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Over a 15-year career that began in Boston’s jazz and old-time scene, Nashville-based Miss Tess has distinguished herself with a hybrid blend of contemporary songwriting and vintage, swinging Americana. On her newest, the widely traveled artist taps a long love affair with Cajun country in Louisiana, yet it’s her own blend rather than a traditional homage. Our conversation spans her upbringing in Maryland, her passion for early blues and jazz, her fascinating musical relationships and her annual immersion in the Blackpot festival in Lafayette, where she made the new Cher Rêve.

How appropriate for our third birthday edition of The Old Fashioned that the most newsworthy album in the bluegrass and fiddle band business is one dedicated to our patron saint, John Hartford. To recap, Hartford’s family and local musicians authored the Mammoth Collection of Fiddle Tunes book in 2018. Then in 2020 came the John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, Vol. 1, which brought to life some of those original compositions. Now, Vol. 2 has arrived – a collection of instrumentals and beloved songs played and produced by an all-woman team that includes Megan Lynch Chowning, Sharon Gilchrist, Alison Brown, Missy Raines, and others. It’s a lovely and important set - part of an ongoing effort to preserve and amplify the Hartford legacy. He’s always in our hearts. Also this week, music by artists that Amy and I think have been vital to the Nashville trad music scene and central to our programming of this show. You’ll see the names and tunes below. We appreciate each and every one of them and more we couldn’t squeeze in. We are blessed to enjoy their work and we are grateful to you for your patronage of this show.

Max Wareham spent the last few years playing banjo in the hot bluegrass band of “Uncle” Peter Rowan. Except when Sam Grisman calls him that it’s a term of endearment. With Max, it’s literally true! But he got the job because he’s good, not family. The Boston musician also tends to the archives of bluegrass, because a couple of years ago he published an impressive book documenting the career and music of little-known but important banjo player Rudy Lyle. This month Max released his debut album, a scintillating mix of instrumentals and vocal tunes called Daggomit! with a goofy cartoon cover, so the guy clearly has a sense of humor too. Also this hour, the first single with her new record company by bass player and singer Vickie Vaughn, who cut a great tune by Bruce Robison, plus more new music from Pitney Meyer, Joe K. Walsh and the exciting duo of Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson. Stick around to the end for a fiery “Roll On Buddy” by Del McCoury and Tony Trischka.

A few years ago, Colorado’s Tyler Grant was twanging an electric guitar and touring with his band Grant Farm. After the pandemic, he joined the world of river guiding and entertaining customers on trips through some of the West’s most beautiful and important canyons. Now Grant has circled back to the music that propelled him into the spotlight as guitar player in the Emmitt-Nershi Band - bluegrass guitar. His new album Flatpicker is a mix of instrumentals and songs, but they’re all about the places and stories of the western land he cherishes.

Toronto’s Jeremie Albino is a powerful roots rock singer and songwriter whose early love of blues and old rock and roll comes through in his self-effacing, easy grooving songs. After releasing three albums and touring hard, a call from Dan Auerbach opened up new avenues for him through the production of his late 2024 album Our Time In The Sun. Craig spoke with Jeremie in Nashville before his recent performance on WMOT’s Wired In.

Featuring Sterling Drake, Vickie Peterson & John Cowsill and Ray Duncan

The story of how global banjo explorer Joe Troop (formerly of Che Apalache) met Venezuelan harpist and all-around folk music master Larry Bellorín is testimony to the magic of global culture and a cautionary tale about the stark turn US policy has taken against working asylum seekers this year. Over three years as the bilingual, genre-fusing, and multi-instrumental duo Larry & Joe, they’ve toured widely and made two albums together to great acclaim among folk music lovers. They’re one of the most charismatic and culture-crossing acts to come out of roots music in the past decade. Here in a special episode of The String, they tell their story in an interview that took place in Knoxville, TN in March.

I keep hearing in the news about a border crisis, but all we know is that some of the hottest stringband music in the world comes from north of our border with Canada, and that’s what rocks our second set this show. We’ve got two tracks from the brand new album Up The Hill And Through The Fog by Toronto’s Slocan Ramblers, along with the duo of Pharis and Jason Romero and the Lonesome Ace Stringband. We’ve got hot summer tracks from NC’s Fireside Collective and the duo we needed of Laura Orshaw and Trey Hensley, singing George and Tammy style. We dip into history with the New Kentucky Colonels and get weird with Stash Wyslouch. And Amy reminded me of how much I love Any Hinkle’s “Hills of Swannanoa” from 2021. Such a fearsome track!

Featuring Colin O'Brien, Ethan Samuel Brown & Kiely Connell.

Featuring Gina Sicilia, Parker Hawkins & Rees Shad.