Excited to announce the fantastic talented Mike Sumner is taking over banjo duties with Hit & Run. Mike is a 2-time National Banjo Champion, Rockygrass & Merlefest Banjo Champion, and all around cool dude. He’s toured with Jim Lauderdale, Dale Ann Bradley, Randy Kohrs, and many others. Please join us in welcoming Mike to the party. 🙂

Heartfelt Thanks to Durango Bluegrass Meltdown. This fest is truly one of a kind. We spent a weekend enjoying the San Juans and the amazing folks of this region. 

It was an honor to be joined by talented fiddler Becky Buller, who inspired everyone with her great playing, singing, songs, and laughter. It was also a joy to spend some time with old friends like Aaron & Erin Youngberg, Rich Zimmerman, Greg Cahill, Dustin Benson, and new friends like Darin and Tim of Balsam Range. 

It was a hoot to teach the guitar workshop and jam with old pal Jon Stickley. He’s a monster!

We were sad to leave the San Juans, but we’ll be back in June! Hurrah! 🙂

Colorado style bluegrass hang on ‘Grass for that Ass Thursday’ night. It was just the right scene for our snowy arrival in mid-April. Loved Lil’ Smokies and Jon Stickley Trio.

Governor Haslam and former Governor Dunn, Senator Lamar Alexander, and Speaker Harwell were in attendance at Harwell House Homecoming at Ellington Agricultural Center on April 1. The amazing Kyle Cantrell of SiriusXM Bluegrass Junction–and wife Becky were there requesting songs!

Fun news for springtime! Virtuoso Isaac Eicher has come onboard to delight festival audiences with his genre-bending mandolin mastery. Originally from Tulsa, Isaac is known for winning the National Mandolin Championship in Winfield, KS and for winning the Colorado Championships at Rockygrass (Mandolin, Guitar). He began his early career in the bluegrass world, and he’s since incorporated other musical languages, such as gypsy jazz, bebop, and latin jazz. Welcome, Isaac!

March 20-22 was a special weekend in St. Louis. Great students, great pickers and singers, and a fun concert on Saturday evening with Stephen Mougin, Bull Harman & Bullseye, and Harpers. Thanks to Tammy, Bull, and Wyatt for putting it all together and inviting me to teach and perform!

Friday’s show in Columbus was a dream–sold out theater and incredible music played by the inspiring Iris DeMent. We were so honored to be invited to share the stage…THANK YOU Six String Concerts and WCBE/NPR!

Happy Holiday wishes! Here’s our version of “O Holy Night” with John Frazier on mandolin. Thanks for a wonderful year.

Here was our first trip up to Lake Erie and the haunted Kent Stage, where we performed for 400 happy fans of Hot Rize. A special treat was the fiddle trio with Royal, Christian, & John. Royal then turned 23 years old partyin’ on the Hot Rize tour bus. Fantastic evening!!

Hot Rize sounded fantastic at the Ark, one of my favorite haunts as a college girl at the University of Michigan. John Frazier & I were honored to play for their fans as a folky bluegrass duo, complete with a fiddle/banjo sing-along to end the set. I also traveled down memory lane, visiting old houses and campus haunts and feeling ghosts of memories lived.