Got 'Grass?
Bluegrass interviews, with the leaders and legends of bluegrass. Your host Chris Wuerth has been running the GuitartownCT bluegrass concert series in Hamden, CT, since 2008.
Episodes
26 episodes since 2024
The Honey Dewdrops
Baltimore based couple with gorgeous harmonies, original songs and tasteful instrumental chops. They have toured Europe and the US, and have 7 albums. A thoughtful and interesting chat about life on the road today, songwriting, and the evolutio...
September 10, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 26
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1:02:42
Trey Hensley
2023 IBMA Guitar Player of the Year, Grammy nominee Trey Hensley was named "Nashville's hottest young guitar player" by Acoustic Guitar Magazine. He has performed with dobro superstar Rob Ickes for over ten years. He talks about guitar playing,...
September 06, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 25
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1:06:52
Kenny and Amanda Smith
A talented bluegrass couple, with many IBMA awards between them. My first "couple" podcast! Fascinating conversation about how they met and fell in love, Kenny's path to stardom with Lonesome River Band, tips on playing bluegrass guitar, ...
August 29, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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1:09:08
Danny Paisley
Danny Paisley is celebrating 50 years in bluegrass. He leads the band Southern Grass, which he took over from his famous father Bob Paisley. Alison Krauss has called him her favorite singer. He has a gentle manner and a wealth of insight into b...
August 21, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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1:02:48
Jerry Douglas
Jerry Douglas is master of the dobro. He's played on over 1500 recordings, with every musician on the planet. He's funny, insightful, and a real pleasure to chat with. He talked about finding some previously unheard Boone Creek recordings, his ...
August 07, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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1:11:08
Michael Cleveland
Michael Cleveland is a 10-time IBMA fiddle player of the year and a Grammy winner. He is considered the best bluegrass fiddler of his time. He talks candidly and eloquently about his youth at Kentucky School for the Blind, his bluegrass heroes ...
August 05, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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1:09:49
Bryan Sutton
Bryan is a bluegrass guitar superstar. He first gained notice with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder. He has since played with just about everyone in bluegrass, including a stint with country stars The Dixie Chicks. He talks at length about Doc...
August 01, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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1:05:13
Dan Tyminski
The "Man of Constant Sorrow', Dan Tyminski is a 4 time IBMA bluegrass vocalist of the year, and a 14 time Grammy winner. From The Lonesome River Band, through 30 years with Alison Krauss and Union Station, and his award winning song from the mo...
July 17, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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1:06:23
Tim O'Brien
Tim O'Brien is one of the superstars of acoustic music, as a singer, songwriter, bandleader, multi instrumentalist and performer. He's won Grammys, IBMA's, and has a songbook of original songs that is the envy of most musicians today. He's a ve...
July 10, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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1:09:06
Amanda Cook
Amanda Cook is the founder and lead singer of The Amanda Cook Band, since 2014. Crowd pleasers at festivals, she prides herself on their hard driving sound and the emotional connection they make with audiences everywhere. Hopefully she will win...
June 26, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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59:39
Caroline Owens
Caroline Owens is a twenty-two year old bluegrass singer/songwriter from Denton, North Carolina. She is causing quite a stir in bluegrass, as lead singer and guitarist for her band, Caroline Owens and New Company. She's being compared to a youn...
June 24, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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54:59
Clay Hess
Guitarist Clay Hess was a Grammy winner after replacing Bryan Sutton in Ricky Skaggs' and Kentucky Thunder. He went on to be the stabilizing voice with teenage Sierra Hull and Highway 111, then played with Mountain Heart before starting his own...
June 11, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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1:08:05
Mike Compton
Mandolinist Mike Compton is the master of the Bill Monroe mandolin style, and has performed with everyone from Sting and Dolly Parton to Gregg Allman and Norman Blake. He talks about his approach to the mandolin, his relationship with Bill Monr...
May 28, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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1:11:53
John Reischman
West coast mandolinist, songwriter and bandleader John Reischman talks at length about meeting Tony Rice in California, playing on the first 3 Tony Rice Unit albums, how he got his Lloyd Loar mandolin, about practicing, his tone and techn...
May 24, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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1:08:31
David Grier
David Grier talks about his childhood, growing up with Bill Monroe and Clarence White playing music in his house, his approach to practicing, a couple of things he learned from Tony Rice, his development as a singer and songwriter, and mu...
May 02, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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48:23
Rob Ickes
Rob Ickes talks about his affection for, and playing with, The Tony Rice Unit, his time with Earl Scruggs, his take on country music today, and, amazingly, how much he doesn't know about playing the dobro! An insightful and friendly conve...
April 18, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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1:01:28
Jason Carter
Jason Carter has played fiddle with The Del McCoury Band for 30 over years. He has won 3 Grammys, and 5 IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year awards. He is also a member of The Travelin' McCourys, and is engaged to fiddle player Bronwyn Keith Hynes of...
April 12, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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55:53
Mark Schatz
Legendary bassist who played 5 years with with Tony Rice Unit, plus Nickel Creek, Tim O'Brien and John Hartford. Mark now tours with Bela Fleck's My Bluegrass Heart. He talks at length about his time playing with and managing Tony Rice, his fri...
March 27, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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1:17:17
Luke Bulla
Luke Bulla is one of the best fiddle players of his generation. A Grammy winner with Ricky Skaggs, 15 years with Lyle Lovett, and has performed with every A-list bluegrass star. He discusses growing up in the family band, joining Ricky Skaggs i...
March 19, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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54:42
Rhonda Vincent
Rhonda Vincent has won more awards than just about anyone in bluegrass, from IBMA and SPBGMA to the Grammys. She is called The Queen of Bluegrass for good reason! She leads her hard driving bluegrass band The Rage, and duets with ma...
March 18, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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1:00:03
Todd Phillips
Bassist Todd Phillips was a founding member of The David Grisman Quintet, The Tony Rice Unit, and The Bluegrass Album Band. Our conversation provides a unique and wide ranging inside look at the history, music and personalities of that unforget...
March 14, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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57:21
Justin Moses
Bluegrass star Justin Moses expounds on his early years, his time with Ricky Skaggs and Dan Tyminski, touring the world with Bela Fleck's "My Bluegrass Heart", and of course his marriage and performing career with Sierra Hull. A brilliant multi...
March 06, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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52:06
Doyle Lawson
This is a long and fascinating interview. Doyle reminisces about performing and recording with Bill Monroe, Jimmy Martin, J.D. Crowe, The Country Gentlemen, The Bluegrass Album Band and of course Quicksilver. His memorie...
March 06, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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1:19:23
Phil Rosenthal
Phil Rosenthal was the lead singer and guitarist for The Seldom Scene from 1977-1986. He talks freely about his hiring by the Seldom Scene in 1977, and his abrupt and bitter firing by the band in 1986. His friend Tony Rice was one of the few wh...
February 28, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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59:33