The Yolo County Breakdown

Calling all bluegrass bass players - why can't any of you do the things Edgar Meyer can do? He truly stands atop the mountain of bass players that visit the bluegrass realm whether he is bowing it or plucking it. Rocky spins a masterpiece of Edgar's and if you are questioning your career choice, John Hartford may get you to turn in your 2 weeks notice so you can stop working In Tall Buildings!

Bob Weir was a giant. He has a place in music history among the rare breed of artists who could reach deep inside your heart and mind to connect on an ephemeral plane that would find you questioning everything you thought you once knew. As a guitar player, he forged a new path made of ear-twisting chords rich in augmented and diminished tones that delivered a perfect blend of harmony and dissonance. If you ever found yourself at a Grateful Dead concert looking around and confusedly asking yourself, "What was that sound?" chances are, that sound was Bobby. As a songwriter, he crafted tales that painted puzzling pictures of sound on the ceilings of dancehalls and stadiums across the world. And he did it with a smile and an enthusiasm that invited everyone to jump on the bus and come along for the ride. This week on the Yolo County Breakdown, we remember the life and music of Bob Weir who passed away on January 10, and we do it bluegrass style.

Rocky is joined by a very special guest - the one and only Flux himself - Jerry Douglas. They celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of the most important bluegrass recordings of all time - the J.D. Crowe and the New South album better known as Rounder 044. Jerry is one of only 2 surviving members of the band that created a new standard of excellence in bluegrass when they released this album back in 1975. In the 50 years since, Jerry has cemented his place in music history as the greatest dobro player of all time. He has won 16 Grammy Awards and appeared on thousands of recordings in a career that is unmatched by any other resophonic guitar player on planet Earth. Jerry reminisces on the legendary New South recording sessions, playing alongside Tony Rice, Ricky Skaggs, Bobby Slone and J.D. Crowe.

50 years ago, an album was released that would sell more copies than any other album in bluegrass history - and hold on to that record for 25 years. The album was called Old & In The Way and its all-star cast of pickers included Grateful Dead icon Jerry Garcia on banjo, David Grisman on mandolin, Vassar Clements on fiddle, John Kahn on bass, and Peter Rowan on guitar. Peter and Rocky recently had a great conversation about his music career, and this episode of the Yolo County Breakdown features that interview. Peter talks about his early days sneaking into music clubs in Massachusetts, and Rocky follows the path of his musical journey through his time with Joe Val, Bill Monroe, Muleskinner, Townes Van Zandt, Wyatt Ellis, and much more. Peter is a gifted story teller, and this conversation is one you will not want to miss!