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 'Church Street Blues' he ended up playing backup on, even though he'd never played it before the tape started running.

It was a really special interview to get to be a part of - I hoe you enjoy it.

Here are the links to the full Church Street Blues episodes:

- Part 1 - (inc. Tim Stafford, Wyatt, Alison Krauss, Bryan Sutton and Chris Eldridge

- Part 2 - (inc. Bob Minner, Jake Eddy, Justin Moses and Scott Nygaard)

- Wyatt (extended interview)

Happy picking,

Matt

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Support the show

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Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)

Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins

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- Free fiddle tune chord sheets

- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews

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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 - buy/stream
• The Grass is (mostly) New 2025 playlist

Scroll on Buddy

• Alison Krauss vinyl reissue
• Soul Folk book

Other bits

• Sign up for emails https://bluegrassjamalong.com/contact/
• The Grass is (mostly) New 2025 playlist
• Full list of interviews
• Collings Guitars

Happy picking.

Matt

Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!)

Support the show

===

Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)

Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins

- Sign up to get updates on new episodes

- Free fiddle tune chord sheets

- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews

- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:

• Instagram
• Facebook

- Review us on Apple Podcasts

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 led to the book - 'John Hartford's Mammoth Collection of Fiddle Tunes', followed by two albums, the second of which we're exploring today.

Co-produced by Katie, with Sharon Gilchrist and Megan Lynch Chowning, 'Julia Belle' features a selection of John's original fiddle tunes, as well as some favourite songs, performed by some of the most beloved female artists in the Hartford-inspired bluegrass scene, including Rachel Baiman, Phoebe Hunt, Ginger Boatwright, Brittany and Natalie Haas, Deanie Richardson, Allison de Groot, Della Mae, The Price Sisters, Uncle Earl, Alison Brown, Missy Raines and Sierra Hull.

It's a wonderful record and made for a fascinating conversation. Check out the links below to buy the album and discover the many amazing resources available to celebrate John's music.

Happy picking,

Matt

More info...

Buy on CD from johnhartford.com

Download on Bandcamp

Listen - Matt Coombs plays John Hartford's Mammoth Collection of Fiddle Tunes

Send a message to Bluegrass Jam Along! (Don't forget to include your name so I know who you are!)

Support the show

===

Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)

Bluegrass Jam Along is proud to be sponsored by Collings Guitars and Mandolins

- Sign up to get updates on new episodes

- Free fiddle tune chord sheets

- Here's a list of all the Bluegrass Jam Along interviews

- Follow Bluegrass Jam Along for regular updates:

• Instagram
• Facebook

- Review us on Apple Podcasts