Last week, James McMurtry and BettySoo stopped by the WMOT studio to discuss performing in drag across the South and life on the road during their current tour. The duo also performed "Henry & Me", "Broken Freedom Song", and "Gulf Road". Listen to the full episode here.
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Sierra Ferrell, fresh off her Artist and Album Of The Year wins at last Fall’s Americana Honors & Awards, went four-for-four in her first-ever nominations on Sunday at the 67th Grammy Awards. She shared American Roots Song honors with Nashville’s Melody Walker. Songwriter Ruthie Foster secured a first-ever Grammy for herself and her new label Sun Records. Billy Strings and the duo of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings won awards as well. While on the prime time broadcast, roots music didn’t get its turn.
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Sam Grisman, the 35-year-old son of mandolin icon David “Dawg” Grisman, grew up in a unique and supercharged musical environment, to put it mildly. Jerry Garcia was coming over all the time to the family home to pick and record old-time folk music with the elder Grisman. Bluegrass legends came and went, rehearsing and recording, and giving Sam something to aspire to when he picked up the bass as a little kid. After a decade working and touring as sideman, he’s now based in Nashville leading his own collective, the Sam Grisman Project, which is nurturing the repertoire of the Grisman/Garcia partnership, with selected tunes from the Grateful Dead repertoire as well. With a remarkable concert at the Ryman Auditorium in January 2025, Sam stepped into a new phase of his musical life.
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After decades in the shadows as a catalog company, historic Sun Records was acquired four years ago by the global music and media company Primary Wave. Now headquartered in Brentwood, a refreshed Sun is an active label again, and its 2024 releases by Americana standouts Amy Helm and Ruthie Foster - plus a flurry of vintage reissues - suggest that it’s going to make a substantial impact on the roots music space in the years to come.
LINER NOTES
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Listen to Jessie Scott as she sits down with William Prince for a Words & Music session.
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The gang from Fruition sat down with Jessie Scott for a special Words & Music set Monday, November 18th.
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A new original song for SAFPAW from Nashville songwriter, Tim Easton. See the video and find out more about SAFPAW and Tim's support of their mission for the past ten years.
WMOT VIDEO: LIVE SESSIONS ON NPR MUSIC
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Watch Cris Jacobs perform "Queen of the Avenue" and "Poor Davey" from his latest bluegrass inspired record 'One of These Days' live from the 2024 AmericanaFest Day Stage.
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Mindy Smith and Ray Benson rang in the new year with music from their latest projects at our January Wired In show. Watch their live studio performances here.
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Watch the Wonder Women of Country perform "Another Broken Heart" and "Won't Be Worried Long" live from the 2024 AmericanaFest Day Stage.
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Dave Alvin and The Guilty Ones performed "Johnny Ace is Dead and "Long White Cadillac" live at the 2024 AmericanaFest Day Stage. Watch clips from the performance here.
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