Bluegrass Unlimited's Podcast

This week we feature musician, writer, producer and performer Jim Rooney and talk with him about the early days of bluegrass in New England. Our September 2026 issue features the history of bluegrass in New England and Jim was involved in the bluegrass music scene in Boston starting in the 1950s and was a motive force in helping to popularize bluegrass and folk music in that area or the country.

This week we feature multi-instrumentalist Austin Scelzo. We talk with Austin about his bluegrass story and the bands he currently performs with. We will also talk about the instructional content on his YouTube channel, his work with the Wernick Method and the work he is doing to help promote bluegrass in Connecticut.

This week we feature guitar player Tony Watt. Our September 2026 issue features bluegrass in New England. Tony is currently the president of the Boston Bluegrass Union and teaches at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. We talk with Tony about everything that is currently happening in the Boston bluegrass scene.

This week we feature mandolin master Matt Flinner and talk with him about his bluegrass journey from the early days with the Pee Wee Pickers in Utah up to the various bands he performs with today. We will also talk about his online mandolin classes.

This week we feature Kenny Feinstein of the band Water Tower and talk with him about his new solo project titled Lonesome LA Cowboy . We will also talk about how Water Tower got their start by busking at highway off ramps in Los Angeles and how that launched the band's success. Kenny also has a new book out that teaches bands how to promote themselves. We'll talk about the book as well.

This week we feature Santa Cruz Guitar Company owner Richard Hoover and talk with him about reaching the 50 th anniversary of building Santa Cruz guitars. We will talk about how Richard became interested in building guitars, the early days of the Santa Cruz Guitar Company and what he has planned for the company moving forward into the future.

This week we feature flatpicking guitar master Russ Barenberg and talk with him about his long career performing and recording with the acoustic guitar. We will follow his career from his early days in Pennsylvania, then moving to his days in New York and Boston and then his making the move to Nashville. We'll talk about some of the bands that Russ performed with along the way, including Country Cooking, Fiddle Fever and the trio with Jerry Douglas and Edgar Meyer. We'll also talk about the solo projects that he has released over the years, and more.

This week we feature mandolin player and builder David Harvey. Dave has recently retired from working at Gibson and we take a look back at his career as both a performer and instrument builder. Dave talks about his father, mandolinist Dorsey Harvey, and about performing with artist like Red Allen, Larry Sparks, Claire Lynch, Larry Cordle, the Moody Blues and more.

This week we feature fiddler Craig Duncan. We talk with Craig about his many instructional books and his recordings covering a variety of genres of fiddle music. We will also talk about the performance work that he does in Nashville, his approach to teaching fiddle and some of the now famous fiddle students that he has taught over the years.

This week we feature clawgrass banjo player Mark Johnson who was one of this year's inductees to the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame. Mark talks to us about his clawgrass style of banjo, his relationship with Tony Rice and the Rice Brothers, winning the Steve Martin Banjo Prize and his work with Emory Lester.

This week we are featuring Heather Berry Mabe and Tony Mabe. We'll talk with them about how they got started in bluegrass, the various bands they have worked with, their work with Junior Sisk and their recent recording and performing with Red Camel Collective. You will also get to hear a few cuts from their upcoming album.

This week we feature guitar and mandolin player Mickey Abraham. Mickey has recently released a wonderful new album with Kathryn Belle Long titled Voices: A Folk Opera . We talk with Mickey about his career in music and the making and release of this new album, plus his work as a guitar and mandolin instructor.

This week we feature banjo player Frank Evans. We talk with Frank about his new album titled Fit For A Dog . Frank toured for years with the Slocan Ramblers and is now out on the road as a member of Bronwyn Keith-Hynes' band.

This week we feature Michael Daves and talk with him about his growing up in bluegrass music, performing with Chris Thile, working with Tony Trischka and his new album with Jacob Jollif that plays tribute to Jim and Jesse. We also talk to Michael about his ArtistWorks vocals course.

This week we feature Billy Cardine and Mary Lucey and talk with them about their new band Tanasi and the album that they recently released. We will explore both Mary and Billy's backgrounds in music and then talk about the new album and play a couple of cuts from the record.

This week we feature bluegrass banjo legend Tony Trischka and talk with him about his two Earl Jam projects and tour. Tony tells us the story about how the two Earl Jam projects came together and we will talk about his love and respect for Earl's banjo playing and his relationship with Earl Scruggs over the years. We'll also talk about his teaching banjo on ArtistWorks.

This week we feature multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Chris Stuart. Chris has written many songs that were recorded by various well-known bluegrass artists, then he stepped away from writing bluegrass songs for a while, but has now come back to it. We talk with Chris about his bluegrass journey and his song writing.

This week we feature guitar player Jack Lawrence and talk with him about his early years in bluegrass, the many years he spent performing with Doc Watson and what he will be teaching to flatpicking guitar players in August 2026 at the Monroe Mandolin Camp.

This week we feature fiddle player, songwriter and singer Sara Watkins, famously of Nickel Creek and now performing with I'm With Her. We talk with Sara about the Nickel Creek days and what I'm With Her has going on this year, including the recent release or their live album.

This week we are featuring Ralph Stanley II. We talk with Ralph about his life growing up in bluegrass as the son of a bluegrass legend and we will talk about this year's upcoming Dr. Ralph Stanley Hills of Home Bluegrass Festival held at the Stanley homeplace over Memorial Day Weekend. We'll also talk about the Stanley Brothers recent induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.