Bluegrass Breakdown

Bluegrass Breakdown

Tune in every Sunday from 6:00-8:00 p.m., when host Jennifer Ramm brings you the best in bluegrass and related music. With roots in Celtic, country, folk and blues, bluegrass has a rich heritage that continues to grow thanks to a new generation of gifted musicians.

From masters like Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs to contemporary artists like Alison Krauss and Ricky Skaggs, from rock-ribbed traditional to boldly progressive, you'll hear it all on Bluegrass Breakdown.

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Where to buy bluegrass recordings for your musical library

County Sales - for decades one of the best sources of bluegrass and old-time music.
Elderly Recordings - a great place to find bluegrass, Celtic, blues, Cajun, singer-songwriters, and more.
Amazon.com has huge selections of every kind of music, including bluegrass.

Record Labels

Track the latest bluegrass releases at:

Learning more about bluegrass: books, videos and magazines

To learn more about bluegrass music, we recommend:

Bluegrass: A History by Neil Rosenberg (University of Illinois Press, 1985)
Bluegrass: An Informal Guide by Richard Smith (Chicago Review Press, 1995)
Can't You Hear Me Callin': The Life of Bill Monroe, Father of Bluegrass by Richard D. Smith (Little Brown, 2000)
Bluegrass Breakdown by Robert Cantwell (University of Illinois Press, 1984)

We also recommend the fine documentary High Lonesome (available on video from County Sales and other stores). You can keep up to date on the bluegrass scene with subscriptions to Bluegrass Unlimited magazines.

Internet Resources

Web sites ibluegrass and Cybergrass contain a wealth of bluegrass information.
For a lively, if sometimes rancorous, e-mail discussion group devoted to bluegrass, check out Bgrass-L.
The International Bluegrass Music Association and the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America are on the web as well.

Bluegrass Icon Ricky Skaggs

Country and bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs brings his mandolin and a lifetime of stories.
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World Cafe Nashville: Molly Tuttle

Jewly Hight

Catching up with the first female to ever be nominated for International Bluegrass Music Association's guitarist of the year award — she was not expecting the honor.
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Flatt Lonesome On Mountain Stage

Hear the spirited bluegrass band make its Mountain Stage debut at the Augusta Heritage Festival in Elkins, W.Va.
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World Cafe Nashville: Nora Jane Struthers And Korby Lenker

Jewly Hight

When the two songwriters sat down to pen their new one, "Let's Just Have Supper," they found themselves in the spirit of invitation rather than agitation.
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World Cafe Nashville: Alison Krauss

Ann Powers

Krauss discusses her latest solo album, Windy City, and what she's learned about collaboration in the years since her last recording project.
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Meet The Musicians Behind Japan's Vibrant Bluegrass Scene

Naomi Gingold

Japan's love affair with the genre began with brothers Yasushi and Hisashi Ozaki, who formed the country's first bluegrass duo in 1957. Today, young bands like Bluegrass Police are reviving the scene.