The Grammy Awards launched the Best Bluegrass Album category in 1989. Bill Monroe won for Southern Flavor. A young banjo player named Bela Fleck was nominated for his album Drive. More than three decades later, Mr. Fleck won in 2022 for his epic My Bluegrass Heart instrumental masterwork. Just before we put together this show, the nominees were announced for the February 5, 2023 awards and the nominees included artists we love and albums we’ve been playing: the Infamous Stringdusters, Molly Tuttle, Peter Rowan, Del McCoury and Yonder Mountain String Band. We’ve sprinkled music from those nominees, not necessarily from the new recordings, in to shows #36 and 37. Yonder launches us this week with “I Just Can’t” from their 2022 album Get Yourself Outside, which is not hard advice to those from their Colorado mountain home base. Also in the hour, new music from Colorado’s Jake Leg and Breakin’ Strings from Maine. And we remember what it sounded like when Chris Stapleton was an original Steeldriver.
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We know Tyler Childers and Sturgill Simpson as flinty, deeply intelligent, somewhat reclusive songwriters from rural Kentucky. But in that sense, they are heirs to Chris Knight who had that role nailed down back in the early days of the Americana format. We’re honored and excited to have this humble master of country music on our Finally Friday bill this week. Also up, California garage rock by Leroy From The North and trippy surf rock by Galvezton. -
One of the keepsakes that new inductees to the Musicians Hall of Fame receive is a black jacket of the type crew might be given after a rock and roll tour, with their name embroidered on the front. When they called 2022 inductee Vince Gill to find out exactly how he’d like his name written, he said he wanted it to say “Joe Chambers.” It was a sweet gesture to the founder of the Hall, who passed away on September 28.
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Performances will include Cafe Rooster owners Sally Jaye, Jon Latham, and Brian Wright, but you never know who may join them!
LINER NOTES
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Steve Poltz takes the lead this year, for the annual recording of a Bob Dylan song by a group of stellar Nashville musicians. Spearheaded by Tim Easton for the ninth consecutive year, the project raises money and awareness for SAFPAW, The Southern Alliance for People and Animal Welfare.
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From his genre-bending sophomore album, The Comet, to a deep dive into his old-time music roots, Charlie Treat talks about making a traditional style bluegrass record in just a few days for his new release, Into The Wild Mystic Mountain, out today.
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Guitarist, songwriter and analog enthusiast Jack Schneider talks about his fascination with fretted instruments and working alongside Nashville legends as well as up and coming artists on his debut full length, Best Be on My Way, out now.
WMOT VIDEO: LIVE SESSIONS ON NPR MUSIC
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Watch the full set of Sam Bush's performance from October 26, 2022 at Riverside Revival. Bush performs songs from the album he made in tribute to his mentor, John Hartford. Jeff Hanna of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band joins Bush on a song from the album, 'Radio John: Songs of John Hartford'.
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Watch the live stream from our Wired In session with performances by the SteelDrivers, Seth Walker and Calling Cadence November 16 at 7 p.m. Central
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Watch our live webcast October 26, 2022 from our Public Radio Music Day celebration at Riverside Revival in East Nashville.
News from WMOT
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Weather Service warns localized flooding is possible during expected heavy downpours
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State transportation officials say $26 billion in projects are needed to address Tennessee's worsening highway congestion.
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About 100 died nationwide in 2012 after receiving injections of medical steroids manufactured by a New England based compounding pharmacy.
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Civil rights advocates say a Memphis hospital is no longer providing gender-affirming surgeries, a move they argue is illegal and discriminatory.
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Joints Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley has called the COVID-19 vaccine mandate “a key force protection and readiness issue.”
NPR Top Stories
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Russia unleashed a new wave of airstrikes at Ukraine, aimed at destroying the power grid. The attacks caused damage and casualties, but Ukraine said it shot down most of the incoming missiles.
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A new documentary All The Beauty and the Bloodshed tells the story of Nan Goldin, a photographer and activist who survived opioid addiction — then challenged members of the Sackler family.
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Despite climate targets set by the Biden administration and corporate executives, the U.S. is still building new natural gas plants that threaten to cause greenhouse gas emissions for decades to come.
Nashville's Zach & Maggie go all in with their ode to Paul Simon's, "You Can Call Me Al", releasing their own video, plus another version side by side with the original.
WMOT Roots Radio presents Red Clay Strays with Ben Chapman at 3rd & Lindsley on Thursday, December 8, 2022, at 8 p.m.
WMOT Roots Radio presents Paul Thorn at 3rd & Lindsley on Friday, December 2, with Leroy From the North & Saturday, and on December 3, with Webb Wilder.
Win a pair of tickets to see The Allman Family Revival: a celebration of the life, spirit, and music of Gregg Allman. Hosted by his son, Devon Allman, and The Devon Allman Project. Friday, December 9, 2022, at Ryman Auditorium at 8 p.m.
Win tickets for Steep Canyon Rangers with Tony Kamel and Forrest Romm on Thursday December 1, 2022, at 7:30 pm
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