This weekend’s season-opening edition of A Prairie Home Companion will feature performances by a pair of mandolinists who smartly bookend the modern history of the instrument in bluegrass and Americana music. Sam Bush, the wizened veteran, recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association, while fresh-faced newcomer Sarah Jarosz is celebrating her debut CD, Song Up In Her Head, as she begins college in Boston.

But neither Bush nor Jarosz can be described simply – or even  primarily – as a mandolinist. Both are distinctive vocalists and multi-instrumentalists as well, and Bush’s place as a seminal figure in the development of newgrass is uncontested. Where a young artist like Jarosz will take the music will be an interesting story to watch this next however many years.

All that aside, Saturday’s program will allow both to showcase music from their new releases with listeners invited to draw, or ignore any comparisons they wish. Sam will have his mighty band in tow, and Sarah will do a couple with the PHC house band (plus Byron House on bass), and one on her own.

The broadcast from the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, MN goes out live September 26 at 6:00 p.m. (EDT) over hundreds of public radio affiliates across the US. It will also be simulcast live online and on Sirius-XM.

Many radio affiliates delay the broadcast until later in the evening, or Sunday morning, so check your local station for air times.

We are hoping to get a behind-the-scenes report from Sarah later this weekend. Should be a whale of a show.

The Del McCoury Band will be a featured guest on this weekend’s edition of A Prairie Home Companion, broadcast throughout the US on public radio stations and on Sirius-XM.

The show will air live on Saturday (5/30) at 6:00 p.m. (EDT) from The Fox Theater in St. Louis, MO, though many stations choose to air the program on Sunday afternoon.

Check the station listing for when the show airs in your area, or you can catch the live airing via online streaming.

Perhaps host Garrison Keiller will ask Del about the Del-uge at last weekend’s DelFest in Maryland – or maybe they will sing Wasn’t That A Mighty Storm?

UPDATE 10:20 -  The folks at Maryland Mountainside (Allegheny County Tourism Department) have posted a video on YouTube that follows Del on The Bluegrass Train from last week, just prior to the opening of DelFest. It was created by videographer Ty DeMartino.

Sam Bush will be a musical guest on this weekend’s edition of A Prairie Home Companion, aired on hundreds of public radio stations throughout the US. The show will be broadcast live on Saturday afternoon (5/2) at 6:00 p.m. (EDT) from The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

Unlike many recent Bush guest spots on PHC, Sam will have his fine band with him this time out – Scott Vestal on banjo, Stephen Mougin on guitar, Byron House on bass and Chris Brown on drums. Country superpicker Brad Paisley will also be appearing on the show.

The radio broadcast is sold out, but there will be a special “off the air” show at The Ryman starting at 9:00 p.m., Nashville time. Not sure what that will entail, but Sam and Brad will both be involved.

Though the show airs live in many radio markets, others hold it for broadcast on Sunday afternoon. You can check the official station list to double check when it airs in your area – or tune in online where the show will stream live at Saturday at 6:00.

Bluegrass sensations Dailey & Vincent will take their award winning sound to the stage of The Fitzgerald theater in St. Paul, Minnesota on February 7 at 5 PM CST. The duo will be guests that evening on A Prairie Home Companion.

Playing this august stage is seen by many artists as a right of passage.

“When we sat down to talk about our goals for the first couple years of our career, we put A Prairie Home Companion on that list,” says Jamie Dailey. “It was a lofty goal, but I’ve done the show with Doyle Lawson, Darrin’s been there with Ricky Skaggs, and we both had a wonderful time. For us to be invited as Dailey & Vincent is quite an honor, and we’re very excited.”

This duo swept the IBMA awards last fall, winning seven awards from the organization, including Emerging Artist and Entertainer of the Year. I’m looking forward to seeing them perform this Saturday in Christiansburg, VA. Check their tour schedule for a show near you.

Dailey & Vincent will release their second Rounder album, Brothers From Different Mothers, on March 31, 2009.