Capping Off A Special Month

This has been a very special month for me as we've dedicated our Studio Special time to the "Best of 2008 (So Far!)."

This morning we rolled out our final "best of" show for now, which features Bradley Walker, the reigning IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year. I know I say this about all of them, but this is really a special show. I first heard this fine band at an IBMA showcase last fall--they had just started working together as a unit--and was completely blown away. The relatively small room in the Nashville Convention Center that evening was jam-packed with people and there was no sound system, but you could have heard a pin drop when these folks began playing. And when Bradley's rich voice was first heard, you could almost feel the excitement in the room.

This man is a talent.

Don't miss this wonderful show, and get set for an all-new show next week featuring the Grascals. More on that later.

The Studio Special is Bluegrass Junction's showcase for bluegrass music's top talent. Each week, a different band plays live in XM's Nashville studio and tells about their lives and careers. The complete broadcast schedule can be found by following this link: Studio Special Air Times.

A Salute to IBMA Nominees

Joyce Rizer snapped this photo of me working at my desk (I'm the guy in yellow shirt. 'Office looks pretty deserted, doesn't it?).

What I'm working on this afternoon is our series of "salutes" to artists nominated for IBMA Awards. You'll begin hearing them on Tuesday, September 2.

Every couple of hours or so, listen for an artist nominated in one of the artist-based awards categories (Entertainer, Vocal Group, Instrumental Group, Male Vocalist, Female Vocalist, and Emerging Artist of the Year). We'll play a song by them and mention the awards they and their band members are nominated for.

It's just a small way of saying how much we appreciate the performers who have achieved so much in bluegrass.

New Studios Featured on Local TV

I haven't commented much on them since my initial "under-construction" post back in May, but we are really enjoying our new studios in the Sommet Center in downtown Nashville.

Now one of the local television stations, WTVF/Channel 5, has aired a profile of the studio space on their 6 PM newscast. I thought you might enjoy getting to see some inside shots of our new home, now that they're (for the most part) up and running.

To view the story and video, click here.

New Photos Posted

OK, so J. (the Blogger name for Joyce Rizer, our Bluegrass Junction super-producer) commented in my earlier post, "IBMA Nominations Announced," that she was hijacking my blog readers over to hers since I didn't get the pictures from Nominations Day posted in a timely-enough manner.

I guess I deserved that.

Now, however, I finally have them posted and hopefully you'll find them worthwhile. You can view some great shots of our guests on our broadcast from the Country Music Hall of Fame the day the IBMA Nominations were announced. Just go to the Bluegrass Junction Photo Gallery and view the album titled "2008 IBMA Nominations." You'll see some great snaps of folks like Del McCoury, Dailey & Vincent, and more.

Oh, and by the way, Joyce took the pictures.

Dan Tyminski Track-By-Track Scheduled

I'm excited to announce the air times for the Track-By-Track show I promised you some time ago with Dan Tyminski, built around his new CD, Wheels.

Air times are as follows:

• Monday, September 1 (Labor Day), 3 PM ET
• Wednesday, September 3, 6 PM ET
• Tuesday, September 9, 8 AM ET
• Saturday, September 13, 4 PM ET

We recorded this show back in June and I've been looking forward to getting it on the air ever since. It's always great to listen to an album, in sequence, as it was intended to be heard. It's even better to have the artist who recorded it right there to talk about it. And the best part about all this is this is a fantastic album. You won't want to miss this show.

Studio Special with Carolina Road

Our August "Best Of" series of Studio Special rebroadcasts continues as we replay another program from March of this year. This week, we're featuring Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road, and the next broadcast of that one is Saturday morning at 11:00 ET.

We took the photo you see here at the session, and we had a great time as usual with these folks. The atmosphere is always so "easy" when Lorraine and crew are around. They clearly enjoy each others' company and playing bluegrass.

A standout performance for me on the show was when Josh Goforth led the group in a wonderful version of "Just a Little Talk with Jesus." Josh not only sang the lead vocal on that one, but his finger-picked guitar on that performance was truly outstanding. Josh, as you know, normally plays fiddle in Carolina Road, so it was a treat to hear him play something so radically different. The rest of the band contributed some fine harmony on that song, which was included (with the same arrangement) on Why Don't You Give Jesus a Try, the gospel album Carolina Road has released since this show was originally broadcast.

Also listen for the in-studio version of "A Stop in South Port Towne" featuring Jerry Butler on the lead vocal.

The full schedule of Studio Special rebroadcasts is listed here. Don't miss this outstanding show.

New Music This Week

Today and tomorrow, be sure to check out my afternoon show (3-6 PM ET). I'm going to be playing some of the new tunes which have been released in the past few days.

The Crowe Brothers, The Lonesome River Band, Valerie Smith & Becky Buller, Paul Williams, Kenny & Amanda Smith, and the Cherryholmes are among the artists who have sent new music to radio recently. I'll be playing tracks from each of them this afternoon and tomorrow.

2008 is going to go down in history as one of the most creative and fertile (musically) years bluegrass has seen in some time. I hope you're enjoying it!

Through the Window of Our Studio

Blue Highway returns to our Studio Special series Friday morning at 8:00 ET as we continue our "Best of" series during the month of August.

All this month, we're re-running some of the memorable shows we've broadcast so far during this year, and the one featuring Blue Highway was a real highlight for me. This was the 49th show in the series, and it was originally broadcast back in March.

Needless to say, this is incredible music from one of the top established bands in bluegrass. On the show they perform several songs from their current album, Through the Window of a Train which, in addition from being one of finest discs they've ever done, received quite a notice Thursday in the International Bluegrass Music Awards Nominations. It received an IBMA nomination for Album of the Year, and the title song is up for Song of the Year. The band is nominated for Vocal Group and Instrumental Group of the Year, and Tim Stafford and Rob Ickes are nominated in the Instrumental categories (Guitar and Dobro Player of the Year, respectively).

You'll enjoy this show. If you can't catch it Friday morning, check out our list of rebroadcast times.

IBMA Nominations Announced

What a great time we had this morning at the IBMA Nominations announcement! It was a real kick getting to visit with Dan Hays, Mark Newton, Carl Jackson, Eddie Stubbs, Dan Tyminski, Jeremy Garrett and Andy Hall of the Infamous Stringdusters, Terry Eldredge, Terry Smith, Aaron McDaris, and Jamie Johnson of the Grascals, Sonya Isaacs, Jamie Dailey, Darrin Vincent, and Del McCoury (am I leaving anyone out??). Thanks to everyone who took the time to be on the air with me, and to all those who came by just to say hello.

Congratulations to the nominees, too. The complete listing can be found on the IBMA Website.

By the way, our producer, Joyce Rizer, took several pictures at the event, and I'll post those as soon as I can.

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.