Music City Roots

It's a rewind show featuring four singular songwriters - Nashville artists doing what Nashville does best. We launch the show with our own in-house master, the country/Americana/bluegrass song decathlete Jim Lauderdale from 2017. And we close by throwing way back to 2011 with the serene and sophisticated Matraca Berg.

In a similar vein, Berg's close friend and colleague Gretchen Peters plays songs from her album Blackbirds in 2015. From that same year, Louisiana native and bayou roots poet Kevin Gordon. Masters of the craft on Music City Roots. 

A Rewind show we're calling Where Were They Then? Five artists who've become stars of Americana playing the MCR stage on their way up. The explosive New South soul of St Paul and the Broken Bones, in their first show outside of their AL home from 2012. Margo Price leads the Price Tags and talks about her transition from rock and roll to country, from 2014. And from 2013, an up and comer named Sturgill Simpson. Also Los Angeles dynamo Sam Outlaw, just before he released his debut and a band we're rooting for, Dustbowl Revival. Looking back to learn about the latest and greatest.

The show returns to the road. Not a very long road though. We're back in downtown Nashville at the City Winery with a lineup split in two chapters. In the first half, it's Americana rock and soul with Nora Jane Struthers, offering material off her acclaimed album Champion, and newcomer Emma Hern with a sultry and exceptional voice. Then it's bluegrass, traditional form with Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers and in the more exotic, adventuresome form with the Travellin' McCourys. And father Del joins for a couple of songs as well.

An absolutely classic MCR from July of 2015. This memorable night featured Nashville's deepest electric blues and one of the nation's most important new acoustic folk duos. The former is legendary guitarist and songwriter - icon of the Bluebird Cafe - Mike Henderson, with new music. The latter is the Woodstock NY power couple Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams. Also on the bill, we'll hear head turning juke joint funk from his and her duo Smooth Hound Smith. Plus the remarkable voice and complex torch songs of breakout artist Emily West. Peter Cooper's the guest host.

It's a Roots Rewind show where we mine our tape vaults for standout performances by women who killed and thrilled between 2013 and last year. We'll hear Memphis bass player and torchy songwriter Amy LaVere, the sublime and uncategorizable Kristina Train, humanistic humorist Susan Werner and a closing set of songs in Spanish and English from Austin's remarkable Carrie Rodriguez. We hear as well from mountain modernist folk artist Dori Freeman from VA and Leah Blevins from KY. They're voice you know and voices on their way up.

We rewind our way through the years of great performances by the best guitarists from and passing through Music City. It's a tribute to the instrument that made Nashville possible, drawing on electric and acoustic masters. Featured are bluegrass rising star Molly Tuttle, the jazz ease of Pat Bergeson, country twang from Kenny Vaughan, plus all around mastery of Jim Oblon and the always in-demand Guthrie Trapp. The show closes with a full set by the fiery young Englishman reviving 1970s blues rock tradition, Davy Knowles. Guitar geeks will love it but all are invited.

MCR is back on the Road with an all new show from that famous Nashville crossroads and musical watering hole known as 3rd & Lindsley. It's a night heavy on traditional rock and roll, with a sweaty but poetic opening set by Louisiana raised, Nashville based Kevin Gordon. And the night closes out with Will Kimbrough, Tommy Womack and the other mega talents who make up Daddy.

In between, two incredibly talented young women each on their way in their own way. Katie Pruitt is a newly signed songwriter with a canon of a voice and self-investigative songs. Lillie Mae is a star on Third Man records making deeply original country music.

It's a decades old relationship, not without it's marital squabbles, but who can deny that Nashville has been made all the richer by the two way highway between Music City and the Lone Star State. This show offers a wide range of sounds and styles, starting with the surprising soul of Austin's Greyhounds. And we close with contemporary country in a classic vein by Sunny Sweeney. In between, short sets from folk master Ruthie Foster and icons Asleep At The Wheel. Plus an early set from 2011 by the amazing Band of Heathens.

An archival Rewind show where the string is the thing. String bands on our stage between 2011 and 2017, featuring a wide range of what modern day musicians are doing with the bedrock beneath traditional country music and bluegrass. We'll open with The Wilders, that late great band from Kansas City. And we close with the sophisticated but earthy sounds of an all star band led by mandolinist Andy Statman.

In between, the satisfying intensity of Portland Oregon's Foghorn String Band. And down home Nashville sound, with great songwriting, by the Howlin Brothers. Fiddles, banjos and mandos rule this week.

This new Roots Rewind show features the best in newgrass and jamgrass, from founding fathers to favorite sons. Sam Bush and John Cowan were in New Grass Revival together in the 70s and 80s. We'll hear from their respective bands, Cowan in 2012, Bush just last year. Leftover Salmon shows how far other bands took the newgrass idea in Colorado. And we close the show with second generation superstars the Travelin' McCourys.