Back to bluegrass! Sometimes I miss hard-driving, 3-chord bluegrass, as I feature lots of variants on BPBG. So this week, I’ve made sure there’s an abundance of fast banjo picking, great singing and dextrous instrumental work. This comes from the likes of David Grisman, the Nashville Bluegrass Band, Seth Mulder & Midnight Run, high fidelity, and Thomas porter. Dolly Parton, with her fine bunch of bluegrass pickers gets to sing a couple of classics, Hot Rize do a great gospel song, and Tony Ellis picks some fine banjo. Real bluegrass here.

The Petersens, who visited NZ early this year, are featured, as are Adam Steffey, Alison Krauss and the Cox Family, Hot Rize and Seldom Scene. I also play a track from Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie that I couldn’t fit in last week. Jean-Luc Leroux plays a track, as does the Hamilton County Bluegrass Band. I also feature IIIrd Tyme Out ‘in concert’ with a couple of fine tracks. Lots to enjoy this week!

We’ve just had Billy Strings in NZ, I went to his show, and feature a couple of tracks from his album ‘Me and Dad’. We’ve also got music from Dale Ann Bradley, Kenny Baker, Kenny & Amanda Smith, and Bill Emerson. Chris Henry plays a couple of tracks, Johnnie Whisnant plays a banjo tune, and the HCBB play a ‘live’ version of a Beatles tune. Very diverse bluegrass in this episode.

Bill Clifton, the Gibson Brothers, the Sonoran Dogs, the Dillards – some top-notch bluegrass here, with a lot of songs that are comparatively unknown – check them out. Bill Emerson, Nu-Blu, Australia’s Old South Bluegrass Band, Joe Mullins, and Curtis Burch make it an action-packed programme.

Our studio at FreeFM is being remodelled, so I’m replaying some shows that you might have missed.

Time for some hard-driving bluegrass, with maybe a couple of ‘softies’ thrown in. Tracks from the Bluegrass Album Band, American Drive, the David Grier Band, High Fidelity, the Kody Norris Show, Balsam Range and others – some top picking and singing here.

The Free FM studios are being renovated, so I’ve chosen this show from five years ago to be played in lieu of recording a ‘new’ show in a building site!

I have my good friend, band-mate and luthier Keith MacMillan in the studio with me. We talk about how to set up your guitar or mandolin to get the best from it, and we get to pick a couple of tunes as well.

Also featured in the show is some fine picking and singing from Joe Mullins, Curly Seckler, Sawmill Road, Alison Krauss, JD Crowe, and the Dreadful Snakes, and there’s some recorded music from the Hamilton County Bluegrass Band featuring both Keith and me.

This week, I have re-visited some of my first influences for banjo playing, from Earl Scruggs, Bill Keith, Don Parmley, Doug Dillard, Mike Seeger, Walt Hensley, and Ralph Stanley, and of course the music that the bands they were part of were playing. I’ve also featured the brand-new album from the Kody Norris Show, The Kathy Kallick Band, and that gentleman of bluegrass, Bill Clifton.

A broad spectrum of bluegrass in this week’s show, and there’ll be something for all musical tastes, I’m sure.

The Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band kick-off (well, they would if it was a rugby match), then we’ve got Chris Jones and the Night riders, Tony rice & David Grisman, Missy Raines & Alleghany, and the East Tennessee State University band to follow. JD Crowe, Joe K Walsh and even the Hamilton County Bluegrass Band get to play a song. Lots to enjoy.

Mid-winter here in NZ, but this show has nothing to do with the season. All year round, it’s great to listen to bluegrass music, and there’s plenty of it here.

The Lost Pines from Texas, the Earls of Leicester, Chad Manning, Claire Lynch, and the Osborne Bros get us started, then there’s Longview, Mike Auldridge, and the Bluegrass Album Band.

I’ve also featured a new single from NZ band You Me Everybody, which has only recently been released.

I’ve just received the brand-new album from Seth Mulder & Midnight Run from Rebel Records, and it’s a beauty. I play a couple of tracks from it. I’ve also featured some music from the Lynn Morris Band, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys (the track I didn’t get to play last week!) and the Price Sisters. Doc Watson with Flatt & Scruggs play a tune, and Curly Seckler (former F&S alumni) sings a great tune with the Shenandoah Cut-Ups. Aussie friend Pete Denahy sings about a hanging (150 years ago) and Marc Bolen picks an unusual banjo tune he wrote. Lots of great music.