The Picky Fingers Banjo Podcast

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Richard Bailey is best known as the long time banjoist and founding member of the amazing Grammy- and IBMA- award-winning band The SteelDrivers! But Richard's history as a Nashville banjo icon has led him to record and perform with some great bluegrass artists such as The Tennessee Gentlemen, Roland White, Rhonda Vincent, Jim Lauderdale, Vassar Clements, and other superstars like George Jones & Tammy Wynette, Kenny Rogers, Nanci Griffith, Kathy Chiavola  - and that's just a few of them! It's easy to understand why when you hear Richard's perfect blend of groove, drive, creativity, taste, and tone. It was an honor to speak with him about his background and career in banjo!
Sponsored by Elderly Instruments, Peghead Nation, Sullivan Banjos, and Bluegrass Country Radio
SteelDrivers on the web:
https://www.thesteeldrivers.com/
 
Contact the show:
[email protected]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast
 
In tribute to Gabe Hirshfeld, who we lost in December 2025. Gabe will always be remembered for his amazing sense of humour, his kind and generous nature, and of course his myriad contributions to the banjo community as a talented player, setup technician, and all-around awesome nerdy guru. 
 
Consider a donation to the Gabe Hirshfeld Memorial Fund, administered by the Boston Bluegrass Union
 
Original Notes:
This episode features a long and winding banjo chat with Gabe Hirshfeld, a true gentleman and scholar. Gabe studied banjo at the Berklee College of Music, as well as some great mentors such as Mike Kropp and Ben Freed. He performed and recorded with The Lonely Heartstring Band, and now plays on a freelance basis and does setup work
 
Contact the show:
[email protected]

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It's a Freshly-Picked episode, talking to Picky Fingers alum Wes Corbett (of the Sam Bush Band) about his new album of original music titled "Drift" - available now on Adhyaropa Records! Drift has everything you want from a modern banjo album: creative compositions, interesting arrangements, and virtuosic playing from Wes and his all-star cast of studio musicians. Hear all about it and get some sneak peeks (listens?) into the album itself directly from Wes!
 
Sponsored by Peghead Nation, Elderly Instruments, Bluegrass Country Radio, and Sullivan Banjos
 
Wes on the web:
https://www.wescorbett.com/
https://wescorbett.bandcamp.com/album/drift
 
Contact the show:
[email protected]

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast
This episode features Daithi Melia, banjoist for JigJam, the phenomenal Irish-American bluegrass band that has been seemingly everywhere recently, from the Grand Ole Opry to Grey Fox, and everywhere in between. Daithi is an incredible player, with a mastery of traditional bluegrass idioms, modern progressive banjo sensibilities, and of course a heavy dose of the Irish music he grew up with. He weaves all of this together to help give JigJam their genre-bending appeal. 
 
Sponsored by Peghead Nation, Elderly Instruments, Bluegrass Country Radio, and Sullivan Banjos
 
Daithi on the web:
https://www.jigjam.ie/
 
Contact the show:
[email protected]
 
Jig Jam

www.patreon.com/banjopodcast
 
It's a Freshly Picked episode, featuring a banjo-centric deep dive into the brand new album from East Nash Grass, titled "All God's Children" - featuring an interview with intrepid banjoist Cory Walker! ENG is one of those bands that seems almost impossible NOT to like: they have that elusive knack for sounding both classic and traditional and fresh and new all at the same time! They are each true masters of their instruments, and the band features multiple singers and songwriters to keep listeners on their toes. They deliver all of this with their trademark sense of humor and deep respect for bluegrass and country music. Enjoy!
 
Sponsored by Peghead Nation, Elderly Instruments, Bluegrass Country Radio, and Sullivan Banjos
 
East Nash Grass on the web:
https://www.eastnashgrass.com/
 
Contact the show:
[email protected]
 
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www.banjopodcast.com