Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper will be performing live today (5/2) at noon on WDVX’s Blue Plate Special.

Presumably, they will include material from their upcoming Rounder release, due out in late July.

Blue Plate Special is broadcast on WDVX-FM 102.9 in Knoxville, TN - and via live streaming online. The audio is not archived, so be sure to listen in online at noon (EDT).

Old time string band The Pea Ridge Ramblers will also be featured on today’s show.

http://www.wdvx.com/programs/BluePlate.html

Friday’s (4/25) edition of Blue Plate Special on WDVX promises a very special performance by The Road Scholars, a “one weekend only” band with some high octane vocal power. In addition to their live radio appearance, they will be performing at EarthFest 2008 on the East Tennessee State University Campus on April 26.

The group features both Charlie Sizemore and Dale Ann Bradley, two of the finest voices in modern bluegrass music, along with John Golden on banjo, Roscoe Morgan on mandolin and John Miller on bass.

Blue Plate Special airs at noon (EDT). The show originates from Knoxville, TN and is broadcast in that market at 102.9 FM - and via live streaming online.

Tim O’Brien is hitting the radio tour this week, promoting his new CD, Chameleon, just out on the Proper American label.

He appeared this past Monday on The Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour (video available online) and will be the guest on today’s (3/29) edition of Blue Plate Special on WDVX-FM in Knoxville, TN.

The new CD has Tim on his own in the studio, accompanying himself on a variety of stringed instruments (banjo, bouzouki, fiddle, guitar, mandolin) on 16 of his new compositions. Audio samples are available on Tim’s web site.

If you would like to catch Tim’s show on WDVX later today, tune in to 89.9 FM in and around Knoxville, or listen live online at WDVX.com at 1:00 p.m. (EDT).

When you finish listening to Cherryholmes live on WFDU.org, you can point your browser over to WDVX.com and hear Missy Raines & The New Hip perform on Blue Plate Special. They will be performing live before a studio audience between noon and 1:00 p.m. this afternoon (2/29).

The New Hip is Missy’s musical youth movement, featuring a quartet of talented string musicians. Megan McCormick is on guitars and vocals, Michael Witcher on resonator guitar and vocals, Ethan Ballinger on mandolin and guitar, Lee Holland on percussion and Raines on bass.

Missy has spent her career as a bassist with a number of successful acts (most notably Claire Lynch) and has been named Bass Player of the Year seven times by the IBMA. This marks her first excursion as a band leader, with a group of eager co-conspirators in pursuing new sonic horizons.

WDVX broadcasts on a number of FM frequencies in East Tennessee, and online at WDVX.com.

Grasstowne will be appearing on a rare Saturday edition of Blue Plate Special on WDVX FM in Knoxville, TN on February 9 at noon (EST).

WDVX broadcasts at 89.9 FM, and listeners worldwide can catch the show via live streaming from the WDVX web site. The station does not archive these live shows, so be sure to tune in when it airs on Saturday at noon.

The boys also recorded a show for XM’s Bluegrass Junction yesterday, which is set to run on Wednesday next week. They join host Kyle Cantrell for a visit, and surely talk about the two awards they received last weekend at SPBGMA. Look for that one at 3:00 p.m. on XM 14, February 13.
On another Grasstowne-related note… Banjo picker Jason Davis is on the cover on the February issue of Banjo NewsLetter. At 19, I’m not sure if Jason is the youngest banjo artist to grace the cover of BNL, but he is bound to be close.

Kenny & Amanda Smith will join Mike Kelly this morning on A Cumberland Sunday Morning, broadcast on WDVX in Knoxville, TN from 8:00 a.m. until noon (ET). Mike will be playing fine bluegrass Gospel music all morning, and talking with Kenny and Amanda in between songs.

Mike said that we are sure to hear some of Kenny’s tall tales, and that he was planning to cajole them into singing a few as well. Listeners are invited to email questions or comments for Kenny and Amanda from the WDVX web site.

WDVX broadcasts at 89.9 FM in Knoxville, and listeners worldwide can catch the show via live streaming from the WDVX site. The station does not archive these live shows, so be sure to tune in between 8:00 and noon.

And don’t forget to switch back from Daylight Savings Time if you are in the US!

Today at noon, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones will give a live radio performance on Blue Plate Special, broadcast on WDVX 89.9 FM in Knoxville, TN. The show will also be simulcast online via a web audio stream, but is not archived so be sure to catch the show live.

Bela and the boys played last night (9/23) in Knoxville, and have another show there this evening. The Knoxville Daily Times published a lengthy interview with Bela on Friday, which can be read online.

Catch The Flecktones on Blue Plate Special at noon on September 24, eastern time.

Here’s a reminder that Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver will be performing live for a full hour tomorrow (9/6) on Blue Plate Special, streamed live at WDVX.com. The show runs from noon to 1:00 p.m. (ET). If you will be near Knoxville, TN you can catch the show at 89.9 FM.

Doyle and the boys will surely be featuring songs from their latest CD, More Behind The Picture Than The Wall, and listeners will have the chance to check out the newly reformed lineup of Quicksilver, with Joey Cox on banjo and Carl White singing and playing bass.

Doyle is currently leading in several categories in our 2007 Bluegrass Blog Awards poll, which mirrors the official IBMA Awards ballot. If you haven’t already, register and vote today!

Blue Plate Special on WDVX in Knoxville will offer a live set from New Found Road today (8/31) at noon. It will be a fine chance to catch them with their newest member, Joe Bohoor, on mandolin.

New Found Road is led by singer and songwriter Tim Shelton on guitar with Randy Barnes on bass and Jr. Willaims on banjo, along with Booher on mandolin.

Singer/songwriter Jennifer Brantley will also appear on the show.

As we’ve mentioned before when bluegrass acts have appeared, WDVX broadcasts from Knoxville, TN at 89.9 FM, and listeners worldwide can catch the show via live streaming from the WDVX web site. The station does not archive these live shows, so be sure to tune in when it airs later today at noon.

Next Thursday (9/6), Blue Plate Special will feature a live performance from Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver.

UPDATE 5:30 p.m.: Thanks to eagle-eyed commenter Jerry Greer for catching an error in this post, now corrected. As it now shows, Joe Bohoor is playing mandolin with the band, and Jr. Williams is still on banjo.

This Friday (6/20) offers two good chances to catch bluegrass artists online.

From noon to 1:00 p.m. (EDT), The Grascals will be performing live on Knoxville, TN station WDVX’s Blue Plate Special. The station broadcasts at 89.9 FM in the Knoxville market, and the show is streamed online at WDVX.com.

Then at 1:30 p.m., Brad Davis will be interviewed on WorldWideBluegrass.com. Brad will join WWB station manager Gracie Muldoon for her Muldoon In The Afternoon program to talk about what he’s been up to of late.

You can listen to WWB online, where they stream bluegrass music 24/7.

Grasstowne will be featured on today’s (6/15) edition of The Blue Plate Special on WDVX FM. The show airs at noon, eastern time, and runs for an hour.

They will be performing songs from their debut CD, The Road Headin’ Home, due for release on Pinecastle Records August 7. It has recently shipped to radio, so you may have started hearing tracks from this project already if you listen to bluegrass broadcasts. The CD can be purchased now from the band, but will not be available in stores until August.

As we’ve mentioned before when bluegrass acts have appeared, WDVX broadcasts from Knoxville, TN at 89.9 FM, and listeners worldwide can catch the show via live streaming from the WDVX web site. The station does not archive these live shows, so be sure to tune in when it airs later today at noon.

Just Us, from Etowah, TN, will also appear on today’s show.

There will be a special bluegrass performance on this Friday’s (5/11) edition of The Blue Plate Special, at noon on WDVX. The show will feature a live (in-studio) set with Butch Baldassari (mandolin), Barbara Lamb (fiddle), Kathy Chiavola (guitar/vocal) and Mike Bub (bass).

While this bunch does not tour together regularly, they will occasionally do shows as The Nashville All-Stars, and have an appearance scheduled this weekend at the Earhart Music Festival in Bristol, TN.

Butch said that their show will include mostly standard bluegrass songs and fiddle tunes, and with the high level of musicianship in this group, you can expect it to be a strong set.

WDVX broadcasts at 89.9 FM from Knoxville, TN and the station’s feed is streamed live online. There are no audio archives, so be sure to listen in on Friday, eastern US time, from noon to 1:00 p.m.

We see two great bluegrass offerings available via streaming online audio for Friday, May 4.

First up at noon (EDT) is a live performance by James Reams & The Barnstormers on WDVX’s Blue Plate Special. The show airs in Knoxville, TN at 89.9 FM, and listeners worldwide can catch the show via live streaming from the WDVX web site.

Then at 1:30 p.m., Blue Highway guitarist Tim Stafford will join Gracie Muldoon on WorldWideBluegrass.com for an interview. Tim is also an adept songwriter and studio producer, so he and Gracie will have plenty to discuss - including a new Blue Highway CD currently being recorded.

You can access WWB’s 24/7 bluegrass feed online

Blue Plate Special has a special 90 minute edition of the program on tap for Friday (3/30) on WDVX.

It’s a triple bill featuring live (in studio) performances from The Jerry Douglas Band, Kenny & Amanda Smith and Missy Raines and the New Hip. Each will get a 30 minute spot, and it’s not clear in which order they will appear.

WDVX broadcasts at 89.9 FM from Knoxville, TN and the station’s feed is streamed live online, so you can hear the show from anywhere. Listen in on Friday, eastern US time, from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Just a reminder that The Infamous Stringdusters will be performing live on WDVX today (3/19) at noon, eastern time. The show, Blue Plate, is broadcast from Knoxville, TN at 89.9 FM, but is also offered online via streaming audio. It is an hour long program.

They will surely be showcasing material from their Sugar Hill debut, Fork In The Road, which was released in late February.

Fans of new young bluegrass phenoms, The Infamous Stringdusters - or anyone curious to learn what they are all about - will have several chances to see and hear them over the next few days.

They will be interviewed on GAC TV’s The Edge of Country show on Saturday (3/17). The show is hosted by Kylie Harris, and airs at 1:00 p.m. with a rebroadcast at 11:00 p.m. The show will also be shown on Monday (3/19) at 1:00 p.m., and again on Tuesday morning (3/20) at 3:00 a.m. All times are eastern.

Banjo picker Chris Pandolfi shared some thoughts on taping the segment with GAC.

“The Edge of Country was some of the first real ‘national’ media attention we have received, and the show went really well. We do many press opportunities as a full band, so it was a challenge to get everyone involved, but we did, in turn showcasing one of our greatest assets - we are a band.

It’s hard to classify exactly what we do, genre-wise, but ‘edge of country’ seems an appropriate catch-all for our music.

I asked dobroist/vocalist Andy Hall what is was like for them, with a new CD out on a major independent label after actively performing without label support for almost two years. He responded with high praise for the folks at Sugar Hill, and said that all was right with his world.

“This is a great time for us, as we have a full touring schedule and a brand new first record. What more does a picker need?”

Andy also mentioned that The ‘Dusters recently recorded a live segment for AT&T blue room, which showcases artists online with both in studio performances and interviews. We’ll be sure to post an update when that is available on the blue room site.

On Monday, the band will be in Knoxville for a live radio broadcast from the studios of WDVX. The show will air from noon to 1:00 p.m. (3/19) on 89.9 FM, and will also be available online via streaming audio.

If you just can’t get enough of The Infamous Stringdusters, you could listen to the WDVX audio stream from noon to 1:00, and then tune in to GAC and catch the interview.

We’ve written a good bit recently about Mountain Heart’s new vocalist, Josh Shilling, and the reaction to the band’s new sound. Today’s edition of the Knoxville News Sentinel has an interview with Mountain Heart mandolinist Adam Stefey about this very topic.

Adam talks about the recent departure of founding member Steve Gulley, and how they came to bring Josh into the band. He also touches on the reaction of bluegrass fans to the change, with an allusion to the way some hardcore grassers look at them.

“Like any band change, it may take a year for people to get used to it. People who are real traditional bluegrass fans won’t like it, but they didn’t like our band before. It’s different to hear a different voice, but he’s doing a great job. I guess everything worked out the way it’s supposed to.”

Read the whole article online.

Mountain Heart is also performing live on the radio today (3/2) in Knoxville. You can hear them via live streaming at the WDVX web site at 12:00 noon (EST) when they visit WDVX’s Blue Plate Special.

Last week we told you about a couple of ebay auctions by WDVX in Knoxville that were part of it’s 2007 fundraising efforts.

The first auction was for an autographed Martin DXM guitar. The second auction was an autographed Tony Rice model Santa Cruz guitar. Friday evening the third, and final, instrument went up for auction on ebay.

This time it’s a mandolin. An “F Style” Liddy Mandolin featuring a fern peghead inlay and tobacco sunburst finish. The instrument is sporting autographs by Ricky Skaggs, Sam Bush, Ronnie McCoury, Doyle Lawson, David Grisman, Marty Stuart and more.

Once again this instrument and the accompanying case have been provided by Smoky Mountain Guitars in Pigeon Forge, TN.

The bidding began Friday evening February 16th, and will continue through the auction’s closing date of Sunday February 25th, at 6PM EST.

More photos of the instrument are available on the ebay auction page.

Earlier this week we told you about the fundraising auction being held by WDVX Knoxville, and of the autographed Martin DXM guitar being auctioned. That auction ends tomorrow, Sunday February 11th, but this evening sees the beginning of the auction for the second instrument.

This time around it’s a Tony Rice model Santa Cruz guitar signed by Tony Rice himself. This guitar is built to Tony’s personal specifications with Adirondack spruce and Indian rosewood. It features a shorter scale at 25.25″ which provides for a fast and supple action. It also has the signature 4 9/16″ soundhole and a hand-tuned top.

Tony says this is:

a guitar you can go to war with

In addition to Tony’s signature, the instrument also boasts the autographs of Del McCoury and Larry Keel. Once again this instrument does come with its own hard shell case. Both the guitar and case were graciously provided by Smoky Mountain Guitars in Pigeon Forge.

The bidding began yesterday evening, Friday February 9th, and will continue through the auction’s closing date of Sunday February 18th, at 6PM EST. More photos of the instrument are available on the ebay auction page.

Knoxville, TN radio station WDVX plays a blend of music styles that cover the gamut of acoustic styles including bluegrass, gospel, and americana. The station provides an online media player as well as support for Windows Media 96K, and a 128K iTunes feed.

Supported entirely by listener donations, benefit concerts, and local business underwriting, the station is not affiliated with any college, university, religious or political organization. In a new effort at fundraising, the station is auctioning off three great instruments that have been autographed by a number of prominent artists.

The instruments are being auctioned on ebay through the Giving Works program designed for non-profits. All proceeds from the auctions go directly to support the station and it’s programing.

The first instrument on the auction block is an autographed Martin DXM Dreadnought guitar. The instrument has been autographed by Robert Earl Keen, Tim O’Brien, Del McCoury, John Hiatt, Alison Krauss, Dan Tyminski, Jerry Douglas, Jason Carter, Ron Block, Mike Bub and more.

The bidding began this past Friday, February 2nd, and will continue through the auction’s closing date of Sunday February 11th, at 6PM EST.

The instrument comes complete with a hard shell case. The Martin DXM is a mahogany guitar with a modified low oval neck profile, 1 11/16″ nut, 25.4″ scale length, 2 1/8″ bridge string spacing, and Martin’s pattern HPL textured finish.

More photos of the instrument are available on the ebay auction page.