Mac Wiseman has been a little out of pocket lately due to a broken leg, but after his doctor gave him an “all clear” report, he called up his buddy Wichita Rutherford.

Mac called and asked if I would give him a ride to Cracker Barrel for breakfast… So we went to Cracker Barrel… and to 1947, to 1956, to 1985, to 1963, to 1997, to 1936, to…

In other words Mac was Wichita’s co-host aboard The Grand Old Time Machine this past weekend. He sounded good and seemed to be having a blast hanging out with Wichita and playing some great music.

If you missed it over the weekend, it’s about to come on again. Each week The Grand Old Time Machine airs Fridays at 9pm Eastern and Saturday night at 12, then the following Tuesday at 3PM Eastern.

So tune in to Sirius/XM this afternoon and get yourself a little Mac & Wichita!

Blue Highways TV has released two DVDs containing classic television performances by Reno & Smiley and Mac Wiseman.

Bluegrass 1963, the Reno & Smiley DVD has twenty songs from a television pilot they recorded in Roanoke, VA in 1963 at WDBJ, which led to a regular morning show that ran for several years. The show also features a guest appearance by The Stanley Brothers and a piece from WDBJ announcer Irv Sharp on piano.

The live performances include some Reno & Smiley favorites, plus a visit from Chicken Hot Rod and Pansy.

Ronnie Reno narrates the video, which is available from Blue Highways TV for $19.95.

They have also released a Mac Wiseman DVD, recorded live in 1971, with 12 songs plus an interview with Chubby Wise, Lester Flatt and Carlton Haney. Lester and Chubby also perform in the video, which also contains some truly classic material.

• Homestead On The Farm
  
• Me & Bobby McGee
  
• Prisoner’s Song
  
• Liberty
• Four Walls
• I’ll Still Write Your Name In The Sand
• Bluebirds Are Singing For Me
• Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong
  
• Will You Be Loving Another Man
  
• I’ll Be All Smiles Tonight
  
• Are You Washed In The Blood
  
• Jimmy Brown, The News Boy

The Wiseman DVD is titled Bluegrass 1971, and is available for $16.95, or you can purchase both DVDs for $29.95.

Both belong in any serious collection of bluegrass music. They are also available from retailers who specialize in bluegrass music.

One of the recent new releases from Rebel Records is Mac Wiseman’s Bluegrass Hits and Heartsongs (REB CD 7523).

The 14 recordings in this collection came about due to the mutually beneficial liaison during the mid-1970s between Lou Ukelson, owner of Vetco Records, who was keen to give the label a more national presence, and stalwart Mac Wiseman, who was anxious to have some of his best known songs back in print. The result was two albums worth of recordings made with the assistance of some of the famous Shenandoah Cut-Ups: Billy Edwards (banjo), John Palmer (bass) and ‚ÄòTater’ Tate (fiddle) – augmented by Buddy Griffin (fiddle and autoharp), Jeff Terflinger (mandolin) and Tommy Boyd (resonator guitar). Wiseman himself played guitar and provided the lead vocals.

Not only did Wiseman re-record some of the songs that he had done for Dot Records, including new arrangements of
My Little Home in Tennessee, Fire in my Heart, Don’t Let Your Sweet Love Die and I Haven’t Got The Right To Love You, he did old songs like Mary Of The Wild Moor and The Letter Edged In Black that he had been singing for some years but never recorded previously.

Wiseman, who was 84 on May 23, is well known for his clear and mellow tenor voice and he was in good form vocally at the time of these sessions.

The selections featured were originally available on two LPs, New Traditions Vol.1 (VET 508) and New Traditions Vol. 2 (VET 509), and in Rebel’s own Classic Bluegrass CD series (REB 1106).

In show business the phrase “Break a leg” is used frequently to encourage a performer by wishing them good luck without saying “good luck,” which is considered bad luck.

Unfortunately, Mac Wiseman literally broke his right femur just above the knee recently. He was taken to Summit Medical Center in Nashville, TN, where he underwent surgery and I’m told he’s now recovering nicely.

Now he’s at Skyline in “Broken leg re-hab”. He’s telling jokes every 3 minutes as usual and has all the nurses in stitches most of the time.

They just love him.

His recovery is progressing nicely and I understand that he’ll be sent home sometime next week.

The Bluegrass Blog send our best wishes to Mac for a speedy recovery!