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In Episode 68 as Amy and I reunite from a distance after more summer travel, I reflect on my stay near Port Townsend, WA where I attended two wonderful old-time concerts at the fifty-year-old camp called Fiddle Tunes and where I got to spend time with bluegrass hero (and now new Hall of Fame inductee) David “Dawg” Grisman. Inspired by that I pulled the classic album Doc and Dawg off the shelf to remind us why it was so influential. New music this week comes from young mando man Wyatt Ellis, Nashville’s Josie Toney, and Jeremy Garrett. Another classic from the grassy files is Dolly Parton singing “Silver Dagger,” while Don Reno and Bill Harrell kick it on “Country Boy Rock and Roll.”

Amy hosts this week’s show from the road where she infuses some of her western travels into the show, including the kickoff tune from Idaho’s string master Ben Winship. Also in the hour, a new single from East Nash Grass, a band so very ready for a closeup when they release their second full length album in August. We hear Dale Ann Bradley pull in old Opry star John Conlee to give a grassy twist to Billy Joe Shaver’s classic “Old Chunk of Coal.” And we have TOF premieres from bands Hay Blackbird and Arkansauce.

Val Storey is one of those singers you discover when digging into Nashville’s layers, and you wonder how the whole world doesn’t know about her voice. She’s always been too country for the major country labels, though she’s done a lot of session harmony singing over the years. The in-crowd knows to check her out at New Mondays, the weekly Station Inn show she performs with her old friends Carl Jackson and Larry Cordle. Now Cordle has produced Storey’s first-ever solo secular album, Share Your Secrets With Me. Val and Larry came to the studio to talk about their histories and the choices that went into making one of the year’s best country records.

Featuring The Ruen Brothers, Wendy Moten & Chris "Bad News" Barnes.

I reached my co-host Amy in Vancouver where she was on her way, in her trusty white van Irene, to the Cowichan Valley Bluegrass Festival, one of Canada’s largest acoustic roots gatherings. And that inspired a set of music by artists on this year’s bill, including Michael Daves, John Reischman, the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys and Veranda, a wonderful duo from Montreal that we hope to hear more from. Also this hour, a hot new country/grass cover from banjo man Cory Walker and singer Sierra Ferrell, yet another new single from East Nash Grass, and a standard at exceptionally high speed from Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder. The festival season is unfolding, and we are here for it. Our next episode previews the new Nashville-area Big Mouth Festival, so watch for that.

As I said in a recent news story here, Nashville is where bluegrass was born, but in my 25 years in town, it’s never had a serious multi-day bluegrass festival with a full slate of national acts. So when we saw that The Caverns was putting on the Big Mouth Bluegrass Festival July 1 and 2, we got pretty excited. We’ve focused this week’s show on the veteran artists playing BMBF, because they’re like the rock-solid core of mainstream bluegrass, including multiple IBMA award winners. We hope to get you fired up to visit The Caverns in Pelham, TN for bluegrass in a cool (in every sense) cave with sides by Dan Tyminski, Larry Sparks, Lonesome River Band, Michael Cleveland, Missy Raines, Appalachian Road Show, Frank Solivan and Sister Sadie.

Brennen Leigh moved decisively beyond the pandemic and the end of a long partnership to release three remarkable albums in less than three years. They tell a story of a traditional country artist with a strong point of view and a sharp eye for character and humor. Prairie Love Letter was inspired by growing up in rural Minnesota where she developed a love for picking and singing. The western swing project Obsessed With The West taps a friendship she made with Asleep At The Wheel during her years in Austin. Her latest is old school Nashville country with Ain’t Through Honky Tonkin’ Yet. Craig and Brennen talk about it all.

The passing of Jesse McReynolds and Bobby Osborne within a few days of each other at ages 93 and 91 respectively was a bit uncanny. Both were legendary mandolinists who picked their way into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame during the first golden age of the genre. I wrote a memorial piece to them here, and quickly turned to pulling music from their storied careers to play in our second block. Hosting solo I also worked in a set of acoustic guitar music, inspired by a new instrumental album by Blue Highway’s Tim Stafford. Also this episode, new music from Authentic Unlimited and Nora Brown.

Featuring Wood Box Heroes, The One-Eighties & William Matheny

Featuring Beth Bombara, Alex Harris & Jake Ybarra