Sponsor

wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

When Country Wasn't Cool

« previous episode | next episode »

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Long before Johnny Cash or Willie Nelson, a cadre of small-town preachers, hell-raisers, cowboys and blind men were among the first to record what we now know as country music. Today: a look at the evolution of the genre and its unsung heroes. Plus: Grammy nominated banjoist Tony Trischka brings bluegrass to our studio.

A Bluegrass Original

Tony Trischka says he didn’t choose to play the banjo -- it chose him. But during his 40-year career, he’s inspired a generation of bluegrass musicians to pick up the instrument. On his Grammy nominated CD Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular, he collaborates with banjoists ranging from Bela Fleck to comedian ...

Comments [2]

Country Music Pioneers

The hard-luck, God-fearing country music of the 1920s and ‘30s is the ancestor of today’s polished Nashville sound. The new book Country Music Originals: The Legends and the Lost charts the genre’s family tree, from big names like Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family to lesser-known musicians (whose stories ...

Comment