Blake Willams: Banjo Memories of Lester & Bill

Blake Willams: Banjo Memories of Lester & Bill

Author: Bluegrass stars April 21, 2026 Duration: 1:16:54
Send us Fan Mail Blake Wiliams played banjo with Lester Flatt and Nashville Grass, before his ten year stint with Bill Monroe and his Bluegrasss Boys. He was the longest tenured banjo player ever with Monore, and has some amazing stories to prove it! During his career, Blake has toured 48 states and 7 countries, played Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, and Lincoln Center. He recorded 2 albums with Lester Flatt, and 6 albums with Bill Monroe, including the Grammy winning Southern Flavor. Yo...

Tucked away in Hamden, Connecticut, the Got 'Grass? podcast is where the heart of bluegrass beats. Host Chris Wuerth, from the GuitartownCT concert series, pulls up a chair with legends and rising stars of the genre for conversations that go far beyond the stage. While the music is the foundation, these discussions weave through personal history, the cultural commentary embedded in the songs, and the often hilarious, always candid stories from life on the road. You'll hear about the influences that shaped a sound, the historical moments that defined a career, and the quiet reflections that happen when the instruments are finally back in their cases. This isn't just a series of interviews; it's an intimate gathering where the voices behind the strings share their journeys with eloquence and a deep sense of connection. Each episode of this podcast feels like a backstage pass to the real stories, offering listeners a genuine understanding of the people who create the music. The tone is warm, engaging, and often surprisingly funny, mirroring the community it represents. For anyone curious about the souls behind the solos, Got 'Grass? provides a rich, listening experience that celebrates bluegrass in all its authentic, human complexity.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 83

Got 'Grass?
Podcast Episodes
Ronnie Reno: He's seen it all, country & bluegrass [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:50
Send us Fan Mail Ron Reno retired in 2019, after 60 years in bluegrass and country music. He started at age 7, with his dad Don Reno, and Red Smiley. He recorded ten albums during his 9 years with Merle Haggard, and play…
Heather Berry Mabe: Daughter of the Stars [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:36
Send us Fan Mail Every once in a while, I interview someone who is so natural and open that it feels like a chat with an old friend. That was the case with Heather Berry Mabe. In 2024, Heather won IBMA's Momentum Vocalis…
Liam Purcell: Fueling the Future of Buegrass [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:08
Send us Fan Mail Liam grew up just down the road from Doc Watson's home in Deep Gap, North Carolina. A child prodigy on several instruments, he surprised everyone by sweeping the 2022 RockyGrass instrumental contests in…
Darren Nicholson: Bringing North Carolina Bluegrass Home [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:39
Send us Fan Mail Darren Nicholson has played mountain music since his youth in Western North Carolina. A great mandolinist with Alecia Nugent, and seventeen years with Balsam Range, he’s also an introspective songwriter,…
Ettore Buzzini: Re-imagining The Banjo [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:28
Send us Fan Mail Ettore Buzzini is an eighteen year old banjo prodigy from North Carolina. Winner of Fresh Grass 2025 Banjo Contest, he’s a strong songwriter, instrumentalist, and vocalist, whose dream is to "bring as mu…
Tim Stafford: The Song is The Story [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:13
Send us Fan Mail Tim Stafford is a master songwriter, guitarist and teacher. From Alison Krauss & Union Station, to 30+ years with Blue Highway, he's had his finger on the pulse of bluegrass. A wide ranging intellect, wi…
Andy Leftwich: Fiddle and Faith [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:29
Send us Fan Mail 4-time Grammy winner Andy Leftwich began playing fiddle at age 6, entered his first contest at 7, and won the National Championship for Beginners at 12. At age 19 he joined Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunde…
David Benedict: Spreading Mandolin Joy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:17
Send us Fan Mail David Benedict is Grammy-nominated mandolinist. After 3 years with Missy Raines, he joined Mile Twelve, who were 2017 IBMA Momentum Award winners. David was also 2018 IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist of the…
Brittany Haas: Fiddling "Force of Nature"! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:20
Send us Fan Mail Fiddler Brittany Haas is "a musical force of nature" says Chris Eldridge. From The Republic of Strings at age 13, through Crooked Still, The Dave Rawlings Machine, Hawktail, and now The Punch Brothers, s…
Gene Lowinger: Tales From the Road with Monroe, '64 - '65 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:35
Send us Fan Mail This is a fascinating look into the realities of travelling and performing with Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys, back in the mid-60's. Gene Lowinger, who played fiddle with Monroe, is well known for h…