Béla Fleck and Billy Strings playing “Tennessee” at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, on the very stage where bluegrass was born? Yes, please. Their dazzling rendering of a bluegrass classic is sure to be a highlight of Fleck’s upcoming album, Live Heart: My Bluegrass Heart at the Ryman, out on October 16, 2026.
The all-star concert, recorded in January 2022, also features Sam Bush, Michael Cleveland, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Sierra Hull, Edgar Meyer, Justin Moses, Mark Schatz, Bryan Sutton, Tony Trischka, and Molly Tuttle, jamming together to recreate Fleck’s 2021 album, My Bluegrass Heart. (Read the BGS interview about the project.) The impressive collection would go on to win a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album.
“In my opinion, Béla Fleck is one of the most important musicians of all time,” Strings said. “He bridges the gap between bluegrass, classical, jazz, world music, and everything in between. It seems like there’s no limit to what he can achieve on the banjo.”
“As a New York City kid who fell in love with Davy Crockett and had my own coonskin cap and fringe jacket, this song called out to me when I first heard Jimmy Martin’s classic version” Fleck said. “I even moved to Tennessee and have lived there longer than my NYC days. There’s an amazing sense of closure to playing it live with Billy Strings taking Jimmy’s lead roll, and the top players in the biz bringing their talent and depth of understanding of bluegrass to the table.”
The sold-out crowd would likely agree as Fleck concludes, “We somehow managed to take and own the stage that night. My amazing peers, friends, and iconic performers really brought the fire—I’m very proud to bring you this fantastic live performance.”
