Travis Book Archives - Page 3 of 4 - The Bluegrass Situation

Musical Alchemy with Rachel Baiman on The Travis Book Happy Hour

Posted on November 6, 2023June 20, 2025 by Shelby Williamson

(Editor’s Note: Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Rachel Baiman is also a BGS contributor. View her author archive here.)

Rachel Baiman’s indie-folk and Americana vibe – rooted in Chicago and rich with fiddle tunes – unfolds as she shares her transition to singer-songwriter. Influences ranging from Courtney Barnett to John Hartford and other roots music make their way into her live performances. Rachel is part of a generational scene in Nashville that I’ve been watching with awe for the last five to 10 years. A unique voice, multi-talented and articulate, she’s not afraid to sing and speak what’s on her mind. She writes semi-regularly for BGS, shining some light into the darker corners of the music industry, addressing inequality, and challenging all of us – creators and fans – to do better, dig deeper, and expect more. In this episode we discussed everything from climate change concerns to hopes for a more equitable future. We had a great time on the happy hour and I’m sure you’ll dig it.

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This episode was recorded live at 185 King St. in Brevard, North Carolina, on August 8, 2023. Huge thanks to Rachel Baiman and Riley Calcagno.

Timestamps:

0:06 – Soundbyte
0:57 – Introduction
2:09 – Bill K. introduction
2:57 – Travis introduction
3:33 – On “Bad Debt”
4:52 – “Bad Debt”
9:52 – “Shame”
12:35 – On Mullets
14:24 – “She Don’t Know What to Sing About Anymore”
18:18 – “When You Bloom (Colorado)”
22:25 – “Won’t You Come and Sing for Me”
26:10 – Interview
43:45 – “Twin Fiddles”
47:30 – “Bitter”
51:15 – “In Tall Buildings”
54:53 – 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.

Photo Credit: Natia Cinco

The Travis Book Happy Hour: Andy Falco (Infamous Stringdusters)

Posted on October 23, 2023June 20, 2025 by Shelby Williamson

Full disclosure; I’ve played music and stood closer to Andy Falco onstage more than anyone over the last 15 years, maybe ever. As the guitarist for our band The Infamous Stringdusters, he continues to redefine acoustic guitar, blending bluegrass, blues, funk, and rock & roll in a style that defines the sound of the Dusters. His guitar is the most important part of the band. In 2021 he released a solo record, Will of the Way, and in 2023 we released the first volume of our tribute to Jerry Garcia on Americana Vibes. Kind, humorous, focused, and grateful, Andy Falco is a living legend and an absolute treasure.

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This episode was recorded live at The Grey Eagle in Asheville, North Carolina, on August 25, 2021. Huge thanks to Andy Falco.

Timestamps:

0:06 – Soundbyte
0:40 – Introduction
1:56 – “The Thrill Is Gone” / Bill Introduction
3:14 – “Rise Sun”
6:41 – “All the Same”
13:16 – Interview
35:36 – “Holy Rover”
40:24 – “Wings Upon Your Feet”
44:18 – Interview
53:10 – “Birdsong”
1:03:32 – “Stones Unturned”
1:08:19 – Outro

Photo Credit: George Trent Grogan

The Travis Book Happy Hour: Jim Lauderdale

Posted on October 9, 2023June 20, 2025 by Shelby Williamson

I’ve shared the stage with Jim Lauderdale many times over the years and have always enjoyed his approach and attitude. Funny, self-effacing, eager to entertain, Jim’s a gem and the most prolific songwriter and recording artist I know. I was honored that he agreed to join me for the happy hour and I couldn’t wait to edit this show and release it.

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This episode was recorded live at The Grey Eagle in Asheville, North Carolina on November 30th, 2022. Huge thanks to Jim Lauderdale, Mike Ashworth, and Matt Smith.

Timestamps:

00:06 – Soundbyte
00:33 – Introduction
02:11 – “Rise Sun”
05:54 – Introducing Jim Lauderdale
07:33 – Interview 1
23:08 – “Patchwork River”
28:02 – “Planet of Love”
32:58 – Introducing “Friends Again”
35:28 – “Friends Again”
38:05 – Interview 2
51:20 – “The King of Broken Hearts”
54:30 – Introducing “The Opportunity to Help Somebody Through It”
56:35 – “The Opportunity to Help Somebody Through It”
1:02:22 – “That Kind of Life (That Kind of Day)”
1:06:10 – Outro

Photo Credit: Scott Simontacchi

The Travis Book Happy Hour: Beppe Gambetta

Posted on July 24, 2023June 20, 2025 by Shelby Williamson

When the opportunity to host Beppe Gambetta on the Happy Hour came up, I jumped on it. Beppe’s a legend and has a totally unique flatpicking voice. An ambassador for flatpicking around the world and for Italian music in the States, he’s also incredibly charming. Beppe’s a disciple of Doc Watson and this being the year Doc would have turned 100, we chose to present the music of Doc for this particular episode. I rank this among the best interviews I’ve ever conducted (due to Beppe) and after the show we all went to a friend’s house and he cooked us broccoli pasta, and we had a classic Italian midnight dinner party. Funny, kind, disarming, grateful, and driven; my musical world is much richer for the friendship I’ve forged with Beppe and his wife Frederica.

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This podcast is an edited distillation of the full-length happy hour which aired live on March 14, 2023. Huge thanks to Beppe Gambetta, Mike Guggino, and Bennett Sullivan.

Timestamps:

00:06 – Soundbyte
01:08 – Introduction
02:30 – Live introduction
05:30 – “Worried Now” > “Texas Gales” > “Beaumont Rag”
12:07 – Accordion joke
12:26 – “Deep River Blues”
17:05 – “Slow Creek”
22:19 – Happiness monologue
26:45 – “Talk About Suffering”
29:20 – Interview with Beppe Gambetta
51:52 – “I am a Pilgrim”
54:24 – “Tennessee Stud”
59:27 – “St. James Hospital”
1:05:44 – “Way Downtown’
1:11:42 – Outro

Photo Credit: Giovanna Cavallo

The Travis Book Happy Hour: Alexa Rose

Posted on July 10, 2023June 20, 2025 by Shelby Williamson

I started preparing for this episode when I was on a summer trip with my kids in Colorado which mostly involves listening to music. I’ll never forget driving toward Mt. Princeton with tears streaming down my face and I’ll never drive up that road to the hot springs again without thinking of Alexa and her music. Her quiet demeanor hides an absolute monster of a songwriter. Vivid imagery, unique yet familiar, the way she relays the feelings around relationships is unlike anyone I’ve ever heard, on par with the brilliant Robert Ellis. We had a great time on the show, the music was so beautiful and moving, I had to include as much of it as I could.

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This podcast is an edited distillation of the full-length happy hour which aired live on August 24, 2022. Huge thanks to Alexa Rose and Julian Pinelli.

Timestamps:

0:07 – Soundbyte
0:49 – Introduction
2:08 – Bill’s introduction
2:40 – Travis’ welcome
3:35 – “Rise Sun”
6:24 – Monologue
10:12 – “Back Home”
15:10 – Interview 1
20:41 – “Clearwater Park”
26:22 – “Big Sky”
31:16 – “Haywood”
35:21 – Interview 2
50:22 – “1999”
54:25 – “Pale Golden Flowers”
1:00:33 – “Medicine for Living”
1:06:07 – “Human”
1:10:31 – Outro

Photo courtesy of the artist

The Travis Book Happy Hour: Jon Weisberger

Posted on June 26, 2023June 20, 2025 by Shelby Williamson

When The Stringdusters were in Nashville around 2006 or 2007, our dobro player lived next door to Jon Weisberger in Madison, right on the Cumberland River. There were two houses on the property; Andy lived in one, Jon lived in the other. I was sleeping in Andy’s guest room and there were regular picking parties at The Compound, as we now refer to it. A few years ago I suggested Jon move to Brevard, he looked into it, and I’m happy to say I’m now neighbors with my favorite co-writing partner. Jon’s written with just about everybody in bluegrass, but recently his most notable songs have been with Billy Strings. In fact, Jon helped write “California Sober,” a song Billy recently recorded with Willie Nelson. A music historian, writer, bassist, and king of the charcoal grill, I was thrilled to get to know more about one of the most-liked people in bluegrass.

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This podcast is an edited distillation of the full-length happy hour which aired live February of 2021. Huge thanks to Jon Weisberger and Tommy Maher.

Timestamps:

0:09 – Soundbyte
0:52 – Introduction
2:18 – Bill’s live introduction
2:47 – “Wasted on the Way”
5:30 – Interview
41:19 – “Pearl of Carolina”
45:00 – “Windy In Nashville”
49:24 – “Blowin’ On A Lonesome Breeze”
53:05 – Outro

Photo courtesy of the artist

The Travis Book Happy Hour: Jeremy Garrett (The Infamous Stringdusters)

Posted on June 12, 2023June 20, 2025 by Shelby Williamson

I know Jeremy Garrett about as well as anyone else, excepting his wife Connie, of course. We’ve traveled together for 17 years as founding members of The Infamous Stringdusters and spent about a decade sharing a room when we traveled. We affectionately referred to each other as our “road wives.” Beyond being a great songwriter, brilliant fiddle player, and vocalist of the highest order, he has a cutting wit and a steadfast dedication to his art and his craft. I’m grateful to call him a friend and look forward to many more years creating music and traveling with this bluegrass titan.

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This podcast is an edited distillation of the full-length happy hour which aired live on April 27, 2021. Huge thanks to Jeremy Garrett and Jon Stickley.

Timestamps:

0:05 – Soundbyte
0:43 – Introduction
1:52 – Live introduction by Bill
2:54 – “Rise Sun”
5:32 – “That’s Someone’s Mother”
8:10 – “Home From the Forest”
12:52 – Introducing Jeremy Garrett
13:50 – Interview 1
19:10 – “I’m Not the Enemy”
23:43 – “I Am Who I Am”
27:15 – Interview 2
45:42 – “Wishing Well”
53:10 – “Windy in Nashville”
56:24 – “A Hard Life Makes a Good Song”
1:00:52 – Outro

Photo Credit: George Trent Grogan, Mountain Trout Photography

The Travis Book Happy Hour: Graham Sharp (Steep Canyon Rangers)

Posted on May 30, 2023June 20, 2025 by Shelby Williamson

Graham Sharp has had the kind of career any banjo player dreams of. He started the Steep Canyon Rangers in college with a group of friends, immediately discovered he had a knack for songwriting, and the rest is history in the making. Twenty-three years, nine albums and a Grammy Award later, the Steep Canyon Rangers (behind the strength of Graham’s songwriting), have established themselves as one of the best bluegrass and Americana bands of their era. I was grateful for the chance to talk with this insightful artist, play some really beautiful music, and reminisce about our shared history. I hope you enjoy this episode of The Happy Hour.

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This podcast is an edited distillation of the full-length happy hour which aired live on June 8th of 2022. Huge thanks to Graham Sharp and Julian Pinelli.

Timestamps:

0:05 – Soundbyte
0:34 – Introduction
2:56 – On the Carolina Guitar Celebration & Tony Rice
4:26 – “Home From the Forest”
8:46 – Introducing Graham Sharp
10:00 – Interview 1
25:54 – “Can’t Get Home”
30:06 – Interview 2
43:50 – “Coming Back to Life”
49:28 – Fiddle music!
54:35 – “Generation Blues”
58:17 – Outro

Photo Credit: Sandlin Gaither Music Photography

The Travis Book Happy Hour: Cris Jacobs

Posted on May 15, 2023June 20, 2025 by Shelby Williamson

Cris Jacobs is an enigma. The question is always “why is this guy not more famous?” Searing guitar, incredible heartfelt songwriting, genre-defying vocals, and an incredibly positive vibe and outlook; there’s really none better than Cris Jacobs. I asked him to come to Western North Carolina to do a couple shows and it just-so-happened we shared the stage the weekend prior at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, so I was lucky to get to spend a lot of time with Cris over the course of a week. I really enjoyed the music and the interview and I’m looking forward to more music with him in the future.

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This podcast is an edited distillation of the full-length happy hour which aired live on June 22nd of 2022. Huge thanks to Cris Jacobs and Devin Neel.

Timestamps:

0:08 – Soundbyte
1:01 – Introduction
2:46 – Welcome from Travis
3:44 – Monologue: gun predicament
5:19 – “Rise Sun”
8:11 – On Devin Neel
8:41 – On Telluride Bluegrass Festival
11:40 – “I’m Not Alone”
17:07 – Interview w/ Cris Jacobs
28:00 – “Delivery Man”
34:44 – “Talkin’ NRA Blues”
43:20 – “Under the Big Top”
47:47 – Interview w/ Cris Jacobs
59:24 – “Mama Was a Redbone”
1:05:10 – “The Devil or Jesse James”
1:13:17 – Reprise
1:14:27 – Outro

The Travis Book Happy Hour: Cristina Vane

Posted on May 1, 2023June 20, 2025 by Shelby Williamson

I’d been searching for the right guests for the Happy Hour when a couple Instagram posts caught my eye. Two former guests had posted video of Cristina Vane playing the Station Inn in Nashville. I was struck by her distinct presence, slide blues style, and unique voice. Once I dug in I was also intrigued by her history and the path that had brought her to Americana music. I was relieved when she accepted my invite and it took us no time at all to fall into an easy rapport. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did.

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This podcast is an edited distillation of the full-length happy hour which aired live on July 28th of 2021. Huge thanks to Cristina Vane and Mike Ashworth.

Timestamps:

0:05 – Soundbyte
1:15 – Introduction
2:32 – Bill’s introduction
3:50 – “Gentle on My Mind”
7:10 – Mike & Travis rap about John Hartford
8:00 – Monologue
10:03 – “I Will Lead You Home”
13:05 – Interview w/ Cristina Vane
29:34 – “Prayer for the Blind”
32:00 – “Heaven Bound Station”
34:06 – Interview w/ Cristina Vane
49:51 – “Rise Sun”
52:50 – “Talk About Suffering”
55:00 – “Make Myself Me Again”
58:20 – Outro