Bluegrass Jam Along

• David Grisman - Celebrating 35 Years of Acoustic Disc

  My guest this week is a legend of American string band music.When David Grisman raised his middle finger to MCA Records, after being  dropped for failing to meet arbitrary sales targets, he couldn't have known it would spark a 35-year musical revolution. As one of America's foremost, and best loved, mandolin virtuosos turns 80 this year, he offers a fascinating glimpse into the birth, evolution, and future of Acoustic Disc, the independent label he founded in 1990 that became a vital archive of American string band traditions, as well as home to over three decades of his own music.Grisman's journey from frustrated artist to label founder came at a pivotal moment in music history, as CDs were eclipsing vinyl and the digital revolution loomed on the horizon. He built his own studio, using gear he bought from the iconic 1750 Arch Studios, and Acoustic Disc was born. The label's early success—including Grammy nominations for its first two releases—established a blueprint combining Grisman's new compositions, collaborations with luminaries like Jerry Garcia and Tony Rice, and carefully chosen historical recordings.The switch from physical media to digital distribution liberated both Grisman's creative vision and business model."It's just too beautiful a concept to make one product and sell an infinite number without manufacturing anything," he explains. This shift allows him to release an album every month, including expanded versions of classic recordings with Tony Rice, Jerry Garcia, and others. These "deluxe editions" offer fascinating insights into the creative process behind influential albums like Tone Poems, capturing not just the music but the conversations between master musicians at work.Whether you're a huge Grisman fan, dedicated bluegrass lover or just a fan of acoustic music at its best, Acoustic Disc's extraordinary catalog offers a gateway into America's rich string band traditions. Find out more at acousticdisc.com and, while you're there, sign up for their weekly newsletter to receive a free "Treat of the Week".For updates, follow David on Instagram and FacebookHappy picking.MattSend a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!) Support the show===Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!) Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins- Sign up to get updates on new episodes - Free fiddle tune chord sheets- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates: Instagram Facebook - Review us on Apple Podcasts

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• Bluegrass Briefing - March 10th 2025

  Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly series of episodes taking a look at what’s going on in the world of bluegrass.Here are the links to stuff mentioned in this episode.Pod NewsBluegrass Jam Along guests on mandolins and BeerAppleSpotifyBluegrass Standard article on Bluegrass Jam Along!News and Announcements (Church Street News)I’m With HerAlbum preordersTour datesReleases (The Grass is New)The Grass is (mostly) New 2025 playlistOther bitsSign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/The Grass is (mostly) New 2025 playlistFull list of interviewsCollings GuitarsHappy picking.MattSend a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!) Support the show===Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!) Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins- Sign up to get updates on new episodes - Free fiddle tune chord sheets- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates: Instagram Facebook - Review us on Apple Podcasts

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• Bitesize - Bluegrass Jam Along guests on the Mandolins and Beer podcast

  This week's episode is a Bitesize episode, which is a short section highlighting a previous episode you may have missed, which feels apt, given that this is episode #450, so the back catalogue is getting pretty big!But, it's not a previous episode of Bluegrass Jam Along. This week I'm sharing part of an episode on mandolins and Beer, because the guest was....me!Daniel has been on my podcast a couple of times and was kind enough to invite me onto Mandolins and Beer to chat about how I got into bluegrass, how the podcast started, how t's developed, some of my favourite moments and (of course) what my favourite beer is.I really enjoyed chatting to Daniel for this. If you want to hear the full interview just head to the Mandolins and Beer website. You can also listen on Apple, Spotify or wherever else you get your podcasts.Happy picking.MattSend a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!) Support the show===Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!) Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins- Sign up to get updates on new episodes - Free fiddle tune chord sheets- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates: Instagram Facebook - Review us on Apple Podcasts

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• Bluegrass Briefing - March 3rd 2025

  Welcome to this week’s Bluegrass Briefing, a weekly series of episodes taking a look at what’s going on in the world of bluegrass.Here are the links to stuff mentioned in this episode.Pod NewsDoc Watson 100th birthday episodesPart 1AppleSpotifyYouTubePart 2AppleSpotifyYouTubeBluegrass Jam Along guests on mandolins and BeerAppleSpotifyBluegrass Standard article on Bluegrass Jam Along!News and Announcements (Church Street News)Telluride lineupRockygrass lineupReleases (The Grass is New)The Grass is (mostly) New 2025 playlistOther bitsSign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/The Grass is (mostly) New 2025 playlistFull list of interviewsCollings GuitarsHappy picking.MattSend a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!) Support the show===Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!) Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins- Sign up to get updates on new episodes - Free fiddle tune chord sheets- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates: Instagram Facebook - Review us on Apple Podcasts

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• Celebrating 'JD Crowe & The New South' at 50 with Tim Stafford (Rounder 0044)

  My guest this week is Tim Stafford, who joins me to celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of the best loved and most influential albums in bluegrass.'JD Crowe & The New South' was recorded in January 1975 and released in August the same year. Tim joins me to chat about what makes it such a milestone record in bluegrass, despite it not really being a bluegrass album at all in some ways. We chat about the musicians who made it so special, including the rhythmic magic Tony Rice and JD Crowe had; why Ricky Skaggs is potentially the greatest tenor singer in bluegrass; why you it's important not to underestimate Bobby Slone's role in the band and the Jerry Douglas break on this record that was so good all three singers forgot to come back in after it!Tim also tells me why the session almost didn't happen due to Tony cutting his hand and suffering from a bad cold, plus plenty more fascinating detail about the band and the making of this record.You can see the video Tim talks about (along with the wonderful hair and shirts!) on YouTube2025 is also a big anniversary year for Tim's band Blue Highway, who turn 30 this year. Fund out more at bluehighwayband.comHappy picking,MattSend a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!) Support the show===Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!) Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins- Sign up to get updates on new episodes - Free fiddle tune chord sheets- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates: Instagram Facebook - Review us on Apple Podcasts

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