Bluegrass Unlimited's Podcast

This week we feature banjo player Russ Carson.  We'll talk about his early years in bluegrass in his home state of Pennsylvania, his work with Audie Blaylock and his becoming the banjo player for Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder.  We'll also talk about his new CD and you'll hear a few cuts from the recordings.

This week we feature Nick Hornbuckle, the banjo player with John Reischman and the Jaybirds.  In addition to talking with Nick about his career in bluegrass to date—which includes how he had to go from playing Scruggs three-finger style banjo to producing the same sound using only two fingers, due to a physical issue—we will also talk with Nick about the Jaybirds newest recording. 

This week we feature singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Shawn Lane of Blue Highway.  We'll talk with Shawn about how he got his start in bluegrass, the bands he performed with early in his career, his work with Blue Highway over the past 30 years and performing with his talented sons Grayson and Garrett. 

This week we feature fiddler Jimmy Mattingly and talk with him about his career playing in fiddle contests as a young fiddler, performing in bluegrass band such as Spectrum, the Osbourne Brothers and the Grascals and working with country music acts such as Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood and others.  We will also talk about him being the fiddle instructor at the Bluegras...

This week we feature Jaelee Roberts, the lead singer and guitar player for Sister Sadie.  We talk with Jaelee about growing up in a prominent bluegrass family, performing with an award-winning band, recording her solo albums and performing on the Grand Ole Opry.  You will also hear a couple of songs from Jaelee's newest solo album.

      This week we feature mandolin master Don Stiernberg.  A protégé of the great Jethro Burns, Don is known for both his bluegrass and jazz chops on the mandolin and guitar.  In this podcast I'll talk with Don about his years learning from and performing with Jethro Burns and the connections that Jethro had with music legends like Hank Williams, Sr., Chet Adkins, Bill Monroe and Red Rector.  We'...

This week we feature Avril Smith, the guitar player with Della Mae, and talk with her about her career in music, her teaching at Bryan Sutton's guitar camp, Della Mae's newest recording and what 2026 has in store for the band.

This week we feature banjo player Jeremy Stephens.   After we discuss how he got his start in bluegrass music, the various bands that Jeremy has performed with over the years and the groups he is with currently, we will talk about his deep interest in Don Reno's banjo style and his study of Reno's life story.

This week we feature Dobro player Fred Travers of the Seldom Scene.   We'll talk about how Fred became interested in playing the Dobro, his interest in Mike Auldridge's approach to the Dobro and how he got the chance to take lessons with Mike.  We'll also talk about the early bands he performed with and then how he eventually got the opportunity to take the Dobro  spot in the Seldom Scene after Mi...

This week we feature mandolin player and fiddler Andy Leftwich and talk with him about his early days playing fiddle contests, joining Valerie Smith at age 15 and then Ricky Skaggs' band at age 19.   He spent about 12 years playing with Skaggs and has since moved on and recently recorded a couple of new albums.  His album The American Fiddler came out in 2022 and his new yet to be titled album wil...

This week we feature mandolin player Ashby Frank and talk with him about his work with the many different bluegrass bands that he has performed with over the years, both in his native North Carolina and in Nashville.   We will also talk about his songwriting and his new solo recording.   Additionally, y ou will get a chance to hear a couple of tunes from that recording.

This week we feature mandolin player Harry Clark.   Harry performs and records with one of the hottest bands in bluegrass music today, East Nash Grass.   We talk with Harry about his early years in Arkansas and follow his bluegrass career up to the present day.

This week we feature fiddle player Deanie Richardson.   Deanie has a long history in bluegrass music and fiddling and is a founding member of the award winning bluegrass band Sister Sadie. We talk with her about her early years playing fiddle contests, her work with the New Coon Creek Girls and various country artists, and the new projects she has been involved with recently.

This week we feature fiddler Christian Ward.   As many bluegrass fans know, Christian joined both the Del McCoury band and the Travelin' McCourys after Jason Carter left those bands.   We talk with Christian about his early bluegrass years in California, his songwriting and joining with the McCourys.

This week we feature Dobro player Andy Hall of the Infamous Stringdusters.   We  talk with Andy about his growing up as a rock and metal guitar player and then transitioning into playing the Dobro during his college years at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, his move to Nashville shortly after college and the bands he performed and recorded with there before becoming a founding member of the...

This week we feature guitar player Zeb Snyder.   Zeb started out his career performing with his family band and is now the guitar player for the Appalachian Road Show.   He also has recently released a new solo album.   I'll talk with Zeb about his career in bluegrass, his studio work, the lessons he teaches, bands he performs with and the new recording.

This week we feature mandolin player Casey Campbell.   Casey grew up in bluegrass music, literally taking his first steps in Bill Monroe's dressing room at the Grand Ole Opry.   He has performed with many bluegrass bands in Nashville over the years.   We caught up with Casey at the ROMP festival where he was performing with Vickie Vaughn. We'll talk with Casey about growing up in a musical family,...

This week we feature banjo and guitar player Jason Burleson and talk with him about his career in bluegrass, his thirty years with Blue Highway and a new single that he and his wife have recently released that will lead to his first solo album.  You'll also hear that single on the podcast.

This week we feature multi-instrumentalist and singer Sandy Rothman.   Sandy has a long history in bluegrass music in California, but also performed with Bill Monroe and spent time performing with bands in Ohio.   Back in the mid-1980's Sandy was in a band called the The Bay Ramblers and has just released a two-CD set of the band's music in order to honor the memory of the band's singer and guitar...

This week we feature guitar player and singer Randy Waller.   Randy is the son of the legendary Charlie Waller of the Country Gentlemen.   After his father passed, Randy kept the band going and a new recording of one of their live shows in Holland from 2006 has just been released.   We  talk with Randy about growing up with the Country Gentlemen, his career in music and the new recording.

This week we feature sixteen year old mandolin player Wyatt Ellis.   Wyatt has gained the attention of the bluegrass and mandolin worlds and he did so starting at a very young age.  He is now is touring with his own band and working on a new album.  Several singles from that project have been released and you will have the chance to hear three of those singles here on this podcast.

This week we feature bass player Ronnie Simpkins.   Ronnie has had a long career in bluegrass starting with his family's band and moving on to bands like the Bluegrass Cardinals, the Virginia Squires, the Tony Rice Unit and now he has been a member of the Seldom Scene for 30 years.

This week we feature banjo player Carolyne Van Lierop Boone.   Carolyne is the banjo player with Amanda Cook's band.   Amanda is on the cover of our August 2025 issue and so we thought it would be a good to time talk with Carolyne about her background in bluegrass, working with Amanda Cook and banjo pickin'.

This week we feature mandolin and guitar player Caleb Klauder.   Caleb has a diverse musical background that includes bluegrass, old-time, Cajun and classic country music.   His band, the Foghorn String Band, was featured in Bluegrass Unlimited in March of 2023 and he and his wife Reeb Willms have put together a new bluegrass band and we'll talk about all of that.

This week we feature fiddler Jeremy Garrett.   Jeremy is a member of the Infamous Stringdusters and now has a new solo album out.   We'll talk to Jeremy about his bluegrass career, his twenty years with the Stringdusters, his songwriting and the new album.  You will also hear a few cuts from the album.