Bluegrass Jam Along

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Bluegrass Jam Along Bluegrass Jam Along is an IBMA award winning podcast featuring news, interviews and more

This week’s Bitesize episode features a conversation I had with Chris Eldridge from Punch Brothers and Mighty Poplar cel...
22/10/2025

This week’s Bitesize episode features a conversation I had with Chris Eldridge from Punch Brothers and Mighty Poplar celebrating Tony Rice’s classic album Church Street Blues.

Chris talks about Tony’s ability to combine big musical gestures with intricate detail, how other musicians played better when they played with Tony and why you should listen to Church Street Blues on vinyl, if you can find a copy (but why that’s not necessarily true of other albums).

This extract comes from a two part special I put together celebrating the 40th anniversary of the release of Church Street Blues in 1983, including in-depth interviews with Wyatt Rice, Alison Krauss, Bryan Sutton and many more.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bitesize-chris-eldridge-on-tony-rices-church-street-blues/id1556697198?i=1000732994663

or find it wherever you get your podcasts

My guest this week is Darol Anger , who joins me to discuss his new album ‘Diary of a Fiddler 2 - The Empty Nest’.We cha...
15/10/2025

My guest this week is Darol Anger , who joins me to discuss his new album ‘Diary of a Fiddler 2 - The Empty Nest’.

We chat about the original ‘Diary of a Fiddler’, released in 1999, and how the second volume celebrates and deepened Darol’s connection to the fiddle community, in particular the players he’s taught, mentored and collaborated with since the first record came out.

Darol explains why this project felt like a purposeful completion of a long process, which began with that first record. We also talk about how the landscape of fiddling has been transformed by fiddle camps and music schools like Berklee, where Darol taught and first met several of the players on this record.

We also discuss the development of rhythmic accompaniment on the fiddle, which was still relatively new in the 1990s, how the pandemic inspired a joyful collaborative project that kicked this new record off, how Darol’s move to Nashville connected him to a wider community of fiddlers and why ‘Diary of a Fiddler 2’ feels like the clearest expression of any musical legacy he might leave.

Any opportunity to talk to Darol is a treat and this one was no exception. I always come away from a conversation with Darol feeling like I’ve learned something and with a smile on my face. I hope you feel the same!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bluegrass-jam-along/id1556697198?i=1000731965732



darol anger's page Adhyâropa Records

This week’s episode is another special recorded at International Bluegrass Music Association World of Bluegrass in Chatt...
08/10/2025

This week’s episode is another special recorded at International Bluegrass Music Association World of Bluegrass in Chattanooga. I have four shorter interviews for you, each with someone connected to Dark Shadow Recording

First up is Becky Buller. Becky came onto the podcast in August of 2024 to chat about her record Jubilee. This time we’re talking about her album of covers Songs That Sing Me and the role music has played in her life. I also chat with each of my guests in this episode about the importance of IBMA’s World of Bluegrass to them as an artist or industry figure.

Second is Ben Wright from Henhouse Prowlers, chatting about the band’s 21 years together and their 10th record Unravel, as well as their non-profit work with The Bluegrass Ambassadors and why cultural diplomacy is more important now than ever.

Up next is singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and luthier Rick Faris. Rick was IBMA’s Songwriter of the Year in 2024 and we talk about writing, including his long standing collaboration with Rick Lang, who co-wrote several track’s on Rick’s new record Life’s Parade, plus the guitar building community and his work at Kentucky Guitar Works.

Finally I chat to Jana Mougin Music, who runs Dark Shadow Recording alongside her partner Stephen Mougin, IBMA’s Recording Engineer of the Year for 2025. We talk about running a recording company, how Dark Shadow works with their artists as a family and the opportunities IBMA provides for networking and connecting with people.

These were fun to do - I hope you enjoy them.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ibma-dark-shadow-special-becky-buller-ben-wright-henhouse/id1556697198?i=1000730800015

Happy birthday 🎉First time I saw Billy play was in March 2022, in a little record store in east London, on their first ...
03/10/2025

Happy birthday 🎉

First time I saw Billy play was in March 2022, in a little record store in east London, on their first trip over here. What a great night that was!

Here’s your Bluegrass Briefing for October, packed full of news, releases and general chat from the world of bluegrass a...
01/10/2025

Here’s your Bluegrass Briefing for October, packed full of news, releases and general chat from the world of bluegrass and string band music.

Including:

- a roundup of International Bluegrass Music Association WOB in Chattanooga, including some very cool Billy Strings stuff

- new and upcoming releases from Chris Thile, Alison Brown & Steve Martin, Wes Corbett, Trey Hensley, East Nash Grass, Darol Anger and more…

- vinyl reissues from Craft Recordings of Tony Rice’s ‘Backwaters’ and Alison Krauss & Union Station Live
and lots more

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bluegrass-briefing-october-2025/id1556697198?i=1000729473540

It’s a bit nuts seeing all the places in the world this little podcast is reaching. If anyone doubts that bluegrass is l...
26/09/2025

It’s a bit nuts seeing all the places in the world this little podcast is reaching. If anyone doubts that bluegrass is loved the world over, this might just change their mind!

That’s the I in IBMA right there 🙂

My guest this week is Maddie Denton fiddle player with East Nash GrassI caught up with Maddie at International Bluegrass...
24/09/2025

My guest this week is Maddie Denton fiddle player with East Nash Grass

I caught up with Maddie at International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass in Chattanooga, the day after she was named IBMA's Fiddle Player of the Year!

We chat about East Nash Grass and their wonderful new record 'All God's Children' and about musical communities, collaboration (both within the band and with other people) and why Maddie sees music very much as a team sport.

I really enjoyed this one (and it's always a treat to get to have a conversation face to face for a change!)

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/maddie-denton-east-nash-grass-on-collaboration-and/id1556697198?i=1000728209530

What’s one instrumental tune you wish more people knew? This is mine. I love Russ Barenberg and this one’s just so infec...
22/09/2025

What’s one instrumental tune you wish more people knew? This is mine. I love Russ Barenberg and this one’s just so infectious!

Let me know yours!

Another extraordinary World of Bluegrass from International Bluegrass Music Association So many highlights. Saw East Nas...
21/09/2025

Another extraordinary World of Bluegrass from International Bluegrass Music Association

So many highlights. Saw East Nash Grass for the first time ❤️, was blown away by Jason Carter and Michael Cleveland 🎻 and saw Béla Fleck, Bryan Sutton and Casey Driessen weave their magic 🪄🪕

Lots of wonderful smaller moments too and met some old and new friends. I’ve got some really great interviews coming your way over the next couple of weeks too, including a fantastic chat with Maddie Denton, IBMA’s new Fiddle Player of the Year 🎉

Congratulations to everyone who had a hand in putting this on and facilitating the move to Chattanooga- amazing job all round

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