Tag: Acoustic Syndicate

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Ashleigh Flynn, Carter & Cleveland, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Happy Friday! We’ve got another excellent premiere round-up for you to finish out your week with a roots music high note.

Check out brand new tracks like “Heartless” from singer-songwriter Dustin Brown. It’s a song about finding redemption in self-doubt in an alt-country meets Americana package. Plus, North Carolina bluegrass outfit Unspoken Tradition pay tribute to Acoustic Syndicate and Steve McMurry with their new cover of “Katie and Burl.”

Just in time for Valentine’s Day next week, Nick Taylor debuts his video for “Lover’s Dream,” a lovely number built around tender fingerpicking that came to Taylor in the middle of the pitch-dark night. We’ve also got a honky-tonkin’ music video from Portland, Oregon’s Ashleigh Flynn & the Riveters. Their new track, “Drunk in Ojai,” retells a story of too much tequila and an unlikely guardian angel named Dutch.

You won’t want to miss “With a Vamp In the Middle,” a brand new single from Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland from their just announced debut duo album (due in March) that premiered on BGS earlier this week.

It’s all right here on BGS. Scroll now to find all these songs and more, because You Gotta Hear This!

Dustin Brown, “Heartless”

Artist: Dustin Brown
Hometown: Moody, Texas
Song: “Heartless”
Album: Dustin Brown
Release Date: March 28, 2025 (album)

In Their Words: “Everyone comes into this life clean, unmarked, and full of love. Unfortunately, on the other end, some come out dirty, marred, and heartless. This song comes from a place of resolve, in accepting that at times you must be a little crazy especially when dealing with folks that suffer from a heartless nature. I suppose it’s a redemption song about self-doubt and how powerful of a driving force that can be in life and love.” – Dustin Brown

Track Credits:
Dustin Brown – Lead vocal, songwriting, guitar
Rachel Cole – Backing vocals
Joel Allan – Lead guitar
Christopher Smith – Drums
James Bartosh – Bass

Carter & Cleveland, “With a Vamp In the Middle” (Live at the Grand Ole Opry)

Artist: Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee and Charlestown, Indiana
Song: “With A Vamp In The Middle”
Album: Carter & Cleveland
Release Date: February 5, 2025 (single); March 14, 2025 (album)
Label: Fiddle Man Records

In Their Words: “This song has always felt like a national anthem for fiddle players and it’s our tribute to the legendary John Hartford and Vassar Clements. It’s long been a favorite for Michael and me to jam on – perfect for twin fiddles and a blast to improvise and trade licks on. Having Darrell Scott’s harmony vocals on [the studio version of] this track was an absolute honor, and his contribution took it to another level. I hope y’all enjoy it!” – Jason Carter

More here.

Ashleigh Flynn & the Riveters, “Drunk in Ojai”

Artist: Ashleigh Flynn & The Riveters
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Song: “Drunk in Ojai”
Album: Good Morning Sunshine
Release Date: April 4, 2025 (album)
Label: Blackbird Record Label

In Their Words: “This song wrote itself – it’s a true story! Nearly a decade ago, I crashed Nancy’s (record producer) wedding with our mutual friend who had introduced me to her. I had played a solo gig the night before at the Deer Lodge in Ojai. After the show, the owner at the time was losing his mind (in a good way) because the entire cast of Mad Men had just shown up for dinner – likely to celebrate the show wrap. He came up to my friend and me, and invited us to the bar, as we all marveled at ‘Don Draper and Co.’ filing into the back banquet room.

“The owner proceeded to offer us a taste of nearly every tequila at the bar after which he pointed us toward the late-night hang, ‘The Cantina,’ where, for better or worse, we continued to imbibe tequila. As the night wound down, we opted not to drive ourselves back to the hotel, because we were clearly too tipsy. We asked the Cantina bartender for taxi suggestions and she handed us a card that simply said ‘Dutch’ and included a number… We called the number, and minutes later an off-white Bronco with ‘Ojai Fire and Rescue’ painted in red across the doors pulled up. ‘You gals called for a ride?’

“When I got to the wedding the next day, a friend there asked, ‘So what did you do last night?’ I said, ‘I got drunk in Ojai. I didn’t know where I was. Caught a ride from the fire and rescue; the driver’s name was Dutch.’ That friend literally sang that line back to me and that was that – took five minutes to finish it as soon as I got my hands on a guitar. The band adds, ‘We are grateful to Dutch for getting us home safely.'” – Ashleigh Flynn

Track Credits:
Ashleigh Flynn – Lead vocal, acoustic guitar
Nancy Luca – Electric guitar
Carmen Paradise – Bass
Leila Chieko – Drums
Kat Fountain – Harmonica
Kathryn Claire – Harmony vocals, violin
Jenny Conlee – Piano, organ

Video Credits: Art direction, animation by Lupo Studio.
Videography, editing by Polly Lisicak, Cai Indermaur.
Special thanks to the staff of Laurelthirst Pub and Music Portland/EchoFund.

Nick Taylor, “Lover’s Dream”

Artist: Nick Taylor
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Song: “Lover’s Dream”
Release Date: February 14, 2025

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Lover’s Dream’ in the early days of a relationship. I was living in a first-floor apartment that was basically a cave and came home one night with a song in my head. I sat down in the dark and played the song all the way through without stopping. When I woke up in the morning I realized I hadn’t written any of it down, so I got to work trying to reconstruct what I could remember. I still have no idea what how similar this version is to what I played that night, but I have been waiting a long time to release it out into the world as a single.

“We recorded this one in Nashville, just me and my guitar in the studio with Bryce, the recording engineer. We set up in the middle of the biggest room and it felt just like the first time I played it, quiet and still. The song is mostly stream of consciousness, reflecting on my own faults while declaring a true and lasting love – which is any lover’s dream I think, to be accepted and loved with all their imperfections.” – Nick Taylor 

Video Credits: Produced by Charlotte Avenue Entertainment.
Shot by Dominick Sotis and Hayden Westberry.
Color Grading by Color Sync Visuals.

Unspoken Tradition, “Katie and Burl”

Artist: Unspoken Tradition
Hometown: Cherryville, North Carolina
Song: “Katie and Burl”
Release Date: February 7, 2025
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “When I was a kid, probably 11 or 12 years old, there was a local music venue called Leatherwoods in Shelby, North Carolina. It was in the back of this old comic book store and there was a door in the back that opened into a listening room. Acoustic Syndicate used to play there all the time. My dad knew the McMurry boys and fished with Steve some when I was a kid, so we went to Leatherwoods every time they played there. Steve wrote ‘Katie and Burl’ for their first album and this was about the time I got my first guitar. I learned several songs on that album and ‘Katie and Burl’ was one of them. I was so honored that Steve was willing to come sing a verse on our version of his own song!

“I’ve always been drawn to songs that have a sweet but sorrowful sense of loss. It’s a song about two young people against the world, experiencing joy and sadness along the way. Symbolically, Burl the farmer returns ‘to the earth where he came from’ and today he wouldn’t understand the farm he once owned as it’s been repurposed for modern men. In fact, when I wrote ‘Land‘ back in 2016, the themes of ‘Katie and Burl’ served as inspiration: that our existence here is both meaningful and insignificant in the grand scheme of things.” – Audie McGinnis

Track Credits:
Audie McGinnis – Acoustic, lead vocals;
Steve McMurry – Guest vocals
Sav Sankaran – Bass, vocals
Tim Gardner – Fiddle
Zane McGinnis – Banjo
Ty Gilpin – Mandolin

Photo Credit: Ashleigh Flynn by Christine Lupo; Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland by Sam Wiseman.

Folk Inspirations of Acoustic Syndicate’s Steve McMurry

Posted on by Shelby Williamson

Acoustic Syndicate is one of the best acoustic rock and Americana bands on Earth. Fronted by Steve McMurry, the band’s music leans toward themes of sustainability, social justice and quality of life and they’ve built a loyal following over the last 30 years. Steve takes us on a musical journey filled with inspiration and tradition in this episode, and he is as down-to-earth as they come; he still farms the land his ancestors first tended over 200 years ago near Shelby, North Carolina, and we get together every Thanksgiving for a hometown holiday jam in Brevard where I get absolutely blown away by the gravity of this musical titan. As a third-generation folk performer, Steve, in our interview, reveals the deep-rooted sources of his creativity, from legendary Americana influences to the tight-knit musical family that nurtured his sound. I was honored he agreed to join us for an episode of the Happy Hour and I know you’ll love his story and his insights and humility.

LISTEN: APPLE • SPOTIFY • STITCHER • AMAZON • MP3

This episode was recorded live at The Grey Eagle in Asheville, North Carolina, on May 19, 2021. Huge thanks to Steve McMurry, Mike Ashworth, and Mike Guggino.

Timestamps:

0:06 – Soundbyte
1:00 – Introduction
2:24 – Bill K. Introduction
4:00 – “I Will Lead You Home”
6:52 – “Beauty In The Ugliest Days”
10:44 – Interview 1
26:45 – “Sweetest Breeze”
33:51 – “Rainbow Rollercoaster”
40:00 – Interview 2
50:25 – “Sunny”
57:18 – “Song For Myself”
1:03:26 – Outro

Editor’s note: The Travis Book Happy Hour is hosted by Travis Book of the GRAMMY Award-winning band, The Infamous Stringdusters. The show’s focus is musical collaboration and conversation around matters of being. The podcast is the best of the interview and music from the live show recorded in Asheville and Brevard, North Carolina.

The Travis Book Happy Hour Podcast is brought to you by Thompson Guitars and is presented by Americana Vibes and The Bluegrass Situation as part of the BGS Podcast Network. You can find the Travis Book Happy Hour on Instagram and Facebook and online at thetravisbookhappyhour.com.

Earl Scruggs Music Festival to Pay Tribute to Iconic ‘Live at Kansas State’ Album

Posted on by Shelby Williamson

September can’t come soon enough, as we’re eagerly anticipating the long-awaited inaugural Earl Scruggs Music Festival in Mill Spring, North Carolina, to be held September 2-4, 2022!

BGS is thrilled to be partnering with the festival to present a tribute to one of the most iconic Earl Scruggs Revue albums, Live at Kansas State. The host band, bluegrass quintet Fireside Collective, will lead an all-star outfit in a revival of the 1972 recording with special guests Jerry Douglas, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Balsam Range, Acoustic Syndicate, Bella White, and more to be announced – plus a slew of surprise cameos. This will all go down on Saturday afternoon (September 3) on the Foggy Mountain Stage. We can’t wait to join with these incredible artists to pay tribute to this landmark album!

In addition to the folks on this special tribute (who will be performing sets of their own throughout the weekend) the festival will feature the likes of the Earls of Leicester, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Béla Fleck’s My Bluegrass Heart, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, and so many more. Take a look at the full lineup below.

Purchase tickets and discover more about the Earl Scruggs Music Festival at earlscruggsmusicfestival.com

LISTEN: Acoustic Syndicate, “All In Time”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Acoustic Syndicate
Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina
Song: “All In Time”
Album: All In Time
Release Date: July 15, 2022
Label: Organic Records

In Their Words: “This song has a great story. I sat down one warm, sunny afternoon last fall and wrote this song down in about 15 minutes at my kitchen bar. It literally flew out! I had the chords all figured out, wrote the lyrics down, sang through it three or four times, then got up to go outside for a minute. When I came back…it was gone. I had the words there, the chords were all there, but the original rhythm was gone. I never got it back. To this day, I still haven’t stumbled back on that exact, original rhythm, which was kinda genius, if I may be so bold. I even went to Jay’s house one day and we searched for that original rhythm, based on my words, for like an entire afternoon. Nothing. What I wound up doing was recording a really square, very uninteresting demo one afternoon, after finishing up some of my other vocals at Crossroads Studios. I took that, passed it around to the fellas and we all thought about it for a couple of weeks.

“By the time we got together for rehearsals, I had somehow come up with an alternative rhythm that wasn’t so square and a little off-beat and wide open with tons of space. I left these spaces for Fitz to fill with selective, tasteful and powerful drum fills, eventually culminating in a giant yet tangible and driving rhythm. Serendipity! As luck would have it, we actually made one of our strongest tunes to date. I am very proud of this track, and grateful for Fitz’s magnificent drums, and Jay’s soulful, intimate and emotional bass work. It is important to note here that on the day that Jay recorded his solo — literally right before he walked into the booth — we had just learned of the passing of Taylor Hawkins, longtime Foo Fighters drummer and lifelong best friend of Dave Grohl, of Foo Fighters and Nirvana. Jay said he was doing that solo for Dave. (Read more below the player.)

Crossroads Label Group · 01 All In Time

“The words are just my account of needing to catch my breath. I have many character flaws. One of the worst is my perpetual propensity to commit myself to absolutely more than I can do on a daily basis. The job, the band, the farm, and until recently, aging parents… all of it. I always get myself with my back to the wall, and I always swear to myself that I will never do that again. I do it anyway…like the next day. All too often, I find myself completely overwhelmed, in a panic and exhausted. Many are the days that I forget to just pause, look around, breathe the air, appreciate my surroundings, have gratitude, recognize the love that I have in my life and try to turn down the volume of living for a moment. To quietly contemplate where I am, as an individual, where we are, as a people, and where all of this may be headed.

“‘All In Time’ is also a reflective appreciation for something my dad, Joe, would say when the times of the world become frightening, chaotic and without direction, like they are now. I’ve come to lean on these words more and more in recent years…now, more than ever: ‘When things become uncertain like this…when the world seems like it’s out of control and we can’t help but be scared and anxious about the state of things…no matter how bad it gets, unless there is something we can do about it, we just have to have faith, be patient, keep on doing the best that we can…and trust that people will eventually do the right thing in the end.'” — Steve McMurry, Acoustic Syndicate

Photo Credit: Sandlin Gaither

The BGS Radio Hour – Episode 204

Posted on by Amy Reitnouer

Welcome to the BGS Radio Hour! Since 2017, the weekly show has been a recap of all the great music, new and old, featured on BGS. This week, we bring you old bluegrass newly recorded by the Infamous Stringdusters, music from our Artist of the Month, Peggy Seeger, and so much more! Remember to check back every Monday for a new episode of the BGS Radio Hour.

The Brother Brothers – “Circles”

Celebrating their upcoming Calla Lily (available April 16), Adam and David Moss of the Brother Brothers joined us on a recent 5+5. We talked John Hartford, writing music for dance, and the inspirations and songwriting techniques behind these two brothers and their new album.

Johnny Chops – “Trouble With the Truth”

Austin-based Johnny Chops brings us a song this week from his upcoming Yours, Mine and the Truth EP. This song pretty much fell out of the sky and onto Chops’ paper in his writing room one morning. The video continues to tell the story of the song, building a dark and bleak vibe through dramatic and abandoned filming locations.

Sinner Friends – “Unforgivable You”

Sinner Friends don’t just sound like vintage bluegrass: they record like it too, down to just a few microphones, no editing, everything done right then and there. Recorded and released by Bigtone Records, the result is on par with those early bluegrass recordings that defined the genre. This week, they bring us a song from their newly released Sinner Friends Miss You (The Quarantine EP). 

Keb’ Mo’ – Yamaha x BGS Artist Session

For 2021’s Folk Alliance International and SXSW conferences, BGS teamed up with Yamaha to film performances from some of the artists we’re most excited about. Our first segment is from none other than Keb’ Mo’, playing a Yamaha FGX5 – modeled after the vintage FG180, Keb’s first guitar which he unfortunately lost in the Nashville flood of 2010. Aren’t we all just waiting on the medicine man these days? Keb’ performs two songs for us, “Every Morning” and “The Action.”

The Gina Furtado Project – “Kansas City Railroad Blues”

Gina Furtado brings us the “magic fire” of the banjo on this new single, finding the sound that first made her fall in love with the instrument. It’s the latest single in an exciting and excellent batch from Furtado and Mountain Home Music Company, produced by banjo phenom Kristin Scott Benson, and accompanied by Drew Matulich, Wayne Benson, and siblings Malia and Lu Furtado.

Ervin Stellar – “Nothing to Prove”

From Grand Rapids, Michigan, Ervin Stellars joined us on a 5+5 last week – that is, 5 questions, 5 songs. We talked everything from Wes Anderson and the Coen Brothers to waves and mountains. And let’s not forget his new album, Nothing to Prove.

Mimi Naja – “All You Know of Me”

Known for her work with Fruition, Mimi Naja recently dropped Nothing Has Changed, her first solo release since 2014. We caught up with Naja to talk about songwriting, inspirations, and a dream meal pairing of Thai with Khruangbin.

Peggy Seeger – “The Invisible Woman”

Peggy Seeger is our Artist of the Month for April here at BGS! Her just-released First Farewell is a goodbye to recording and the road, but she is not leaving that lineage behind. Coming from a musical family including the likes of Pete and Mike Seeger, the traditional continues, as Seeger enlists her sons Neill and Callum MacColl on the new album. Stay tuned all month long where we’ll be featuring Peggy Seeger!

The Alex Leach Band – “The Turntable”

Alex Leach has been adored by the Eastern Tennessee bluegrass community since he first started appearing at the WDVX radio station in Knoxville as a small child. Through the years, he’s played with Ralph Stanley, hosts a weekly show on WDVX, and now has his newest endeavor, The Alex Leach Band, who just released their latest album (produced by Jim Lauderdale), I’m the Happiest When I’m Moving. 

Acoustic Syndicate – “Sunny”

Acoustic Syndicate has been making music in Western North Carolina’s jamband scene for over two decades, but their latest studio endeavor is the first in seven years. “Sunny” is a promising first release with Organic Records, the band joined by Brian Felix on piano and Lyndsay Pruett on violin.

Elizabeth King – “Living in the Last Days”

Memphis-based Elizabeth King brings us this deeply thought number this week from her latest album of the same title. “Living in the Last Days” is about the trouble that so casually surrounds our current days, and King sings about it with a lot of conviction. The song should inspire us all to look a little more closely at what surrounds us, and what we can do to make this world a better place for all.

Bobby Osborne – “White Line Fever”

“White Line Fever” was a hit for Merle Haggard in the 60s, but had never been cut as a bluegrass song. That is, until Alison Brown and Bobby Osborne got a hold of it. One thing leading to another, and Jeff Tweedy wrote a second verse about Bobby (being the voice of Rocky Top) and his 60 years on the road as a musician. Mixing all of this with some A-list bluegrass musicians like Sierra Hull and Stuart Duncan, well… this is the result! As Brown says, “it was hard to believe the song hadn’t been a bluegrass standard all along.”

Cha Wa – “My People”

Joseph Boudreaux Jr, vocalist for Cha Wa, teaches us about ‘ancestral recall’ with this song, a phenomenon where people consciously or subconsciously draw on the experiences and lives of their ancestors to perpetuate a certain lifestyle or culture. “‘My People’ reminds us that no matter who you are — rich or poor, big or small — we’re all in this together as humans,” Boudreaux told BGS. “Cause one day we gon’ all be in the same boat.”

Photos: (L to R) Keb’ Mo’; Gina Furtado by Sandlin Gaither; Peggy Seeger by Vicki Sharp

LISTEN: Acoustic Syndicate, “Sunny”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Acoustic Syndicate
Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina
Song: “Sunny”
Release Date: April 9, 2021
Label: Organic Records

In Their Words: “‘Sunny’ is one of those things that’s been on my ‘list of things to finish’ for quite some time. Based on an idea for a short story that I was working on some years ago, it’s a discussion about love, coping with loss, hope, and ultimately, redemption. I’ve been carrying that melody around in my head for years and finally got lucky enough to find the right words to go with it. The tune was one that I was kinda holding in reserve for a possible solo project at some point. After putting it together and sharing with the other fellas, they were all in to record it. The piano (Brian Felix) and violin (Lyndsay Pruett) were part of the original idea, and it was such a pleasure to watch it materialize in the studio on a super solid track by Fitz, Bryon, and Jay. Being back in the studio after seven years has been a real treat. I love the process of recording, and I have missed it very much. Our engineer, Clay Miller, is a ‘steely eyed missile man’ and has the patience of Job! He makes the recording process an absolute joy. I’m so grateful and honored to be making new music with these dudes again.” — Steve McMurry, Acoustic Syndicate

Photo credit: Sandlin Gaither

MIXTAPE: Songs That Changed Jon Stickley’s Life and Still Blow His Mind

Posted on by Editor

When I was a senior in high school, my lacrosse teammate Andy Thorn loaned me a couple CDs and a mandolin. The two CDs were the original David Grisman Quintet album and Sam Bush’s Glamour and Grits. I was an angsty teen drummer in a punk band, and when I popped the Grisman album in my Sony Discman and pushed play, my life changed forever.

We started a little band and I started learning mandolin and making weekly trips to the local record store to buy every “newgrass” album I could. I didn’t know anything, so searching through the bluegrass/country section was an adventure of discovery. I learned to recognize the font that Rounder Records used and started using liner notes to find other musicians to listen to.

A lot of the tracks on this list are track #1 on the album, and I think that’s because when I heard them for the first time, they magically seared themselves into my brain. When I hear them today they inspire the same excitement as they did when I first heard them, and they have had an enormous impact on the music that I create for the Jon Stickley Trio. — Jon Stickley

David Grisman – “E.M.D.”

The first track I ever heard in the vein of bluegrass/newgrass. I heard David Count “1,2,3,4…” just like the Ramones! Then they launch into the most indescribable, unbelievable, clean, rockin’ jam I’ve ever heard. Also my first introduction to my guitar hero, Tony Rice. Nothing compares to this track!

Sam Bush – “Whayasay”

Another leading cut. This was my introduction to the one and only Sam Bush. His kickoff tells you everything you need to know about Sam’s music. It’s masterful, tasteful, and it freakin’ ROCKS. Then he goes totally Mark Knopfler at the end. Blew my young mind!

Jerry Douglas, Russ Barenburg & Edgar Meyer – “Big Sciota”

I picked this record up at the store because, on the back cover, they are dressed in gorilla suits. I thought, these dudes MUST be cool. Something about the tone of this record is unparalleled. It’s just the nicest-sounding acoustic record I’ve ever heard. Still cook dinner to it almost every night and my wife walked down the aisle to another track from the album called “The Years Between.”

Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder – “Pig In A Pen”

Holy crap. This is another album I bought blind at the record shop knowing absolute nothing about the music. To this day I have never heard anything rock this hard! Also, my first intro to a big guitar hero, Bryan Sutton.

Bryan Sutton – “Decision At Glady Fork”

Senior year of high school my uncle Pat took me to the Béla Fleck Bluegrass Sessions concert. I knew who Sam Bush and Béla were, but it was my first time hearing Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, and the young Bryan Sutton. They played this song and the audience pooped their pants!

Béla Fleck – “Blue Mountain Hop”

The ultimate supergroup in my opinion. This song got me thinking about composition and arrangement in a new way. It seems like each new part of the song was written with each individual soloist in mind. Also the giggles and growls in the intro remind you that they’re having a ball.

Béla Fleck & the Flecktones – “Sinister Minister”

Two words. Victor Wooten. Blew. My. Young. Mind! I’ve listened to this version of this song more times than I can count, and it’s one of the covers that we do in the trio. The Flecktones probably had more of an impact on our trio than anyone else out there.

The Bluegrass Album Band – “Blue Ridge Cabin Home”

This is another album where I had no idea what I was buying. It wasn’t until I looked at the back of the CD that I realized that Tony Rice was on it. It was my introduction to J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson, Bobby Hicks, and Todd Phillips. I fell in love with bluegrass banjo by listening to this song, and I was thrilled to find out there were five more volumes!!!

The Nashville Bluegrass Band – “Dog Remembers Bacon”

Another record store score that I grabbed just because “bluegrass” was in the title. LOL. These guys became my favorite group for years and this was always one of my favorite tracks. I learned about Gillian Welch from this album. Stuart Duncan is the best fiddler in the world!

Acoustic Syndicate – “No Time”

Man, I love these dudes SO much. My Uncle Pat gave this album to my dad around ‘98, and I promptly stole it. The chill energy of this album really spoke to me and I feel like it really embodies the spirit of the North Carolina festival scene. Super sentimental band for me!

Tracks from our new album “Scripting the Flip” that draw heavy on these influences:

Jon Stickley Trio – “Scripting the Flip”

This song is pretty much a bluegrass fiddle tune turned on its head. It reminds me of some of my favorite newgrass instrumentals that take the music somewhere new.

Jon Stickley Trio – “Driver”

Well, given that my buddy Andy Thorn got me into this music waaaaay back in the day, I had to bring it full circle and write a tune for him to come in and play on. This piece definitely draws on the music of the Flecktones and some of the tunes they play in odd meters.

Jon Stickley Trio – “Bluegrass in the Backwoods”

Kenny Baker, Bill Monroe’s longtime fiddler, was surprisingly one of the most innovative of the classic bluegrass pickers! He is thought of as a traditional fiddler, but his music is really anything but. I think this tune was way ahead of its time and we love the elements of gypsy jazz and Latin music in the melody. We HAD to cover this on at some point and it was so much fun!

Photo credit: Sandlin Gaither