Don’t let the straightforward, down-to-earth aesthetic of Jontavious Willis’ music lead you to think that there is little complexity or depth to his art. Indeed, Willis exemplifies making something that isn’t really easy at all seem like a stroll down a country road in his native Georgia hill country. He is also well versed in the history and dynamics of his style of blues. From a recent post on his social media, for example, he said: Ethnomusicologist Pete Lowry coined the term "Piedmont Blues" in the 1960s to describe a certain type of fingerpicking. But in my opinion, many of the titles are flawed. John Hurt and Hacksaw Harney, for example, were from the Delta. Even though they were great fingerpickers, they weren’t from the Piedmont region. Conversely, Barbecue Bob and Kokomo Arnold were from the Piedmont region of Georgia, and most of their styles could be associated with Delta blues. These terms are cool guidelines, but they aren’t concrete. I’m a Piedmont player because that’s where I’m from—the Piedmont region of Georgia.I spoke with Jontavious Willis at MerleFest in Wilkesboro, NC in late April, 2026, where he performed solo, and also guested with Peter Wernick on his set. We talked about his style of blues and how it intersects with other genres, like bluegrass. We also talk about his relationship to the music of Doc Watson, the importance of connecting with his fans and how young musicians are keeping the blues alive and well. Willis’ latest album is West Georgia Blues, and we sample songs from that collection in this episode, as well as music from Doc Watson and Taj Mahal. Piedmont Blues and the Fine Line of Gospel With Jontavious Willis Joe K Songs heard in this episode:“West Georgia Blues” by Jontavious Willis, from West Georgia Blues“Country Blues” by Doc Watson, from Doc Watson, excerpt“Goin’ Up To the Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue” by Taj Mahal, from The Natch’l Blues, excerpt“Keep Your Worries on the Dance Floor” by Jontavious Willis, from West Georgia BluesThis is where I thank you for taking this musical journey with us and ask you to follow this series wherever you listen to podcasts, and to connect with us on social media, and Substack. This episode is no different, but one thing that is about to change is the future direction of Southern Songs and Stories. This is the third in a series of four interviews from artists at this year’s MerleFest, and next up is Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show. Beyond that, I am debating on what to do with the podcast. I hope to keep it going, maybe in a different format, but the current chapter of the series is soon coming to a close. There have been some big life changes for me recently which make me realize that I simply won’t be able to spend all the time I devote to this series as you’re hearing it now. But rest assured that I am not leaving music and podcasts and writing and will come to the next chapter of this story before long. In the meantime, there are close to 200 episodes in the series that you can still enjoy, for free, wherever you listen to podcasts, as well as that conversation with Ketch up next. Ketch is never not entertaining, so it’s sure to be worth your time. - Joe Kendrick

Maggie Rose is a class act. Have you ever met someone who has incredible presence? Someone who can walk in a room and cause everyone to take a pause and notice them, even without a word spoken or any invitation to look their way? This is how people react to Maggie Rose. It is rare enough, even for professional music artists, but when you witness it happening, it is something special. That is how I felt when speaking with the Nashville artist at Merlefest in Wilkesboro, NC, in late April 2026. Maggie Rose’s fifth album is titled Half Moon, and it was the subject of much of our conversation. We touched on her many musical sisters and brothers in song, her first impressions of MerleFest, and her lifelong love of connecting with live audiences. That, as well as musical excerpts from Half Moon awaits you in this episode. Album art for Half Moon by Maggie Rose The Moonlit Glow of Maggie Rose Joe Kendrick Songs heard in this episode:“Half Moon” by Maggie Rose, from Half Moon“Hiding In Plain Sight” by Maggie Rose, from Half Moon, excerpt“This Life” by Maggie Rose, from Half MoonThank you for visiting! We encourage you to follow this series wherever you listen to podcasts, and to share it with a friend. We are especially grateful for top ratings and your reviews. You can follow this series on social media: @southstories on Instagram, at Southern Songs and Stories on Facebook, and you can view these episodes and a lot more on my YouTube channel, at the handle JoeKendrickNC. We can also send you newsletters via Substack, where you can read the scripts of these podcasts, and get updates on what we are doing and planning in our quest to explore and celebrate the unfolding history and culture of music rooted in the American South, and going beyond to the styles and artists that it inspired and informed. This is Southern Songs and Stories, where our quest is to explore and celebrate the unfolding history and culture of music rooted in the American South, and going beyond to the styles and artists that it inspired and informed. - Joe Kendrick

“My mom went to Juilliard, graduated from Juilliard. She taught us all of our instruments. We performed very high-level classical music, but we never felt a connection with the audience. And that's what we really yearned for.” — Dan Fedoryka You might not guess that the Fedoryka brothers, the core of the four-piece band Scythian, would have started their musical journey in such a formal setting, judging from their freewheeling, sweat-soaked and jet-engine-loud performances. As spontaneous and loose as you may think they are, however, Scythian is actually leaning hard into that foundational experience with their approach. It is the second part of Dan’s quote that is obvious from the first notes they play on stage, as Scythian is well known for getting their audiences fully engaged in their show — wide swaths of spontaneous dancing, pockets of shoulder surfing, and much of the audience singing along at full volume. You might not expect that such a scene would be commonplace at a music festival founded on the music of the decidedly non-raucous flat-picking guitar legend Doc Watson and the festival’s namesake, his son and frequent musical partner Merle. But they are a staple at the festival over their now 17-year tenure there, and Doc gave them their first opportunity to play the festival himself. In April 2026, I caught up with Scythian for a conversation that touched on everything from their first time playing at MerleFest, to their nomadic warrior ancestors from Ukraine and much more. We also dive into brand new music from the band as we salute the memory of Doc and Merle with a hearty toast from their homeland, “Nostrovia!”. Happy Warriors of Folk - Scythian Joe Kendrick Download Songs heard in this episode: “Get There” by Scythian“Bulgarian Suite” by Scythian, from Paste Studio’s “On The Road” session at the 7th Annual Suwannee Spring Reunion“Life To Live” by Scythian Thank you for dropping by! We encourage you to follow this series wherever you listen to podcasts, and to share it with a friend. We are especially grateful for top ratings and your reviews. You can follow this series on social media: @southstories on Instagram, at Southern Songs and Stories on Facebook, and you can view these episodes and a lot more on my YouTube channel, at the handle JoeKendrickNC. We can also send you newsletters via Substack, where you can read the scripts of these podcasts, and get updates on what we are doing and planning in our quest to explore and celebrate the unfolding history and culture of music rooted in the American South, and going beyond to the styles and artists that it inspired and informed. This is Southern Songs and Stories, where our quest is to explore and celebrate the unfolding history and culture of music rooted in the American South, and going beyond to the styles and artists that it inspired and informed. - Joe Kendrick

One of the greatest things about roots music in general, and bluegrass specifically, is that it continually brings in new generations of players to the fold. These young artists cut their teeth on the classics of the genre and then, very often, branch out into new directions, pushing the boundaries of the form, and inventing new styles while reinvigorating the overall framework of the music they love. Ettore Buzzini only recently graduated from high school, but you might never guess that from listening to his new album Blue Blue Blue. I chanced upon his performance in my new hometown of Charlotte, NC, which is adjacent to Ettore’s home in Mooresville. At the show, I was intrigued with his faithful renditions of traditional bluegrass numbers contrasted with his classical music-leaning originals, coupled with grassy versions of hits by artists like Pharrell Williams and The Beatles. While working on an upcoming episode on the band Scythian this week, I noticed that Ettore was opening for them in Galax, VA this weekend, so I thought, why not have an opening podcast for the opening band, so to speak? Here is the result, a conversation with the banjo phenomenon who is on the Patuxent Records label, which helped bring in established stars like Danny Paisley, Mark Schatz and Michael Cleveland alongside him to play on his forthcoming album Blue Blue Blue. Ettore Buzzini (center) and his band performing at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Charlotte, NC, June 20, 2026. Photo: Daniel Coston From Traditional To Transcendant All At Once - Ettore Buzzini Joe Kendrick Download Songs heard in this episode: “Flowers” by Ettore Buzzini, from Blue Blue Blue“The Birth of Eros” by Ettore Buzzini, performed live at Bela Fleck's Banjo Concert at the Blue Ridge Banjo Camp at Brevard Music Center, Brevard, NC in 2025, excerpt“Dear Old Dixie” by Ettore Buzzini, from Blue Blue Blue Thank you for being here! We encourage you to follow this series wherever you listen to podcasts, and to share it with a friend. We are especially grateful for top ratings and your reviews. You can follow this series on social media: @southstories on Instagram, at Southern Songs and Stories on Facebook, and you can view these episodes and a lot more on my YouTube channel, at the handle JoeKendrickNC. We can also send you newsletters via Substack, where you can read the scripts of these podcasts, and get updates on what we are doing and planning in our quest to explore and celebrate the unfolding history and culture of music rooted in the American South, and going beyond to the styles and artists that it inspired and informed. This is Southern Songs and Stories, where our quest is to explore and celebrate the unfolding history and culture of music rooted in the American South, and going beyond to the styles and artists that it inspired and informed. - Joe Kendrick

Ask anyone who has has been there, is getting there, or maybe just realizing that it is around the bend, and they will tell you: getting older is not for the faint of heart. Not counting all the challenges with getting physically older, there are the many curveballs that life throws our way with work, family, and friendships, not to mention just maintaining mental balance in a world full of upheaval. Amidst all of these challenges and pitfalls which accumulate and perhaps even accelerate over time, who among us has not abandoned a dream, or retreated back home, or found themselves at an untenable place in life? How did that make you feel? Defeated? Upset? Depressed? Take heart, because it takes a lot of courage to say, “I quit”, and it could be one of the wisest choices you could have made. Tift Merritt knows this firsthand, having returned to her native North Carolina feeling like she “had failed a little bit when I came home to my mama” after many years of pursuing her music career, to settle down and raise her daughter in a place where she felt people could lead “a good, simple life where the important things are right”. Her days making music her sole focus were over, as she took on other work, but as you will hear in our conversation, she never lost her desire to put love out into the world through her songs. After a long hiatus, she returned to Gold Pacific Studios in Nashville, and recorded her collection titled Sugar, an album that distills much of the wisdom that she accumulated over those years that at first felt like failure. Tift Merritt (photo: Ebru Yildiz) Be Comfortable With Yourself and Live Loud: Tift Merritt Joe Kendrick Download Songs heard in this episode:“Everyday Singing” by Tift Merritt, from Sugar“Sugar” by Tift Merritt, from Sugar, excerpt“Fate Of Man Is Sarah’s Eyes” by Tift Merritt, from Sugar, excerpt“Wild Women Don’t Have the Blues” by Ida Cox, from Wild Women Don’t Have the Blues, excerpt“Library of Dust”by Tift Merritt, from Sugar, excerpt“Finest Feelings” by Tift Merritt, from SugarThank you for dropping by! We encourage you to follow this series wherever you listen to podcasts, and are especially grateful for top ratings and your reviews. You can follow this series on social media: @southstories on Instagram, at Southern Songs and Stories on Facebook, and you can view these episodes and a lot more on my YouTube channel, at the handle JoeKendrickNC. We can also send you newsletters via Substack, where you can read the scripts of these podcasts, and get updates on what we are doing and planning in our quest to explore and celebrate the unfolding history and culture of music rooted in the American South, and going beyond to the styles and artists that it inspired and informed. This is Southern Songs and Stories, where our quest is to explore and celebrate the unfolding history and culture of music rooted in the American South, and going beyond to the styles and artists that it inspired and informed. - Joe Kendrick