The bluegrass community does a great job encouraging youngsters to take up instruments and elevating those who show talent, but it’s been a while since a virtuoso stirred people up quite like Wyatt Ellis. He grew up in East Tennessee and latched on to mandolin inspired by Bobby Osborne playing “Rocky Top.” He hit the woodshed hard during the pandemic and took on a Tennessee Folklife Apprenticeship with Sierra Hull. Now he’s playing with his heroes and releasing his first album. We celebrate that with the title cut “Happy Valley.” Also this week, new tunes from Liam Purcell, Willi Carlisle, and another prodigy, 17-year-old Muiranne Bradley, a fingerstyle guitarist from Ireland.
Earl White String Band - Wolf Creek
Liam Purcell and Cane Mill Road - Homesick For Virginia
Wyatt Ellis - Happy Valley
Appalachian Road Show - Only A Hobo
Kody Norris Show - Fiddler's Rock
Willi Carlisle - The Great Depression
Kathy Kallick Band - 25 Chickens
Windy Hill - I Guess It’s Only Right I Should Pay
Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms - The Great Big Fais Do-Do
Nadine Landry and Sammy Lind - Brown's Dream
Muiranne Bradley - Stagolee
Jesse Milnes and Emily Miller - Puncheon Floor
Ethan Sherman - The Glendale Gallop
Jimmy Martin - There's Better Times A Comin’
Cousin Emmy - Come On All you Virginia Gals
Lindley Creek - Spring Is In The Air Again
Brad Leftwich - Long, Lonesome Home
Hurricane Ridgerunners - Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie
Sam Bush - Bringing In The Georgia Mail
