S4 E1. Fred Bartenstein: Bluegrass Guru (Part 1)

S4 E1. Fred Bartenstein: Bluegrass Guru (Part 1)

Author: Blue Poncho Media July 3, 2026 Duration: 1:48:58
In this inaugural episode of our "Industrial Strength Bluegrass" season of Walls of Time, we sit down with Fred Bartenstein at his home in Yellow Springs, OH. Fred is one of the editors of the book Industrial Strength Bluegrass: Southwestern Ohio's Musical Legacy for University of Illinois Press, so he had to be our first guest this season. We start off our conversation, by learning what exactly is "industrial strength bluegrass", where did the title originate, and why does it refer to bluegrass music connected to the Dayton/Cincinnati region. Fred truly is a "bluegrass guru." His multi-faceted career in this music began as a teenager. For six decades, he has worn many hats, including guitar player, radio broadcaster, newspaper editor, scholar, festival emcee, author, educator, and more. His work in bluegrass began in a big way as a young man, becoming the right hand man for Carlton Haney, known as the "P.T. Barnum of Bluegrass Music", and he tells us all about it! (Yes -- I ask about Pythagoras.) Enjoy Part 1 of our conversation with Fred Bartenstein. This episode is brought to you by the following sponsors: -- Greene County Public Library: greenelibrary.info-- Samson's Haircare: samsonshaircare.com (Use code BLUEGRASS to save 10%.) 

There’s a particular sound that feels like home-the drive of a banjo, the ache of a fiddle, the harmony of voices that seem to rise from the ground itself. Walls of Time: Bluegrass Podcast is built around that feeling, but it goes deeper, into the stories and people behind the music. Host Daniel Mullins doesn’t just sit in a studio; he takes his recorder to festivals, backstage areas, and front porches, capturing conversations where they naturally happen. This approach gives each episode an intimate, almost conversational quality, as if you’re right there in the room. You’ll hear from legendary pickers, innovative songwriters, and the dedicated souls who keep the tradition alive, all sharing their journeys in their own voices. The podcast, from Blue Poncho Media, is less about formal interviews and more about genuine connection, exploring how these artists live and breathe the genre. It’s for anyone who wants to understand not just how the music is made, but why it matters. Tune in for unfiltered stories, laughter, and the raw, unvarnished sound of bluegrass history being told by those who are shaping it, one note and one story at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 49

Walls of Time: Bluegrass Podcast
Podcast Episodes
S3 E2. Darin & Brooke Aldridge: The Sweethearts of Bluegrass [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:30
Dubbed "The Sweethearts of Bluegrass", Darin & Brooke Aldridge are a strong couple -- both in music and in marriage. Growing up in the same region of North Carolina, they met through mutual friends and bonded over a mutu…
S3 E1. Jamie Dailey: Poor Boy Working Blues [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:37
Jamie Dailey is a ball of energy, both on stage and off. After making some legendary music with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, he formed the award-winning Dailey & Vincent with Darrin Vincent. For over fifteen years, they h…
BONUS. J.D. Crowe Remembers Tony Rice (Real Roots Radio) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:12
We are posting this episode on what would have been J.D. Crowe's 85th birthday. He was a dear friend of the podcast, and was our special guest on our first two episodes. J.D. Crowe passed away on December 24th, 2021. His…
BONUS. Bill Emerson: Fox on the Run [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:54
Bill Emerson was a banjo giant, whose work with Jimmy Martin & The Sunny Mountain Boys, The Country Gentlemen, Emerson & Waldron, and more, resulted in his 2019 induction into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. His impecc…
S2 E15. Del McCoury: Loggin' Man [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:22:19
A member of the Grand Ole Opry and the Bluegrass Hall of Fame, Del McCoury has one of the most distinctive voices in all of roots music. With The Del McCoury Band, he has led one of the most successful bluegrass bands of…
S2 E14. C.J. Lewandowski: Longing for The Ozarks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26:55
From the Ozark hills to the Grand Ole Opry, CJ Lewandowski and his band The Po Ramblin Boys are a bluegrass success story who have taken their traditional sound to new audiences. Daniel Mullins sits down with CJ in Nashv…
S2 E13. Russell Moore: Erase The Miles (Part 2) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:13
Russell Moore is IBMA’s most-awarded Male Vocalist and leader of the award-winning band, IIIrd Tyme Out. Here in Part 2 of his interview with Daniel Mullins, Russell recounts his journey from sideman to band leader, and…
S2 E12. Russell Moore: Erase The Miles (Part 1) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:57
As the most awarded male vocalist in bluegrass, Russell Moore has earned a pedigree as a lead singer and guitarist from the biggest artists in the industry. Still at the top of his game, Russell continues to record and p…
S2 E11. Andrea Roberts: Petticoat Junction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:45
A renaissance woman of bluegrass, Andrea Roberts has led the life of a musician with the trailblazing, all-female group, Petticoat Junction, as well as one of manager, promoter, and talent agent for some of bluegrass mus…
S2 E10. Michael Cleveland: Fiddler's Dream (Part 2) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:24
Fiddle master, Michael Cleavland is considered one of today's greatest bluegrass artists. Here in Part 2 of Daniel Mullins' interview with Michael, they talk about his journey in bluegrass, from his first professional pe…