Down the Road on the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina

Bob Carlin is a banjoist, producer, and author. Bob has done extensive research on the “birth of the banjo” in the American South. His book, The Birth of the Banjo: Joel Walker Sweeney and Early Minstrelsy, covers the banjo's history. 

The Podcast

Down the Road highlights bluegrass and old-time music stories, performers, and traditions across the mountain and foothills counties of Western North Carolina. These traditions and stories are the soul and spirit of the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina.

The podcast is hosted and scripted by Laura Boosinger, musician, folklorist, and storyteller; and produced by Jaclyn Anthony of WNCW-FM.

Episodes air every other week on WNCW-FM (88.7) at about 8:50 am on Tuesday mornings (at the end of NPR’s Morning Edition). New episodes will be published below as they are completed.

Dr. Ted Olson and Laura Boosinger continue to discuss the 1925 Asheville Sessions. Olson explains the influence the sessions had on artists and musical styles. Boosinger discusses the city's growth during 1924 and 1925.

Heard in this episode:

To learn more about the music of North Carolina, visit BlueRidgeMusicNC.com.

The Podcast
This podcast highlights bluegrass and old-time music stories, performers, and traditions across the mountain and foothills counties of Western North Carolina. These traditions and stories are the soul and spirit of the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina.

The podcast is hosted and scripted by Laura Boosinger, musician, folklorist, and storyteller, and produced by Jaclyn Anthony and Joe Kendrick of WNCW-FM.

Episodes air every other week on WNCW-FM (88.7) at about 8:50 am on Tuesday mornings (at the end of NPR’s Morning Edition). New episodes will be published below as they are completed.

More episodes.

In this episode, we dive into the backgrounds of some participants from the original sessions. It was reported that out of 300 applications, only 25 musicians were chosen for the original Asheville Sessions. Listen to learn about two of those musicians: James Dedrick Harris (fiddle) and Ernest Helton (banjo).

Heard in this episode:

To learn more about the musical families of North Carolina, visit BlueRidgeMusicNC.com.

The Podcast

This podcast highlights bluegrass and old-time music stories, performers, and traditions across the mountain and foothills counties of Western North Carolina. These traditions and stories are the soul and spirit of the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina.

The podcast is hosted and scripted by Laura Boosinger, musician, folklorist, and storyteller; and produced by Jaclyn Anthony and Joe Kendrick of WNCW-FM.

Episodes air every other week on WNCW-FM (88.7) at about 8:50 am on Tuesday mornings (at the end of NPR’s Morning Edition). New episodes will be published below as they are completed.

More episodes.

Something big happened in Asheville music in 1925.
 
A two-week recording session was held at the Vanderbilt Hotel. Musicians and groups performed traditional Southern Appalachian music. Afterwards, OKeh Records pressed and released a catalogue of records documenting a sound that many folks outside the region had never heard. The Asheville Sessions were revived in 2025 through a remastering and concert project.

We sat down with Dr. Ted Olson, professor of Appalachian Studies at East Tennessee State University, to discuss the significance of the historic sessions. 

To learn more about the musical families of North Carolina, visit BlueRidgeMusicNC.com.

Three luthiers have collaborated to create a guitar, which will be raffled off through LEAF Global Arts at the annual LEAF Festival, taking place from October 16 to 19, 2025. The guitar was crafted from wood harvested from trees that fell during Hurricane Helene.

The luthiers:

All proceeds will support the Local Artist ReLEAF Fund, aiding Western North Carolina artists impacted by Hurricane Helene.  Learn more at LEAF.org.

Part two of this special podcast delves into the evolution of the Folk School's programming with Bethany Chaney, the school's executive director. She explains the significance of its gradual shift in focus, encompassing music, dance, and craft. 

Songs Included:
The Little Devil, Jean Ritchie
Dance Calling
Morningsong with Riley Baugus

Image credit: By Harrison Keely - Own work, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=148059238

John C Campbell Folk School is celebrating its 100th anniversary of music, dance, craft, agriculture, and foodways. Located in Brasstown, North Carolina, in Clay County in the Far West region of the state. Known for its exemplary selection of courses in handicraft skills, music, agriculture, and more, it is one of the most established folk schools in the United States. Dive into the history of the founder, Olive Dame Campbell, and JCCFS. 

Song featured:
"Barbara Allen", founding lady, Olive Dame Campbell 

Jim Shumate was a fiddler who gained his notoriety in the 1940s when he played with some of the great musicians of bluegrass, including Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys, Lester Flatt, and Earl Scruggs. He added his flair to the songs of the time, emphasizing 'long-bow' fiddling, a style which he discovered listening to Arthur Smith from the Grand Ole Opry.

John Miller (Shumate's grandson) and Natalyla Weinstein sit down with Laura Boosinger to share some of Jim Shumate's life and musical background.

Songs Included in the Episode:
"Mean Old Ramblin' Blues", Jim Shumate
"Rocky Road Blues", Bill Monroe
"We'll Meet Again, Sweetheart", Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs & The Foggy Mountain Boys
"Little Red Shoes", Jim & Don and Sons of the Carolinas
"Old Country Baptizing", Zoe & Cloyd

Learn more about Jim Shumate through the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area's Traditional Artist Directory. 

In 1975, Connie Regan-Blake teamed up with Barbara Freeman to travel and tell stories across the country. The women made a marvelous duo, strategically and creatively sharing stories from the past and present. Many Appalachian tales have roots in Irish, Scottish, and English history, dating back hundreds of years, while others were developed and shared in more recent times. 

Learn more about Connie Reagan-Black by visiting her profile page in the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area’s Traditional Artist Directory.

Recordings in this episode:

To learn more about Western North Carolina's music and storytelling, visit BlueRidgeMusicNC.com.

Storytelling can be found across cultures. It's been used to teach morals, share news, and entertain. In this latest episode of the Down the Road podcast, Laura Boosinger sits down with professional storyteller Connie Regan-Blake to share how storytelling jumped from personal circles (campfires, living rooms, and porches) to stages.

Connie Regan-Blake is an award-winning storyteller, coach, and workshop facilitator. Among her many awards and accolades, she has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Storytelling Network. Connie has also been honored by the NC Arts Council and the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival. She served on the board of directors for the National Storytelling Association at varying intervals between 1974 and 1984.

Learn more about Connie Reagan-Black by visiting her profile page in the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area's Traditional Artist Directory.
 
Recordings in this episode:

• Ray Hicks “Hunting with Jack” 

The Podcast

The “Down the Road on the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina” podcast highlights bluegrass and old-time music stories, performers, and traditions across the mountain and foothills counties of Western North Carolina. Hosted and scripted by Laura Boosinger and produced by Jaclyn Anthony and Joe Kendrick of WNCW-FM, the podcast is a joint effort of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area and WNCW-FM.