My guests this week is Olli Chanoff, Director of Programming at the FreshGrass Foundation.

So much music I love has its roots in FreshGrass Commissions, from albums like Becky Buller's Jubilee, Sarah Jarosz's Blue Heron Suite and Aoife O'Donovan's All My Friends, to instrumental works by Sierra Hull, Jerry Douglas and Jacob Jolliff. So I was delighted to get the opportunity to chat to Olli about how FreshGrass goes about commissioning these works, why they support the FreshGrass Foundation's mission and what the process is like. 

We also talk about FreshGrass's fantastic work to support and promote roots music and artists, including their festivals, FreshScores film commissions and their involvement in the Steve Martin Banjo prize.

I really enjoyed this conversation - I hope you do too!

Find out more about FreshGrass's mission and what's coming next at https://freshgrassfoundation.org

Happy picking,
Matt

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.

News and Announcements (Church Street News)

• Blue Ridge Guitar Camp
• Allison de Groot’s ArtistWorks clawhammer banjo course

Releases (The Grass is New)

• Charlotte Carrivick Bandcamp
• The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist

Scroll on Buddy

• Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn’s Holiday Card list

Other bits

• Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/
• The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist
• Full list of interviews
• Peghead Nation
  • Use the code ‘jamalong’ for a free month of any course

Happy picking.

Matt

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 Sarah Jarosz.

Sarah joins me to talk about one of my favourite albums, 'Blue Heron Suite', which is getting a physical reissue on November 22nd.

We chat about how the record developed out of a FreshGrass commission, what that process was like, the central themes that underpin the album, the decision to arrange it for a trio rather than including drums and how it fits into Sarah's journey, both personally and as a songwriter.

Getting to chat about new records is always fun, but I also love getting to dig into a record that's been out for a while and I've had a chance to really get to know - it makes for a different type of conversation and I loved this one.

We also chatted briefly about I'm With Her and the good news is that Sarah has been writing with Aoife and Sara and we can look forward to another album (although there are no specific dates yet).

'Blue Heron Suite' is being reissued as a CD and LP - you can pre-order your copy here, where you'll also find links to the album on streaming services.

For info and updates visit sarahjarosz.com and follow Sarah on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook

Happy picking,
Matt

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.

This week we have a special episode looking at the artists from the bluegrass and string band world who've been nominated for a Grammy. There'll be some music in here you're familiar with and, hopefully, something new to discover too.

The awards themselves will take place on Sunday February 2nd 2025.

Who are your favourites?

Other bits

• Donate to the Bluegrass Jam Along/Bryan Sutton fundraiser to help people and communities devastated by Hurricane Helene

• The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist

• Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/
• Full list of interviews
• Peghead Nation
  • Use the code ‘jamalong’ for a free month of any course

Happy picking.

Matt

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 Sierra Hull.

Since I spoke to Sierra for the podcast back in January 2023 she's been ridiculously busy touring and recording. We chat about the extended tour she's been on for Bela Fleck's My Bluegrass Heart (which she describes as one of the highlights of her musical life), her current and ongoing tour with her own band (which has been chaotic to say the least!) and why she chose to have a drummer in her band, even though she confesses she's not generally a fan of drums in bluegrass.

We talk about the wonderful band she's assembled and what they've been up to in  the studio, including recording a new album (due in the first quarter of 2025), two great covers (Tears For Fears' Mad World and The Grateful Dead's Black Muddy River), not one but two holiday songs (the first of which,The First Snowfall, is out this week) and her Freshgrass Concerto commission.

Lots to look forward to if (like me) you're a Sierra Hull fan!

This conversation was a lot of fun - I hope you enjoy it!

For info and tour dates head to Sierra's website sierrahull.com

For regular updates follow Sierra on Facebook and Instagram

If you missed it, check out my previous interview with Sierra.

Happy picking,
Matt

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.

Podcast news

• Bryan Sutton IBMA fundraiser interview
• Donate to the Bluegrass Jam Along/Bryan Sutton fundraiser to help people and communities devastated by Hurricane Helene

News and Announcements (Church Street News)

• Poor Gal: The Cultural History of Little Liza Jane

Releases (The Grass is New)

• The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist

Scroll on Buddy

Billy Strings - O Billy Where Art Thou clips:

• Down To The River and Pray - Sierra Hull, Rachael Davis, Lindsay Lou
• Billy Strings & Tim Blake Nelson - In The Jailhouse Now
• Billy Strings 10/31/2024 Baltimore, MD (Complete Show)

Other bits

• Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/
• The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist
• Full list of interviews
• Peghead Nation
  • Use the code ‘jamalong’ for a free month of any course

Happy picking.

Matt

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 I'm joined by bluegrass legend Bryan Sutton for a very special episode to benefit the IBMA Trust Fund and help people suffering the devastation of Hurricane Helene.

In the run up to recording the episode we asked for questions for Bryan for Bluegrass Jam Along listeners - in this interview you'll hear me put those questions to him. We talk about growing up in Asheville and how important that community was to Bryan's musical development; about his relationship with Doc Watson and the time he got to spend with him; about how he goes about learning complex music and his thoughts on practice; why learning more than one instrument is a good thing...and his admiration for Metallica's James Hetfield. We cover a lot of ground!

Everyone who asked a question donated to our GoFundMe fundraiser, which remains open after the episode goes out. If you're able to, please do consider donating whatever you can. As you'll hear from Bryan in the interview, there are people in desperate need of help as they rebuild their homes, lives and communities.

Having grown up in Asheville, one of the areas hit hardest by the hurricane, Bryan knows just how important community is at times like this. The relief effort will take months or, in some cases, over a year, so every penny donated will be incredibly important to the ongoing efforts.

All the proceeds from this episode will go to the IBMA Trust Fund so please do donate what you can via the GoFundMe campaign.

If you can't donate, or have already donated to other fundraisers, please do share this episode with anyone you think would enjoy it and help spread the word.

Thanks to the team at IBMA for all their help putting this together and getting the word out and thanks to the team at ArtistWorks for an incredibly generous donation to get things moving. Thank you to everyone who submitted a question and everyone who's donated already (and thanks in advance to those of you who donate after hearing this!)

Here's the link again - https://www.gofundme.com/f/bluegrass-jam-along-helene-fundraiser

And thanks, of course, to Bryan for taking part in this very special episode of Bluegrass Jam Along.

Enjoy the interview and happy picking,
Matt

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.

News and Announcements (Church Street News)

• Donate to the Bluegrass Jam Along/Bryan Sutton fundraiser to help people and communities devastated by Hurricane Helene.
• Biscuits and Banjos
• European Bluegrass Summit
• Restring Appalachia

Releases (The Grass is New)

• Chris Eaton & Flint County - Pheasant Pie
• The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist

Scroll on Buddy

• New Acoustic Facebook group

Other bits

• Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/
• The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist
• Full list of interviews
• Peghead Nation
  • Use the code ‘jamalong’ for a free month of any course

Happy picking.

Matt

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 Daniel Patrick, host of the excellent Mandolins and Beer podcast.

Daniel has interviewed dozens of great mandolin players for his podcast, but today we're going to talk about his new record Around the Clock, which features him playing with eleven of his heroes, including Tim O'Brien, Ronnie McCoury and Sam Bush, as well as some of the top players on the scene today, including Jarrod Walker, Jacob Jolliff and Harry Clark.

We chat about how the record came together and how it was recorded, as well as how Daniel chose the musicians he wanted to include. We also, of course, talk about Mandolins and Beer, the rise of podcasting in general and so much more, including our shared love for CD liner notes!

You can buy Around the Clock on Bandcamp and listen on Spotify

Check out mandolinsandbeer.com for info on the podcast and more.

Happy picking.
Matt

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

News and Announcements (Church Street News)

• Donate to the Bluegrass Jam Along/Bryan Sutton fundraiser to help people and communities devastated by Hurricane Helene.
• Celtic Connections 2025
• Blue Ridge Guitar Camp 2025
• Michael Daves’ Clarence White Muleskinner zoom class
• New Acoustic Facebook group

Releases (The Grass is New)

• I’m With Her - Espresso
• Charlotte Carrivick - Red Riding Hood
• The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist

Other bits

• Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/
• The Grass is (mostly) New 2024 playlist
• Full list of interviews
• Peghead Nation
  • Use the code ‘jamalong’ for a free month of any course

Happy picking.

Matt

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