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“Bluegrass Now!” Thursday, March 5 at 8 pm


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BLUEGRASS NOW!

Hosted by Rhonda Vincent and Jim Lauderdale, The All-Star Lineup Features Alison Brown, Becky Buller, Dan Tyminski, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, Larry Sparks, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Missy Raines and Molly Tuttle in a Grand Celebration of Bluegrass Music

Ever since Bill Monroe stormed out of Kentucky 75 years ago with a hot new take on traditional tunes, Bluegrass music’s metric drive and high lonesome sound has thrilled and inspired audiences around the world. Hosted by Rhonda Vincent and Jim Lauderdale and featuring an all-star cast, BLUEGRASS NOW! is a masterful homage to Bluegrass across genre, gender and generations. Filmed just a few miles from the Bill Monroe Home Place in the beautiful new epicenter of the genre — The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky — this high-energy music special is part of special programming premiering on PBS stations in March 2020.

BLUEGRASS NOW! host Rhonda Vincent starts the festivities with a barn-burning version of Bill Monroe’s classic, “Muleskinner Blues.”
BLUEGRASS NOW! host Rhonda Vincent starts the festivities with a barn-burning version of Bill Monroe’s classic, “Muleskinner Blues.”

BLUEGRASS NOW! features performances that reflect the many facets of Bluegrass as performed by an amazing array of today’s prominent touring Bluegrass artists. Hosts Rhonda Vincent and Jim Lauderdale welcome Alison Brown, Becky Buller, Dan Tyminski, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Missy Raines, Molly Tuttle and Bluegrass Hall-of-Famer Larry Sparks to the Woodward Theater.

Featuring full band performances, BLUEGRASS NOW! also presents truly rare and dynamic vocal pairings and instrumental duets showcasing masters of their instruments: a guitar duel/duet with Molly Tuttle and Dan Tyminski; Rhonda Vincent’s band The Rage backing Bluegrass pioneer Larry Sparks; a triple fiddle “burn-down” with Michael Cleveland and Becky Buller, and more.

 “This feels like a homecoming as many of today’s most prominent bluegrass artists make a pilgrimage back to the source of the music to document their own musical journeys,” remarked Chris Joslin, Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame Executive Director. “If bluegrass music is Kentucky’s gift to the world, BLUEGRASS NOW! feels like Christmas morning!”

Dan Tyminski, singer of the iconic “Man of Constant Sorrow” from the Coen Brothers’ classic film, O! Brother Where Art Thou (center on guitar), joins guitar prodigy Molly Tuttle on Townes van Zandt’s classic, “White Freightliner Blues.”
Dan Tyminski, singer of the iconic “Man of Constant Sorrow” from the Coen Brothers’ classic film, O! Brother Where Art Thou (center on guitar), joins guitar prodigy Molly Tuttle on Townes van Zandt’s classic, “White Freightliner Blues.”

From stunning ‘up-and-comers’ to beloved Hall-of Famers, BLUEGRASS NOW! celebrates the musical milestones and the breadth of the Bluegrass genre.

A celebration of this truly American music, BLUEGRASS NOW! is produced by Todd Jarrell (Bluegrass Underground, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band 50th Anniversary, Havana Time Machine, Songwriting With Soldiers).

PBS special programming invites viewers to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; hear diverse viewpoints; and take front-row seats to world-class drama and performances. Viewer contributions are an important source of funding, making PBS programs possible. PBS and public television stations offer all Americans from every walk of life the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content.