By design or coincidence, this week's Finally Friday features two major names in contemporary bluegrass music. Darin & Brooke Aldridge will be releasing their tenth album, a landmark in a career that's seen them win multiple awards and earn the admiration of the genre with a sound that draws as much on gospel and country music as it does on straight ahead bluegrass. Becky Buller (who once played fiddle with the Aldridges) is the industry's triple-threat with IBMA Awards for her instrumental chops, her singing, and her songwriting. She's tackling some of the most serious and vulnerable subject matter of her career on her upcoming album Jubilee. Check out Craig's preview of this Friday's talent-packed revue.

In January, the newly energized Nashville Blues and Roots Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to cultivating blues careers and spreading its history through public schools, held its first-ever local competition to nominate contestant artists at the 2024 International Blues Challenge in Memphis. And in a nice Music City surprise, the NBRA’s delegate in the band category, Piper & The Hard Times, went to Memphis during the coldest week of the year, put on several sizzling sets, and came away with the grand prize. In this hour of The String, we meet Al "Piper" Green and his bandmate/guitarist Steve Eagon to talk about their game changing win. Up first, Gulf Coast blues and R&B icon Marcia Ball talks about fifty years of rocking roadhouses and the occasional blues cruise.

Suzy Bogguss started playing and performing on a hand-me-down guitar from her sister in small-town Illinois. After almost a decade making a living out west playing at ski lodges and smaller venues, she moved to Nashville, where she carved out a special place in 1990s country music. Amid a time of diversity and vibrancy in the format, her sweet, folky voice took flight when she found the right songs, including the career-makers “Someday Soon” and “Outbound Plane.” She’s toured steadily ever since, though recordings have been selective since 2000. During the pandemic though, she took on her first album of new material with last fall’s Prayin’ For Sunshine, the first where she’d written all of the songs. In this hour, we cover every key stage of this award-winning career.