This is the kind of PR that keeps Lee Greenwood's lifelong "God Bless the USA" schtick going. These MFers pitched us that infernal song days after 9/11. Now they're selling "gold" and "platinum" bibles like they're airline mileage tiers. I replied - called them blasphemous money grubbers.

I got to interview Mickey Raphael for The String - and this time it's on video! He got one of the greatest jobs in the world (playing harmonica for Willie Nelson) by being good and showing up. www.wmot.org/show/the-str...

There's nothing wrong with muzak-style background sound for low-attention time. It's age old. The problem here is Spotify misleading its users and cynically diluting playlists with works-for-hire - and hoping nobody notices. Also, calling it jazz or classical is a crime. harpers.org/archive/2025...

I've posted a year-end survey of the indie music ecosystem in Nashville, powered by two recent studies about artists, money, venues, and the cost of living. Hope you find it interesting. #Nashville #music #business #venues www.wmot.org/roots-radio-...

Do Bluesky people do the Threads thing where they yell their favorite subjects and people goals at the algorithm in hopes of fulfillment?

We're working up a holiday special edition of The Old Fashioned for WMOT and Amy Alvey came across this performance by Jacob's Ladder. I haven't had such a profound reaction to a seasonal song in ages. Beautiful direction and photography too. Wow. www.youtube.com/watch?v=t89y...

They've remixed and remastered Snarky Puppy's breakthrough album We Like It Here, and the streaming version sounds just amazing. "Lingus" remains a staggering work and performance. The vinyl edition $$$. But this might be a good one for a FLAC purchase. store.snarkypuppy.com/products/we-...

I love Minneapolis-based songwriter/artist/guitarist Humbird. Enjoy an hour with her casual, intelligent energy. I love her 2024 album 'Right On'. www.wmot.org/show/the-str...

We're working up a holiday special edition of The Old Fashioned for WMOT and Amy Alvey came across this performance by Jacob's Ladder. I haven't had such a profound reaction to a seasonal song in ages. Beautiful direction and photography too. Wow. www.youtube.com/watch?v=t89y...

Allison de Groot AND Tray Wellington have been named as this year's winners of the Steve Martin Banjo Prize. It's a substantial $25k grant to each, and I think the first time with two winners in a year. Great leadership in roots music philanthropy. We need more.

A world master has passed. I got to hear Zakir Hussain a couple of times and even interview him once with Béla Fleck and Edgar Meyer. We tend to listen to rhythm quite superficially in the USA. Indian rhythm is like quantum mechanics. (Gift article) www.nytimes.com/2024/12/15/a...

#Nashville Gold on a rainy Monday evening. First, Mr. Sun at Analog, playing their arrangement of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's swinging jazz remake of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. Then off to East for Jack Silverman's sonic #jazz adventures in the parlor at Urban Cowboy. This town man...

This important album just went up for pre-order. TK in March. Some friends mine are involved, and the project is of, by, and for the people of western NC, my spiritual home. I visited Marshall in Nov and... resonancesessions.bandcamp.com/album/the-re...

Famous last words, posted on Threads.

Hi there. New account. Gotta start somewhere, so here's a stab. Every year I write about 30 Essential and Outstanding Americana albums for my radio station WMOT in Nashville. It'll tell you a lot about where I'm coming from. Looking forward to new connections here. www.wmot.org/roots-radio-...