It’s a week of album premieres, one long awaited and one kind of a surprise. The latter comes from Brit Taylor, the wonderful and versatile singer from Kentucky who reminds us of a modern day Patty Loveless. She’s so versatile that she took her Kentucky Blue album of 2023 and rearranged some of its songs – and added some new ones – to give us Kentucky Bluegrassed, a magical acoustic collection, and we’ve got the title track. But I buried the lead. Ten-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year and beloved industry veteran Missy Raines has released Highlander, her first traditional, banjo-driven album as a band leader. Her band Allegheny, which has been touring since last year, includes Ben Garnett on guitar, Eli Gilbert on banjo, Ellie Hakanson on fiddle, and Tristan Scroggins on mandolin. It’s a treat to play the opening cut “Listen To The Lonesome Wind.” Also this week, new stuff from Larry Stephenson and the Skaggs and Rice kind of duo Shawn Lane and Richard Bennett. Historic tracks come from Peter Rowan and Red Smiley.
All Day Breakfast String Band - Sugar Hill
Missy Raines and Allegheny - Listen to the Lonesome Wind
Peter Rowan - Stable Boy Blues
Alison Brown - Tall Hog At The Trough
Shawn Lane and Richard Bennett - 1682
Brit Taylor - Kentucky Blue
Billy Strings and Tony Trischka - Brown's Ferry Blues
Austin Derryberry and Tater Caruthers - Sequatchie Valley
Maddie Denton with James Kee - Hope You Hang Around
Art Stamper - Josie-O
Larry Stephenson - Love Me Like You Used To Do
Breaking Grass - 100 Degrees in the Shade
The Vollmers - The Belle of Lexington
The SteelDrivers - Goin' Home
Lonesome River Band - Come On Down From The Mountain Top
Red Smiley and the Bluegrass Cutups - Wreck of the Old No. 9
Kelly Hunt - Top Of The World
Ricky Skaggs and KY Thunder - Think of What You've Done
