Russ Carson didn’t just have a father who played the banjo; he had a father who made them. So yeah, music was in his Pennsylvania home, and he began playing at age 10. He did time with several bands, including Gold Heart and Audie Blaylock’s Redline, before joining one of the elite units of our time, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder. He recently released what appears to be his third solo album Songs That Birds Don’t Sing through the Engelhardt Music Group, and it’s a wonderful ride that mixes styles and classics with Russ’s original tunes. We spin “Look Me Up By The Ocean Door,” written by the Cox Family, with Ron Block on lead vocals. Also new this week, a rich socially provocative song from the Del McCoury Band, a beauty from our favorite dulcimer player Sarah Kate Morgan and fiddler Leo Shannon. The new Laurie Lewis song is a blazer too.

Blue Highway is going strong more than thirty years into their award-winning bluegrass journey. Their most recent album was last year’s Lonesome State Of Mind, but they’ve been busy this year with new singles, including this week’s Shawn Lane-penned “Muddy Shoes.” I also noticed a new side from the band New Found Road (a highway song as it happens) written by Thomas Cassell and Blue Highway co-founder Tim Stafford. Another timely connection arrived with the single “Honey Babe Blues” by Blue Highway banjo player Jason Burleson. So I put them all together in a set and rounded out the new music with a song from East Tennessee’s Beth Snapp, a friend and frequent collaborator with the BH boys. Other new music comes from Appalachian Road Show, with a truly thrilling song “Won’t Be Long” featuring Victor Furtado on clawhammer banjo and a show-opening collab between Tony Trischka and The Steeldrivers. Finally, check out the old Opry-style Tennessee string band picking from Sumner County old-time band The Luggnutts, who claim descendants of the early WSM band the Possum Hunters.

The easy thing to do would have been to launch a typical “bluegrass” show on WMOT, like so many blocks of acoustic music on public radio stations around the country. In the winter of 2022, I wanted to do something more unique, and I’d recently met old-time fiddler and singer Amy Alvey. We talked about a show that took advantage of her history with old-time music and mine with bluegrass, and the idea was we’d teach and learn from each other, sometimes right there on the air. This special episode celebrates that ethos as we head toward our fourth anniversary in March of next year. You’ll hear songs and artists she’s discovered during our time together – folks like banjo player Jim Mills, and Hall of Fame band the Country Gentlemen. And you’ll hear old-time artists I’ve fallen for, such as Pharis and Jason Romero and NC picker and singer Daniel Ullom. I hope you’re discovering new traditional Americana along with us. And may our mutual appreciation society endure for many more years.

Banjo player Gena Britt grew up in North Carolina and found her way into the bluegrass business with a run of cool bands: Petticoat Junction, New Vintage, Lou Reid & Carolina and Alan Bibey & Grasstowne, plus a spell leading her own Gena Britt Band. Now she’s one of the two founding members of all-woman supergroup Sister Sadie, but she keeps up with her own music too. And that led, on Nov. 7, to the release of Streets, Rivers, Dreams & Heartaches, her second album as a leader. In support are: John Meador on guitar, Alan Bartram on bass, Jonathan Dillon on mandolin, Jason Carter on fiddle, and Jeff Partin on reso-guitar. We noticed that she’s not the only Sadie Sister releasing new music, so we have a block including the band’s founding fiddler Deanie Richardson wailing away with Kimber Ludiker, 2024 IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year Jaelee Roberts, and band alum Dale Ann Bradley. Also this hour, new gospel from Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers, progressive fiddling from Darol Anger with Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, and a new album from multi-instrumentalist trad man Clinton Davis.

I figured that Nashville artist Rachel Baiman and the wonderful duo of Viv (Leva) and Riley (Calcagno) were friends, but I never stopped to think about the magic potential of having their voices and talents joined together. But here they come with a side project called Kissing Other PPL (so as not to be confused with the title song of their new album), and it’s just gorgeous and flowing with the love they all share for a common body of work and a certain acoustic esthetic. The title track is by Canadian songwriter and Nashville (TV show) album Lennon Stella, and the collection of covers includes songs by Wilco, Joan Armatrading, and Dr. Dog. It’s indie-folk but it’s acoustic heart and these artists’ track record made it perfect for a spin this week. Also in the hour, we touch the new roots-folk album from The Brothers Comatose (now with Nashville mandolin player/singer Addie Levy), a new one from Bryan McDowell, and a fresh single from West coast roots master Tony Furtado.

YouTube is a wonder, but when it comes to music, I find it serves me stuff I already know. Discovery is not its strong suit. Murphy Campbell marks an exception. She popped up performing old Appalachian ballads on solo banjo out in the woods. She’s very sincere and very good for a young artist, so I kept searching. I found her making music with the important North Carolina musicians Riley Baugus (her teacher it turned out) and songwriter Laurelyn Dossett, so that was a good reference. I called Laurelyn who told me that Murphy is 19, devoted to the traditional repertoire, and “a history geek.” We rarely play field recordings here at the Old Fashioned, but fortunately Campbell has made a four-song EP, and the song “Twin Sisters” really stood out. We’ll be listening for more with an encouraging wave. Also this week, a Cajun/zydeco set inspired by Amy’s history at Blackpot in Louisiana, plus new music from the Songs From The Road Band, Russ Carson, and the slightly crazy in a good way band Damn Tall Buildings.

One of the best things about bluegrass is the way its musicians mix and match, forming special projects or supergroups that may last briefly or persist through time. Back in 2016, one such outfit formed, a special collection of pickers – many then just making a name for themselves – to record an album of instrumentals. Section House, as they called themselves, was Aaron Ramsey (mandolin), Cory Walker (banjo), Bryan McDowell (fiddle), Jake Stargell (guitar), and Jeff Partin (bass). Well, they’re back, with Gavin Largent added on reso-guitar. And this show we feature their rad version of the classic fiddle and banjo tune “Pike County Breakdown.” Rad because they’ve taken a 4/4 song and cast it in 3/4 time, for a wobbly, ear-grabbing quality that’s hard to resist (and a little hard to count). Also this week, a new single from the Steep Canyon Rangers, a moment from Joseph Decosimo’s new Fiery Gizzard album, a re-issue of Wynn Osborne’s banjo prowess, and a revisit of Phoebe Hunt’s incredible solo fiddle/vocal album.

Sometimes you hear final recordings from late great singers and think, “That’s nice. Glad they got one more lick in, even though their voice sounds tired.” And sometimes, you get the immortal voice of Bobby Osborne in your headphones, sounding like one of the greatest bluegrass singers who ever lived, penetrating your heart with a call from beyond the grave. The new album Keep On Keepin’ On by the mandolin-playing Osborne Brother and record producer C.J. Lewandowski is one such. I’ll be posting a feature story about this collaboration soon, but this week we launched our show with two songs from this important and impressive album. I hosted this hour solo with song contributions from Amy at a distance. She shared new music from The Onlies and an old one from Anna and Elizabeth. I found new singles by members of bigger bands - NC’s Aaron Burdett who’s in the Steep Canyon Rangers and Infamous Stringduster Jeremy Garrett.

Mike Compton is a favorite of any fan of classic bluegrass and bluesy mandolin. His years with the Nashville Bluegrass Band are just one of his many claims to fame. He also has a way with duos, including projects with Norman Blake and banjo man Joe Newberry. Mike’s newest collaborator is North Carolina’s wonderful Laura Boosinger, a revered picker, singer, and educator whom I love catching up with at Earl Scruggs Fest every Labor Day. Not content with just pairing their names, they went for it and call themselves the Knackered Ramblers, and we launch this week’s show with an LB original about the NC floods from their debut album We B Ramblin’. This comes as a nice surprise. Also this week, the married team that is Benson takes on the good old “Bully Of The Town,” while Bryan McDowell shows off his bluegrass side with the iconic “Toy Heart.” And we give a belated spin to the title cut from Graham Sharp’s solo album How Did We Do It.

I was browsing around the World of Bluegrass exhibit hall in Chattanooga in September and who should I see but Jesse Cobb, master mandolin player. I’d made friends with him way back when I was chasing the then-new Infamous Stringdusters around with a video camera. Then he moved on a couple years later to raise a family in Vancouver, so he wasn’t circulating as much. But he was at World of Bluegrass to showcase his band The Unfaithful Servants, who are looking to make a national splash with their new album Fallen Angel, which officially dropped Oct. 17. Besides Jesse, the band includes singer-songwriter Dylan Stone, fiddler Quin Etheridge-Pedden, and bassist Mark Johnson. We spin their title cut at the end of block two. Also this week, a new single from the Asheville Mountain Boys marking the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene with a song about an even older flood in Appalachia. Plus Larry Sparks, Meredith Moon, and an introduction to East Tennessee songwriter Beth Snapp.