The WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour Podcast

SHELTON POWE is an acoustic guitarist that plays in the Piedmont finger-style guitar tradition of his parents and elders. After the death of his parents, he sought to honor them by learning the blues and gospel music of his childhood. He released his own album “Carolina Blues and Gospel,” 2012, and he has played alongside many Music Maker artists, including Eddie Tigner, Mudcat, Cora Mae Bryant, Frank Edwards, Cootie Stark and Neal Pattman.

KOLLIN BAILEY is a young songwriter and pianist from Missouri. He’s kicking off his musical career in big strides – he just performed the Midnite Jamboree with Rhonda Vincent and the Rage. Just 21 years old, he released his first single and music video TILL DEATH DO US PART.

ISAAC BIVER is a 16 year old fingerstyle guitar player from St. Louis, Missouri!  

VINCE HERMAN has a 30 year music career that started with his band Leftover Salmon. For the first time ever, he’s releasing a solo album titled ENJOY THE RIDE. With the help of some friends, he recorded the songs he wrote during his time RV-ing across the county. Featured on the album is Pat McLaughlin, Darrell Scott, Tim O’Brien and many more   

JESSICA WILLIS FISHER is a songwriter and author with a dramatic, heart-wrenching story to tell of her life with the Willis Family Clan, it made national news just a few years ago. Her most recent album is BRAND NEW DAY. Her memoir UNSPEAKABLE is about her toxic childhood and journey to find her voice. 

Caleb Coots is the 17 year old grandson of Eddie Pennington. He’s a finger-picking style guitarist from Kentucky.

Live from the Lyric Theatre in Lexington, Kentucky. 

woodsongs.com 

Production Date: 10/17/22  

FREEDIE JOHNSTON had a huge hit called “Bad Reputation” and throughout his 25-year career, he has developed a loyal following with his finely detailed story songs. Freedy was born in the small town of Kinsley, Kansas, famous for being the exact mid-point between the east and west coasts of the USA. He bought a mail order guitar as a teenager after hearing Elvis Costello’s My Aim Is True.Rain on the City is his first album of new originals in eight years. 

WILDFIRE was formed in 2000 as the house bluegrass band at Dollywood and quickly became one of the most talked about groups in the bluegrass world. With chart topping CDs and fan favorite songs led by founding members Robert Hale and Curt Chapman, they are surrounded by stellar musicians: Johnny Lewis, Scott Napier, and Matt DeSpain their new album is “Quiet Country Town” on Pinecastle Records. 

 Owen Brockman is a 12 year old banjo picker from Centerville, OH who has been listening to bluegrass since he was 2 years old!

FEMINA is a family group from Argentina in the Patagonian mountains. Femina channels universal folk based, blissed out, harmony-soaked soul music, unbounded sound and visuals, a direct hotline to people’s emotions that open them up to new ways of thinking. Latin folk major influences, the duo’s unbounded sound and diverse music is characterized by show-stopping harmonies and a magical on-stage chemistry, which incorporates Latin American instruments and melodies.  

CHRISTIE LENEE is an acoustic guitarist, singer, and songwriter known for her unique sound ranging from transcendental folk-pop to virtuosic instrumentals. Her captivating performances have been seen on stages with Tommy Emmanuel, Tim Reynolds (Dave Matthews Band), Andy McKee, Amy Ray (Indigo Girls), Melissa Etheridge, Antigone Rising, Kaki King, Jake Shimabukoro and Christopher Cross, to name a few. She also took first place in the International Fingerstyle Guitar Championship with Jimmy Leslie from Guitar Player Magazine noting that, “her use of dexterous fingerpicking and two-hand tapping to relay deep emotions through tuneful compositions was more than enough to win.”

WoodSongs Kid: EMMA-CHARLES TOWNSEND is an 1O year old performer who worked at Dollywood and won several singing competitions

NEVER COME DOWN is a popular Portland, OR based 5 piece roots band that weave together modern and traditional styles of bluegrass and Americana through their dedication to thoughtful songwriting and dynamic arrangements. Their second album, BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, is out now. 

GARETH PEARSON is a master guitarist from the United Kingdom, call “The Welch Tornado” because of his fantastic skills on the guitar. Drawing his playing style initially from influences such as Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, Jerry Reed and Tommy Emmanuel, he has developed a style that is both inspiring and entertaining. Within a year of taking up the guitar, Gareth was opening for Tommy Emmanuel on his UK tour. 

Caleb Hardin is a 14 year old finger picking guitarist.

JAKE BLOUNT is an award-winning musician and scholar, a 2020 recipient of the Steve Martin Banjo Prize, and a two-time winner of the Appalachian String Band Music Festival. He specializes in the traditional music of African Americans. Jake performs various genres such as blues, spirituals, and string band repertoire and is considered a specialist in early folk music of Black Americans. His latest single titled ‘One There Was No Sun’ was released on June 20th, 2022.  

The SWEET LILLIES are an Americana/bluegrass band from Boulder, Colorado, consisting of Julie Gussaroff, Becca Bisque, and Dustin Rohleder … With their acoustic string-band lineup of guitar, viola, and upright bass given flight by ethereal, vocal harmonies that float like a dream, the Sweet Lillies’ music has an old-time soul with a forward-looking eye.  

WoodSongs Kids: The Spencer Boys are comprised of Joesph (15), Caleb (14), and Isaac (10).

THE KRUGER BROTHERS Born and raised in Europe, brothers Jens and Uwe Kruger started singing and playing instruments at a very young age in Switzerland. The brothers were performing regularly by the time they were eleven and twelve years old.  In just a few years they were busking on the streets of cities throughout eastern and western Europe. Jens (banjo), Uwe (guitar), and Joel (bass) personify the spirit of exploration and innovation that forms the core of the American musical tradition.  

THE FRIEL SISTERS Anna, Sheila and Clare Friel are sisters from Scotland, traditional musicians born in Glasgow with their family roots firmly entrenched in the Donegal Gaeltacht (Derrynamansher). They achieve a close family blend on fiddle, flute and uilleann pipes interspersed with songs sang in unison, many from their family and local repertoire. 

Reese Carroll is an 11 year old Banjo player form Nicholasville KY

JACK KLATT is a tireless troubadour from Minneapolis. He is a prolific writer known for writing in many styles and genres. He has used different style of American music including folk, blues, R&B, and arcane country to build his own style. His latest EP ‘Edge of the End’

BILL & the BELLES is best known for combining ole-time string band with their signature harmonies, songwriting, and 1940-s style. Their delightfully deadpan new album, Happy Again, is full of ongue-in-cheek explorations of love and loss. Bill and the Belles is Kris Truelsen on guitar, fiddler Kalia Yeagle, banjo/banjo-uke player Aidan VanSuetendael, and bassist Andrew Small.

ANDREW FARRISS is one of Australia’s greatest songwriters and a co-founder and main songwriter for multi award winning band INXS. Andrew has spent time writing in Nashville and Australia for the last 10 years, before pursuing a solo career. His new EP, THE LOVE MAKES THE WORLD, will be released in October.  

FORTUNATE ONES is a Canadian indie folk duo from St. John’s, Newfoundland, consisting of Andrew James O’Brien and Catherine Allan. Both sing lead vocals, while James plays guitar, and Catherine plays accordion and keyboards. Their album THE BLISS won the Canadian Folk Music Award for Vocal Group of the Year. Their latest album THAT WAS YOU AND ME was released this summer.  

Kyle Yang is a 13 year old classical pianist from Lexington, KY.

Live from the Lyric Theatre in Downtown Lexington 

Production Date: 8/15/22 

woodsongs.com  

GEORGE WINSTON is one of the legendary pianists in America. He grew up in mainly Montana, but spent formative years in Mississippi, and Florida. Inspired by R&B, jazz, blues, and rock (especially the Doors) he started playing the organ in 1967. Switching to acoustic piano in 1971, he sold 15 million albums. His latest album, NIGHT, is a collection of songs recorded at five different studios.  

CUTTER ELLIOTT has proven the doctors who said he would never walk, talk, or play guitar… very wrong. Born eight weeks premature and diagnosed with cerebral palsy, autism, and partly blind and deaf, his disabilities have turned into superpowers. He’s now using his gifts to help archive and preserve the traditional sounds of country music. His newest album is titled HEARTACHE WAITING TO HAPPEN 

 The Wallace Sisters are three sisters, Mia (16), Audrey (15) and Adrianna (13) from Lexington KY