see mandolins for the next 100 years.
We talked about Lloyd Loar's background, why his approach to making mandolins was both revolutionary, yet also harked back 200 years to the golden age of violin making and how Roger ended up researching Loar for a magazine piece (a piece that went on to develop into an interest in Loar's work, a deep friendship with his widow, the discovery of some long lost instruments and, ultimately, a life's work for Roger himself).
It was a fascinating conversation - I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
My guest this week is singer songwriter Caitlin Canty.
Caitlin joins me to chat about her new album Quiet Flame, produced by Chris Eldridge (of Punch Brothers and Mighty Poplar) and featuring a fantastic band, including Paul Kowert, Brittany Haas, Sarah Jarosz, Noam Pikelny and Andrew Marlin.
We talk about working with those musicians, the fact that the record was about to be made when the pandemic struck, how the final record differs from the one it would have been if it had been recorded back in 2020 and so much more.
It was a wonderful conversation full of insight and laughter. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
For more info on Caitlin and to buy the album, visit caitlincanty.com
You can watch the videos we talked about on Caitlin's YouTube channel (and you should, they're great).
Food for Thought - Some Days You Just Suck (and that’s OK)
11 Jul 2023
00:04:03
This week's episodes were supposed to be a set of backing tracks for Big Sandy River. I recorded them and started editing and they just sounded a bit....well...bad!
So rather than put them out, or make up an excuse, I thought I'd share that in the hope it helps a few other people go a little easier on themselves on their bad days. Because we all have them (even Bryan Sutton).
It's a short episode but hopefully there's some value in it.
My guest this week is Tim Stafford of Blue Highway.
Tim joins me to chat about his new record Guitar Melodies, a wonderful album of guitar instrumentals. We talk about the tunes, the guitars he used, who else plays on the record and why Tim dedicated the album to the memory and legacy of Tony Rice.
It's a great record and it's always a pleasure to chat to Tim.
Just a couple of days before we recorded this, Gabe played his last shows with Punch Brothers, the band he was a founding member of and was in for 18 years.
We chat about how the band came together, what the early years were like and why now felt like the right time to move on. We also talk about what's next for Gabe, including continuing his work as a producer and arranger.
It was a joyous conversation and a real treat to get to be a part of. Punch Brothers are one of my favourite bands and getting to chat about their journey and hear Gabe's thoughts and insights was fantastic. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Blackberry Blossom in G at 2 tempos - 75 bpm & 85 bpm
21 Jun 2023
00:15:37
This week we're playing another tune back to back at two different speeds - once at 75 bpm then again at 85. We're doing Blackberry Blossom and we're in the key of G.
We're using the jam along format - that means I'm kicking off playing backup and you're on the tune, then we swap and go round 4 times. Then, after a quick pause, we do the whole thing again at 85 bpm.
Tim has a wonderful new record called 'Cup of Sugar', which I think is as good as anything he's done.
We chat about the songs and themes on this record, as well as those on Tim's last album 'He Walked On'. Many of them revolve around connection and understanding other people's stories and experience.
Tim is such a fascinating musician and I really loved this conversation. I hope you do too!
For more info on Tim and 'Cup of Sugar', and to check latest tour dates, you'll find all the info on Tim O'Brien's website.
You can also follow Tim on Instagram and Facebook for more updates and news.
You can pre-order and pre-save 'Cup of Sugar' here
This week we're jamming along to the classic tune Peartree. This is a performance track, rather than a backing track. It's me playing both tune and backup so you've got a reference to listen to if you're new to the tune, or just want to be able to listen a few times to the whole thing.
Don't forget to check out the other three episodes when you're done and jam along!
If you want a chord chart (or just want to find out more or get in touch), head to bluegrassjamalong.com
This week we're jamming along to Peartreeand I've got three brand new backing track episodes for you. This is the jam along track where I play backup, followed by the melody then we keep swapping. It's four times through in the key of G at 85 bpm.
Don't forget to check out the other three episodes when you're done.
If you want a chord chart (or just want to find out more or get in touch), just head to bluegrassjamalong.com
This week we're jamming along to Peartree and I've got three brand new backing track episodes for you. This is the you play lead track where I play backup so you can work on the tune. It's four times through in the key of G at 85 bpm.
Don't forget to check out the other three episodes when you're done.
If you want a chord chart (or just want to find out more or get in touch), just head to bluegrassjamalong.com
This week we're jamming along to Peartree and I've got three brand new backing track episodes for you. This is the you play rhythm track where I play the melody so you can work on backup. It's four times through in the key of G at 85 bpm.
Don't forget to check out the other three episodes when you're done.
If you want a chord chart (or just want to find out more or get in touch), just head to bluegrassjamalong.com
My guests this week are Natalie and Brittany Haas, who join me to chat about their great new record Haas.
Some of you will be familiar with Brittany from Hawktail and Crooked Still, and Natalie from her long standing musical partnership with Alasdair Fraser. This new record marks their first duo recording, despite them having played music together for most of their lives.
It was a fascinating, and fun, conversation - I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Here's where you'll find more info on the things we chat about:
Celebrating Bela Fleck's 'Drive' with Chris Eldridge (Punch Brothers/Mighty Poplar)
09 Jul 2024
01:10:40
My guest on the podcast this week is Chris Eldridge, guitarist with Punch Brothers and Mighty Poplar.
Chris is not only one of my favourite guitarists, he's also one of my favourite people I've had on as a guest, so I'm delighted to welcome him back to Bluegrass Jam Along to celebrate the podcast's 400th episode.
In this special episode we're chatting about Bela Fleck's ground breaking record Drive. It's a record that's really important to Chris, and also played a key role in the early days of both The Infamous Stringdusters and Punch Brothers.
Chris talks about first hearing the record, why it grabbed his attention so much and why it holds a key place in not only Bela's output, but also in the rich tradition of progressive, instrumental string band music. We also talk about the remarkable contributions made by the players Bela assembled for this record, including Sam Bush, Mark Schatz, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Mark O'Connor and, of course, Tony Rice.
It was a fascinating conversation to get to have. Drive is one of my favourite records and I know it's a favourite of so many bluegrass fans and players too.
Food for Thought - What You Should Be Scared of as a Musician
26 May 2023
00:04:22
Hi.
I've got a Food For Thought episode for you this week. It's been a while since we did one of these, but something that happened last weekend that made me think - so I thought I'd share it.
This week we're jamming along to the classic tune The Old Spinning Wheel. This is a performance track, rather than a backing track. It's me playing both tune and backup so you've got a reference to listen to if you're new to the tune, or just want to be able to listen a few times to the whole thing.
Don't forget to check out the other three episodes when you're done and jam along!
If you want a chord chart (or just want to find out more or get in touch), head to bluegrassjamalong.com
This week we're jamming along to The Old Spinning Wheel and I've got three brand new backing track episodes for you. This is the jam along track where I play backup, followed by the melody then we keep swapping. It's four times through in the key of D at 85 bpm.
Don't forget to check out the other three episodes when you're done.
If you want a chord chart (or just want to find out more or get in touch), just head to bluegrassjamalong.com
This week we're jamming along to The Old Spinning Wheel and I've got three brand new backing track episodes for you. This is the you play lead track where I play backup so you can work on the tune. It's four times through in the key of D at 85 bpm.
Don't forget to check out the other three episodes when you're done.
If you want a chord chart (or just want to find out more or get in touch), just head to bluegrassjamalong.com
This week we're jamming along to The Old Spinning Wheel and I've got three brand new backing track episodes for you. This is the you play rhythm track where I play the melody so you can work on backup. It's four times through in the key of D at 85 bpm.
Don't forget to check out the other three episodes when you're done.
If you want a chord chart (or just want to find out more or get in touch), just head to bluegrassjamalong.com
Wyatt Rice extended interview - Church Street Blues 40th anniversary
17 May 2023
00:42:44
This interview is an extended version of the one that appeared in the first part of the Tony Rice Church Street Blues 40th anniversary celebration.
I talked to Wyatt for almost an hour and we covered some areas that weren't directly related to the Church Street Blues episode, but are fascinating as an insight into where Tony was around the time the album was recorded. Wyatt also shared some of his favourite memories of hanging out with Tony and making music together in the early 1980s, so I wanted to share the rest of it.
This is the first interview about Tony Wyatt has given since he passed. It was incredibly special to get to have this conversation and my thanks go to Wyatt for his generosity and warmth. I hope you enjoy this!
Tony Rice - Church Street Blues 40th anniversary part 1 (Tim Stafford, Wyatt Rice, Mike Marshall, Alison Krauss, Bryan Sutton, Chris Eldridge & Caroline Wright)
02 May 2023
02:29:08
Welcome to the first of two very special episodes of Bluegrass Jam Along.
Tony Rice's classic album 'Church Street Blues' is 40 years old this year. To celebrate, I've spent the last 3 months interviewing people about it and this is part one of the results.
In this episode you'll hear from people who knew, played with, worked with and spent time with Tony, including an interview with Wyatt Rice, who was the only person other than Tony to play on 'Church Street Blues.' This is the first time Wyatt has really spoken publicly about Tony since he passed.
You'll also hear from Mike Marshall, who talks about 1750 Arch Street, the studio where this, and many other wonderful records were made.
The full line up for this episode is:
Tim Stafford
Wyatt Rice
Mike Marshall
Alison Krauss
Bryan Sutton
Chris Eldridge
Caroline Wright
Part two is out next week and features a whole host of great players who were inspired by Tony and his records.
This was such a joy to make - I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed making it!
My guest this week is singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Rachel Baiman.
We chat about Rachel's new record Common Nation of Sorrow, how she made the transition from being an instrumentalist to being a songwriter, how she re-imagined a little known John Hartford song for the new record, why it can be good to include covers on your records as a songwriter and much, much more.
This was such an interesting conversation. I hope you get as much out of it as I did!
Tim O'Brien interview - Doc Watson's 100th birthday celebration
19 Apr 2023
00:26:37
Hi everybody.
I recently released two special episodes to celebrate Doc Watson's 100th birthday. I chatted to so many amazing people for them I ended up with almost 5 hours of content!
I'm aware not everyone has the time to listen to that much content, so I've decided to pull out some of the key bits and release them as standalone episodes, for those of you who'd like to hear these interviews separately.
This is the fascinating chat I had with Tim O'Brien. I hope you enjoy it!
If you already heard the Doc episodes then you've heard this - it's the same content. If not and this has whetted your appetite, you'll find them here:
T. Michael Coleman interview - Doc Watson's 100th birthday celebration
19 Apr 2023
00:33:22
Hi everybody.
I recently released two special episodes to celebrate Doc Watson's 100th birthday. I chatted to so many amazing people for them I ended up with almost 5 hours of content!
I'm aware not everyone has the time to listen to that much content, so I've decided to pull out some of the key bits and release them as standalone episodes, for those of you who'd like to hear these interviews separately.
Here's my chat with Doc's bass player T. Michael Coleman. I hope you enjoy it!
If you already heard the Doc episodes then you've heard this - it's the same content. If not and this has whetted your appetite, you'll find them here:
Jack Lawrence interview - Doc Watson's 100th birthday celebration
13 Apr 2023
00:47:46
Hi everybody.
Last month I released two special episodes to celebrate Doc Watson's 100th birthday. I chatted to so many amazing people for them I ended up with almost 5 hours of content!
I'm aware not everyone has the time to listen to that much content, so I've decided to pull out some of the key bits and release them as standalone episodes, for those of you who'd like to hear these interviews separately.
The first one is my chat with Doc's long serving musical partner Jack Lawrence. I hope you enjoy it!
If you already heard the Doc episodes then you've heard this - it's the same content. If not and this has whetted your appetite, you'll find them here:
Saint Anne's Reel in D at 2 tempos - 75 bpm & 85 bpm
12 Apr 2023
00:15:14
This week we're playing another tune back to back at two different speeds - once at 75 bpm then again at 85. We're doing Saint Anne's Reel and we're in the key of D.
We're using the jam along format - that means I'm kicking off playing backup and you're on the tune, then we swap and go round 4 times. Then, after a quick pause, we do the whole thing again at 85 bpm.
My guest on the podcast this week is Brittany Haas, fiddle player with Hawktail and, now, Punch Brothers!
I interviewed Gabe Witcher last June, a few days after he played his final shows with Punch Brothers at Telluride. Almost exactly a year later to the day I spoke with Brittany to chat about joining the band as his replacement. Brittany had just played with Punch Brothers at Telluride, so there was a lovely symmetry to it.
We chatted about how Brittany got the gig, the challenges of replacing one of your favourite fiddle payers in a band you love, how knowing the rest of the band really helped with that process (both musically and socially), how her first shows with the band have been and what Punch Brothers 3.0 might look like.
Brittany also has a brand new record of fiddle duets with Lena Jonsson, called The Snake, which you can stream in all the usual places as well as buy on Bandcamp
This week we're playing another tune back to back at two different speeds - once at 75 bpm then again at 85. We're doing Red Haired Boy and we're in the key of A.
We're using the jam along format - that means I'm kicking off playing backup and you're on the tune, then we swap and go round 4 times. Then, after a quick pause, we do the whole thing again at 85 bpm.