Bluegrass Jam Along

My guest this week is Michael Daves and we're chatting about the superb new record he has out with Jacob Jolliff, We Like Jim & Jesse!
The record, released on Michael's own label Wild Geranium Records, celebrates the music of first generation bluegrass legends, brothers Jim and Jesse McReynolds.
Michael talks about meeting Jesse in 2019 - he was 90 or 91 at the time and still writing new tunes every day - and how that sparked the idea for the record. We also chat about Jesse's unique contribution to the history of bluegrass mandolin, how one of their biggest hits was written on the spot in response to an argument and why Jim and Jesse's vocal blend is every bit as important to their sound as Jesse's mandolin playing.
We also talk about Fables, Michael's recent release that pays tribute to a very different act...R.E.M.
This interview was recorded at Sore Fingers, the wonderful UK bluegrass camp that runs every Easter (and has for the past 30 years). Later this week I'll be bringing you an interview with Tony Trischka, also recorded at the camp, plus a special episode celebrating Sore Fingers.
You'll find Michael and Jacob's record on Bandcamp, where you'll also find Michael's R.E.M. tribute Fables
Support the show
===

Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)

Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins

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- Free fiddle tune chord sheets

- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews

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My guest on this episode is Bryan Sutton.
We're talking about Bryan's new project From Roots to Branches, the follow up to his 2006 album Not Too Far From the Tree, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
The new album features a series of duets with musicians from the wold of bluegrass and beyond, plus a couple of unreleased tunes he recorded with Doc Watson and Tony Rice.
We chat about the original idea behind Not Too Far.... and how the new project differs; who Bryan chose to record with this time (including Billy Strings, Chris Eldridge, Sierra Hull, Trey Hensley, Joe Bonamassa and more); why he's choosing to release it as a series of tracks over several months, before putting the full album out, and how it feels to have gone from recording with his heroes to taking on the mentor role for the next generation of flatpickers.
You'll find all the tracks released so far on Spotify, Tidal and all other streaming platforms. 
There's a great video for The Devil Went Down to Deep Gap  on YouTube.
You can get bluegrass guitar lessons from Bryan Sutton on ArtistWorks (I can highly recommend them).
Oh, and Bryan wrote and recorded the cool theme tune you'll hear on this episode too!
Support the show
===

Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)

Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins

- Sign up to get updates on new episodes

- Free fiddle tune chord sheets

- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews

- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
Instagram
Facebook
- Review us on Apple Podcasts

In this bonus episode we're celebrating Tony Rice's best loved albums....as voted for by you!
I put out a poll over my social channels as well as some popular Facebook groups and subreddits and collated all the responses.
The rules were simple - just pick one album each for these 3 categories:
1. Tony Rice/Tony Rice Unit album
2. Album where Tony’s named as one of the artists (e.g. Blake & Rice/ Skaggs & Rice/Tone Poems)
3. Any album Tony plays on but isn’t named as an artist (e.g. DGQ, Bluegrass Album Band, JD’s 0044….or anything else)
I had over 400 votes in total. In this short episode I reveal what won in each category, what the most popular album was overall and also what pickers like Chris Thile and Trey Hensley chose as their favourites!
Check out the full list 
You'll find links to previous podcast episodes celebrating Tony Rice on bluegrassjamalong.com

Support the show
===

Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)

Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins

- Sign up to get updates on new episodes

- Free fiddle tune chord sheets

- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews

- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
Instagram
Facebook
- Review us on Apple Podcasts

My guest this week is Thomm Jutz.
We're talking about Thomm's fascinating new project Ring-a-Bellin', an 18 track album and, for those wanting to dive even deeper into the process behind this new release, a beautiful, hardback Ring-A-Bellin’ companion book, which includes the stories and inspiration behind each song.
 Thomm talks about the idea behind the record; his unique approach to music, creativity, and life; how imagery, psychology, and tradition inform his work and the importance of process, authenticity, and staying true to your artistic journey.

In this episode
Thomm explains:
 The concept behind his album, and the companion book of artwork and essays
The influence of analytical psychology, alchemy, and symbolism on his songwriting
His love of of organic, live recording techniques versus layered, processed music
His thoughts on the role of tradition in American and Irish folk music, and the importance of maintaining a connection to old instruments and styles
Why he sees song creation as an alchemical journey from chaos to clarity
His views on technology, AI, and their impact on the authenticity of music
How time and place influence his songwriting
The parallels between craft, process, and the deeper spiritual aspects of musical creation
About Thomm

Thomm Jutz is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter, producer, guitarist, and media composer and veteran of the American Roots Music scene, with over 25 years' of experience in the industry. His latest project, Ring-a-Bellin' combines an 18-song album with a beautifully illustrated companion book, providing a multi-dimensional experience that captures the essence of his artistic process and journey.
Recent work includes Nothing But Green Willow: The Songs of Mary Sands and Jane Gentry (2023, with Martin Simpson), a transatlantic exploration of the women who contributed to Cecil Sharp’s folk song collection, featuring Sierra Hull, Odessa Settles, Angeline Morrison, and Tim O’Brien.

Resources & Links

Thomm's Website
Instagram
Facebook

Thomm Jutz and Martin Simpson discuss Nothing But Green Willow on Bluegrass Jam Along

Support the show
===

Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)

Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins

- Sign up to get updates on new episodes

- Free fiddle tune chord sheets

- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews

- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
Instagram
Facebook
- Review us on Apple Podcasts

My guest this week is Alex Graf and we're talking all things Manzanita.
Alex made the shift from a more jazz based background to flatpicking a few years ago and Tony Rice's Manzanita became one of the absolute cornerstone records for him on that journey. We talk about why it became so important, what Alex learned from Tony's playing on the record and why he still finds something new in it every time he listens.
You'll hear about:
How Tony's jazz influences shaped his approach to guitar
The importance of musical conversation between band members on Manzanita
The myths and legends that surround Tony's albums
How Tony Rice's approach to chord voicings was inspired by jazz piano legend Bill Evans
How reinterpreting melody, rather than just blowing through the changes, keeps music fresh
and much more.
To find out more about Alex, including his great teaching resource Alex's Acoustic Club, head to alexgrafmusic.com
For news, updates and great free content on improving your playing, check out Alex's Instagram and YouTube
Support the show
===

Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)

Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins

- Sign up to get updates on new episodes

- Free fiddle tune chord sheets

- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews

- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:
Instagram
Facebook
- Review us on Apple Podcasts