Sam Bush will celebrate yesterday’s release of his latest CD, Circles Around Me, with a live radio show tonight (10/21) on WSM.

He’ll be on the second episode of Music City Roots, a new live concert venture broadcast each Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. (CDT) from The Loveless Barn, just outside of Nashville. Eddie Stubbs and Jim Lauderdale co-host, with live artist interviews conducted by Craig Havighurst each week.

Mike Farris and Miss Tess and The Bon Ton Parade will also be on tonight’s show. It will air from 7:00-9:00 p.m. on WSM AM-650 in the Nashville market, and online via live streaming.

The series launched last week with a performance from Emmylou Harris, and many of the upcoming episodes will feature bluegrass or grassy artists.

• 11/4 – Josh Williams and John Cowan
• 11/25 – John Cowan
• 12/2 – Dale Ann Bradley
• 12/9 – Donna Ulisse and Emmit-Nershi Band
• 12/16 – Cherryholmes, Mountain Heart and Nashville Mandolin Ensemble

WSM is also recording the shows and will make them available on their web site for on demand streaming.

Catch Sam tonight at 7:00, or check out samples from Circles Around Me at sambush.com.

Katy Daley, the 2009 IBMA Broadcaster of the Year, will have some help in the studio for her show this Thursday on WAMU’s Bluegrasss Country. Darren Beachley and Mark Delaney (Darren Beachley & Legends Of The Potomac) will be on hand from 8:00-10:00 a.m. (10/22) to assist in the 2009 Fall Membership Campaign.

Darren said that both he and Mark grew up with WAMU’s bluegrass programming, and spent countless hours listening to Katy, Gary Henderson, Lee Micheal Demsey and Ray Davis when they were learning to play.

“Mark and I are really excited about the opportunity to sit down with Katy and help do the work that needs to be done to keep bluegrass alive and kickin’. For us to be able to be in the studio, for an institution that’s meant so much to us and bluegrass music over the years, is a real treat.

I remember as a kid when they would be doing the membership drives… WAMU would do what they called a winter bluegrass festival, and it was wonderful stuff from all Gospel, to trivia, to live shows. It was a great time, and Mark and I are very honored to play a part this year.”

WAMU’s Bluegrass Country broadcasts 24/7 live online, and like many public radio (and television) outlets, dedicates some time each year to fundraising. This is their time for 2009, and they invite anyone who enjoys their free bluegrass programming to consider making a donation. As they say on their site…

It costs about $450,000 a year to run WAMU’s Bluegrass Country. We pay for music streaming, features, additions to our library, and acquisition of outstanding programs.

Katy mentioned that they have also been thankful for on-air help from Eric Gibson, Alan Munde, Kevin Church and Paul Williams during this campaign. Eddie Dean, Ralph Stanley’s co-writer on Man of Constant Sorrow: My Life and Times, will be on with Lee Michael Demsey on Thursday (10/22), and Mark Schatz is scheduled for Friday (10/23).

We recognize how tedious it can be to listen to fund drives, but think for a moment about the poor on-air personalities who have to do the begging. If you can help, be assured that it will greatly appreciated.

And not just WAMU’s Bluegrass Country! We encourage our readers to consider supporting any and all broadcasters who keep bluegrass on the air. Make donations if you can to public radio, and mention bluegrass shows when you patronize the advertisers of commercial shows and  stations.

Darrell Webb was unable to debut his new band at IBMA this year, though he was on hand performing with Mashville Brigade and filling in with Audie Blaylock & Redline.

You’ll have a chance to hear them this weekend though, live on The Wheeling Jamboree Saturday night (10/17). The long-running show airs from Wheeling, WV on Saturday nights and can be heard – and seen – online.

Darrell is a West Virginia boy, and is understandably stoked about getting to play the show.

“I’m very excited about playing the Jamboree this weekend. This is our first time performing here, and I know that a lot of big country music legends have played on this stage.”

The broadcast starts at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday night (EDT), but the featured artists generally don’t go on until 8:00 p.m. It can be heard on a number of radio affiliates in West Virginia and the Ohio Valley, via live audio streaming, and even with a live video stream.

The Darrell Web Band features Matt Leadbetter on resonator guitar, Owen Piatt on banjo, Asa Gravely on guitar and Webb on mandolin and lead vocals.

Claire Lynch will be featured in an interview Friday morning (10/16) with Carol Beaugard on her Lonesome Pine RFD program on WFDU, broadcasting in the New York City metro market.

Carol spoke with Claire about her latest Rounder CD, Whatcha Gonna Do, which was released on September 15. They will also play some tracks from the new album during the show.

Here is a brief sample of Claire’s remarks from the interview…

“This truly is a quantum leap for the band. We wanted the album to reflect a very pared down, ‘band’ sound and it gives each of the members a chance to really shine. Our sound is broader. The Americana market is really established now and the album fits a wide range of tastes and we’ve been so delighted with the response we’re getting. The album appeals to so many different audiences – people that love bluegrass, country and folk music and that’s so gratifying. As artists we want to play to as many people as possible and offer them music that sings to their hearts.

We were especially pleased with the wonderful feedback we got from all the bluegrass DJs we met recently at the IBMA WOB conference just held in Nashville. So many of the DJs made a point to let us know how much they loved the album and they really welcomed the material and our sound as ‘refreshing’. It was great to see how much the bluegrass audience loves the album.”

Lonesome Pine RFD runs from 9:00 a.m. to noon, with Claire’s interview set to run at 11:00. You can listen over the air at 89.1 FM in NYC, or online via live streaming at www.wfdu.fm. The show is archived for two weeks on the WFDU site should you miss it in real time.