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Some say the late patriarch of “Newgrass” music has had a bit of a revival in the past few years. To which we say, terrific! John Hartford has been one of WNCW’s most defining icons since our station’s format was first conjured up. With the help of his daughter, Katie Harford Hogue, the paddlewheel keeps churning with the upcoming release of this 2nd volume. Again co-produced by Hogue, along with Sharon Gilchrist and Megan Lynch Chowning, Volume 2 celebrates some of the most beloved female artists in the Hartford-inspired bluegrass scene: Rachel Baiman, Phoebe Hunt, Ginger Boatwright, Brittany Haas, Deanie Richardson, Allison de Groot, Della Mae, The Price Sisters, Uncle Earl, and many more. Volume 2 contains thirteen new Hartford instrumental fiddle tunes and five “legacy” covers of beloved John Hartford songs, all of which take on new life thanks to these fellow fans of his.

Get to know this new one from Cristina Vane, who deftly blends blues and rock with old-time and country. One minute she’s at home here in Appalachia pickin’ a sweet clawhammer banjo tune, the next she’s unleashing fire on electric slide guitar. Her eclecticism might have something to do with her upbringing: her half-Guatemalan/half-American heritage includes being raised in Italy, England, and France. Cristina Vane performs at MerleFest in Wilkesboro at the end of April, as well as in Charlotte and Asheville in mid-May. Alex Nudd will be sitting in for Julian Booker to bring you your Thursday evening music mix this week; join us!

The former boxer-turned-singer/songwriter has his 14th album out now, and it’s about growing older: turning 60, to be specific. “Every song on this album, there’s a message in it of some sort about how to live life,” he says. His messages include enjoying life’s pleasures, slowing down, keeping a sense of humor, and other tricks to stay happy. As he sings in his song “Chicken Wing,” “I’m in the winter of my life / I love my dog, I like my wife / I wash the dishes, I sweep the floor / I keep a 12-gauge behind the door.” Paul’s live shows are known for their passion, storytelling, and wit, and he’ll be at the Reeves Theater in Elkin, NC on March 28th and The Don Gibson Theatre in Shelby on the 29th.

The grit of folk, the soul of blues, and the rebellious spirit of punk collide with this trio. Formed in 2002 in Santa Cruz, California by Pete Bernhard and Cooper McBean, the trio, now featuring longtime collaborator MorganEve Swain (taking over on upright bass and vocals for Lucia Turino), has continued to evolve musically while staying rooted in their core sound. The Devil Makes Three has always woven together tales of the downtrodden and the resilient, and this latest album is no different. With influences ranging from Tom Waits to Riley Pucket, Willie Nelson, and Robert Johnson, the band continues to be a torchbearer of the Great American Tradition of Storytelling. “That’s what we set out to do. We wanted to use these musical forms to discuss current issues,” explained Bernhard. “Folk music should be about what’s happening, just as it was when Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan did it.”

We're in New Orleans for Mardi Gras! Louis Armstrong's second wife, an accomplished pianist and composer in her own right, has been considered a deeply underappreciated contributor to Oliver's Creole Jazz Band and Armstrong's Hot Five. Enter pianist Caili O'Doherty, who has reinterpreted and modernized her nine compositions, written and/or recorded between the 1920s and '60s. Michael Mayo and Tahira Clayton are the vocalists, with Nicole Glover on sax and Cory Cox on drums.

An exciting and promising new name on the Americana and alt-country music scene, Shepherdstown, West Virginia’s Olivia Ellen Lloyd has this strong follow-up to her debut album Loose Cannon. As The Alternate Root writes, “Olivia Ellen Lloyd’s music encapsulates what it means to be human, and how to rise out of the ashes of hardship.” After being a finalist in Asheville’s national NewSong Music Competition in 2021, she became a Kerrville Newfolk Winner in 2023. She is also a newly inaugurated member of the Resistance Revival Chorus, a collective of more than 60 women, and non-binary singers. Do It Myself will officially be released March 21st. She tells us she’ll be touring back through our area in May.

“For an artist to get in the studio and record an entire set in just a few days on a single acoustic guitar, one might assume the music is calling with some urgency. But for Jason Isbell’s latest solo outing Foxes in the Snow, there’s a slow and steady focus across its spare 11 tracks. It’s no salacious breakup album (though some might have been anticipating it following his 2024 divorce from longtime partner Amanda Shires), but it’s got heartbreak seeping from every pore. Still, somehow, it listens like a respite, a return to something starkly simple, reminiscent of Isbell’s foundational, 2013 breakthrough Southeastern. For Isbell, it’s always been about the songs, but without his backing band the 400 Unit, the emphasis here is very much on pristine songcraft and excellent picking.” (Maeri Ferguson, No Depression) Isbell performs at the Peace Center in Greenville, SC on Sunday, April 13th.

He struggled through a couple of health scares last year, but on his 29th(!) album, the Flatlander himself sounds as strong as ever, with covers from Guy Clark, Woody Guthrie, and Townes Van Zandt blended well with originals that pay tribute to the Texas Troubadours and other features of his home state. He lives in Taos, NM these days, but this was recorded at his home studio outside Austin. The musicians you’ll hear are Joe Ely (vocals/guitars/synth/electric drums/harmonica/percussion), Joel Guzman (accordion), Ryan Bingham (vocals/guitar), Lloyd Maines (low acoustic/bass/acoustic guitar/acoustic steel & slide/percussion) & David Grissom (guitar).

This Welsh-born guitarist and singer first burst onto the scene in Britain in 1967 with his band Amen Corner, then sought a solo career in the ‘70s. But most of his time has been spent backing well known acts like Roger Waters, The Who, George Harrison, and perhaps most famously, Eric Clapton. You can hear the similarities he and Clapton share in Low’s solo albums, including this new one of blues classics. The album features material recorded since he left Clapton’s band. Among the key players with him are Dave Bronze and Ian Jennings on bass, Chris Stainton or Richard Milner on keyboards and Paul Beavis and Henry Spinetti on drums.

The legendary band that formed in the Washington, DC area back in 1971 is still going strong, with new additions to match their consistently strong caliber. The album is the first to be released since the passing of founding member and trailblazing banjo player Ben Eldridge, who contributes liner notes to the release. It is also the last album with singer/guitarist Dudley Connell, as he has announced his retirement. The Scene are known for including bluegrass/roots classics amongst interesting non-trad songs, and in this case they include covers from the likes of The Kinks, Bob Dylan, and Jim Croce.