This week's episode is a special IBMA World of Bluegrass 2023 round up.

I was incredibly lucky to be nominated for an IBMA Momentum Award for the podcast, so I made the trip over from the UK to Raleigh for the awards ceremony and the conference. 

While I was there I interviewed a few people, some you'll be very familiar with, some maybe less so, about their experiences of IBMA and what it means to the bluegrass community.

My guests include:

• Alex Graf
• Fred Kosak of Stillhouse Junkies
• Daniel Patrick from the Mandolins and Beer podcast
• Frank Solivan of Tone Slabs
• Marcel Ardans from Lessons With Marcel
• Hillary Klug

I also spoke to Scott, one of the many, many volunteers who help keep IBMA running year in year out.

I had an amazing few days at IBMA....and I won the award too!
Happy picking.
Matt

Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!)

Support the show

===

Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)

Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins

- Sign up to get updates on new episodes

- Free fiddle tune chord sheets

- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews

- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:

• Instagram
• Facebook

- Review us on Apple Podcasts

Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly series of episodes taking a look at what’s going on in the world of bluegrass.

Here are the links to stuff mentioned in this episode.

Bluegrass Jam Along News

• IBMA website
• Martin Simpson & Thomm Jutz interview

News and announcements (Church street News)

• IBMA music award winners

Releases (The Grass is New)

• Martin Simpson & Thomm Jutz record
• On The Honky Tonk Highway With The Brother Boys
• The Grass is (mostly) New Spotify playlist

Other bits

• Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/
• The Grass is (mostly) New Spotify playlist
• Full list of interviews
• Peghead Nation
  • Use the code ‘jamalong’ for a free month of any course

Happy picking.

Matt

Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!)

Support the show

===

Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)

Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins

- Sign up to get updates on new episodes

- Free fiddle tune chord sheets

- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews

- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:

• Instagram
• Facebook

- Review us on Apple Podcasts

My guests this week are Martin Simpson & Thomm Jutz, who join me to talk about their wonderful new record  'Nothing But Green Willow : The Songs of Mary Sands and Jane Gentry.'

The album brings together a selection of British folk songs collected in Appalachia in the early 20th century by Cecil Sharp and Maud Karpeles. Alongside Martin and Thomm it features a range of incredible artists from both sides of the pond, including Sierra Hull and Justin Moses,  Angeline Morrison, Odessa Settles, Tim O’Brien, Tammy Rogers, Seth Lakeman, Dale Ann Bradley and Tim Stafford.

We talk about how the songs made their way to Appalachia, how (and why) Cecil and Maud travelled to the region to collect them and why this record is so important to both Martin and Thomm.

It was a truly fascinating conversation and it's a superb record. I'd really urge you to check out the physical copies of this one as the packaging is amazing and features some really informative and fascinating liner notes. There's a list of places you can find the record here - https://simpsonjutz.lnk.to/nothingbutgreenwillow

Happy picking,
Matt

Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!)

Support the show

===

Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)

Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins

- Sign up to get updates on new episodes

- Free fiddle tune chord sheets

- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews

- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:

• Instagram
• Facebook

- Review us on Apple Podcasts

Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly series of episodes taking a look at what’s going on in the world of bluegrass.

Here are the links to stuff mentioned in this episode.

Bluegrass Jam Along News

• Bluegrass Jam Along website
• Peghead Nation
  • Use the code ‘jamalong’ for a free month of any course

News and announcements (Church street News)

• Punch Brothers - Energy Curfew Music Hour

Releases (The Grass is New)

• The Grass is (mostly) New Spotify playlist

Scroll on Buddy

• IBMA app
  • Apple
  • Google

Other bits

• Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/
• The Grass is (mostly) New Spotify playlist
• Full list of interviews

Happy picking.

Matt

Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!)

Support the show

===

Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)

Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins

- Sign up to get updates on new episodes

- Free fiddle tune chord sheets

- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews

- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:

• Instagram
• Facebook

- Review us on Apple Podcasts

My guest this week is James Kee, lead singer and guitarist with East Nash Grass.

James chats about how the members first came together via a regular Nashville gig, how that slowly began to turn into a band and also about their fantastic new record Last Chance to Win.

You can find out more at the East Nash Grass website, where you'll find tour dates, music, merch and links to social platforms for regular updates.

I really enjoyed this one - hope you do too!
Matt

Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!)

Support the show

===

Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)

Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins

- Sign up to get updates on new episodes

- Free fiddle tune chord sheets

- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews

- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:

• Instagram
• Facebook

- Review us on Apple Podcasts

Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly series of episodes taking a look at what’s going on in the world of bluegrass.

Here are the links to stuff mentioned in this episode.

Bluegrass Jam Along News

• Bluegrass Jam Along website
• Peghead Nation
  • Use the code ‘jamalong’ for a free month of any course

News and announcements (Church street News)

• IBMA app
  • Apple
  • Google

Releases (The Grass is New)

• Cory Walker - School Project
• The Grass is (mostly) New Spotify playlist

Scroll on Buddy

• Lessons With Marcel

Other bits

• Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/
• The Grass is (mostly) New Spotify playlist
• Full list of interviews

Happy picking.

Matt

Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!)

Support the show

===

Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)

Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins

- Sign up to get updates on new episodes

- Free fiddle tune chord sheets

- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews

- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:

• Instagram
• Facebook

- Review us on Apple Podcasts

This week we're playing another tune back to back at two different speeds  - once at 75 bpm then again at 85. We're doing Peartree and we're in the key of G.

We're using the jam along format - that means I'm kicking off playing backup and you're on the tune, then we swap and go round 4 times. Then, after a quick pause, we do the whole thing again at 85 bpm.

Don't forget to grab a chord sheet if you need one from bluegrassjamalong.com

Happy picking!
Matt

Support the show

Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!)

Support the show

===

Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)

Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins

- Sign up to get updates on new episodes

- Free fiddle tune chord sheets

- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews

- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:

• Instagram
• Facebook

- Review us on Apple Podcasts

Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly series of episodes taking a look at what’s going on in the world of bluegrass.

Here are the links to stuff mentioned in this episode.

Bluegrass Jam Along News

• Bluegrass Jam Along website

News and announcements (Church street News)

• Brad Farmer scholarship info

Releases (The Grass is New)

• The Grass is (mostly) New Spotify playlist

Other bits

• Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/
• The Grass is (mostly) New Spotify playlist
• Full list of interviews

Happy picking.

Matt

Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!)

Support the show

===

Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)

Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins

- Sign up to get updates on new episodes

- Free fiddle tune chord sheets

- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews

- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:

• Instagram
• Facebook

- Review us on Apple Podcasts

Hi everyone.

Not a full episode this week, I just wanted to let you know what's going on over the summer as I'm taking a short break.

Happy picking!
Matt

Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!)

Support the show

===

Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)

Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins

- Sign up to get updates on new episodes

- Free fiddle tune chord sheets

- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews

- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:

• Instagram
• Facebook

- Review us on Apple Podcasts

Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly series of episodes taking a look at what’s going on in the world of bluegrass.

Here are the links to stuff mentioned in this episode.

Bluegrass Jam Along News

• Bluegrass Jam Along website
• List of tunes on the website

News and announcements (Church street News)

• IBMA music awards nominees
• IBMA industry/momentum award nominees

Releases (The Grass is New)

• The Grass is (mostly) New Spotify playlist

Scroll on Buddy

• Bluegrass Today George Gruhn article

Other bits

• Sign up for emails 
• The Grass is (mostly) New Spotify playlist
• Full list of interviews

Happy picking.

Matt

Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!)

Support the show

===

Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)

Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins

- Sign up to get updates on new episodes

- Free fiddle tune chord sheets

- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews

- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:

• Instagram
• Facebook

- Review us on Apple Podcasts