Toy Heart with Tom Power (A Podcast About Bluegrass)
19 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 3 years ago -CBC radio host Tom Power ("q") and BGS (The Bluegrass Situation) bring you the most in-depth podcast about the origins of bluegrass ever created. Power sits down with luminaries of the genre such as Del McCoury, Ricky Skaggs, Alice Gerrard, Jesse McReynolds, Jerry Douglas and more for an intimate conversation about their origins within the world of bluegrass music. Episodes will be released bi-weekly on TheBluegrassSituation.com and wherever you get your podcasts.
PRODUCED BY: Tom Power and Amy Reitnouer Jacobs / BGS
CO-PRODUCED AND EDITED BY: Stephanie Coleman
THEME MUSIC BY: Chris Eldridge and Kristin Andreassen
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Episodes
Remembering Tony Rice - Episode 3 (Chris Thile, Critter Eldridge, Molly Tuttle, and Bryan Sutton )
February 05, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 105 MBIn the final chapter of our three-part tribute to Tony Rice, Tom talks to the musicians who have been inspired by Tony Rice throughout their career, and the musicians through whom Tony's music will live on. Chris Thile (1:58) talks about a jam with Tony backstage that changed his musical life. Chris 'Critter' Eldridge (33:17) talks about time he spent living with and learning from Tony - not just about music, but about life. Molly Tuttle (1:03:58) speaks about Tony's influence on her guitar ...
Remembering Tony Rice - Episode 2 (Peter Rowan, Béla Fleck, Sharon Gilchrist, and Josh Williams)
January 29, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 110 MBOn episode 2 of our limited series, Toy Heart: Remembering Tony Rice, host Tom Power begins with Béla Fleck, talking about the making of two legendary albums: Drive and The Bluegrass Sessions: Tales from the Acoustic Planet, Vol.2. Fleck relates what it was like to work with Tony in studio and some wild stories about their touring together. Also in the episode, mandolinist and instructor Sharon Gilchrist displays a rare perspective on Tony's life. Something of a recluse, Tony would often driv...
Remembering Tony Rice - Episode 1 (Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, David Grisman)
January 22, 2021 17:00 - 1 hour - 96.5 MBHost Tom Power speaks with Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, and David Grisman about their old friend and bandmate Tony Rice, in the first edition of our special tribute, Toy Heart: Remembering Tony Rice. Critically acclaimed bluegrass podcast Toy Heart returns with a special, limited series, Toy Heart: Remembering Tony Rice. In the first installment of three, host Tom Power (CBC's Q) interviews Béla Fleck, Sam Bush, and David Grisman, each lifelong friends and collaborators with Rice, who passed away...
The Bluegrass Breakdown Podcast - Keith Whitley and Ricky Skaggs - Second Generation Bluegrass
November 05, 2020 09:00 - 53 minutes - 49.3 MBIn lieu of new episodes of Toy Heart, host Tom Power introduces an episode of "The Bluegrass Breakdown" podcast featuring a deep-dive into the making of Second Generation Bluegrass by Ricky Skaggs and Keith Whitley. Ricky Skaggs and Keith Whitley were only 17 years old when they recorded Second Generation Bluegrass. Ricky Skaggs joins The Breakdown to talk about this iconic album. Both went on to be country megastars – until Whitley died of alcohol poisoning at 34. Bluegrass legend Ricky Ska...
Jerry Douglas
June 09, 2020 21:00 - 1 hour - 80.6 MBFor the final episode of season one of Toy Heart, we have host Tom Power’s 2019 sit down with legendary artist, musician, and sideman Jerry Douglas at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s annual business conference in Raleigh, NC. Douglas talks all about hearing “Uncle Josh” Graves for the first time with Flatt & Scruggs and, in the early days, using a toothbrush to turn his own guitar into something like a Dobro. He tells stories of his father’s band, the The West Virginia Travell...
Jerry Douglas
June 09, 2020 21:00 - 1 hour - 80.6 MBFor the final episode of season one of Toy Heart, we have host Tom Power’s 2019 sit down with legendary artist, musician, and sideman Jerry Douglas at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s annual business conference in Raleigh, NC. Douglas talks all about hearing “Uncle Josh” Graves for the first time with Flatt & Scruggs and, in the early days, using a toothbrush to turn his own guitar into something like a Dobro. He tells stories of his father’s band, the The West Virginia Travell...
Tony Trischka
May 28, 2020 13:00 - 56 minutes - 51.8 MBHost Tom Power speaks with progressive banjo legend Tony Trischka at the home of his friend and former student, Béla Fleck. Trischka and Power talk about the time he saw and met Bob Dylan when no one was sure how to pronounce his name, and when he went to the first bluegrass festival weekend. An innovator on an archetypically traditional instrument, Trischka also discusses how he fuses jazz and experimental music with bluegrass, the intersection of the folk boom and bluegrass, and the time he...
Jesse McReynolds
May 14, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 60.9 MBHost Tom Power talks to Bluegrass Hall of Fame member Jesse McReynolds of Jim & Jesse and the Virginia Boys about his career in bluegrass. One of the last founding fathers of bluegrass, Jesse McReynold’s story is the story of bluegrass — a music that emerged out of the country, into rural schoolhouses, onto rural radio, finding sponsorship along the way, enmeshing itself into the mainstream of American culture. McReynolds tells the story of his grandfather, who played in the first recorded co...
Alison Brown
April 30, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 63.2 MBBanjoist and record label head Alison Brown speaks with host Tom Power from her studio at Compass Records headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee. They begin with her early records made with Stuart Duncan, "finding her people," and winning the Canadian National Banjo Championship (as an American). Brown then headed to Harvard, and playing banjo became "something you'd talk about at cocktail parties." She describes the moment she decided to leave investment banking and commit to music full time, ...
Alison Brown
April 30, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 63.2 MBBanjoist and record label head Alison Brown speaks with host Tom Power from her studio at Compass Records headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee. They begin with her early records made with Stuart Duncan, "finding her people," and winning the Canadian National Banjo Championship (as an American). Brown then headed to Harvard, and playing banjo became "something you'd talk about at cocktail parties." She describes the moment she decided to leave investment banking and commit to music full time, ...
Béla Fleck
April 16, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 79.2 MBOn this episode of Toy Heart, Béla Fleck talks to host Tom Power from his home studio and for the first time, he tells his story in bluegrass. Fleck started out in New York hearing Earl Scruggs for the first time, learning from Tony Trischka, and then making the decision to go (new) south to learn from J.D. Crowe. He auditioned for Bill Monroe, but eventually found 'his people' and joined New Grass Revival. He tells of mistakes the band made along the way, the hard decision to leave that band...
Béla Fleck
April 16, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 79.2 MBOn this episode of Toy Heart, Béla Fleck talks to host Tom Power from his home studio and for the first time, he tells his story in bluegrass. Fleck started out in New York hearing Earl Scruggs for the first time, learning from Tony Trischka, and then making the decision to go (new) south to learn from J.D. Crowe. He auditioned for Bill Monroe, but eventually found 'his people' and joined New Grass Revival. He tells of mistakes the band made along the way, the hard decision to leave that band...
Alice Gerrard
April 02, 2020 13:00 - 1 hour - 74.9 MBOld-time legend and Bluegrass Hall of Fame member Alice Gerrard talks to host Tom Power at her kitchen table in North Carolina. Gerrard tells stories of how she and other college students from the northern U.S. found bluegrass and old-time, of the lifelong influence of the Antioch College folk scene, meeting her Hall of Fame partner Hazel Dickens and making some of the greatest records in the genre. She goes on to describe her split from Hazel, her work since, the creation of print publicatio...
Alice Gerrard
April 02, 2020 13:00 - 1 hour - 74.9 MBOld-time legend and Bluegrass Hall of Fame member Alice Gerrard talks to host Tom Power at her kitchen table in North Carolina. Gerrard tells stories of how she and other college students from the northern U.S. found bluegrass and old-time, of the lifelong influence of the Antioch College folk scene, meeting her Hall of Fame partner Hazel Dickens and making some of the greatest records in the genre. She goes on to describe her split from Hazel, her work since, the creation of print publicatio...
Ricky Skaggs
March 19, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 59.7 MBBluegrass legend and Country Music Hall of Famer Ricky Skaggs talks to TOY HEART host Tom Power about what it was like to grow up as a child prodigy, the real story of how he got pulled on stage by Bill Monroe, how meeting Keith Whitley changed his life forever — and the last time they ever spoke. Plus, a never before told story of how Bill Monroe thought Ricky would make a “fine Blue Grass Boy.” It’s the story of Ricky Skaggs… but the one that you may not expect. Skaggs is a notable entry po...
Del McCoury
March 04, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 60.5 MBDel McCoury talks to Tom backstage at the Opry about how he started playing banjo, his (interesting) time in the military, joining Bill Monroe's band, being replaced by Bill Keith, starting over, playing music with his sons, and how he found his way to becoming a legend of Bluegrass music - and to some, defining the whole thing. Presented by BGS (The Bluegrass Situation).
Del McCoury
March 04, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 60.5 MBDel McCoury talks to Tom backstage at the Opry about how he started playing banjo, his (interesting) time in the military, joining Bill Monroe's band, being replaced by Bill Keith, starting over, playing music with his sons, and how he found his way to becoming a legend of Bluegrass music - and to some, defining the whole thing. Presented by BGS (The Bluegrass Situation). Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/toy-heart-with-tom-power-a-podcast-about-bluegrass3537/donations Adve...
Episode 1: Preview - Toy Heart: A Podcast About Bluegrass
January 27, 2020 15:00 - 5 minutes - 11.9 MBRenowned CBC radio host Tom Power ("q") and BGS (The Bluegrass Situation) bring you the most in-depth podcast about the origins of bluegrass ever created. Power sits down with luminaries of the genre such as Del McCoury, Ricky Skaggs, Alice Gerrard, Jesse McReynolds, Jerry Douglas and more for an intimate conversation about their origins within the world of bluegrass music. Premiering March 5, 2020, full episodes will be released bi-weekly on TheBluegrassSituation.com and wherever you get you...
Preview - Toy Heart: A Podcast About Bluegrass
January 27, 2020 15:00 - 5 minutes - 4.78 MBCBC radio host Tom Power ("q") and BGS (The Bluegrass Situation) bring you the most in-depth podcast about the origins of bluegrass ever created. Power sits down with luminaries of the genre such as Del McCoury, Ricky Skaggs, Alice Gerrard, Jesse McReynolds, Jerry Douglas and more for an intimate conversation about their origins within the world of bluegrass music. Premiering March 5, 2020, full episodes will be released bi-weekly on TheBluegrassSituation.com and wherever you get your podcast...