Best Dobro Podcasts (2025)

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Bluegrass Briefing June 2nd 2025 10:28

Play Pause

17h ago10:28

10:28

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. News and Announcements (Church Street News) IBMA Bluegrass Live - lineup and tickets Releases (The Grass is New) Acoustic Disc Frank Wakefield album The Grass is (m…

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Anaïs Mitchell: 2019 Pre-Broadway interview on Hadestown, Lamb Rearing, and Untangling Third Wave Feminism (REISSUE), ep. 312 51:22

5d ago51:22

51:22

(Editor’s Note: Welcome to our Reissue series! For the next several weeks, Basic Folk is digging back into the archives and reposting some of our favorite episodes alongside new introductions commenting on what it’s like to listen back. Enjoy!) Listening back, I feel like this 2018 interview with Anaïs Mitchell holds up. Originally published on Jan…

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Bluegrass Unlimited Podcast with Clay Hess 58:31

5d ago58:31

58:31

This week we feature guitar player and singer Clay Hess. Clay first came to national prominence in bluegrass playing guitar with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder. He later toured with Mark Newton, Sierra Hull, Mountain Heart and his own Clay Hess Band, among others. He is now the newest member of the Seldom Scene and has released a few singles fro…

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Celebrating Norman Blake's 'Whiskey Before Breakfast' with Bob Minner 1:22:12

6d ago1:22:12

1:22:12

My guest this week is Bob Minner and we're celebrating one of the most iconic flatpicking records of all time - Norman Blake's 'Whiskey Before Breakfast'. We chat about Bob first hearing this record and why he loves it so much; its place in the flatpicking repertoire; the gear Norman used (including guitars, picks and even string gauges!) and we go…

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Bluegrass Briefing May 26th 2025 12:42

8d ago12:42

12:42

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. News and Announcements (Church Street News) Romp Festival lineup and tickets Bluegrass Hall of Fame gigs Green Mountain Lineup Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Carolina Ch…

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Bluegrass Unlimited Podcast with Mason Via 1:13:31

11d ago1:13:31

1:13:31

This week we feature singer, songwriter and guitar player Mason Via. We’ll talk about his growing up learning bluegrass music and songwriting from his father, songwriter and bluegrass musician David Via. We will also talk about his time with the Old Crow Medicine Show and his new self-titled album. You’ll also hear a few cuts from that album.…

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Morgan Toney on Circles, Elders, and Phil Collins, ep. 311 1:00:58

12d ago1:00:58

1:00:58

Circles have played a huge role in fiddler and singer Morgan Toney's life thus far: from drum circles, to talking circles, to the Earth itself (a circle!). In our Basic Folk conversation, Morgan talks about his L'nu (also known as Mi'kmaq) heritage and growing up on what's now called Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, where his ancestors have lived since ti…

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Wayne Erbsen on 50 Years of Writing About Southern Mountain Music 36:34

13d ago36:34

36:34

My guest this week is Wayne Erbsen, professor of old-time and bluegrass music at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Wayne joins me to talk about half a century of writing about old-time and bluegrass music, including his latest book Southern Mountain Music: The Collected Writings of Wayne Erbsen. Over the past 50 years Wayne has intervi…

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Kris Delmhorst: Inching Forward through Sleepless Nights, ep. 310 52:20

19d ago52:20

52:20

Kris Delmhorst is not a good sleeper. The Western Massachusetts songwriter is usually awake from 2 or 3 am to about 4 or 5am. Sometimes it feels nice and floaty, but other times she is wide awake worrying about anything her brain can get a hold of. This is similar to a feeling with which she ended her tenth record, 'Ghosts in the Garden,' with the …

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Bluegrass Unlimited Podcast with Lucas White 1:12:07

19d ago1:12:07

1:12:07

This week we feature guitar player Lucas White. Lucas has had a very interesting career in bluegrass starting from the time he was a teenager in Texas. We’ll talk about his relationship with Tony Rice, working with the Zac Brown band while he was still a teenager, his work in Washington, D.C. advocating for musicians and recording engineers and his…

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Bluegrass Briefing May 14th 2025 12:55

20d ago12:55

12:55

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. News and Announcements (Church Street News) Bluegrass on Hudson lineup and tickets IBMA WOB tickets IBMA International Stage applications Note - the deadline is bei…

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185 | Barry Goudreau Shares Lead Guitar Adventures with Boston, Barry Goudreau's Engine Room, and More 54:01

22d ago54:01

54:01

Whether it’s on the first two BOSTON albums or on releases by his latest group, BARRY GOUDREAU’S ENGINE ROOM, guitarist BARRY GOUDREAU brings the world a soaring, blues-inflected sound that has been part of our collective musical psyche ever since he threw down the monster lead on Boston’s 1977 rock radio smash, “Foreplay / Long Time.” I was thrill…

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Sara Watkins on I'm With Her's Witchy AF New Record, ep. 309 54:09

26d ago54:09

54:09

Sara Watkins joins Basic Folk to talk about 'Wild and Clear and Blue,' the new album from I'm With Her, her band with Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O'Donovan. The new LP was inspired by looking back on your life in order to move forward, with a very witchy manner of speaking that encompasses the ancient, mysterious, and spiritual. Sara shares insights int…

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Bluegrass Unlimited Podcast with Chris Pandolfi 1:03:56

26d ago1:03:56

1:03:56

This week we feature banjo player Chris Pandolfi of the Infamous Stringdusters and talk with him about his career in bluegrass and various other aspects of bluegrass music, practicing, performing and banjo playing.By Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine

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Jason Carter on his 33 Years With the Del McCoury Band 52:05

27d ago52:05

52:05

My guest on the podcast this week is six time IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year Jason Carter. Jason recently ended his 33 year run with the Del McCoury Band and we talk about that extraordinary journey, from the fascinating story about how he got the job in the first place, to the decision to move on and what comes next. We also talk about the huge ch…

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Mary Gauthier & Jaimee Harris on THE Three Shoes, Alchemy and Weeding out Baddies, ep. 308 57:54

1M ago57:54

57:54

Mary Gauthier and Jaimee Harris talk to Lizzie and Cindy for Basic Folk on-board the Cayamo cruise in front of a live audience. We get down to business in addressing NICE things by asking Mary what kind of shoes she's wearing – as she has a reputation for enjoying the good stuff, especially on her feet. After that, we asked and Jaimee Harris enthus…

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Bluegrass Unlimited Podcast with Reed Jones 1:02:25

1M ago1:02:25

1:02:25

This week we feature bass player, singer and songwriter Reed Jones. Reed played in Audie Blaylock’s band, Redline, prior to Audie’s untimely passing. He recently teamed up with a special group of musicians who were friends and bandmates of Audie’s to record a tribute single titled “Ran Out of Road.” We talk with Reed about the song and his work wit…

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Susan Werner on Defining Hard Work, Paid Vacations, and Relaxing as Indie Musician, ep. 307 46:29

1M ago46:29

46:29

The dynamic songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Susan Werner talks to us onboard the Cayamo cruise, which she describes as a "paid vacation." Reflecting on her upbringing on a working farm, Susan discusses the hard work that shaped her, but also how she’s learning to embrace rest and relaxation. With humor and insight, she navigates the balance be…

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Bluegrass Unlimited Podcast with Michael Cleveland 1:24:00

1M ago1:24:00

1:24:00

This week we feature fiddler Michael Cleveland. Michael and Jason Carter have a new album out. We talk with Michael about how he got his start in bluegrass music, the various bands that he has performed with, forming his own band, and the new recording.By Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine

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Bitesize - Wyatt Rice on recording Church Street Blues with Tony Rice 23:12

1M ago23:12

23:12

This Bitesize episode features a conversation I had with Wyatt Rice for a set of episodes in 2023 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Tony Rice's 'Church Street Blues' album. Wyatt talks about his experience of playing on the sessions aged just 17, hanging out with Tony, the first time he saw an Ovation guitar at Tony's house and the track from 'C…

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Bluegrass Briefing - April 21st 2025 11:01

1M ago11:01

11:01

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. News and Announcements (Church Street News) Tony Rice Memorial Day Music Fest Banjo in Sicily with Tony Trischka Releases (The Grass is New) Daniel Kimbro album - b…

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Bluegrass Unlimited Podcast with Ginger Boatwright 1:05:16

2M ago1:05:16

1:05:16

This week we feature guitar player and singer Ginger Boatwright. Ginger performed with Red, White and Bluegrass starting in the late 1960s and then worked with Doug Dillard from 1981 until Doug’s passing 33 years later.By Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine

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Jon Muq: Uganda, Cruise Ship Food and His Googly-Eyed Guitar, ep. 306 34:55

2M ago34:55

34:55

Originally from the village of Mutungo, Uganda (near the country's capital of Kampala), Jon Muq's journey to his current life of touring with an Austin, Texas home-base has been unconventional. Onboard the Cayamo cruise earlier this year, we talked to Jon about his childhood experiences, including fetching water with friends and "We Are the World,"…

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Katie Harford Hogue - Julia Belle: The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, Vol. 2 45:44

2M ago45:44

45:44

My guest this week is Katie Harford Hogue, who joins me to chat about the wonderful album 'Julia Belle: The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, Vol. 2' We discuss how the project came about, following the discovery of dozens of John Hartford's notebooks, kept between 1983 and 2001, full of as many as 4,000 original fiddle tunes he'd composed. That l…

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184 | Jules Leyhe's Supercool Slide Strategies 1:42:05

2M ago1:42:05

1:42:05

Whether he’s channeling Duane Allman or Derek Trucks, playing blues bars or baseball stadiums (he’s done the National Anthem for both the A’s and the Giants), JULES LEYHE simply does not stop playing guitar, and his love for the instrument is infectious. Armed with an SG, a mutt Strat, and a custom Tweed amp, Leyhe plugs in with me for an inspiring…

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Bluegrass Briefing - April 14th 2025 10:52

2M ago10:52

10:52

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. News and Announcements (Church Street News) Darol Anger’s Big Book of Tunes vol 3 Releases (The Grass is New) The Grass is (mostly) New 2025 playlist Scroll on Budd…

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Ani DiFranco & Carsie Blanton: Menopause, The Wild Child, and Naps to fight Capitalism, ep. 305 43:44

2M ago43:44

43:44

Basic Folk is making trouble at sea with Ani DiFranco and Carsie Blanton! Hosts Lizzie and Cindy had the opportunity to speak with the two like-minded radical songwriters aboard the 2025 edition of Cayamo, a roots music cruise. Our conversation kicks off with Ani sharing her transformative experience performing as Persephone in the Broadway show 'H…

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Bluegrass Unlimited Podcast with Jeremy Chapman 1:03:56

2M ago1:03:56

1:03:56

This week we feature mandolin player Jeremy Chapman. Jeremy played with his family band for years and now he and his brothers run one of the most successful acoustic music stores in the country. He also has a new mandolin instructional book out that is really well done and is reviewed in the April 2025 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine.…

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Bitesize - Rachel Baiman on Connection, Conversation and Community in Music 25:03

2M ago25:03

25:03

This Bitesize episode comes from an interview I did in April 2023 with Rachel Baiman about her wonderful record Common Nation of Sorrow I re-listened to the episode (and the album) recently and this section really stood out. We chat about storytelling in music; the power of infusing a song with emotion; the importance of connection and conversation…

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Bluegrass Briefing - April 7th 2025 8:29

2M ago8:29

8:29

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. News and Announcements (Church Street News) Earl Scruggs Music Festival Rhiannon Giddens and Kristina Gaddy book Releases (The Grass is New) The Grass is (mostly) N…

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Loudon Wainwright III: Oversharing, Family Ties, and Musical Legacy, ep. 304 46:20

2M ago46:20

46:20

The legendary Loudon Wainwright III, whose career has spanned over five decades, is known for his deeply personal songwriting and sharp wit – and oversharing. The patriarch of the Wainwright folk dynasty (which includes Rufus, Martha, their late mother Kate McGarrigle, as well as Lucy and her mother Suzzy Roche), Loudon reflects on the balance betw…

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Bluegrass Unlimited Podcast with Dick Staber 1:08:12

2M ago1:08:12

1:08:12

This week we feature mandolin player Dick Staber. Dick has recently written a very interesting memoir about his life in bluegrass music and after reading it, we got in touch with Dick and asked about conducting a podcast interview. Dick notably play with Del McCoury from 1968 to 1975 and also performed with Don Stover, Bob Paisley, Leon Morris, Bil…

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Bluegrass Briefing - March 31st 2025 10:56

2M ago10:56

10:56

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. News and Announcements (Church Street News) North Carolina Guitar Celebration Releases (The Grass is New) Darol Anger & Mike Marshall with the WDR Big Band Spotify …

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Bluegrass Unlimited Podcast with Greg Luck 1:02:48

2M ago1:02:48

1:02:48

This week we feature multi-instrumentalist Greg Luck. Greg has performed with many of the top bands in bluegrass, including Lost & Found, the Lynn Morris Band, Bluegrass Cardinals, J.D. Crowe and the New South, IIIrd Time Out and Sideline. He also is a recording engineer who has worked with a number of the well-known bands in bluegrass.…

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Olivia Ellen Lloyd: West Virginia to Brooklyn, Finding Ground in Water, ep. 303 1:01:14

2M ago1:01:14

1:01:14

Olivia Ellen Lloyd's latest album, 'Do It Myself,' sees the West Virginia-born Brooklyn-based songwriter reflecting on the powerful imagery of water. She shares how it has been a source of grounding and calmness in her life, from childhood memories spent on the Potomac River to her current love for the ocean, these elements have shaped her artistic…

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183 | Grace Slick Talks Guitar! 1:28:56

2M ago1:28:56

1:28:56

Ain't no interview like a GRACE SLICK interview! That's right — the outspoken Rock-and-Roll-Hall-of-Fame singer of Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, and Starship, and the voice of the psychedelic rock generation and beyond is on the show. Whether she's talking about the playing of great guitar players she has known (everyone from her legendar…

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Bonnie "Prince" Billy On Making Nashville Musical Magic, ep. 302 1:04:32

2M ago1:04:32

1:04:32

Will Oldham, also known as Bonnie "Prince" Billy, has led an illustrious, sometimes mysterious career which has spanned decades and genres. Hailing from and still living in Lexington, KY, in our Basic Folk conversation Will reflects on his journey from a young artist struggling to find his place in the music world to a seasoned musician who embrace…

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Bluegrass Unlimited Podcast with Gerald Jones 52:49

2M ago52:49

52:49

This week we feature multi-instrumentalist Gerald Jones. Every year in March we provide the Workshop and Camp listings for the year and Gerald has just taking over running Camp Bluegrass in Levelland, Texas. Camp Bluegrass is one of the oldest bluegrass music camps in the country and Gerald will be leading that camp this year and into the future. W…

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Sierra Hull - A Tiptoe High Wire 45:04

3M ago45:04

45:04

My guest this week is Sierra Hull. Sierra has been a guest on the podcast twice before and both times we chatted about an ongoing project she's been working on since her last record 25 Trips. That project eventually became her new album, the wonderful A Tiptoe High Wire, which we talk about in this episode. Recorded over four sets of sessions over …

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Rose Cousins & Edie Carey: Bast Friendship, Music, and the Art of Spatula-ing Life, ep. 301 1:25:31

3M ago1:25:31

1:25:31

Rose Cousins and Edie Carey's friendship has blossomed for over two decades. On the occasion of Rose releasing her new album, 'Conditions of Love - Vol 1,' the pair appear on Basic Folk to discuss the new music. They reflect on their early days and their first meeting as well as the ways they’ve influenced each other's careers and personal growth. …

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Bluegrass Unlimited Podcast with Don Rigsby 1:02:36

3M ago1:02:36

1:02:36

This week we feature mandolin player, fiddler, singer and producer Don Rigsby. Don has performed with many of the top bands in bluegrass over the years and is currently a member of our cover story band for March 2025, Southern Legacy. We talk with Don about all of the various bands he has been involved with over the years, his work with Southern Le…

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David Grisman - Celebrating 35 Years of Acoustic Disc 58:02

3M ago58:02

58:02

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 …

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Bluegrass Briefing - March 10th 2025 10:38

3M ago10:38

10:38

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 News Bluegrass Jam Along guests on mandolins and Beer Apple Spotify Bluegrass Standard article on Bluegrass Jam Along! News and Announcements (Church Street New…

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Sierra Hull: Mandolin Magic and Small Town Roots, ep. 300 1:06:40

3M ago1:06:40

1:06:40

When mandolinist Sierra Hull was little, her dad told her she was really good "for a ten year old." The older Hull knew Sierra had a fiery passion for the instrument and he knew exactly how to motivate his daughter. He went on to say that if she wanted to go to jams and porch-play for the rest of her life, she'd learned enough. He gave her realisti…

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Bluegrass Unlimited Podcast with Casey Driessen 1:21:58

3M ago1:21:58

1:21:58

This week we feature fiddler Casey Driessen and talk with him about his bluegrass journey including his years at the Berklee College of Music as a student, the bands he performed with after graduating from Berklee, his work as the director of Berklee’s Masters program in Spain and the interesting projects that he has been involved with since return…

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Bitesize - Bluegrass Jam Along guests on the Mandolins and Beer podcast 12:51

3M ago12:51

12:51

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 g…

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Basic Folk Presents: Folk Files: Shady Grove 25:27

3M ago25:27

25:27

Editor’s note: Basic Folk is pleased to introduce our listeners to one of our favorite podcasts by sharing an episode in our feed! Folk Files is a podcast hosted by Olivia Harding that seeks to uncover the mysteries of folk music through the ages and dive deep into the tangled history of murder ballads, sea shanties, rebel songs, and other music th…

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Bluegrass Briefing - March 3rd 2025 9:58

3M ago9:58

9:58

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 News Doc Watson 100th birthday episodes Part 1 Apple Spotify YouTube Part 2 Apple Spotify YouTube Bluegrass Jam Along guests on mandolins and Beer Apple Spotify…

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182 | Jerry Douglas Dobro Deep Dive 1:16:38

3M ago1:16:38

1:16:38

Sixteen-time Grammy-winning resonator guitar legend JERRY DOUGLAS gives YOU a Dobro lesson on this very special episode. The renowned instrumentalist/composer/producer also deconstructs his amazing new album, THE SET — a collection of new recordings comprising the mesmerizing songs you are likely to hear at a Jerry Douglas concert — and dives deep …

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Gary Louris talks to Mark Erelli on Songwriting, Late in Life Love, and Technology, ep. 299 1:01:02

3M ago1:01:02

1:01:02

You probably know Gary Louris as the leader of The Jayhawks – or as they refer to themselves, “a band from Minnesota.” The Jayhawks are pioneers of roots rock, alt-country, and Americana. Whatever you wanna call it, they’ve been making records where rock, pop, country, and other forms of American roots music overlap since the mid-1980s. But Louris’…