August Studio Specials

As I mentioned in my earlier post about Dailey & Vincent, the August shows in the Studio Special series will consist of some of the best programs we've aired this year. Here's the schedule for the next few weeks:

Friday, August 1: Dailey & Vincent
Friday, August 8: Balsam Range
Friday, August 15: Blue Highway
Friday, August 22: Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road
Friday, August 29: Bradley Walker

Each show debuts at 8:00 AM Eastern on Fridays, with rebroadcasts at the following times:

Saturday 11 AM ET
Sunday 6 PM ET
Monday 8 PM ET
Tuesday Midnight ET (12:00 AM ET Wednesday)
Thursday 3 PM ET

One Incredible Studio Special

During much of the month of August, we'll be presenting encores of some of our best Studio Specials from this year. It's appropriate, then, that we begin the month with Dailey & Vincent, who kicked off the new season back in March. The show airs at 8 AM ET Friday, followed by the usual run of encore broadcasts (complete schedule here).

Here's another chance for you to get to experience some of the finest music we've ever presented in the series. Jamie and Darrin came into our studio with their fine band, and from the very first note, it was readily apparent that they had come to play. Every song flowed effortlessly from one to the next, and the band worked like a well-oiled machine. They were also a lot of fun to interview and made some interesting comments and observations about their music, as well as bluegrass in general.

If you're familiar at all with Dailey & Vincent, I don't need to tell you what a great job these guys have done in selecting just the right songs. Each one they have recorded and performed since their group formed, in my opinion, fits their voices perfectly and is a showcase for their unique talents. On this edition of the Studio Special, they performed nine songs and did an incredible job with each.

What struck me most about this show, though, was the same thing that most folks cite when asked why Dailey & Vincent are so special: the harmony. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about the blend that these guys have that is very special. I can't think of another modern-day duo with the same "something special" that Dailey & Vincent have. Their getting together is truly a perfect match.

In any event, don't miss this show. If you're not greatly impressed, I'll be very surprised.

Williams & Clark Tracks Tomorrow

The long-awaited Track-By-Track show featuring the Williams & Clark Expedition's new album airs tomorrow [Wednesday] at 3 PM ET. Blake and Kimberly Williams, Bobby Clark, and Wayne Southards all joined me in studio to discuss the new disc a few days ago, and I'm excited to be airing the show at last.

The new CD is called Brand New Set of Blues and, while we've been playing it for a few weeks on Bluegrass Junction, I know you'll enjoy hearing it in sequence.

If you can't make tomorrow's broadcast, check out the list of rebroadcast times in my earlier post.

Infamous Stringdusters Studio Special

I'm soooo excited to present our Studio Special with the Infamous Stringdusters this week. It premieres Friday morning at 8:00 ET.

As you're aware if you listened to the Track-By-Track we did with these guys a few weeks ago, their newest CD, The Infamous Stringdusters, is a masterpiece of instrumental excellence and stunning vocals and harmony. On this new show (which we recorded at the same time we did the TBT, but have been holding until now), they perform mostly songs from the new project. The results are first-rate.

Besides making great records, these guys are simply amazing. When we recorded the Studio Special you'll hear this week, we may as well have done it live. There were no retakes, false starts, re-tuning--they performed confidently and perfectly. What's more, from a quality standpoint, I'd put their performances on this show up against any show or recording they've ever done. The show ran for more than an hour and fifteen minutes (one of the longest we've done) and I believe these guys could have gone on all day.

Whether you're a staunch traditionalist or lean toward the more progressive sounds, you can't help but appreciate music of this caliber. The Stringdusters, of course, provide a good mix of both tradition and innovation.

As always, if you can't make the Friday broadcast, there will be plenty of other opportunities for you to hear the program. Here's the complete list of broadcast times: Studio Special Air Times.

And don't miss our show with the Steep Canyon Rangers, which airs one more time tomorrow [Thursday] at 3 PM ET. It, too, is a new show in the series and is excellent. I highly recommend it.

Jesse McReynolds Today

This afternoon, I'm honored to have as my guest Jesse McReynolds. We'll get underway with that interview shortly after 3:00 PM ET.

Late last week, I traveled to The Pick Inn, a music park Jesse has established on the grounds of the home of his late son, Keith. It's located in Gallatin, Tennessee (about 30 miles north of Nashville). The log house which Keith and Jesse built is now being used for conferences, weddings, and the like, and Jesse and I had a great time visiting around the dining room table for nearly an hour. We talked about what he's doing currently, his 55 years of work in Jim & Jesse, and his plans for the future. It was a delight to visit with him and I'm going to play the entire interview during the course of this afternoon's show.

If you love classic bluegrass--particularly that of Jim & Jesse--you don't want to miss today's show.

Jamie Johnson's Latest Release

The Bluegrass Blog is reporting the birth of Jackson Cole Johnson, son of Grascal Jamie Johnson and his wife, Suzanne. The new arrival came Saturday the 12th.

Mother and baby are apparently fine and, as you can see from the photo to the left, little "Cole Train" (weighing in at 8 pounds, 2 1/2 ounces) is a fine looking young man.

I bet he has a great singing voice, too.

Congratulations, Jamie and Suzanne!

Steep Canyon Rangers on the Studio Special

A few days ago, I mentioned here that I had recorded a Studio Special with the Steep Canyon Rangers.

That show hits the air this Friday morning at 8:00 ET. As I mentioned in the earlier post, it was a wonderful time with a band that just seems to get better and better.

This is "must-hear radio." Be sure to tune in, and if you can't catch the premiere, there are plenty of rebroadcasts. Here's the schedule: "Studio Special Air Times."

By the way, don't miss our current show with the Dixie Bee-Liners. It airs once again tomorrow [Thursday] at 3 PM ET.

Williams & Clark Times Set

A few weeks ago, I wrote in this space about the upcoming Track-By-Track show with The Williams & Clark Expedition. I can now tell you that we've set our schedule for that show. Here's when you can hear it (all times Eastern):

Wednesday, July 30, 3 PM
Saturday, August 2, 4 PM
Tuesday, August 5, 7 AM
Thursday, August 7, 6 PM

As with all the Track-By-Track broadcasts, here's your chance to hear an entire album in sequence, just as it was intended to be heard. In the case of this show, you also get the thoughts of Wayne Southards, Blake Williams, Kimberly Williams, and Bobby Clark (shown in this exceptional photo, along with yours truly), who joined me in studio to review the new disc.

You're going to love this new CD, so mark your calendar and join us at the Junction!

The Hits Just Keep On Comin'

The latest edition of Bluegrass Junction's Top Tracks and Albums has been published. Chart information reflects the most-played and popular songs and albums on the channel for the month of June.

The top five tracks are:

1. "Sweet Carrie" / Dailey & Vincent
2. "Drinking Dark Whiskey" / Steeldrivers
3. "Through the Window of a Train" / Blue Highway
4. "The Day that Lester Died" / Claire Lynch
5. "Down on the Crooked Road" / Dixie Bee-Liners

Our most-played albums in June were:

1. Dailey & Vincent / Dailey & Vincent
2. The Infamous Stringdusters / Infamous Stringdusters
3. Good News / Charlie Sizemore
4. Lovin' Pretty Women / Steep Canyon Rangers
5. Deep in the Mountains / Longview

The complete chart hasn't been posted to the XM website yet, but will be shortly. You can view it by following this link, or by clicking on the link to the right (under "Favorite Links").

Keep On Walkin' Released

Keep On Walkin' by the Grascals, which premiered on XM July 1, hits the streets Tuesday.

In celebration of that, we'll be airing our World Premiere broadcast one more time--Tuesday at 9:00 AM Eastern. If you've missed one of the previous broadcasts, this is another chance for you to hear the entire CD, track-by-track, along with commentary from Aaron McDaris, Terry Eldredge, and Terry Smith.

Bluegrass Junction would like to congratulate the guys on an outstanding release. You've done bluegrass proud.

A Visit From Ricky

Last week, I had the privilege of sitting down with Ricky Skaggs in our Music Row studio for an interview.

We spent more than an hour discussing his album, Honoring the Fathers of Bluegrass, and I'll be sharing that interview with you on a Track-By-Track show this fall.

In the meantime, I hope you're enjoying his CD. We've been playing tracks from it for some time on Bluegrass Junction. This is Ricky at his finest, in his element, with one of the greatest bands in the history of bluegrass behind him.

Check Out This DBL Post

Our Studio Special with the Dixie Bee Liners was written up on The Bluegrass Blog yesterday.

Not to steal the Blog's thunder, but you've got to check out this article. Buddy Woodward makes some interesting insider comments about the show, and you'll also get to see some artwork from J. D. Morrow, the seven-year-old son of Sam Morrow, the DBL's banjo picker.

Don't miss this show...it's a good 'un! The next broadcast is tomorrow [Saturday] morning at 11:00 ET. A complete listing of Studio Special times can be found here.

T. G. I. (almost) Friday

I know it's only Thursday, but it's OK to start talking about the Friday early, isn't it?

Friday's going to be a great day here at the Junction. For starters, our Studio Special with the Dixie Bee Liners premieres 8 AM ET. You can also hear it Saturday at 11 AM ET and Sunday at 6 PM ET. The complete listing of times is posted under "Studio Special Air Times."


Friday afternoon, Grassroots airs at 3 ET. As always, there's a heavy dose of the legends of bluegrass, as well as some old-time pioneers as well (Uncle Dave Macon among them, the guy in the picture--I love his music!). You can also hear Grassroots on Saturday nights at 10 ET, if you can't listen on Friday.

Wichita Rutherford's Grand Old Time Machine airs at 5 PM ET Friday, with his usual blend of the old, the new, and the in-between--delivered as only Wichita can do it.

Finally, we cap off the day Friday with another rebroadcast of the Grascals World Premiere, which originally aired on July 1. This is the chance for you night owls to hear the Grascals' new CD, Keep on Walkin', in its entirety, along with some insight from guests Terry Eldredge, Aaron McDaris, and Terry Smith. That show airs at Midnight Eastern.

Now, if I can just make it through Thursday...

J.D. Crowe: Once More with a Legend

This afternoon's Studio Special features one more rebroadcast of our 2006 show with J. D. Crowe and the New South.

At the time we did the show, which features a bunch of tunes from the band's then-current Lefty's Old Guitar, we had no way of knowing that CD would receive Album of the Year honors in the '07 IBMA Awards. It was a special time in studio, and I hope you won't miss the show.

On the next Studio Special you'll hear the Dixie Bee-Liners. It deubts Friday morning at 8 AM ET, and you can read more about it in my earlier post. For a complete listing of air times for the show, see the post titled "Studio Special Air Times."

"Walkin'" with the Grascals

Again tonight (at 8 PM ET), we'll replay the World Premiere of the Grascals' new CD, Keep On Walkin', which originally aired July 1.

Aaron McDaris, Terry Eldredge, and Terry Smith (shown in this dashing photo, along with your reporter) joined me in studio as we played through all the tracks from the CD.

If you've been listening at all to Bluegrass Junction, I'm sure you've heard at least a track or two from the new disc, but this is a great chance to hear the entire CD in one sitting. It's worth the effort, because this is a great project. The show runs just over an hour.

Release day for the Keep On Walkin' is July 15. More info is on the Grascals and Rounder Records websites.

Dixie Bee-Liners "Ripe" for the Pickin'

OK, corny headline aside, these folks CAN pick. They can sing, too. I mean real good. And we're pleased to have them on the Studio Special this week.

I hope you'll be listening Friday morning at 8:00 ET when the Dixie Bee-Liners join me in studio for an hour+ of live music and conversation.

When I first heard "Down on the Crooked Road" sometime back, I found myself immediately captivated by the song. To me, the one of the hallmarks of a truly impressive song is the way you catch yourself humming it for hours after you hear it, and this one really got into my head quickly. Then, when the full album containing "Crooked Road" came out, Ripe, I discovered there was a lot of depth to this group.

Buddy Woodward and Brandi Hart head up the Dixie Bee-Liners and, along with Rachel Renee Johnson, provide most of the vocals. Their playing and singing are superb, and I know you'll be impressed. Sam Woodward on banjo, bassist Jeremy Darrow, and Jonathan Maness on guitar round out the group. Beyond their talents, however, is a respect and reverence for bluegrass which fully lives up to the the tributes found in the lyric of "Down on the Crooked Road."

Join us for a terrific show. If you can't tune in Friday, catch one of the rebroadcasts, a complete listing of which can be found here.

And don't miss the current edition of the Studio Special with J.D. Crowe & The New South. It airs once more: Tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 ET.

Open the Request Floodgates!

I'll be going live this afternoon, so don't hesitate to submit your requests for today's show.

I'm on every weekday starting at 3:00 PM ET, and on Mondays I play all requests. You can phone them in to 877-267-0375, or you can send me an email.

Since I wasn't able to do the request thing last week, I'm sure you have a lot of them "bottled up," so cut loose!

Related Post:
Request Monday at the Junction!

Grassroots Déjà Vu

Since I wasn't around to do a new show yesterday, tonight's Grassroots rebroadcast (heard at 10 PM ET) will be a rebroadcast of last week's show. Bill Monroe, the Dillards, Jimmie Rodgers, Reno & Smiley, 15-year-old Marty Stuart, and Vernon Dalhart are among the artists featured.

A fresh show will air next week at 3 PM ET.

Happy Fourth!

Happy Independence Day, everyone!

We're celebrating the day with patriotic bluegrass--Every hour, as close to the hour as possible (right after our hourly gospel tune), we'll be playing something red-white-and-blue-flavored to help keep you in the spirit of our nation's birthday.

I'd urge all of you to take a moment today to pause and give thanks for the liberty and prosperity we enjoy as citizens of the greatest country on earth. I would also take a moment here to express appreciation for our men and women in uniform around the world who are working to preserve that precious freedom. And finally, on another level, I'm particularly grateful that I live in a country where bluegrass rules! Let's pick!

Grascals Rebroadcast Today

If you missed the World Premiere of Keep On Walkin' by the Grascals earlier this week, you can hear it today at Noon Eastern on Bluegrass Junction.

Terry Eldredge, Aaron McDaris, and Terry Smith joined me in studio when we played the new album for the first time on radio this past Tuesday afternoon. It's a superb project and I know you'll enjoy hearing it. The new CD is to be released on July 15.

A complete list of broadcast times for this special show can be found in my earlier post.

More New Music

Yesterday on my afternoon show, I focused some on the new CDs which have arrived on my desk lately. Now, I have in hand advance copies of the new CDs by Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain and Cadillac Sky. I'll be playing tunes from those this afternoon.

As you might guess, there's some real cutting-edge music here.

Of course my Thursday show always starts with the week's Studio Special, which features the Steeldrivers. It'll run from 3:00 to about 4:15 Eastern, after which I'll be in to play tunes as usual.

Hope you can tune in!

Studio Special "Blast from the Past"

The next Studio Special, which debuts for the week Friday morning at 8:00 Eastern, features another encore from our archive, this time featuring J. D. Crowe and the New South.

This program was recorded in December, 2006. J. D.'s new project at the time, Lefty's Old Guitar, had been out a fairly short time and he and the guys turned in (no surprise here) a stunning performance in the hour+ that they spent in our studio, doing mainly songs from the new record.

Rickey Wasson, who's on the verge these days of releasing a new solo project, sang lead on most of the songs on the record, as well as on this performance in our studio. You'll also hear some great vocals from Dwight McCall, as well as some fine harmony and superb pickin' from Mr. Crowe himself.

It was an honor for me to get to do this show, and we're pleased to present it again this week. A complete list of Studio Special showtimes can be found by following this link. Be sure and join us!

The Steeldrivers' appearance on the Studio Special airs one more time--this afternoon [Thursday] at 3:00 ET. More info about that show can be found here.

New Tunes This Afternoon

In my earlier post, "New Music on XM," I talked about the multitude of excellent new albums that have been released lately.

I'm going to turn the spotlight on a few tunes from those albums on my afternoon show today, which airs from 3-6 PM ET. 'Hope you can join me!

Grascals Album Premieres Today

Today's the day--and we're excited here at XM to present the world premiere of the new CD by the Grascals, Keep On Walkin'.

Be sure to tune in to Bluegrass Junction/14 this afternoon at 4:00 PM ET when we'll be playing through the entire CD and visiting with Terry Eldredge, Aaron McDaris, and Terry Smith, who (as you might expect!) have some interesting insights about the new album.

If you can't make it today, you'll find a complete listing of rebroadcast times in my earlier post.