Even with the draws of Nashville and Boston, some bluegrass and string band musicians choose to settle in New York City, where the folk boom of the 1950s never died. When I asked mandolinist Jacob Jolliff why he bases in the biggest city in the USA in a String interview this winter, he gave the same answer many artists do – New York has energy, variety and musicianship like nowhere else. That includes bluegrass standout Michael Daves, an astonishing old-school singer and guitar player. The two surprised us with the release of the new covers album We Like Jim And Jesse!, the most clearly articulated tribute concept ever. That’s how we kick off this week’s show, but we’ve also got a hot track from a new live album by Blue Highway celebrating 30 years of classic songs. And we feature several artists who made the Bluegrass Situation’s recent article “Ten Fiddlers We Know You’ll Love” by our pal Rachel Baiman. Amy Alvey is one of them!

The news that Ronnie Bowman was fighting for his life in an ICU after a motorcycle accident spread like wildfire on Sunday, March 22. Later that day, he was confirmed dead, and Nashville bluegrass will not be the same. Ronnie, just 64 years old, was a brilliant singer and songwriter, a lynchpin of the Lonesome River Band’s industry-dominating success and influence in the 1990s, and a favorite human being of everyone who knew him. We quickly re-made our episode to offer a proper tribute to his nearly 40-year career, which you’ll hear in the second half of the show. He will be sorely missed. In the first half, a great mountain-sounding single from The Sullivan Sisters and a bluegrass barnburner from Dailey & Vincent. Plus a bit of Stanley Brothers for y’all as we mark their induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. At LAST.

Earl Jam is back. Two years after releasing his first Grammy-nominated, multi-artist collaboration in the name of Earl Scruggs, banjo legend Tony Trischka has sent Earl Jam 2 into the world, and it continues the surprises, the old standards, the surprising songs in a match of artists and repertoire for our time. To remind you of the backstory. Tony received a gift of a thumb drive with audio recordings of John Hartford jamming with Earl in the 1980s and 90s. There were 200 songs, from classics to quirky takes on pop tunes. And Tony made a deep study of Earl’s solos, finding nuances and ideas that were novel in his life-long pursuit of all things Earl. Here we welcome the release with “Columbus Stockade Blues,” cut with Del and Ronnie McCoury. We’ll have other tracks in the coming weeks of course. Also this week, the newest collab between Jim Lauderdale and the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, Joe Troop’s new folk protest band and song, and the first recording we’ve seen from North Carolina supergroup TANASI.

Nashville’s Bob Minner has straddled the worlds of country music and bluegrass like few others in the modern era as a songwriter and guitar picker. More than 30 years ago, the Missouri native signed on with his lifelong friend Tim McGraw. More recently he’s written songs cut by The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, Jim Lauderdale, Blue Highway and others. Signed now to Billy Blue Records, Minner’s releasing new music of his own, the latest being “Kentucky Bluebird,” written by Don Cook and Wally Wilson back in the 80s and released as an enhanced, posthumous demo recording by Keith Whitley. Minner and McGraw both love Whitley and have used this song as a warm-up before going on stage. So here, McGraw lends his voice, as does Lori McKenna, on a lovely new take on the song. Also this week, Jesse Smathers reworks the old jug band number “Take A Drink On Me” with old-time flair, while Joe Newberry and April Verch welcome spring with the new album and title cut “Blessing On The Wing.”

Out of the west they’ve come, as the jamgrassers so often do, on a wave of enthusiasm and a cloud of smoke. They are Magoo, Colorado’s hottest new expression of string band music done all the ways – the old, the new, the groovy and the sincere. RockyGrass Dobro contest winner Dylan Flynn brings “the emotional backbone,” they say, along with guitarist Erik Hill, mandolinist Cortlyn Bills, and bass player Denton Turner. They formed in 2022 and started packing in the crowds even before taking an impressive silver medal at the Telluride Bluegrass band contest last year. We feature the title track of their debut LP, What A Life, which landed Feb. 27. We also feature two other new album title cuts in Laurie Lewis’s “O California” and Big Richard’s “Pet.” Also check out the amazing new single from Michael Cleveland and Jason Carter – so well written. Junior Sisk has a new one as well, making it a very good week!

Multi-instrumentalists and singers Emily Mann and Wila Frank became friends long ago as they grew up at fiddle camps and folk festivals on the west coast. Their first recording was a home-made affair that emerged ten years ago. And in the meantime, despite the pandemic, they’ve released an impressive four studio albums, building a catalog of moving, downtempo songs that stir and provoke reflection. And they moved to Nashville, where they’re valued members of the string band community. The newest LP, which we celebrate this week, is Mountains On The Moon. So if you love Watchhouse or Milk Carton Kids or Gil and Dave, check out the title track. Also this week, the Travelin’ McCourys have a bold new single sung and written by Alan Bartram, plus fresh sides from Thomm Jutz, and Larry Stephenson, and Ed Snodderly, who remembers Doc Watson in song.

Welcome to The Old Fashioned, Catherine-Audrey Lachapelle and LéandreJoly-Pelletier, founder/leaders of the bluegrass and old-time band Veranda from Montreal, Quebec! I saw them on the showcase roster at Folk Alliance but had to bail due to weather before I got the chance to hear them. But their brand new, self-titled album made it easy to fall for them. Some stellar musicianship supports a nice variety of song styles and excellent singing en Francais. I went with the absolutely infectious “Sans Ardillon,” which some auto-translation tells me is full of fishing metaphors for relationships (the music video has them casting lines off a boat in a lovely lake). More to come. Also this week, a delicious new instrumental from Wyatt Ellis, a Tom Paxton song sung by Ashby Frank, some sweet new gospel from Eighteen Mile, and some tracks from Billy Strings to mark his fourth annual winter run at the Bridgestone Arena and the Ryman Auditorium. The history machine brings you Dave Evans and Melonie Cannon.

Bryan Sutton emerged from his hometown of Asheville, NC in the late 90s as a magnificently musical and technically gifted bluegrass guitarist, reaching most people for the first time through his long tenure with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder. He’s now a veteran of stage and studio with nine IBMA Guitar Player of the Year trophies, regarded by many as the finest all around flatpicker of our time. As he approached the 20th anniversary of his 2006 duet collection Not Too Far From the Tree: A Collection of Duets with Heroes and Friends, Sutton wanted to try a new series “built around peers and younger players rather than mentors.” We’ve played duets with Sierra Hull and an archival track with Doc Watson. This week, it’s an intense take on “Crazy Creek” with Nashville’s much-admired Jake Stargel. Also on the show, a new single from the Steep Canyon Rangers, our first listen to Boston’s duo Cold Chocolate, and a foot stomper from fiddler/dancer/singer Hillary Klug. Plus don’t miss the fireballing figerstyle guitar of Gwenifer Raymond.

The Infamous Stringdusters are back with their first album of new material since 2022 and ready to celebrate their birthday. The quintet - with its roots in Nashville but its heart in Colorado’s progressive bluegrass legacy - formed 20 years ago, and on Feb. 13, they released a 20-song collection marking the occasion titled, aptly, 20/20. They won a Grammy Award and three IBMA Awards, but that doesn’t do their reputation or impact justice. Over these two decades, they’ve set the standard for musicianship, bandcraft, and songwriting in the newgrass/jamgrass world. And we’re glad to send the a shoutout with their single “Up From The Bottom” on the eve of their album release. I just interviewed three members of the band for another String appearance soon. Also this week, Tony Trischka lights up “Gentle On My Mind” for an upcoming sequel to Earl Jam, Frank Evans issues his first single from his upcoming debut solo record, Sparrow Smith brings her neo-Appalachian sound, and Mason Via sings a protest song on behalf of America’s wilderness areas

On January 10, Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers played their last road show - at Meadowgreen Music Park in Clay City, KY - marking the end of a 20-year touring career for one of bluegrass music’s most persuasive traditional bands. Mullins is not retiring from music, just the road. He has a lot going on with his chain of radio stations in Ohio and a new granddaughter. While they rambled, the band released a dozen albums in the bluegrass and gospel space, and in 2019 they were named Entertainers of the Year by the IBMA. We salute this fine banjo player, singer and broadcaster for 20 years of grassroots touring by opening up with a Joe banjo tune and by playing a song from their most recent album, appropriately titled “Something To Look Forward To.” Also this week, the album debut of Della Jane’s Heart by Appalachian Road Show, a new one from John Reishman and the Jaybirds, and a new old-time single from Amy Alvey herself and her duo Golden Shoals.