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He’s achieved an incredible surge of popularity and success in the bluegrass, jamband, and live music world these past few years, and he’d probably be the first to tell you he owes a lot of it to his childhood exposure to pickin’, courtesy of his dad Terry Barber. So he decided to record a duet album with him! Also present is an all-star band including bassist Mike Bub, mandolinist Ron McCoury, banjo player Rob McCoury and fiddler Michael Cleveland as well as special guest appearances by Jerry Douglas, Jason Carter and Strings’ mother, Debra Barber.

Melissa Carper has previously gotten airplay here with groups like Sad Daddy, The Carper Family and The Buffalo Gals Band. We fell in absolute love with her 2021 album Daddy’s Country Gold, and this follow-up from the singer/songwriter/bassist does not disappoint. Also featured on the album are Dennis Crouch on bass, Chris Scruggs on guitar and console steel, Billy Contreras on fiddle, Sierra Ferrell and Larry Marrs on harmony vocals, John Palmer on keys, and Matty Meyer on drums. Crouch and Andrija Tokic, both of The Time Jumpers, produced this. We thoroughly enjoyed her live session in Studio B last Wednesday: check it out on WNCW’s Facebook page.

Mountain Fever Records announces the release of this new album by bluegrass favorites Volume Five, with songs by Tim Stafford, Ronnie Bowman, Tim O’Brien/Darrell Scott, and John Hartford among others. Glen Harrell, Patton Wages, Aaron Ramsey, Jeff Partin, and Jacob Burleson are joined by Shawn Lane, Russell Moore, and Josh Shilling on a few tunes here.

This is the blues legend’s first solo release in 17 years and her first record with Antone’s since 1987’s Soul Shake. On Ace Of Blues, Strehli offers 12 rolling and funky tracks that celebrate and honor the classic influences that inspired her 50+ year career. Antone’s, by the way, is also the iconic Austin blues club she helped found with the late Clifford Antone and where she performed & became friends with the likes of Muddy Waters, Albert King, Otis Rush, Jimmy Reed, and countless others.

Underground and understated, more about finding the groove and following the muse than chasing the spotlight, this band from the southern plains of Texas might not mind so much that their new album came out amongst the blizzard of Christmas music last month and you haven’t discovered them yet. But you have now, and fans of the Cosmic American Music Show and WNCW in general will want to give them a try. Lou Lewis is the singer and rhythm guitarist, with tasteful licks from lead guitarist Andrew Chavez. Rounding out the band is drummer Corey Alvarez and bassist Eric Pawlick. Even their record label name fits their country/punk/psychedelia ethos: Feels So Good Records.

Leftover Salmon co-founder Vince Herman has his first solo release! He recorded it at the late Cowboy Jack Clement’s famous studio in Nashville, and anyone familiar with both of those unique fellows knows this was a fitting match. The studio band included Darrell Scott, guitarist Pat McLaughlin, bassist Dave Roe, drummer Pete Abbott, keyboardist Mike Rojas, fiddlers Jason Carter and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, …plus a few harmony vocals from Tim O’Brien who stopped by during the sessions.

Ontario’s Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet have pivoted from a blues and rock sound to their love of classic country on this one. They chose the universality and simplicity of the genre’s storytelling to address the challenges that the pandemic of these past couple years has brought on, like heartbreak and loyalty. Luke and Melissa have picked up five consecutive JUNO Award nominations in three different genre categories; there’s no reason why this great one won’t net them #6!

Hard to believe the Red Headed Stranger is turning 90 next month, yet here he is releasing yet another fine album – his 15th or so in the past 10 years! What’s his secret?!? Well, he might list a few things he credits… but one must certainly be his deep love for great songs and great songwriters. His latest collection is a tribute to another favorite of his, the late Harlan Howard.

This one from Eric D. Johnson comes out on April 14th via Merge Records. “Over the years there's been a lot of geography in my music, a lot of landscapes,” Johnson says. “Sometimes the places are real, sometimes they're emotional. I've always liked the idea of songs and albums that exist in a continuum with one another. I'm not talking about some kind of deep series of concept albums, mind you. More like the idea that my songs are all pretty much tributaries of the same river. Which makes a lot of metaphorical sense because my path has been long and winding and often slow and muddy. But always moving towards the sea. I guess you could say this album is the one where I took all that emotional geography and kind of mapped it out.” Johnson has also been involved with Bonny Light Horseman this past year, the trio with Anais Mitchell and Josh Kaufman.

He’s the blues legend known for his wonderful forays into Caribbean, African, and jazz traditions, beginning with his “World Music” album released 51 years ago. Fresh off of his collaboration last year with Ry Cooder, with whom he began his career in the mid-60s, he returns this year with another focus on jazz: specifically the big band swing era of the glory days of Harlem’s Savoy Ballroom, where music from the likes of Duke Ellington, Louis Jordan, George Gershwin, and Louis Armstrong was introduced. This one will be available to the public on April 28th.