Craig Havighurst

Anya Hinkle is one of the standout folk artists of the past few decades in Western North Carolina, making her own space and sound in the overlap of old Appalachian, singer-songwriter and bluegrass. I just saw her perform at Scruggs Fest with a trio she’s rolling out next year called Tanasi. But she’s also one of so many victims of Hurricane Helene, which slammed our beloved mountain region with incomprehensible rainfall and tropical storm winds, leaving countless victims of flooding, landslides and wind damage. We turn our attention to the region in this episode, and Hinkle’s “Hills of Swannanoa” already a favorite song of mine, hit really hard, so it’s part of a block of artists from the Asheville area. Hinkle herself is safe, but a 100-year-old tree fell on her house. There’s a lot to do. Please visit Blue Ridge Public Radio for updates and options for sending aid.

It’s an immigrant story like no other. JesseLee Jones pined for something bigger growing up in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He got glimpses of American music and a guitar, and with that a long journey began. After landing in the states, and getting robbed by the way, he found his way to a family in the midwest who took him in and helped him build a life. In the early 90s, destiny brought him to Nashville and a ramshackle honky tonk and boot store that he would help turn into Robert’s Western World, the pivotal and most famous honky tonk in Nashville. On the 25th anniversary of owning and running this legendary club, Jones tells his story, including the formation of his own long-running band, Brazilbilly.

The bluegrass family was shocked in mid September to get the news that mandolinist and singer David Davis, leader of the Warrior River Boys, had died in a car crash at the age of 63. Inspired by Bill Monroe at an early age, he worked with band leader Gary Thurmond until Thurmond retired and handed the reins of the WRB over to Davis. He lived his whole life in his native Alabama, but he toured the nation and recorded for Rounder Records, including the must-own 2018 album Didn’t He Ramble, covering songs from the catalog of Charlie Poole. We offer Davis singing the classic “Blues Stay Away From Me.” Also this week, two exciting album releases: Rebecca Frazier leads off the show with “Hurricanes” from her new Boarding Windows In Paradise (unnervingly prescient given the news) and the first formal project by Mike Compton and Joe Newberry called Home In My Heart. Amy brought in new music from her duo Golden Shoals. And there’s a nice run of neo-old-time from Showman and Coole, Water Tower from LA and The Devil Makes Three.

Kris Kristofferson, a man who seemingly could have been successful at just about anything he tried, turned his cathedral-like mind and working man’s heart to the arts. He was a scholar, a soldier, a pilot, an athlete, an actor, and, as most people know, one of America’s greatest songwriters. He was a member of several exclusive societies, including Oxford University’s Rhodes Scholars and country music’s epochal Outlaws, as well as a free thinker and activist across decades. On Saturday, that exceptional life came to an end when Kristofferson died at home in Maui, HI at age 88.

It is always a good year to be a McCoury in bluegrass, but 2024 may be especially memorable for the Nashville family, as the Del McCoury Band became Entertainers of the Year for the first time since 2004, while the Travelin' McCourys were named Instrumental Group of the Year at the 35th annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards. As a bonus, Del's son Rob was named Banjo Player of the Year for the second time at a ceremony at Raleigh, NC’s Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, hosted by Missy Raines and John Cowan.

It is so very good to see old-time and folk hero Jody Stecher so engaged and fruitful at age 78. The Brooklyn native and two-time Grammy nominee became an influence on a legion of roots heroes, including Jerry Jeff Walker and Jerry Garcia. Now he’s collaborating with Boston bluegrass band Mile Twelve, releasing two LPs in about a year. The newest is charmingly titled Instant Lonesome and The Twinkle Brigade and we’ve got a tune from that. From the bio: “The band is on fire, ignited by the spark of Jody’s impassioned singing and guitar. The format is recognizable as old-style blues-tinged, old-time flavored bluegrass but nothing here is generic or predictable.” Also this hour, Nashville’s Thunder And Rain, Rhonda Vincent, Willie Watson and Larry Cordle singing a Bob Seger song from a new bluegrass compilation.

Craig Havighurst has covered or attended every Nashville Americanafest since it was founded, and it remains a sacred week on the calendar. Spirits were high. The weather was excellent. There were countless good options for where to be at any given time, so choosing was hard, but our correspondent found his way to hearing top-shelf old-school country, funky soul, bluegrass and newgrass, emotional solo songwriters, and high caliber bands. Here's a look at his notebook across five days.

Sierra Ferrell’s journey from West Virginia to national prominence as a country singer and songwriter sounds more like something from the 1930s than this hypermediated new century, with rail riding, busking, and late night honky tonks along the way. But on Wednesday night the quirky, fashion-forward and extravagantly gifted artist took her spot at the top of Americana music, winning Artist and Album of the Year (Trail of Flowers) on a gala night that featured oratory almost as good as the songwriting from a score of multi-genre standouts.

I attended the Earl Scruggs Music Festival for the third straight year to conduct some on-stage interviews, take in favorites like Marty Stuart and the Earls of Leicester, and hopefully discover some new artists who’d sound good on The Old Fashioned. Well, mission accomplished with The Wilder Flower, a western NC trio featuring Danielle Yother on guitar, Madeline Dierauf on fiddle, and Molly Johnson on banjo that formed in 2020. Their soulful and harmonious take on Appalachian music suggests that the traditions of the region aren’t lost on younger generations, but we knew that. We play their recent single “Rambling.” I also saw Shadowgrass, a gang leaning forward in bluegrass, and their string jam cover of the Dead’s “Mr. Charlie” sounds great. Chris Jones brings a new single about American paranoia and conspiracy mongering to launch the show. Brenna MacMillan continues to tease her next recording with the single “Black Bear.” And we reach back to the 90s with the brothers McCoury.

With Americanafest landing in Nashville this week, Craig Havighurst looked over the many artists breaking out of Music City and got especially excited about Baltic Street Hotel by rocking songwriter Sophie Gault. It’ll be released this Friday, but Craig’s been listening for a few weeks and finds it rich with personal details, sharp melodies, and an old school Americana spirit that evokes Lucinda Williams or Kathleen Edwards. The show features exclusive teasers of several songs from this LP, produced by Ray Kennedy at his request. Also in the hour, a rising star of acoustic Americana, 15-year-old mandolinist Wyatt Ellis, who recently released his solo debut with guest turns by some of today’s best mandolin players, including Marty Stuart.