The Travis Book Happy Hour

Casey Driessen is simply one of the most inventive fiddlers on planet earth. I first saw him perform in his trademark red shoes with Tim O’Brien, and have had the honor of performing with him in Woody Platt’s backing ensemble The Bluegrass Gentlemen. Casey is friendly and open minded but I get the sense he doesn’t suffer fools and I was admittedly a little intimidated going into this session. I kn...

Chris Eldridge and I met when I stepped off of an elevator with my bass at the International Bluegrass Music Association's convention in 2004. The Infamous Stringdusters were forming in Nashville at the time and they needed a bass player for the jam that night and, it turned out, for the band in general. We spent the first two years of that band traveling and making music together and Chris is...

I had heard of Caitlin Krisko, but I’d never really heard her music until she took over the stage at the Floydfest Buffalo Jam a few years ago. I’d finished up my part of the show and had headed out into the crowd to unwind and watch the proceedings. Every time Caitlin stepped up to the mic the ensemble struggled to match her soul and intensity. It wasn’t even fair, really. She owned that show tha...

Nashville in the mid-2000’s was full of aspiring bluegrass musicians from my generation. People were starting bands, landing gigs as side-men, and living in large, cheap houses on the East side of town. Almost nightly we’d gather at picking parties that sometimes more closely resembled what you’d see at a fraternity. One of the people I met and played with during these heady years was Luke Bulla....

Dangermuffin’s Dan Lotti writes songs and sings them in a way that make me feel like everything is going to be just fine. Originally from Folly Beach, much of the band now makes their home in Asheville but their music retains the laid-back beach vibe of it’s roots on the Carolina coast. Positive, inquisitive, conscious and grateful, Dan Lotti is the kinda guy you wish would call you up to have a p...

Drummers don’t always get a lot of love or attention. But, mention the name  Jeff Sipe  to nearly any musician and their eyes light up. Also known as Apartment Q258, he was a founding member of Aquarium Rescue Unit with Colonel Bruce Hampton (which also counted Otiel Burbridge of Dead & Co and Jimmy Herring of Widespread Panic among its members). I first heard him via early Leftover Salmon boo...

As much a mystic as a musician, Phoebe Hunt makes music that speaks to the yearning we all have to connect with something larger than ourselves. A deep commitment to making music with meaning is her compass and she’s an example of what it means to be in loving relationship with music. We need more musicians like Phoebe Hunt in this world. This episode was recorded live at 185 King Street in Brevar...

Wyatt Ellis can’t even drive a car but he’s making waves in the bluegrass community. A prolific tune-writer and a dedicated student of the mandolin, he’s growing and learning at a rate you only find in the under 20 set. I was surprised to find that he’s also humble, articulate, and a total professional. It’s not hard to envision him reaching the highest echelons of acoustic and bluegrass music and...

Trey Hensley is simply the most ferocious acoustic guitar player I’ve ever encountered. His attack and control of the guitar is unrivaled and left me in awe. He is, however, also just about as kind and as humble as an East Tennessee man can be. I had a great time playing music with and getting to know more about this musical titan and I’m really happy to make this podcast available. This episode w...

I met Andy Thorn during the winter of 2002/2003 when he was visiting Durango, Colorado on a ski trip. We played and traveled over two summers as members of The Broke Mountain Bluegrass Band, which broke up - or went on an 18 year hiatus - after the summer of 2005. Andy and I remain and always will be great friends, and sharing the stage with Andy and Jon Stickley was an honor. This episode capture...

When I asked Mike Ashworth’s bandmates and friends to give me a sentence describing him, it was almost comical how similar their answers were. Two of them were identical, describing him as “the most natural gifted and versatile musician I have ever known.” One even said, “when God made the perfect musician, he made Mike Ashworth; enormously talented and versatile, but also humble, joyous, and a wo...

I met Ed Jurdi at a taping of The Travis Book Happy Hour in March of 2021. Our mutual friend Nicki Bluhm was on the show and she’d invited Ed, who’d recently moved to Asheville, to attend. I was not yet acquainted with Band of Heathens or Ed Jurdi, but when we met after the show I was struck by his warmth and attentiveness. It was a couple years before I would get him to Brevard to join me, but im...

The night Jordan Tice joined me in Brevard for the taping of this episode it was cold, wet and dark - classic Western North Carolina in late January. We had the garage door behind the stage closed and the lights low. Jordan’s guitar playing, soft spoken demeanor, and humor made for a wonderfully intimate and enjoyable evening for everyone in the room. Jordan’s a gem and this episode feels like an...

Acoustic Syndicate is one of the best acoustic rock and Americana bands on earth. Fronted by Steve McMurry, the band’s music leans toward themes of sustainability, social justice and quality of life and they’ve built a loyal following over the last 30 years. Steve takes us on a musical journey filled with inspiration and tradition in this episode, and he is as down-to-earth as they come; he still...

Rachel Baiman’s indie folk and Americana vibe, rooted in Chicago and rich with fiddle tunes, unfolds as she shares her transition to singer songwriter. Influences ranging from Courtney Barnett to John Hartford and other roots music make their way into her live performance. Rachel is part of a generational scene in Nashville that I’ve been watching with awe for the last 5-10 years. A unique voice,...

This episode is brought to you by Thompson Guitars and is presented by Americana Vibes and The Bluegrass Situation as part of the BGS Podcast Network . You can dive into all things roots music anytime at thebluegrasssituation.com   Full disclosure; I’ve played music and stood closer to Andy Falco onstage more than anyone over the last 15 years, maybe ever. As the guitarist for our band The Infamou...

This episode is brought to you by Thompson Guitars and is presented by Americana Vibes and The Bluegrass Situation as part of the BGS Podcast Network . You can dive into all things roots music anytime at thebluegrasssituation.com   I’ve shared the stage with Jim Lauderdale many times over the years and have always enjoyed his approach and attitude. Funny, self-effacing, eager to entertain, Jim’s a...

This episode is brought to you by Thompson Guitars and is presented by Americana Vibes and The Bluegrass Situation as part of the BGS Podcast Network . You can dive into all things roots music anytime at thebluegrasssituation.com   When the opportunity to host Beppe Gambetta on the Happy Hour came up, I jumped on it. Beppe’s a legend and has a totally unique flatpicking voice. An ambassador for fl...

This episode is brought to you by Thompson Guitars and is presented by Americana Vibes and The Bluegrass Situation as part of the BGS Podcast Network . You can dive into all things roots music anytime at thebluegrasssituation.com   I started preparing for this episode when I was on a summer trip with my kids in Colorado which mostly involves listening to music. I’ll never forget driving toward Mt....

This episode is brought to you by Thompson Guitars and is presented by Americana Vibes and The Bluegrass Situation as part of the BGS Podcast Network . You can dive into all things roots music anytime at thebluegrasssituation.com   When The Stringdusters were in Nashville around 2006 or 2007, our dobro player lived next door to Jon Weisberger in Madison, right on the Cumberland River. There were t...

This episode is brought to you by Thompson Guitars and is presented by Americana Vibes and The Bluegrass Situation, as part of the BGS Podcast Network. You can dive into all things roots music anytime at thebluegrasssituation.com   I know Jeremy Garrett about as well as anyone else, excepting his wife Connie, of course. We’ve traveled together for 17 years as founding members of The Infamous Strin...

This episode is brought to you by Thompson Guitars and is presented by Americana Vibes and The Bluegrass Situation, as part of the BGS Podcast Network. You can dive into all things roots music anytime at thebluegrasssituation.com   Graham Sharp has had the kind of career any banjo player dreams of. He started the Steep Canyon Rangers in college with a group of friends, immediately discovered he ha...

This episode is brought to you by Thompson Guitars and is presented by Americana Vibes and The Bluegrass Situation, as part of the BGS Podcast Network. You can dive into all things roots music anytime at thebluegrasssituation.com   Cris Jacobs is an enigma. The question is always “why is this guy not more famous?” Searing guitar, incredible heart-felt songwriting, genre defying vocals, and an incr...

This episode is brought to you by Thompson Guitars and is presented by Americana Vibes and The Bluegrass Situation, as part of the BGS Podcast Network. You can dive into all things roots music anytime at thebluegrasssituation.com   I’d been searching for the right guests for the happy hour when a couple Instagram posts caught my eye. Two former guests had posted video of Cristina Vane playing the...

The Travis Book Happy Hour Podcast is brought to you by Thompson Guitars and is presented by Americana Vibes and The Bluegrass Situation. The show is part of the BGS Podcast Network. You can dive into all things roots music anytime at  thebluegrasssituation.com Tim O’Brien has always been one of my biggest influences. I love his voice, his playing, and his writing. His album  Red On Blonde  was hi...