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My guest this week is Scott Billington.
Scott is a Grammy winning record producer, an author, a record company exec and a musician. But what we're chatting about in this episode is a fascinating story about a pivotal string band album and it's journey to being reissued with extra tracks that went missing for decades.
The record in question is Boone Creek's debut album Boone Creek, from the band Jerry Douglas and Ricky Skaggs formed after they left J.D. Crowe and the New South.
Scott talks about how the album was recorded and how, at the time, Rounder felt it was too progressive, and asked the band to go back into the studio and record some additional tracks. After the album was released, the original tapes went missing and Rounder were keen not to reissue it on CD or streaming services until they'd been found. As a result, the record disappeared from circulation for years.
We talk about how the tapes were finally unearthed, what state they were in, the process used to retrieve what was on them and how Boone Creek was finally reissued by Craft Recordings.
We also chat about Scott's long career with Rounder Records and his current role with Craft Recordings, working on several key projects, including the Doc Watson A Life's Work box set.This was a fascinating conversation about a fascinating project, as well as Scott's long association with outstanding American roots music.
Next week's episode will feature an interview with Jerry Douglas about Boone Creek, his memories of that band and what it was like hearing the reissued tracks everyone thought had been lost for good.You can buy Boone Creek from Craft Recordings on vinyl, CD or digital download
Follow Craft on Instagram or Facebook to keep up to date with new reissues of classic roots music.
For more info on Scott, including links to buy his book Making Tracks: A Record Producer’s Southern Roots Music Journey, check out www.scottbillington.com
Matt
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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 and Token premium guitar picks
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Welcome to the Bluegrass Briefing for July 2026, your monthly look at what’s going on in the world of bluegrass and beyond.
McCoury & Douglas Family Pickin PartyBéla Fleck's My Bluegrass Heart tour
Here are the links to stuff mentioned in this episode.
News and Announcements (Church Street News)Releases (The Grass is New)
Natalie & Brittany Haas - North NodeNoaBass - Late BloomerVoices: A Folk OperaScroll on Buddy
Punch Brothers - Found in a Frozen Fog
Full list of interviewsCollings Guitars
Other bits
Happy picking.
MattSupport 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 and Token premium guitar picks
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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This week's Bitesize episode comes from a fascinating conversation I had with Tristan Scroggins in 2021.
In this section Tristan reflects on what it means to come to bluegrass as an 'outsider' and how culture and connection aren't just about geographical borders.
Growing up in New Mexico, despite learning traditional bluegrass from his father, Tristan felt a disconnect from the roots of the music. Later, when he moved to Nashville, he found himself wondering exactly why he loves bluegrass so much.
Whether we're taking about European festival fans reacting to bluegrass (and the culture they perceive accompanies it), or the generation of northern and western musicians who came to bluegrass in the 1960s and 70s as a result of the folk revival, there's a common thread of music transcending boundaries.
As a Brit coming to this music from outside both the region and the culture, yet feeling like I somehow belong, I find these conversations fascinating.
You can hear my full interview with Tristan on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
For more on Tristan, head to tristanscroggins.com or follow Tristan on Instagram
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 and Token premium guitar picks
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My guest this week is Missy Raines and we're talking about one of her all time favourite records - The Seldom Scene's Act Two
We talk about how Missy grew up listening to The Country Gentlemen and The Seldom Scene, thanks to her parents' love of bluegrass, and how the band played a formative role in her early musical life, in particular how Tom Gray influenced her to become a bass player.
We also discuss the shift that was happening in bluegrass and string band music in the early '70s and what made The Seldom Scene different, as well as the role the Washington DC area played in bluegrass becoming urban music, not just a rural tradition.
Missy also shares her experience of getting to sit in with the band and what made their live shows so special.
This was a fantastic conversation to get to be a part of.
You can hear my previous interview with Missy (Missy Raines - Standing Gently on the Shoulders of Tradition) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.
For more info on Missy, check out www.missyraines.com
You'll find info on The Seldom Scene at www.seldomscene.com
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 and Token premium guitar picks
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Welcome to the June 2026 Bluegrass Briefing, a monthly 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.
News and announcements (Church Street News)
Craft Recordings Boone Creek reissue (preorder)CDLPDownloadGabe Witcher's Gig Ledger Pro app51st Annual Father's Day Bluegrass FestivalMarcel Ardans' Winfield DocumentaryFly in FestivalOften Herd tour datesScroll on Buddy
Punch Brothers play Star WarsOther bits
Full list of interviewsCollings GuitarsHappy picking.
Matt
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 and Token premium guitar picks
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My guests on the podcast this week have an astonishing 24 Grammy awards between them and they represent two musical world I love - the first is bluegrass and string band music and the second is opera.
Renée Fleming and Béla Fleck join me to chat about their wonderful new collaboration The Fiddle and the Drum, a project which explores Renée's long-held love of American folk and Appalachian music. The album includes guest appearances from several musicians from in and around the string band world, including Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Jerry Douglas, Aoife O'Donovan, Sierra Hull and Sarah Jarosz.
We chat about the role folk music played in Renée's upbringing, the similarities and differences between roots music and the classical world, how the record came together, why folk songs are so powerful and what it means to be an eclectic artist over the course of a long career (plus much more).
This was a wonderful conversation to get to be part of. Thanks to Renée and Béla for taking the time to chat and particular thanks to Collin Citron for helping make this happen.
You can find out more about the project and order copies of the record at reneefleming.com, along with info on live dates for The Fiddle and the Drum and the project Renée mentions, Music and the Mind
You'll find info on Béla at www.belafleck.com, including BEATrio and the collaborations with Toumani Diabaté, Zakir Hussain and Chick Corea mentioned in the episode.
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 and Token premium guitar picks
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My guest this week is Tim O'Brien and he joins me to chat about 'The Tim O'Brien Songbook', a handpicked selection of 40 of his songs, complete with notation, chords, Nashville number charts and thoughts from Tim on singing and songwriting.
We talk about Tim's journey from being an instrumentalist, to a singer, then a songwriter, and some of the key points along the way, as well as how he set about choosing the songs for the book. He shares his thoughts on co-writing and why songs don't always need an introduction, plus some insights into his process and what he's learned over several decades as one of the best loved singers and songwriters in the acoustic world.
You can buy the songbook (along with many of Tim's recordings) via Tim's website, where you'll also find tour dates and links to his social channels.
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 and Token premium guitar picks
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My guest this week is Sierra Hull and we're chatting about her instrumental project The Movements.
We talk about how the piece came about, as the result of a FreshGrass Concerto commission, how she approached writing the piece, with and for her current band (Avery Merritt, Erik Coveney, Mark Raudabaugh, and Shaun Richardson), and the challenges presented by releasing a project like this.
We also discuss how the piece has developed since it was first written and how she and the band incorporate it into their live shows, as well as what it was like going back into the studio to record live, filmed performances of the tracks.
It's a wonderful piece of music and, as always, it was a treat getting to chat with Sierra.
Find out more and order copies of The Movements at sierrahull.com
Check out Sierra's YouTube channel to watch live studio performances of The Movements
For more on FreshGrass you can hear Oli Chanoff talking about the FreshGrass commissions program and some of the wonderful music it's produced.
To hear my previous interviews with Sierra, check out these episodes:
Sierra Hull - A Tiptoe High Wire (2025)Sierra Hull Interview (2023)Sierra Hull Returns (2024)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 and Token premium guitar picks
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My guest this week is John Reischman and we're talking about his fantastic record The Salish Sea, recorded with his band The Jaybirds.
We chat about the band's long history together and the journey behind this record, including the Freshgrass Concerto Commission that led to the title track. John also shares his memories of first meeting Tony Rice and how he came to play with The Tony Rice Unit in the 1980s, including recording the albums Still Inside and Backwaters.
You can find out more about John and buy copies of his records at www.johnreischman.com
Backwaters is now available as a remastered vinyl and download through Craft Recordings
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 and Token premium guitar picks
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My guest on the podcast this week is fiddle player Andy Leftwich and we're chatting about his new album Aced.
Andy talks about his love for instrumental music, including how hearing Mark O'Connor's The New Nashville Cats as a child inspired him. He also talks about contest fiddling and his 15 year stint with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, alongside Cody Kilby, who features on Aced as well as its predecessor The American Fiddler.
After a decade and a half with Ricky, Andy chose to step away from Kentucky Thunder to focus on music in the ministry. We talk about the role that plays in his life and the records he made during that period, as well as the project that eventually turned into The American Fiddler and how that then led to Aced.
For more on Andy, including details of how to buy any of the albums we discuss, head to andyleftwich.com
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 and Token premium guitar picks
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Welcome to this month’s Bluegrass Briefing, a monthly 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.
Podcast news
Recent interview episodesAppleSpotifyNews and Announcements (Church Street News)
Todd Phillips fundraiserNorth Carolina Guitar CelebrationCraft Recordings Tony Rice reissueReleases (The Grass is New)
Punch Brothers - New Bike videoJarrod Walker - NighthawkI'm With Her - Sing Me AliveScroll on Buddy
Sierra Hull Movements videosMovement 1Movement 2Support 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 and Token premium guitar picks
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In early April I got the chance to go and hang out at SoreFingers, the UK bluegrass and old time camp, for a night. I'd recently interviewed John Wirtz about Sore Fingers' 30 year history for the podcast (link below) and he invited me along to meet the staff and tutors, hang out and watch some music.
While I was there I got to interview Michael Daves and Tony Trischka (links to their episodes also below), but I also took the opportunity to wander round, mic in hand like a roving reporter, and just chat to people.
In this episode you'll hear from John Wirtz about Sore Fingers' recent venue move and how they're settling into their new home, as well as from other members of the team, including some of the people who facilitate the camp's wonderful scratch band programme.
I also talked to some of the tutors, including Tony Trischka, who's taught at Sore Fingers a couple of times before, and Michael Daves and Stephen Mougin, who were both first timers.
I couldn't miss the opportunity to chat to some students too, including Sore Fingers veterans and first timers.
For more info on Sore Fingers, check out www.sorefingers.co.uk
Here's my earlier interview with John Wirtz
Here are the interviews I did at Sore Fingers with Michael Daves and Tony Trischka
This is the Stephen Mougin episode on band coaching
You can find out more about Paul Armer via his Instagram
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 and Token premium guitar picks
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Tony Trischka returns to Bluegrass Jam Along to talk about his new record Earl Jam 2, the follow up to the first volume of a fascinating project that began when Tony was sent a thumb drive of recordings of Earl Scruggs and John Hartford jamming together at home.
Volume 2 also has a great line up of special guests, including Billy Strings, Bruce Molsky, Molly Tuttle, Del McCoury, Sierra Ferrell and Sister Sadie.
Tony tells the fascinating story of how Farayi Malek ended up adding vocals to one tune, after Alison Krauss had done the scratch vocal but wasn't well and couldn't record the final vocal.
As with volume 1 it's a great record, full of variety and superb performances.
You can hear more in my conversation with Tony about Earl Jam Volume 1
For more info on Tony and to buy both records, visit www.tonytrischka.com
Thanks to Sore Fingers bluegrass and old time camp for inviting me down to record this interview while Tony was there teaching banjo!
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 and Token premium guitar picks
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My guest this week is Michael Daves and we're chatting about the superb new record he has out with Jacob Jolliff, We Like Jim & Jesse!
The record, released on Michael's own label Wild Geranium Records, celebrates the music of first generation bluegrass legends, brothers Jim and Jesse McReynolds.
Michael talks about meeting Jesse in 2019 - he was 90 or 91 at the time and still writing new tunes every day - and how that sparked the idea for the record. We also chat about Jesse's unique contribution to the history of bluegrass mandolin, how one of their biggest hits was written on the spot in response to an argument and why Jim and Jesse's vocal blend is every bit as important to their sound as Jesse's mandolin playing.
We also talk about Fables, Michael's recent release that pays tribute to a very different act...R.E.M.
This interview was recorded at Sore Fingers, the wonderful UK bluegrass camp that runs every Easter (and has for the past 30 years). Later this week I'll be bringing you an interview with Tony Trischka, also recorded at the camp, plus a special episode celebrating Sore Fingers.
You'll find Michael and Jacob's record on Bandcamp, where you'll also find Michael's R.E.M. tribute Fables
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 and Token premium guitar picks
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My guest on this episode is Bryan Sutton.
We're talking about Bryan's new project From Roots to Branches, the follow up to his 2006 album Not Too Far From the Tree, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
The new album features a series of duets with musicians from the wold of bluegrass and beyond, plus a couple of unreleased tunes he recorded with Doc Watson and Tony Rice.
We chat about the original idea behind Not Too Far.... and how the new project differs; who Bryan chose to record with this time (including Billy Strings, Chris Eldridge, Sierra Hull, Trey Hensley, Joe Bonamassa and more); why he's choosing to release it as a series of tracks over several months, before putting the full album out, and how it feels to have gone from recording with his heroes to taking on the mentor role for the next generation of flatpickers.
You'll find all the tracks released so far on Spotify, Tidal and all other streaming platforms.
There's a great video for The Devil Went Down to Deep Gap on YouTube.
You can get bluegrass guitar lessons from Bryan Sutton on ArtistWorks (I can highly recommend them).
Oh, and Bryan wrote and recorded the cool theme tune you'll hear on this episode too!
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 and Token premium guitar picks
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In this bonus episode we're celebrating Tony Rice's best loved albums....as voted for by you!
I put out a poll over my social channels as well as some popular Facebook groups and subreddits and collated all the responses.
The rules were simple - just pick one album each for these 3 categories:
1. Tony Rice/Tony Rice Unit album
2. Album where Tony’s named as one of the artists (e.g. Blake & Rice/ Skaggs & Rice/Tone Poems)
3. Any album Tony plays on but isn’t named as an artist (e.g. DGQ, Bluegrass Album Band, JD’s 0044….or anything else)
I had over 400 votes in total. In this short episode I reveal what won in each category, what the most popular album was overall and also what pickers like Chris Thile and Trey Hensley chose as their favourites!
Check out the full list
You'll find links to previous podcast episodes celebrating Tony Rice on bluegrassjamalong.com
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 and Token premium guitar picks
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My guest this week is Thomm Jutz.
We're talking about Thomm's fascinating new project Ring-a-Bellin', an 18 track album and, for those wanting to dive even deeper into the process behind this new release, a beautiful, hardback Ring-A-Bellin’ companion book, which includes the stories and inspiration behind each song.
Thomm talks about the idea behind the record; his unique approach to music, creativity, and life; how imagery, psychology, and tradition inform his work and the importance of process, authenticity, and staying true to your artistic journey.
In this episodeThomm explains:
The concept behind his album, and the companion book of artwork and essaysThe influence of analytical psychology, alchemy, and symbolism on his songwritingHis love of of organic, live recording techniques versus layered, processed musicHis thoughts on the role of tradition in American and Irish folk music, and the importance of maintaining a connection to old instruments and stylesWhy he sees song creation as an alchemical journey from chaos to clarityHis views on technology, AI, and their impact on the authenticity of musicHow time and place influence his songwritingThe parallels between craft, process, and the deeper spiritual aspects of musical creationAbout Thomm
Thomm Jutz is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter, producer, guitarist, and media composer and veteran of the American Roots Music scene, with over 25 years' of experience in the industry. His latest project, Ring-a-Bellin' combines an 18-song album with a beautifully illustrated companion book, providing a multi-dimensional experience that captures the essence of his artistic process and journey.Recent work includes Nothing But Green Willow: The Songs of Mary Sands and Jane Gentry (2023, with Martin Simpson), a transatlantic exploration of the women who contributed to Cecil Sharp’s folk song collection, featuring Sierra Hull, Odessa Settles, Angeline Morrison, and Tim O’Brien.
Resources & Links
Thomm's WebsiteInstagram
Facebook
Thomm Jutz and Martin Simpson discuss Nothing But Green Willow on Bluegrass Jam Along
Support the show
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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 and Token premium guitar picks
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My guest this week is Alex Graf and we're talking all things Manzanita.
Alex made the shift from a more jazz based background to flatpicking a few years ago and Tony Rice's Manzanita became one of the absolute cornerstone records for him on that journey. We talk about why it became so important, what Alex learned from Tony's playing on the record and why he still finds something new in it every time he listens.
You'll hear about:
How Tony's jazz influences shaped his approach to guitarThe importance of musical conversation between band members on ManzanitaThe myths and legends that surround Tony's albumsHow Tony Rice's approach to chord voicings was inspired by jazz piano legend Bill EvansHow reinterpreting melody, rather than just blowing through the changes, keeps music freshand much more.
To find out more about Alex, including his great teaching resource Alex's Acoustic Club, head to alexgrafmusic.com
For news, updates and great free content on improving your playing, check out Alex's Instagram and YouTube
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 and Token premium guitar picks
InstagramFacebook
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- Free fiddle tune chord sheets
- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews
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Welcome to this month’s Bluegrass Briefing, a monthly 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.
Podcast news
Brad Kolodner interviewBill Nowlin interviewReleases (The Grass is New)
Del McCoury Band with Peter Rowan & David Grisman Michael Daves & Jacob JolliffTony Trischka Earl Jam 2Blue Highway - Live at ETSU! A 30-Year Retrospective (preorder)Jesse ApppelmanOther bits
Thomm Jutz/Martin Simpson interviewFull list of interviewsCollings GuitarsHappy picking.
Matt
Support the show
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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 and Token premium guitar picks
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My guest this week is Bill Nowlin, co-founder of Rounder Records.
Bill joins me to talk about Rounder's extraordinary 50 year legacy as one of the most important, influential and best loved independent labels in American roots music.
We chat about how Rounder started, after Bill was randomly assigned Ken Irwin as his college roommate, and how, along with Marian Leighton Levy, they grew Rounder from a small enterprise releasing a couple of records a year into a successful label, responsible for the career of one of the most awarded artists in the history of the Grammys.
Bill shares how they discovered Alison Krauss, via a demo tape she wasn't even the lead vocalist on, and subsequently signed her when she was just a teenager. We talk about how Alison's success, along with that of other artists like George Thorogood, helped Rounder establish themselves and how Rounder managed to position themselves at the forefront of industry developments, including releasing the first ever bluegrass CD.
We also chat about some of the iconic records Rounder put out over the years, from artists like JD Crowe, Norman Blake, Tony Rice, Tony Trischka and Alison Krauss, and how the founders eventually decided to sell Rounder. That led to a new label, Down the Road Records which, in a lovely full circle moment, put out Alison Krauss and Union Station's return to bluegrass 'Arcadia' in 2025.
This was a fascinating conversation about a fascinating legacy.
If you want to hear more about Rounder's history, I can highly recommend Bill's book Vinyl Ventures: My Fifty Years at Rounder Records and David Menconi's Oh, Didn't They Ramble: Rounder Records and the Transformation of American Roots Music
Support the show
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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 and Token premium guitar picks
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- Visa fler
