Bluegrass Unlimited Podcast with Ronnie Simpkins

This week we feature multi-instrumentalist and singer Sandy Rothman.  Sandy has a long history in bluegrass music in California, but also performed with Bill Monroe and spent time performing with bands in Ohio.  Back in the mid-1980’s Sandy was in a band called the The Bay Ramblers and has just released a two-CD set of the band’s music in order to honor the memory of the band’s singer and guitar player Alan Senauke who passed away last year.  We will talk with Sandy about the CDs and play a few cuts during the show.  If you are interested in ordering the CD-set, contact Sandy at: [email protected]

This week we feature guitar player and singer Randy Waller.  Randy is the son of the legendary Charlie Waller of the Country Gentlemen.  After his father passed, Randy kept the band going and a new recording of one of their live shows in Holland from 2006 has just been released.  We talk with Randy about growing up with the Country Gentlemen, his career in music and the new recording.

This week we feature sixteen year old mandolin player Wyatt Ellis.  Wyatt has gained the attention of the bluegrass and mandolin worlds and he did so starting at a very young age.  He is now is touring with his own band and working on a new album.  Several singles from that project have been released and you will have the chance to hear three of those singles here on this podcast.

This week we feature bass player Ronnie Simpkins.  Ronnie has had a long career in bluegrass starting with his family’s band and moving on to bands like the Bluegrass Cardinals, the Virginia Squires, the Tony Rice Unit and now he has been a member of the Seldom Scene for 30 years.

This week we feature banjo player Carolyne Van Lierop Boone.  Carolyne is the banjo player with Amanda Cook’s band.  Amanda is on the cover of our August 2025 issue and so we thought it would be a good to time talk with Carolyne about her background in bluegrass, working with Amanda Cook and banjo pickin'.

This week we feature mandolin and guitar player Caleb Klauder.  Caleb has a diverse musical background that includes bluegrass, old-time, Cajun and classic country music.  His band, the Foghorn String Band, was featured in Bluegrass Unlimited in March of 2023 and he and his wife Reeb Willms have put together a new bluegrass band and we’ll talk about all of that.

This week we feature fiddler Jeremy Garrett.  Jeremy is a member of the Infamous Stringdusters and now has a new solo album out.  We’ll talk to Jeremy about his bluegrass career, his twenty years with the Stringdusters, his songwriting and the new album.  You will also hear a few cuts from the album.

This week we feature multi-instrumentalist Bryan McDowell.  Bryan tore up the contest circuit on fiddle, guitar and mandolin about fifteen years ago and then went on to play with Claire Lynch and recorded a duo record with Mark Schatz.  He has also spent time performing with Sierra Hull, Molly Tuttle, Missy Raines and many others.  He now has a new album out under his own name and you will hear some of those cuts during the podcast.

This week we feature guitar player, singer and songwriter Danielle Yother.  Danielle is a very talented flatpicking guitar player who came to the attention of the flatpicking world about ten years ago at a very young age.  Now she is performing with the band The Wilder Flower and they have a new album out.  We talk with Danielle about the band, her guitar picking and her songwriting. We’ll also play some cuts from the new recording.

This week we are featuring guitar and mandolin player, and singer, James Kee.  Originally from the Chattanooga area of Tennessee, James now lives in Nashville and performs and records with East Nash Grass.  We talk with James about his early bands, his move to Nashville, his work with East Nash Grass and the band’s new record due out in August 2025.