If you were listening last week, you'll know that my interview with Trey Hensley about Flatt and Scruggs at Carnegie Hall was the 500th episode of Bluegrass Jam Along.

To celebrate I thought I'd put together an episode with a few of my highlights and favourite moments from those first 500.

You'll hear from:

• Alison Krauss, on two different car journeys with Tony Rice
• Wyatt Rice, on recording Church Street Blues
• Bryan Sutton, on the journey all musicians go on
• Gabe Witcher, on leaving Punch Brothers
• Brittny Haas, on joining Punch Brothers
• Chris Eldridge, on Bela Fleck's Drive album
• Bryan Sutton (again), on Doc Watson and his influence
• Sarah Jarosz, on her album Blue Heron Suite
• Sara Watkins, on I'm With Her's Wild and Clear and Blue
• and Mike Marshall, on playing with Tony Rice and what he learned from other musicians

This journey has been a lot of fun and I can't wait to get stuck into the interviews I already have lined up for the next set of episodes.

Thanks to all my guests and to all of you who've listened over the past four and a half years.

If you want to hear a bit more about my journey with the podcast, check out this interview I did with Daniel Patrick from the Mandolins and Beer podcast.

Finally, if you know anyone who you think would like this episode, please share it with them!

Matt

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

- 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:

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Welcome to the 500th episode of Bluegrass Jam Along!

My guest this week is Trey Hensley, who joins me to celebrate the very first record he bought - Flatt and Scruggs at Carnegie Hall.

This historic album was a pivotal moment for bluegrass and also served as a personal intro to the music for many fans.

We chat about why Flatt & Scruggs' performance at Carnegie Hall, on December, 1962 was groundbreaking, the initial skepticism from the press, the audience's enthusiastic reception and some of the famous (and soon to be famous) face in the crowd on the night.

We also talk about the pivotal role Lousie Scruggs had, not just in getting this performance recorded, but in putting Flatt and Scruggs (and bluegrass music) in front of a new, younger audience.

This one was a real treat!

For more info on Trey check out www.treyhensley.com

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If you're a Flatt and Scruggs fan and missed the Earl Scruggs 100th birthday episodes I put together last year (including Trey as a guest!) you'll find them here:

Earl Scruggs 100th Birthday Tribute:

• Part 1 - Tony Trischka, Kristin Scott Benson and Alan Munde
• Part 2 - Jerry Douglas, Alison Brown and Tim O'Brien
• Part 3 - Trey Hensley, Kyle Tuttle (Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway) & Willow Osborne
• Jim Mills on Earl Scruggs and pre-War Gibson banjos
• Jerry Douglas celebrates Earl Scruggs' 100th Birthday

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

This week's Bitesize episode celebrates one of the most important dates in bluegrass music - December 8th.

The main reason this date is so important is that it marks the first time Earl Scruggs joined Bill Monroe at The Opry, on December 8th 1945, leading many people to describe it as 'the birth of bluegrass'. That makes 2025 the 80th anniversary of bluegrass!

Fast forward to December 8th 1962 and we have another Flatt and Scruggs milestone - their performance at New York's Carnegie Hall, which was released the year after as Flatt and Scruggs Live at Carnegie Hall, a record that went on to become a firm favourite of bluegrass fans the world over.

To celebrate that record, I'll be joined by Trey Hensley in the next episode of the podcast...which is also Bluegrass Jam Along's 500th episode!

If you missed the Earl Scruggs 100th birthday episodes I put together last year, you'll find them here:

Jerry Douglas celebrates Earl Scruggs' 100th Birthday

Earl Scruggs 100th Birthday Tribute:

Part 1 - Tony Trischka, Kristin Scott Benson and Alan Munde

Part 2 - Jerry Douglas, Alison Brown and Tim O'Brien

Jim Mills on Earl Scruggs and pre-War Gibson banjos

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