Bradley Laird's Grass Talk Radio - Bluegrass

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 203   Curtis Jones Interview   Curtis Jones is a supremely diverse musician and a world-class acoustic guitarist. Down to earth, humble and amazingly gifted. I know you will enjoy meeting my friend Curtis Jones. If you want your mind blown, go see him play live.   His interview is another in my series to try to convince the listeners that Georgia has produced an amazing number of fine bluegrass musicians. Sometimes many people tend to think that great bluegrass simply must come from Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia or Tennessee. Curtis is one more great example in favor of Georgia born musicians.   The segue music you hear at the start of the interview is from Curtis' CD "Blue As I" (1998) and is a bit of his original instrumental "Pistol Pete". The outro music is his song "Better Days" from the same recording.   Both tunes feature Curtis on guitar, Alison Brown on banjo, Dan Tyminski on mandolin and Missy Raines on bass. "Better Days" features Curtis singing lead

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 202   Jim "Duck" Adkins Interview   Duck is many things: musician, banjo player, singer, band leader, teacher. He has been playing and entertaining crowds for fifty years and is a well-known figure in the Atlanta and N. Georgia area. Sit back, relax, and enjoy my conversation with this one-of-a-kind bluegrass personality.   The segue music you hear at the start of the interview is Jim Adkins and Cedar Hill kicking off "Runaway" on their 1984 album "Mama Don't Allow". The outro music is the "Duck" singing "Your Cheating Heart" from Cedar Hill's 1982 recording "Ruff N Ready".   Note: We could have talked for 100 hours. This interview barely scratches the surface of what this guy has been up to for half a century. Get to know him. You will be better for it.   Enjoy the show. ------------------------------------- If you like my podcast I hope you will keep this show going and growing by joining "the club" over on my Patreon page. Thank you, patrons!   You can also s

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 201   Harps Jackson Interview   Everything you ever wanted to know about the harmonica brought to you by a guy who truly can play the thing. He has played in blues, gospel, country, rock and bluegrass settings and he is always tasteful and skilled. You can't say that for a lot of folks who get up on stage and blow through some pathetic, sorry attempt. Harps is the kind of player, with the kind of dedication, who cares about music. I feel lucky to have met him, to have played with him in two bands, and call him my friend. I hope you enjoy this discussion and glean some of his wisdom which can be applied to all forms of music.   Both of the sample musical cuts are from The Incorrigible String Band's CD titled "It's Raining Words". Harps is on harmonica, Cory Chambers on guitar and vocals, Tim Ussery on mandolin and Bradley Laird on bass.   Enjoy the show. ------------------------------------- If you like my podcast I hope you will keep this show going and growing by jo

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 200   Merry Christmas   I just came in the from the yard throwing the baseball back and forth with Jackson and my wife is in the house making Christmas cookies. When I finish this episode I plan to sit down and watch "The Christmas Story" with the family.    In this episode I talk about creating a digitized version of my Flatiron mandolin and I offer up a couple of examples created by my son. I talk a bit about Doyle Lawson's retirement, jamming with the radio on Christmas songs, and that's about it.   Merry Christmas, folks!   IT IS NOT TOO LATE!!!  All you mandolin players need Jackson's eBook Christmas Songs For Mandolin. You still have plenty of time to learn them before the mistletoe is hanging. Granny don't wanna hear no Salt Creek! She wants Jingle Bells! Enjoy the show. ------------------------------------- If you like my podcast I hope you will keep this show going and growing by joining "the club" over on my Patreon page. Thank you, patrons!   You can

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 199   Uncle Rico's Time Machine   Put the handle between your legs. Set the date on the dial. Don't forget to put the crystal in the clamp. Tell Kip to throw the switch. You will be instantly transported to another time and place. In this case, Motorhead's Bar and Grill on a Thursday night in McDonough, Georgia. Take notes. This has everything: How to cope with 15 free shots for the band, the buzzing of countless neon lights, screaming adoring fans, smashing beer bottle sounds, the snapping of a "smoke eater" machine, a late fiddle player, a fill in bass player thereby causing us to "wing" all of the harmonies since we are missing our tenor singer.  Pay attention to Buddy's guitar playing. Those little mid-range licks put right into the gaps! It is a perfect representation of good bluegrass guitar. David's banjo playing is top notch and different from what you are used to. Mike's fiddle, despite no time to warm up, is truly amazing. Tony's bass playing, even though he is w

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 198   A Major Award & The Ed Davis Method In this episode I discuss an award my son received for his music composition "Run Away" and how we can learn from that. You can download his award winning composition for free right here in my online store. (In the episode I mistakenly said that his song was on his EP "Beacon". Wrong. It is on "Hands Up". But, it doesn't matter. You can download both EPs for free.   I also talk about a recent gig and something you should check for if your microphones are getting long in the tooth. Then I get to the meat of the episode and explain to you the Ed Davis method of taking music lessons and how it might be something wise for you to try.   I also made quick mention of one of my personally favorite creations for banjo players--The Flint Hill Scrolls eBook. You can get a copy for yourself right here. http://www.bradleylaird.com/dojo/buy-FHS.html   And don't forget: Christmas Times a Coming! All you mandolin players need Jackson's e

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 197   Chatty Light Interview Recently I was asked to be a guest on the Chatty Light Podcast. I thought you might enjoy hearing it.  Thank you, Colton, Alex and crew! It was fun. And for my son Jackson's Christmas fund, don't forget: Christmas Times a Coming!. All you mandolin players need Jackson's eBook Christmas Songs For Mandolin. You still have plenty of time to learn them before the mistletoe is hanging. Granny don't wanna hear no Salt Creek! She wants Jingle Bells! Enjoy the show. ------------------------------------- If you like my podcast I hope you will keep this show going and growing by joining "the club" over on my Patreon page. Thank you, patrons!   You can also support what I am doing by visiting my online store at http://www.payhip.com/bradleylaird.  I love you all!   My full website is located at http://www.bradleylaird.com. There you will find free lessons, free videos, jam tracks, full descriptions of all of my books, video lessons and courses...

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 196   Mushrooms and Metronomes This nice cool evening I simply held the recorder in my hand and talked about how you can focus and get good at one thing and it will carry over into lots of other things you have not even tried. I also talk a bit about my mushroom project and other oddities. Enjoy the show!  And for my boy Jackson's Christmas fund, don't forget: Christmas Times a Coming!. All you mandolin players need Jackson's eBook Christmas Songs For Mandolin. You still have plenty of time to learn them before the mistletoe is hanging. Granny don't wanna hear no Salt Creek! She wants Jingle Bells! Enjoy the show. ------------------------------------- If you like my podcast I hope you will keep this show going and growing by joining "the club" over on my Patreon page. Thank you, patrons!   You can also support what I am doing by visiting my online store at http://www.payhip.com/bradleylaird.  I love you guys and gals!   My full website is located at http://www.bradl

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 195   An Early Morning Rant   One of the things in life that I cherish is to rise early, to get up before the chickens, watch the stars and think about life.   This morning I got up, jotted down a few notes on a brown paper sack, and hit record. My intended subject was "Ten Ways To Play Better Bluegrass" but, as usual, I wandered a bit.   I have included actual live cricket sounds and a bug zapper in the background just to help you imagine the scene. I also did an unpaid endorsement of The Bug-A-Salt 3.0. Enjoy the show. ------------------------------------- If you like my podcast I hope you will keep this show going and growing by joining "the club" over on my Patreon page. Thank you, patrons!   You can also support what I am doing by visiting my online store at http://www.payhip.com/bradleylaird.   My full website is located at http://www.bradleylaird.com. There you will find free lessons, free videos, jam tracks, full descriptions of all of my books, video

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 194   David Mathis of Gallagher Guitar   Gallagher guitars, made in Tennessee, were first brought to the attention of guitar players when the legendary Doc Watson chose a D-50 Gallagher in the late 1960's.   David has taken of the reins to keep the Gallagher legacy alive and you too can still get your hands on one! Here is a link to the Gallagher website. Enjoy the show. ------------------------------------- If you like my podcast I hope you will keep this show going and growing by joining "the club" over on my Patreon page. Thank you, patrons!   You can also support what I am doing by visiting my online store at http://www.payhip.com/bradleylaird.   My full website is located at http://www.bradleylaird.com. There you will find free lessons, free videos, jam tracks, full descriptions of all of my books, video lessons and courses... plenty to keep you busy.

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 193   They Said It Couldn't Be Done   Bill Monroe only made one minor mistake in the creation of Blue Grass music. That is the trying, and later elimination, of the accordion in his ensemble. Well, if you listen all the way to end of this podcast, you will hear some of the greatest music ever put on wax. Had Bill met Dominic Frontiere there is a good chance we would all have accordions in our bluegrass groups today! I challenge the whippersnapper upstart Chris Thile to play THAT!    Aside from that monstrous revelation, I also talk about whether one should joke with government employees, growing mushroooms, divine intervention, "breakthrough" miracles, patience, the sub-conscious mind, and all those other good things which turn average "pickers" into self-surprising musicians.   If you want proof of my three bullseyes go to the show notes for this episode right here. With Jackson as my witness, miracles do happen!   No! Not the chair! --------------------------------

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 192   Harmony   Harmony is the interaction between two or more different tones or pitches. Bluegrass music is nothing without harmony. (So is humanity by the way.) In this episode I walk you through a short course in bluegrass harmony singing. How do you figure out what note to sing? I'll try to help. In the course of this episode I refer often to a PDF document which you can get for free over on my Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/bradleylaird Just scroll down to the post entitled: Basics of Harmony Singing. There you can download a PDF which is very helpful to have in hand while listening to this episode. In addition to discussing the contents of that PDF I present various audio examples of standard bluegrass trio harmony, duets, high lead trios, and high baritone trios of some of the best in the business. And, along the way, I present a challenge that you (and two of your bluegrass picking pals) listen to the episode, study the document, and send in a recor

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 191   Host a Jam   Over the years I have been to lots of jam sessions and have organized and hosted quite few too. If you are starved for bluegrass pickin' I will explain how you "take the bull by the horns" and host your own jam session.   It can be a "one time only event" or it may turn into a regular, recurring session. Either way, it is a good way to get more bluegrass in your life and provide the same for other musicians.   In this episode I mention my "10 Jammandments Discussed" eBook. You can download it free here. (By the way, the final page in that eBook has a 25% discount coupon code for ANY of my instructional videos, courses and eBooks in my online store. Take advantage of that too!)   Enjoy the episode and I hope you have a jam session soon! Invite me!   ------------------------------------- If you like my podcast I hope you will keep this show going and growing by joining "the club" over on my Patreon page. Thank you, patrons! Without you I would h

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 190   Matt Hutchinson Interview   Here's a guy who loves bluegrass. So much that he is willing to create a podcast so you have someone to pick with! What's not to love? In this episode I strike up a conversation with Matt to learn about his Bluegrass Jam Along podcast and find out how a guy in the UK became interested in bluegrass and to share what he is doing with all of you.   Enjoy the episode, check out his podcast and I'll talk to you soon.   ------------------------------------- If you like my podcast I hope you will keep this show going and growing by joining "the club" over on my Patreon page. Thank you, patrons! Without you I would have quit a long time ago!   You can also support what I am doing by visiting my online store at http://www.payhip.com/bradleylaird.   My full website is located at http://www.bradleylaird.com. There you will find free lessons, free videos, jam tracks, full descriptions of all of my books, video lessons and courses... plenty t

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 189   Life Is Good   In this episode I talk about how you can dive in to your solo, play like dog squeeze, feel totally humiliated and still get a round of applause. It's one of the hidden benefits of playing live. (They aren't usually paying that much attention!)   Before I get to that, I talk about a big storm, the first post-pandemic session at Pat's Place, my "Brad's Barn Jam", and some other gobblety-gook that you might enjoy.   Enjoy the episode and talk to you soon. Better yet, I hope to pick with you soon!   ------------------------------------- If you like my podcast I hope you will keep this show going and growing by joining "the club" over on my Patreon page. Thank you, patrons! Without you I would have quit a long time ago!   You can also support what I am doing by visiting my online store at http://www.payhip.com/bradleylaird.   My full website is located at http://www.bradleylaird.com. There you will find free lessons, free videos, jam tracks, ful

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 188   A Man's Entitled To His Opinion   200 episodes and over 100,000 downloads. Not bad!   This short episode is just to let you know I am still kicking. I have taken a little, well deserved break from the GTR Podcast and in this episode I fill you in a bit.   I have completed work on the F5 mandolin which I have been building and you can hear it in this episode. School's out, a light fixture in the kitchen tried to burn the house down, bluegrass has once again assured that I am officially below the poverty line, and life is good.   Enjoy the show and I'll talk to you in the next episode. I bet you can hardly wait!    ------------------------------------- If you like my podcast I hope you will keep this show going and growing by joining "the club" over on my Patreon page. Thank you, patrons!   You can also support what I am doing by visiting my online store at http://www.payhip.com/bradleylaird.   My full website is located at http://www.bradleylaird.com. T

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 187   Beach Balls & Train Wrecks In this episode I talk a bit about the "Beach Ball Effect", I get interrupted by a friendly sales call, give you a short garden update, and then dig in to the topic of Train Wrecks and how they may be avoided. Have fun!   Talk to ya next week. ------------------------------------- If you like my podcast I hope you will keep this show going and growing by joining "the club" over on my Patreon page. Thank you, patrons!   You can also support what I am doing by visiting my online store at http://www.payhip.com/bradleylaird.   My full website is located at http://www.bradleylaird.com. There you will find free lessons, free videos, jam tracks, full descriptions of all of my books, video lessons and courses... plenty to keep you busy.

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 186   Edumacation Are Fun!   In this show I respond to a couple of emails I received and discuss education and how we learn.   Have fun and I trust you take this "in the spirit in which it is intended."   In the episode I referenced this episode with the Self-Analysis Worksheet PDF: http://www.bradleylaird.com/podcast/episode-3-show-notes.html   And this blog post concerning self-directed learning: http://www.bradleylaird.com/blog-articles/blog-36-guide.html Talk to ya next week. ------------------------------------- If you like my podcast I hope you will keep this show going and growing by joining "the club" over on my Patreon page. Thank you, patrons!   You can also support what I am doing by visiting my online store at http://www.payhip.com/bradleylaird.   My full website is located at http://www.bradleylaird.com. There you will find free lessons, free videos, jam tracks, full descriptions of all of my books, video lessons and courses... plenty to kee

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 185   Cancel This!   All I am saying is listen and make up your own minds. Cancel me if you must. Or, stick with me and the bluegrass way. Enough already!   I have heard so much sub-par bluegrass singing over the years--not from the pros like IIIrd Tyme Out and Doyle Lawson--but just in general. Some pretty lame singing is often the norm with bluegrass jams and SOME bands I have heard.   All I have to say is "tighten up" and take a hint from my closing outro music by Jackson, my son, and the Voices of the Valley Choir. The takeaway "pull quote" is at exactly 34:10. Shame on those who think otherwise.   I want to quote two verses in case you have trouble understanding the lyrics in the recording:   "We are pilgrims on the journey We are travelers on the road We are here to help each other Walk the mile and bear the load"   "I will weep when you are weeping When you laugh, I'll laugh with you I will share you joy and sorrow Till we've seen this journey throu

GrassTalkRadio.com - Episode 184   The Art of Quitting   I have spent much airtime here discussing the starting of things. Jams, bands, lessons, etc. But there comes a time in the natural curve of things that we must give it up and say "I quit!" When and how do you do this? And why? I hope you enjoy this early morning sermon and I hope that when or if you are driven to quit that you do it in the best way possible. You may be doing everyone a favor! Yourself and others. Could be! ------------------------------------- If you like my podcast I hope you will keep this show going and growing by joining "the club" over on my Patreon page. Thank you, patrons!   You can also support what I am doing by visiting my online store at http://www.payhip.com/bradleylaird.   My full website is located at http://www.bradleylaird.com. There you will find free lessons, free videos, jam tracks, full descriptions of all of my books, video lessons and courses... plenty to keep you busy.