David Holt's State of Music (2016)
David Holt plays tunes and talks with modern masters of traditional music in Appalachia, showcasing not just the music but also the countryside that gave it life. Shot entirely on location, the program puts its featured performers in the context of the countryside that nurtured their musical traditions.
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Episode 1 - Steep Canyon Rangers
Release Date: 2017-04-08Join David on a visit to a Blue Ridge Mountain farm where the Steep Canyon Rangers perform and share stories about the band’s history and life on the road touring with comedian Steve Martin.
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Episode 2 - Glencoe Mill: Alice Gerrard, Rayna Gellert, Laurelyn Dossett
Release Date: 2017-04-15David meets bluegrass legend Alice Gerrard, fiddler Rayna Gellert, and singer-songwriter Laurelyn Dossett at a 19th-century cotton mill to play traditional mill songs and share stories.
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Episode 3 - Wayne Henderson and Jeff Little
Release Date: 2017-04-22David goes to Rugby, Virginia, to play tunes with Wayne Henderson and Jeff Little. Jeff talks about the piano as a bluegrass instrument and Wayne takes David inside his guitar-making workshop.
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Episode 4 - Amythyst Kiah and Mipso
Release Date: 2017-04-29David introduces viewers to new young talents in this episode featuring powerhouse vocalist Amythyst Kiah and original songs with close harmonies from the band Mipso.
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Episode 5 - The Kruger Brothers
Release Date: 2017-05-06David travels to the mountains of Wilkes County, NC to share tunes and stories with Jens and Uwe Kruger and bass player Joel Landsberg. The Kruger first came to North Carolina for Merlfest but found such a welcome for their unique brand of bluegrass that they are now permanent residents.
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Episode 6 - Doyle Lawson and the St. John Unity Choir
Release Date: 2017-05-13David checks in with Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver and gets some stories from Doyle’s years on the road then he visits the St. John AME Zion Church in Kinston, North Carolina, where the Unity Choir performs.
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Episode 7 - Dom Flemons and David Holt
Release Date: 2017-05-20David shares tunes and stories with Dom Flemons, founder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, at an old general store in rural North Carolina.
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Episode 8 - Onstage!
Release Date: 2017-05-27The season finale, recorded live onstage at the WCU Bardo Arts Center of Western Carolina University, features Rhiannon Giddens, Dirk Powell, Jason Sypher, Balsam Range, Josh Goforth, and The Branchettes.