Williams & Clark Today

Brand New Set of Blues, the new CD by The Williams & Clark Expedition, tracks again once more this afternoon/evening at 6 PM ET.

I haven't mentioned this in the earlier posts I did on the subject, but an added "bonus" the W&C folks included on the new album is the comedy set from Blake Williams at the end of the disc. If you've ever seen him on stage, you know already that Blake is a funny guy, and yes, we will air that track again at the end of today's broadcast.

The Return of Balsam Range

Our August run of the best of the Studio Special series continues this week with a show which was originally broadcast in April featuring Balsam Range. It returns Friday morning at 8:00 ET.

One of the "up-and-coming" bands in the music, these guys combine fine harmony and fabulous playing to produce music that's fresh and engaging. Their current album, Marching Home, was produced by Jerry Salley, who did a masterful job of pulling together all the talents of the group into a terrific debut CD.

As good as the album is, however, their performance on the Studio Special was very impressive, too. Listen especially for the in-studio version of "Blue Mountain," which finds lead singer Buddy Melton delivering an emotion-packed vocal which I think rivals the quality of that found on the record. That song, by the way, has become highly requested by our listeners on Request Monday in recent weeks.

By the way, our Studio Special with Dailey & Vincent airs one more time this afternoon at 3:00 ET. And, for a complete listing of all Studio Special times, as well as our August schedule, follow this link.

New Chart Posted

As you may have noticed, our latest edition of Bluegrass Junction's Top Tracks & Albums has been posted. This month's "leaders" are:

Top Tracks:

1. "Sweet Carrie" / Dailey & Vincent
2. "Through the Window of a Train" / Blue Highway
3. "Here Comes That Feeling Again" / Grasstowne
4. "Cabin Down Below" / Gibson Brothers
5. "Alison's Band" / Charlie Sizemore

Top Albums:

1. Keep on Walkin' / Grascals
2. Good News / Charlie Sizemore
3. Deep in the Mountains / Longview
4. The Room Over Mine / Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass
5. The Road Headin' Home / Grasstowne

You may have noticed that the Grascals' album debuted at #1 this month, and Danny Paisley's new effort checks in at an impressive #4. This might bear some explanation.

The "Top Tracks" chart is based on the recording's general popularity based on several factors, including

• Chart activity (on other charts, such as those published by Bluegrass Unlimited, Billboard, and Bluegrass Now)
• The age of the track (How long has it been out?)
  
• Radio airplay on outlets other than XM
• Listener requests at XM
• The artist(s)'s overall profile, reflected by bookings, reviews, and listener popularity
• The "fit" of the song into the overall programming scheme of Bluegrass Junction

While this isn't meant to be an exhaustive list, you get the idea that some songs are played more than others on the channel based on factors like these. The tunes judged to fit more of these criteria for the current month get a higher position; those which fit fewer for that month rank lower. You get the idea.

The "Top Albums" chart, on the other hand, is purely based on Bluegrass Junction airplay. Since our programming is made up of tracks which, in turn, make up albums, artists which have more tracks which fit the criteria shown above get more play for their albums, and this chart reflects this. Also, if in a given month we feature a particular album in a special program, such as a World Premiere (as was the case with the Grascals) or a Track-By-Track show, the broadcast/rebroadcasts of that show, combined with the "routine" airplay that album may receive, will typically push an album up the chart, if only temporarily.

I hope you find this info helpful. I realize some of you may not really care about all this, so let's all remember, it's about playing great music! To me, all of these songs and discs are terrific and represent the best bluegrass has to offer.

Click here for the complete chart.

Don't Miss Dailey & Vincent

Our Studio Special with Dailey & Vincent airs one more time: Thursday afternoon at 3 PM ET.

I mention this because this is one of the truly great shows in the series, in my opinion. They're all wonderful, of course, but occasionally one stands out above the rest. I covered some of the reasons I think this in my earlier post.

This will be the last time we air this show for some time, so don't miss this opportunity to hear it again.

Michelle Cupit Visits XM

This afternoon on my show, I'll be sharing an interview I recorded last week with Michelle Cupit. We'll get started with that around 3:15 ET or so.

Michelle visited our new studios on Thursday. It was my first time to meet her (although she had visited us some time ago and was interviewed by Marty Fitzpatrick). I found her to be a delightful young lady and thoroughly enjoyed our time together.

If you've been listening to Bluegrass Junction over the past few months, you've heard songs from Bluegrass Baby, her latest album. In addition to the title track, we'll be playing several of her tunes during the interview.

Williams & Clark Expedtion...Again!

Another rebroadcast of the Williams & Clark Expedition Track-By-Track, featuring their current CD, Brand New Set of Blues, airs this afternoon at 4 PM ET.

Don't miss this chance to hear a fine new album. Other rebroadcast times are listed here.

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.

A Steeldrivin' Good Time

This week's Studio Special is featuring the Steeldrivers, as we encore a show originally broadcast in March. It's a killer show...these folks are soooooo good! Catch it again tonight at 8 PM ET.

Next up: J.D. Crowe & The New South. More on that later in the week.

Related posts:
"Steeldrivin' This Weekend"
"Studio Special Air Times"

"Can't Trust That Day..."

Happy Monday morning, everyone. I hope you've had a great weekend and are all primed for another work week.

'Couple of reminders: As I mentioned on Grassroots this past weekend, there will be no request show this afternoon. I'm on assignment today.

Also, in my post over the weekend about the new music on the channel this week, I didn't mention that you'll be hearing the Grascals' Keep On Walkin' shortly on Bluegrass Junction as well. In fact, the World Premiere airs tomorrow afternoon at 4 ET (Click here for the complete on-air schedule). I'm VERY excited about this show and I hope you'll be tuned in.

Have a great day, and thanks for being a part of the Bluegrass Junction family!

New Music on XM

These are great times for bluegrass, to be sure. I was thinking just yesterday about how many great new releases we have added or are about to add to our playlist at Bluegrass Junction.

Just within the past few days, for example, we've added the long-awaited and much-admired album by Dan Tyminski. Wheels is an outstanding collection of traditional bluegrass, done by a man who is one of the masters of the art. You'll hear all the tracks from the CD at the Junction, and we're particularly emphasizing the title track.

Just recently, we've begun airing tracks from Gardens in the Sky: The Bluegrass Gospel of James King. This album is a compilation of several of the gospel tunes The Bluegrass Storyteller has recorded over the years, but listen for some freshly-recorded cuts as well. Particularly striking (to me) are "Daddy Doesn't Pray Anymore" and "It's Hot Down Here."

Ever since his version of "A Memory of You" first hit our airwaves last fall, you've been asking when you were going to hear more from Danny Paisley. Dan's single was released as part of a Rounder compilation CD handed out to DJs at the IBMA convention, with the promise that a new album would be coming soon. Well, that time is now. His new album, The Room Over Mine, is a fabulous set of new traditional bluegrass that's sure to please. Be listening for it over the next few days on XM.

Here's one from a group you probably haven't discovered. High Windy plays mostly traditional-flavored tunes, and their new album, A Greater Storm, is composed almost entirely of original songs. Patrick McDougal and Shane Lail handle the lead vocals and play guitar and banjo, respectively, while Mark Davis (bass), Tim Gardner (fiddle, clawhammer banjo), and Ty Gilpin (mandolin) provide some very nice harmony and instrumental work. They're also supported on the new project by Rob Ickes (Blue Highway) and Cody Kilby (Kentucky Thunder), among other guests. You'll be hearing tracks from this one soon on Bluegrass Junction, and I think you'll be impressed, as I was.

Finally, there has been quite a lot of discussion about the new Moneyland CD, headed up by the Del McCoury Band. It's an interesting CD with songs intended to make statements about the economic plight of rural America, and the official word from McCoury Music is "The goal of Moneyland is to raise awareness of serious economic issues facing Americans today through a thoughtful selection of six new (or newly recorded) songs, mixed with eight neglected gems and classic favorites that offer a hard-hitting look at today's economic injustice. In addition to songs from the Del McCoury Band, the album features songs from Marty Stuart, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Bruce Hornsby along with the Fairfield Four, Chris Knight and others."

Well, it'll be interesting to see whether this project achieves its goal, but there's nevertheless some interesting music here, and songs from the disc arrive on the Bluegrass Junction airwaves this coming week.

As I said, it's a great time for bluegrass. Join us at the Junction and check out the new tunes!

Steeldrivin' This Weekend

This weekend, the Studio Special revisits a show which originally aired in March featuring the Steeldrivers.

Mention this group among bluegrass fans and you'll get a variety of reactions. While their approach to bluegrass may be somewhat unconventional--lead vocalist Chris Stapleton doesn't have the "typical" bluegrass delivery, and their song selection and arrangements may be described as adventurous--it is precisely this type of freshness which will propel bluegrass forward. In my opinion--and it's just that, an opinion--there's quite a bit of "sameness" in today's bluegrass, and the fact that the Steeldrivers stand out among the crowd is one of their strongest selling points.

In any event, listen when the encore broadcast airs Friday morning at 8:00 ET and see whether you agree. I can promise you that these folks are for real--they're all excellent musicians and highly dedicated to their craft. This is a great show.

The current Studio Special features the Mashville Brigade, and that show airs once more--on Thursday at 3:00 PM ET. More information about it can be found by following this link. The complete listing of air times for all Studio Special shows is found here.

Dailey & Vincent: Once More with Feeling

You've got one more shot (for now, at least!) to hear the Track-By-Track I recently did with Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent. It airs tomorrow [Wednesday] morning at 9 AM ET.

If you're a regular XM listener, you've probably heard several songs from the new album (simply titled Dailey & Vincent), and if you're like me, you're completely bowled over. Hearing the entire disc in sequence, however, only serves to heighten that effect, and with Jamie and Darrin on hand to comment on the songs, I think this show is a home run.

Don't let this one slip by!

This Weekend at the Junction

In addition to our Studio Special with the Mashville Brigade, which debuts this morning at 8 AM ET, there are more bluegrass goodies on the XM schedule this weekend!

First of all, Grassroots: I'm not sure you realize how much I enjoy getting to spend some time with the legends every week, but I can truly tell you it's one of the highlights. As usual, you'll hear healthy doses of artists like Bill Monroe, the Stanleys, Reno & Smiley, and Lester and Earl on this week's show. Catch it Friday at 3 PM ET and/or Saturday at 10 PM ET.


Sunday, you don't want to miss our Track-By-Track show with Dailey & Vincent. Jamie and Darrin visited earlier this week and we played their album in its entirety. It was a great time, and we're planning to rebroadcast it Sunday at Noon Eastern. (More info is in my earlier post.)

Finally, I always have to mention Gospel Grass. It's our pleasure to bring you three hours of bluegrass gospel twice every Sunday--7 AM and 9 PM ET.

Have a great weekend and thanks for listening to Bluegrass Junction!

New Photos Online

Tuesday, I taped an interview with Dan Tyminski for an upcoming Track-By-Track show built around his new album, Wheels.

Intern Rebecca Jones snapped this photo at the session, and I've added it and some others recently to the Bluegrass Junction Photo Album. If you haven't been on it lately, we've added a whole bunch of shots taken at the CMA Music Festival, as well as some pictures of guests that have visited our studio.

Dan's Track-By-Track will air in August, and I'll have more details about it as the time approaches.

Dailey & Vincent Track-By-Track Rebroadcast

Tonight at 8:00 PM ET, be sure to listen for our Track-By-Track show featuring Dailey & Vincent.

Jamie and Darrin joined me in studio this past Tuesday and we played through all the cuts on the CD, track-by-track. They're a lot of fun and we had a great time chatting between songs.

The show will also air a couple more times if you can't make it tonight. More info is here.

Studio Special with The Mashville Brigade

This week's Studio Special, which debuts Friday at 8:00 AM ET, will be one of your favorites, I'm sure. The Mashville Brigade, in case you're not familiar with them, is a group comprised entirely of members of other, major bands in bluegrass who together have a regular Tuesday night pickin' gig at Nashville's Station Inn.

Darrell Webb (Rhonda Vincent & The Rage) and Ashby Frank (Special Consensus) handle most of the lead vocals and play guitar and mandolin, respectively. Randy Barnes (New Found Road) plays bass, Jim Van Cleve (Mountain Heart) plays fiddle, and Aaron McDaris (Grascals) is the banjo picker. Together they form a very compelling, high-energy unit playing hard core, "in-your-face" bluegrass. The material on their new album for Rural Rhythm, Bluegrass Smash Hits, Volume 1, is made up entierly of familiar bluegrass standards, and that's what you hear on this show.

There's no way to not like this music, in my opinion. And to see these guys perform, as I did when they came in to do the show, completely reinforces my faith in bluegrass musicians' love for the music. These guys certainly do, and you can't help from getting caught up in their enthusiasm.

You can hear this show when it premieres Friday morning, or you can catch one of the rebroadcasts. The schedule is here.

Dailey & Vincent Track-By-Track Airs Today

This afternoon at 4:00 PM ET, Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent join me in studio as we track their new CD, Dailey & Vincent. We'll be playing through the entire album and in between cuts, you'll want to hear the guys' insight.

If you can't catch today's show, the rebroadcast schedule is here.

Grascals World Premiere Times Set

As I mentioned in my earlier post, XM is pleased to get to present the World Premiere of the Grascals' new CD, Keep on Walkin', on Tuesday, July 1. Of course, the premiere will air on Bluegrass Junction/14.

We've now finalized the broadcast schedule. In addition to the premiere broadcast, there will be several rebroadcasts as well. Here's the complete schedule:

Tuesday, July 1, 4 PM (premiere)
Friday, July 4, 12 Noon
Sunday, July 6, 10 AM
Wednesday, July 9, 8 PM
Friday, July 11, 12 Midnight (technically Saturday morning)
Tuesday, July 15, 9 AM

All times are Eastern.

The album is to be released on July 15, so our final broadcast of the premiere coincides with the day you can actually go out and buy the album. And I promise you that you'll want to--it's really wonderful. Don't miss a chance to hear this special broadcast.

Steep Canyon Rangers In Studio

Sometimes Friday afternoons are pretty uneventful around here, but that was definitely not the case yesterday. The Steep Canyon Rangers visited our studio to record a show for our Studio Special series. It's slated to premiere on July 18.

These guys are a class act. Aside from all being great guys, they are incredible musicians and artists. Their current album, Lovin' Pretty Women, is incredible, of course, but hearing them do some of the songs from that project live in our XM studio was a wonderful experience. "Kuykendall", especially, blew me away. You must hear that performance (and be sure to listen to the show as we discuss the correct pronunciation of "Kuykendall"--it's not what you think!).

The Studio Specials are a joy to do--especially with bands like this one. Thanks for all your nice comments about the series and for listening.

More info about the Studio Special series (including broadcast times) is here. Follow this link for a writeup about this week's show.

New Blog Feature

You'll notice to the right I've added a link to The Bluegrass Blog. Since we don't cover bluegrass news per se on this site, I thought you might like a link to what I consider to be the premiere source for up-to-the-minute news about our music.

I'm also including a feed (scroll down to see it on the right) of the top headlines from the Blog, so you can see what's going on right now at a glance anytime you visit our site.

Trackin' Dailey & Vincent

Tuesday afternoon at 4:00 PM ET, don't miss our Track-By-Track with Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent. They'll be in-studio with me as we play their entire new album, Dailey & Vincent, in sequence.

As you may recall, Dailey & Vincent were the lead-off artists on our Studio Special series when we began the 2008 season in March, and I've been wanting to track their album for some time now. With the Studio Special and other shows, however, there just hasn't been the right moment.

Well, the "moment" has arrived. Here's the full broadcast schedule for the new TBT:

Tuesday, June 17, 4:00 PM (premiere)
Thursday, June 19, 8:00 PM
Sunday, June 22 12 Noon
Wednesday, June 25 9:00 AM

All times are Eastern.

By the way--I probably don't need to tell you this, but this is one incredible CD. Check out the Dailey & Vincent website for more information.

Gibson Brothers on the Studio Special

It's Friday again, and this morning another great show in our Studio Special series made its debut.

This week, our guests are the Gibson Brothers. We had the privilege a few weeks ago to premiere theire new CD, Iron & Diamonds, on Bluegrass Junction, and it seems to me that this band keeps getting better and better. While their Studio Special appearance wasn't focused entirely on the album, they performed several songs from it.

I was so impressed with the guys' work on this show. This is their second visit to the Studio Special, and it's one of the finest shows we have ever done. Their playing was superb. Even on one song where Eric says (on the air) something to the effect that he could have played his part better, I couldn't detect any problems whatsoever. In addition, the entire band performed like a well-oiled machine, deftly moving song to song (and from interview segment to song) with a smoothness and naturalness that made it sound like they do shows like this every day. Every song was played without any retakes--although the show was pre-recorded, we could have done it live without any hitches.

Don't miss this one. The next airing is tomorrow [Saturday] morning at 11 AM ET, and the full schedule of rebroadcasts can be found here.

Grascals Set Broadcast Today

This afternoon during the 4 PM ET hour, I'll be airing the Grascals' live set from the CMA Music Festival, which we recorded Sunday.

You can read more about it in my earlier post.

Infamous Stringdusters Release Today

Congratulations to the Infamous Stringdusters, whose second album for Sugar Hill, The Infamous Stringdusters, hits the streets today.

In celebration of the release of the new CD, we're going to re-run the Track-By-Track we did with them originally on May 20 one more time--this afternoon at 3:00 ET.

You can read more about the new record here.

Grascals at CMA Music Fest

Here's a little unfinished business from last week's CMA Music Festival. Wednesday, during the 4:00 PM ET hour, we'll bring you a performance we captured at the event by the Grascals.

You may have been listening last Thursday when we brought you a live broadcast from the Chevy Stage at CMA Music Fest. One of the highlights from that stage we didn't broadcast was Sunday's show with the Grascals. We were there, though--as the pictures in the Bluegrass Junction photo album will attest--and our recorders in the XM Master Control Room in Washington were humming. So, you get to hear it!

For this show, I got to introduce the guys, who turned in their usual outstanding performance. I was especially interested to see Jeremy Abshire, the new fiddler for the group (replacing Jimmy Mattingly, who has left the group to join Dolly Parton). While his style might be a bit different from Jimmy's, he did a teriffic job and it's certain he'll be a huge asset to this group. Also, they did a few songs from the forthcoming album Keep on Walkin', which we'll premiere on Bluegrass Junction July 1.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, bluegrass typically hasn't meant much to the CMA Music Festival, which has always been geared toward mainstream country music. However, this year's offerings, meager as they were, were long on both energy and quality. If the fans who took the time to visit the Chevy Stage weren't impressed with these performers, they're tone deaf.

Again, the Grascals were great--you don't want to miss this little slice of live bluegrass. I hope you can tune in for the replay.

Grasstowne on the Studio Special

Highlighting this weekend's programming on Bluegrass Junction is our Studio Special with Grasstowne, which debuted this morning.

The founding members of this supergroup, Alan Bibey, Steve Gulley, and Phil Leadbetter, have never sounded better. Although they're all veterans of bluegrass, they seem driven and invigorated by being a part of Grasstowne, which they formed in late 2006.

The Studio Special brings you an hour+ of exclusive live music and interview content, recorded in XM's Nashville studios. It's a show you can only hear on Bluegrass Junction, and I promise you that you won't be disappointed--especially with this edition of the program.

The next airing of the Grasstowne show is Saturday morning at 11:00 AM ET. The full listing of rebroadcast times is listed here.

CMA Music Fest Photos Online

As Wichita Rutherford would say, "We had the best time" at the CMA Music Festival yesterday. As you know, Bluegrass Junction broadcast the bluegrass show, and it featured "killer" sets from The Steeldrivers, Mountain Heart, Dan Tyminski, and Sierra Hull. I hope you got to hear it.

I've now posted 40+ photos taken yesterday to the Bluegrass Junction Photo Gallery. Check 'em out! Also, if you want to see some other (non-bluegrass-related) photos from CMA Music Fest, go to the Highway 16 Photo Gallery.

Infamous Stringdusters Rebroadcast Tonight

If you haven't heard the new CD by the Infamous Stringdusters, a rebroadcast of our recent Track-By-Track airs tonight at Midnight ET. Travis Book, Andy Hall, and Chris Pandolfi came by to track the album with me a few days ago, and that show premiered May 20.

More details in the earlier post.

Grascals World Premiere on XM!

Yesterday, Terry Eldredge, Terry Smith, and Aaron McDaris of the Grascals visited our studio to record an interview which we will play when we bring you the world premiere of their new CD, Keep on Walkin'.

That's right--I said world premiere!

The new CD is to be released on July 15, but it will air for the first time on radio--anywhere--July 1 at 4 PM ET on Bluegrass Junction.

You've got to hear this album. In my opinion--and I even say this on the show--it is their best album to date. It's solid, straight-ahead bluegrass, for the most part, and the song selection is fabulous. The title track, written by Jamie Johnson and Charley Stefl, is one of the finest songs I've ever heard, in any genre of music. Other favorites of mine (at the moment) are "Feelin' Blue," "The Sad Wind Sighs" (Vince Gill guests on that one), and "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line." You may have seen the guys do some of these on stage already, but I know you'll have to get the CD when it comes out.

It was a great visit with El, Smitty, and Boo (as they affectionately call Aaron)--as always, there was a lot of laughter, but the guys provided some great insight as well.

We're always honored to get to premiere a new CD. It's especially an honor to get to premiere one by the reigning Entertainers of the Year. Thanks to Rounder Records and the Grascals for letting this happen.

CMA Music Fest Bluegrass Show

Don't miss the CMA Music Festival's bluegrass show tomorrow at 3 PM ET. We'll be broadcasting the show uninterrupted and in its entireity, live from the Chevy Stage at the Sommet Center (Fifth and Broadway) in downtown Nashville. I wrote a bit about this show a few days ago (here's the earlier post.)

Here's the schedule of artists appearing (and bear in mind, it's subject to change):

3:00 Steeldrivers
3:45 Mountain Heart
4:30 Dan Tyminski
5:15 Sierra Hull

Again, all times are Eastern.

If you're in or planning to be in Nashville, you should know that this show is free and open to the public. So come on down and enjoy the bluegrass!