Craig Havighurst

In his almost 20 years of recording Americana music in Nashville, 39-year-old Sean Sullivan has earned a reputation for impeccable recording and mixing of quality instruments, be they antique acoustic or classic electric. Working since the pandemic out of the Tractor Shed in Goodlettsville, he’s accumulated five Grammy Awards and immense respect in the bluegrass and Americana communities. We talk about the art of capturing great musicians and about working with Sturgill Simpson, Del McCoury, Molly Tuttle and others.

Kenny Feinstein is a character, and you’d better be when your business is making bluegrass and trad music in Los Angeles. For twenty years now, he’s led the band Water Tower, building a scene, playing live, and kicking out albums and bootlegs. He brings street energy and DIY ethos to roots. We mark here the release of his latest, an album under his own name called Lonesome LA Cowboy. The title track is a Peter Rowan country-rock cover, but other tracks, including the week’s “Richmond Prison” merge the old vine mountain sound with his unique cityscape. The personnel is top-tier, including Carter and Jason Eddy, Ron Stewart and the killer singer Michael Daves. This one scratches a lot of itches. Also this week, a new album from Louisiana master Dirk Powell, Colorado hippie grassers Slay And Stinson, an advance single from Matt Combs, and a new song from Asheville’s The Wilder Flower.

Charlie Worsham is one of Music City’s most respected “multi-hyphenate” music-makers - an artist-singer-songwriter-picker-producer who’s had his hand in scores of hit records while releasing much-admired albums of his own over a 20 year career in town. Craig regards him as a “Music Row whisperer,” a guy with his finger on the pulse of the industry and a well-rooted point of view in the music he makes. He returns to the String with the new album Once Upon A Second Time Around and, though he didn’t know it at the time, a new Grand Ole Opry member trophy.

From her out-of-the-way home town in Michigan, Rachel Brooke has quietly achieved veteran status as a highly acclaimed songwriter and singer. Her latest album This One’s For You investigates honky tonk dreams that won’t die and reminds us that great country songs don’t all pass through a Nashville filter.

One of the stars of Nashville’s recent honky tonk boom first found her muse playing in late night jazz clubs of New York and Paris. That set Sweet Megg apart when she moved here just after the pandemic - a flair for early blues and hot club swing. In Music City, she’s also developed as a songwriter releasing stylish Americana fare, but she continues to mine the catalog for golden nuggets she can make her own, as on her latest Massive Negroni.

Years ago, one of my most trusted music hound recommendation friends urged me to check out a Canadian folk duo called the Small Glories, and when I did, I was blown away, especially in live performance and especially by the bold charm of singer Cara Luft. Alas the Glories have gone on to glory as a band, but Cara, a veteran of the great and legendary Wailin’ Jennys, is out with My Heart Will Always Be, her first solo album in 13 years. Some of it’s more rhythmic and Americana feeling, but we’re happy to share the clawhammer-driven title track. The album’s been available in physical formats and download sale only, but it will soon be streaming. Also this week, the exciting first single from Linday Lou’s upcoming all-star album Bluegrass Women, a new instrumental from Alan Bibey inspired by his late mentor Herschel Sizemore, a new album from Ashby Frank, and a naturalistic new single by Michael Prewitt.

In The Hour Of Chaos, Allison Russell’s third solo album, brings the power of harmony and solidarity to a time of division and fear. In an interview days before its release, the songwriter says her “rainbow coalition” of collaborators has grown since her breakout album Outside Child of 2021, and many of them, including Brittney Spencer, Norah Jones, and Kashus Culpepper, sing duets with her. She also gets into her foundations in folk music during her pre-Nashville years.

With the year at the halfway point and Amy Alvey on the road, I decided to devote an hour to bluegrass in 2026 - so far. Besides albums I think are bound for strong consideration in our year-end wrap, I wanted to spotlight projects that were innovative or newsworthy, hence Sierra Hull’s neo-classical string band Movements and the Bela Fleck/Renee Fleming collaboration next to The Asheville Mountain Boys, Appalachian Road Show and the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys with Jim Lauderale. The Infamous Stringdusters outdid themselves coming up with 20 songs to celebrate 20 years of bandhood on their 20/20 album. We lead with Big Richard, the Colorado power quartet that’s brought a new brand of feminism to newgrass. Veranda brings bluegrass en Français from Quebec. Instrumentalists Frank Evans and Jarrod Walker make strong debuts. All songs are tracks we have not yet played. What a feast. What’s next??

His biography sounds like several different people: accomplished jazz guitar player, New York City glam rocker, progressive Americana songwriter in Nashville. That’s why Aaron Lee Tasjan comes across as a true American original. Over 13 years in Music City, Tasjan’s been prolific and acclaimed, releasing half a dozen albums touching many colors of pop music. His latest came after a time of discouragement and personal re-building, so it’s called Get Over It, Underdog.

I became aware of Sophie Wellington as a fiddler first, but on her impressive and important new album Her Bright Smile Haunts Me Still, the Boston-based artist mingles other musical elements: flatpick guitar, voice, and percussive dance. Sophie was raised around old-time Appalachian culture and music in Staunton, VA and then studied at Berklee’s Roots Music program. Here, on the instrumental “Scolding Wife,” she lays down a mystical guitar rendition, blended with the taps, scrapes and brushes of her shoes, and it’s wildly fresh and mesmerizing. The great percussive dancer Nic Gareiss says it well: “Sophie darts between genres and instruments with dexterity and heart. Here, on this guitar-focused offering, Sophie sings, dances, and paints flatpicked lines integrating gesture and sound with impeccable groove and poise.” Also this hour, Doyle Lawsom and Jerry Sally team up on a classic that teases an upcoming Delmore Brothers tribute album. Mason Via gets help from Lucinda Williams on a timely Woody Guthrie song. And AJ Lee sings a hit from the heyday of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.