Musical diversity is one important touchstone for our lineups at Roots On The Rivers, and as co-host of The Old Fashioned, I maybe want to say that we’ve been a little light on bluegrass music over these past few years. That all changes on Saturday, May 31, when we bring you two stars of the genre from different generations and styles, the iconic Sam Bush and breakout fiddler, singer and songwriter Bronwyn Keith-Hynes. In case you aren’t up to speed or up to date with this artistic mutual admiration society, here’s a briefing.
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Texas songwriter Vincent Neil Emerson graduated from playing on the streets and in the bars of Fort Worth to tours with Colter Wall and American Aquarium and then a well-received debut album (2019’s Fried Chicken And Evil Women). That inspired none other than Rodney Crowell and Shooter Jennings in turn to take an interest in producing the young country troubadour, resulting in a self-titled release in 2021 and the more recent The Golden Crystal Kingdom of 2023. They heard what I hear - an artist processing his past and making his struggles universal, a singer with an honest voice and a distinct point of view. He paused during his ongoing touring to sit down with WMOT after a show at Skinny Dennis.
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Atlanta native Kristina Murray moved to Nashville in 2014 with a fresh and original debut album and steely determination. The country singer and songwriter carved out a respected space at honky tonks like Santa’s Pub and the American Legion. When hard work and critical acclaim for her two releases didn’t launch her career to a new orbit, it felt like defeat. That, plus the pandemic, fueled some challenging times and emotions that inspired her new one, Little Blue, a lovely, lament-filled album on New West’s Normaltown imprint. Murray is due for new waves of attention, and we talk about how hard that is to manifest in this edition of The String.
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I’m With Her, the sublime and award-winning trinity of Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan, and Sara Watkins is back with their second album, after an eight year interim since their debut See You Around came out to great acclaim. The new Wild And Clear And Blue, written over several years and produced by multi-instrumentalist indie folk guru Josh Kaufman, arrived last Friday, and it’s sure to be one of the most celebrated recordings of 2025. Craig reviews the album and speaks with Sara Watkins about this special relationship, plus her ever-evolving work with Nickel Creek and the Los Angeles Watkins Family Hour collective.
LINER NOTES
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Jessie Scott sat down with Judy Collins for a special Words & Music session at WMOT's Riverside Revival studio in East Nashville.
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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.
WMOT VIDEO: LIVE SESSIONS ON NPR MUSIC
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Susan Werner is this week's guest for 30A Songwriters Sessions, where we invite artists to perform acoustic sets in a beach house turned studio near Santa Rosa Beach, Florida during the 30A Songwriters Festival. Werner performed "Halfway to Houston", "I Can't Be New", "What Did You Do to Your Face?". Plus, a behind-the-scenes interview with Jessie Scott.
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Mike Delevante joins us for another edition of Words & Music, where we invite artists to discuss and perform stripped-down versions of their latest projects. Mike and his all-star band performed "The Rain Never Came", "Too Far Gone", and "Good Cry" from his debut solo record, September Days.
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Hayes Carll (and his dog Winnie) join us for another 30A Songwriters Session, where we invite artists to perform acoustic sets in a beach house turned studio in Florida during the 30A Songwriters Festival. Carll performed "You Get It All", "High", and "Beaumont", plus a behind-the-scenes interview.
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Darrell Scott is this week's guest for our 30A Songwriters Sessions, where we invite artists to perform acoustic sets in a beach house turned studio near Santa Rosa Beach, Florida during the 30A Songwriters Festival. He performed "Long Time Gone", "One Hand Upon the Wheel" and "Kentucky Morning", plus a behind-the-scenes interview with Jessie Scott about about releasing new music through his monthly "New Moon, New Music" series and his latest record The New Modern Hymns.
NPR Top Stories
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Remains of the "Scattered Man John Doe" began washing ashore in New Jersey in 1995 and went unidentified for the next three decades. Students at Ramapo College set about to solve the mystery.
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The Justice Department says it has reached an agreement in principle with Boeing to drop a criminal case over two fatal crashes of 737 Max jets, despite objections from some victims' family members.
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DOGE's push to cut some federal surveys conducted by the Census Bureau may be duplicating a White House agency's oversight work and weaken U.S. data infrastructure, experts warn.
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