Dr. Peter Wernick and Charles Humphrey III are fans of Colorado’s Ragged Union, so maybe all of us should be too. The quintet, led by North Carolina native Geoff Union, a flatpicker and the band’s lead songwriter, has been around for more than a decade. In that time, they’ve picked their way to stages at John Hartford’s memorial festival, the Northwest String Summit and even the Qingdao International Beer Festival in China. I love Geoff’s crafty writing and his yearning voice on the song “Spell of Rain,” which can be found on the engaging new album Pyramid Stairs, the band’s fifth release. We’re all about new of course, so we lead the show with a song from Mason Via’s brand new self-titled album, to my ears the best collection of songs he’s yet released. We were blown away by the classic ‘grass feeling captured by Water Tower’s Kenny Feinstein as he covers Ralph Stanley’s “Old Richmond Prison.” Also check out fresh cuts from Zoe and Cloyd, Pitney Meyer, Larry Cordle, and Dale Ann Bradley. Mercy!
Nickel Creek - Cuckcoo's Nest
Mason Via - Oh Lordy Me
Sierra Hull - Lord, That's A Long Way
Don Reno, Bill Harrell and the Tennessee Cutups - Long Journey Home
Ragged Union - Spell of Rain
Kenny Feinstein - Old Richmond Prison
Woody Guthrie - Pastures of Plenty
Kirk Sutphin with David Bragger - Rockingham Cindy
Zoe and Cloyd - Linemen
Wyatt Ellis - Wildwood
I'm With Her - Find My Way To You
Free the Honey - Crooked Child
Short Tiger - Tree Took My Hat Off
Patty Loveless - Pretty Little Miss
Dale Ann Bradley - Uncle Jake
Larry Cordle - Fox Chase
Alice Gerrard - Winding Road
Pitney Meyer - Banjo Picker (In A Bluegrass Band)
