GRAMMY-nominated artist Joe Troop’s new album is coming August 20 on Free Dirt Records and Rolling Stone has the premiere on his first music video for the album. It’s for his song “Mercy for Migrants,” featuring roots music stars Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn. The song is Troop’s plea for empathy for those trying to cross the US border searching for a better life.

They nearly always come back. All the people that leave bluegrass. I had a strong feeling that I’d be coming back as well. My Bluegrass Heart is my first bluegrass record in over 20 years. It comes out September 10th but you can hear Charm School (featuring Billy Strings on guitar and Chris Thile on mandolin) right now.

The Blind Boys of Alabama and Bela Fleck have joined together on record for the first time to release a special 45RPM 7” on Alabama-based label Single Lock Records. Gospel icons The Blind Boys of Alabama and Bela Fleck, who occupies a similarly lofty perch in the world of bluegrass, have collectively earned 20 GRAMMY Awards and scores of other accolades.

For the first time in its 49-year history, the celebrated RockyGrass bluegrass festival will offer a dynamic livestream. Produced by award-winning NOCOAST TV, the high-definition stream, which features 8 cameras and stereo audio will be available July 23rd to 25th, 2021.

New song up now for GRAMMY nominated Joe Troop of Che Apalache. “Red, White & Blues” (feat. Tim O’Brien) is Joe’s homage to the difficult legacy of America. Folk Radio UK premiered the song today for 4th of July and Joe’s got some interesting thoughts on the holiday:

With a new president, vaccines rolling out, and massive cultural changes underway, most of us are looking for a moment just to breathe. But not Joe Troop. As the GRAMMY-nominated bandleader for Che Apalache, Troop didn’t stop even for a second as COVID ravaged a whole year’s worth of performance dates. Instead he took to the rural roads of North Carolina and the American South, pushing to get out the vote among rural progressives and interviewing those most affected by Trump’s horrific policies.

The Blind Boys of Alabama are gospel icons. Bela Fleck occupies a similarly lofty perch in the world of bluegrass. Together, they have earned 20 GRAMMY Awards and scores of other accolades. For Record Store Day 2021, The Blind Boys of Alabama and Bela Fleck have joined together on record for the first time to release a special 45RPM 7” to be released on Alabama-based label Single Lock Records.

Join the Bearded Banjo Santas Holiday Hang with Messrs. Béla Fleck, Alan Munde, and Tony Trischka.

From the North Pole, 15 strings will resound and conversation propels across great distances. Be sure not to miss the tintinnabulation as picks click strings on Wednesday, December 23, 8pm ET for an hour of fun and frolic.

Tune in to any of these Banjo Santas' Facebook page to watch! Donations will gladly be accepted for Action Against Hunger USA.

To celebrate Bela Fleck's most recent GRAMMY® nomination (!!) for Best Historical Album, they're screening the award-winning documentary Throw Down Your Heart this Friday on their Facebook and YouTube pages. The film will be followed by a live Q&A with Bela and director Sascha Paladino.