PODCAST · music
Back Porch Bluegrass
by Free FM
Paul Trenwith is an enthusiastic advocate for, player and promoter of bluegrass music. Back Porch Bluegrass features a wide range of the genre's best performers.
Episodes
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Back Porch Bluegrass Show - 13-10-2026
The music I’ve selected this week has a few interesting aspects, which I share with you. Starting with one of my original instrumental tracks from the 1970’s, with a very strong bass presence, we later have a John Hartford track that influenced that bassy sound. Another early influence on my...
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Back Porch Bluegrass Show - 06-10-2026
A wide range of the bluegrass genre on this week’s show, including music from Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Dan Tyminski, JD Crowe, and banjo player Bill Evans. The Infamous Stringdusters dust off their strings, and the Foggy Hogtown Boys sing through the fog. Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers…
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Back Porch Bluegrass Show - 29-09-2026
From the ‘modern’ country sound of the 1970’s Osborne Brothers to the very traditional bluegrass sound of Curly Seckler, there’s a lot to like in this episode of the Back Porch Bluegrass Show. The Price Sisters, Joe Stuart, James Price the fiddler, and Bill Clifton playing with his European...
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Back Porch Bluegrass Show - 22-09-2026
In this episode of Back Porch Bluegrass we’ve got some live recordings of Wasson & McCall, Chubby Anthony & Don Stover, and Hot Rize, all playing some great tunes. Newtown, the Nashville Bluegrass Band, and the Johnson Mountain Boys give us their take on some fine tunes, and the Kentucky…
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Back Porch Bluegrass Show - 15-09-2026
There are many different styles of bluegrass, and in this show we get to hear just some of them. From the ‘early’ classic bluegrass sound of the Stanley Brothers (played by two youngsters emulating their heroes, Ricky Skaggs & Keith Whitley), through the powerful sounds of the Country Gentlemen...
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Back Porch Bluegrass Show - 08-09-2026
A somewhat eclectic mix of music in this episode, ranging from the very down-home sounding J.E.Mainer’s fiddle playing, to the smooth sophistication of the Cox Family with Alison Krauss. We’ve got some great 1970s bluegrass from the Boys From Indiana, some remarkable multi-tracking from Justin...
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Back Porch Bluegrass Show - 01-09-2026
The great Dolly Parton made excellent contributions to bluegrass music, both as a songwriter and a performer. Two albums, using the genre’s top bluegrass musicians received critical acclaim, and provided a source of excellent material for many bluegrass bands. In this episode of Back Porch...
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Back Porch Bluegrass Show - 25-08-2026
Pat Enright, the guitarist and lead singer (along with Alan O’Bryant) of the Nashville Bluegrass Band passed away last week. In this show, I play some of the tracks featuring his great vocals. I’ve also included some fine music from High Fidelity, Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley, Vassar Clements, Chris...
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Back Porch Bluegrass Show - 18-08-2026
This week I’ve included several artists who do not regularly appear on the show, but are definitely worth hearing: Dr Peter Wernick and his band, Starlett & Big John, Joe Val & the New England Bluegrass Boys, Unspoken Tradition, as well as some who might appear more often – the Earls of…
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Back Porch Bluegrass Show - 11-08-2026
Back in the Studio, with songs from 1936 through to 2026 – 90 years of bluegrass! The Monroe Brothers, Terry Baucom, Red Wilson, Dale Ann Bradley and NZ’s own you Me Everybody get the show started, then we follow up with the Cattlestops, Seth Mulder & Midnight Run, the 1970’s Country Gentlemen…
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Back Porch Bluegrass Show - a replay from 01-08-23
In this replay of the show from 01 August 2023, there's a variety of bluegrass styles, including music from Blue Highway, Claire Lynch, Monroe Crossing, the Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band, and Sawmill Road. There’s some fine picking from Norman Blake, some classic bluegrass from Marvin Howell and the...
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Back Porch Bluegrass Show - 28-07-2026
This show features some more treasures from the LP’s my friend Barry has given me, with the bands Spectrum and Shenandoah Cut-ups being featured. We’ve also got music from Del McCoury, the Nashville Bluegrass Band, Bobby Hicks and Cliff Waldron. The Allen Brothers do some nice harmony for us, and...
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Back Porch Bluegrass Show - Replay of 25-07-23
On a trip to Wellington in 2023, I went shopping for (and purchased) some second-hand CD’s – but NEW to me. I thought I’d share them with you all. Music from Jim Lauderdale, Chris Jones, Alison Krauss, the original Jimmie Rodgers, Ricky Skaggs and Roy Acuff. There’s some songs from Dierks…
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Back Porch Bluegrass Show - 14-07-2026
I was doing a recording session on banjo for music producer Dan Cosgrove, and thought he’d be a great guest on Back Porch Bluegrass. I was right! I ask Dan about his recording work, the ins and outs of being an engineer/producer/musician, and how he goes about it. I also play him some bluegrass...
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Back Porch Bluegrass Show - 07-07-2026
I’ve just been given a box of LP’s from my guitar-playing friend Barry Paterson, and there’s some real treasures in that box. This episode of BPBG features three of those LP’s – the Bluegrass Cardinals, Country Gazette, and Frank Necessary & Al Jones. I’ve also included tracks from the Stanley...
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Back Porch Bluegrass Show - 23-06-2026
From the 1950 Lonesome Pine Fiddlers to a brand-new album from Claire Lynch, this episode features a great range of bluegrass. The Earls of Leicester, Audie Blaylock & Redline, Scott Vestal and JD Crowe get us underway, and that’s followed up by the Kody Norris Show. Then we’ve got the...
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Back Porch Bluegrass Show - 16-06-2026
This episode of Back Porch Bluegrass has a ‘country-ish’ feel to it, with several songs taken from the country music genre. But bluegrass has always borrowed songs from other genres, and it makes for interesting listening. Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road, Special Consensus, Del McCoury and the...
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Back Porch Bluegrass Show - 09-06-2026
Music for show #700 has been taken from new CDs (2026) and my old LPs. Lots of variation of the genre here! From Bill Monroe through to You Me Everybody, with tracks from Ricky Skaggs, Lindsay Butler, High Fidelity, Russell Moore, and the Hamilton County Bluegrass Band (presenting a bit of...
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Back Porch Bluegrass Show - 02-06-2026
Show originally aired on June 7, 2022. I’ve found some 1950’s ‘classic’ bluegrass for you, as well as some great music from Sawmill Road, Nu-Blu, Tony Rice and even NZ’s own Hamilton County Bluegrass Band. Flatt & Scruggs, the Kentucky Travellers, Bill Clifton, Allen Shelton all contributed…
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Back Porch Bluegrass Show - 26-05-2026
The ‘theme’ song of this show, aptly titled ‘Back Porch Bluegrass’, kicks off, and then we have some great music from the Kody Norris Show, the Lynn Morris Band, Kenny Baker playing a tune (about my latest project, boat building), the fine Canadian band Jerusalem Ridge, and the Lonesome River…
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Back Porch Bluegrass Show - 19-05-2026
We start the show with a very driving Dobro tune, then feature some fine performers, including David Grisman, the Gibson Brothers, banjo picker Jim Mills, and the Bluegrass Album Band. Claire Lynch sings a couple of lovely songs, and Little Roy Lewis picks some hard-driving banjo. The Hamilton...
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Back Porch Bluegrass Show - 12-05-2026
I’m using three LPs on this episode of the Back Porch Bluegrass Show, meaning I’m digging deep into my archives. Country Gazette, the Johnson Mountain Boys, and John Hartford all feature from the vinyl collection. I’ve dug into my CDs, too – Dan Tyminski, Lee Ann Womack, Junior Sisk, Sierra Hull...
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 05-05-2026
We kick off with a banjo tune named after a being from Greek mythology (or a place in NZ), then feature some of my favourites – the Country Gentlemen, Sawmill Road, John Hickman, and the Osborne Brothers. Some Canadian artists in this episode, too – the Spinney Brothers from Nova Scotia, and John...
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 28-04-2026
Some bluegrass, some old-timey, some Gospel. The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band kick off the show with a twin banjo duet, the we have Seldom Scene, the New Vintage Bluegrass Band, the Kentucky Colonels and the Travelling McCourys. The Bluegrass album Band, Tony Ellis and Aussie outfit Old South...
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 14-04-2026
A broad range of the bluegrass genre in this episode of Back Porch Bluegrass, from the rather ‘rocky’ Dierks Bentley to the solo performance of some fine finger-style guitar from Doc Watson. In between we have Mike Compton playing a previously unrecorded Bill Monroe tune, A del McCoury classic…
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 07-04-2026
We’ve just had Easter Weekend, and this show includes some great gospel songs with an Easter inclination, then we have recordings from the NZ National Banjo Pickers Conventions in the late 1960’s, which were always held on Easter Weekend. Cliff Waldron, Dale Ann Bradley, Doyle Lawson contribute...
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 31-03-2026
It’s almost Easter Weekend, so I’ve included some gospel songs in this show, including the Stanley Brothers’ classic ‘Cry From The Cross’. We’ve also got songs from Flatt & Scruggs, Kathy Kallick & Laurie Lewis, Nothing Fancy and some fine picking from Mike Scott & Co, and Scott Vestal & Co.…
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 24-03-2026
Tony Rice kicks off the show, followed by Billy Strings & his Dad, the Dillards with some fine banjo picking, and Nu-Blu with a song from the writing of Nanci Griffith. Curly Seckler, Chris Jones, Jim Lauderdale with Ralph Stanley, follow on, and we’ve another couple of great tracks from Aussie...
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 17-03-2026
I’ve just returned from visiting old friends in Australia, and some of the music in this show includes recordings we made together back in the 1970’s, with Anne Kirkpatrick, and Country Sound. There’s also some ‘Irish’ items included, being as it’s St Patrick’s Day, including Hot Rize, Marian...
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 10-03-2026
This show previously aired 8-03-2022 Emerson & Waldron – great band from the 1970’s - kick off proceedings, with a real mixture of bluegrass styles from diverse bands to follow, including Kenny Baker, the Foggy Hogtown Boys, Stuie & Camille, Larry Sparks and NZ’s own Pipi Pickers.
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 03-03-2026
Classic bluegrass from the Bluegrass album Band, some ‘older’ recordings from johnny Whisnant, the Lilly Brothers and the New lost City Ramblers, and some contemporary bluegrass/country from Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road. The Kody Norris Show do a couple of songs, and Patty loveless sings some...
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 24-02-2026
A broad range of bluegrass offerings in this episode, from Bill Monroe singing gospel, to the fiddle & banjo tunes of Byron Berline & John Hickman. In between, we’ve got the Chapmans, Sideline, the Price Sisters, Doyle Lawson and the NZ band You Me Everybody. The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band…
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 17-02-2026
A very diverse collection of bluegrass in this episode, from the 80+ year-old Stoneman Sisters, to the stalwarts of classic bluegrass, the Bluegrass Album Band. Dan Tyminski, Barry & Holly Tashian, Emerson & Waldron, the Osborne Brothers get us started, then the Country Gentlemen and Northern...
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 10-02-2026
If you’re in the South Island, NZ, then ‘Kindred Spirit’ will be playing near you this week or next (when they’re not fishing!). And if you’re in the North Island, NZ, then get your tickets for ‘You, Me, Everybody’ as they play a number of concerts to promote their new album in March. This week’s...
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 03-02-2026
I’m delighted to be advertising TWO imminent bluegrass tour in NZ, one with NZ band ‘You, Me, Everybody’ to promote their new album, and one with the North Carolina-based duo ‘Kindred Spirit’. I’ve featured tracks from both groups in this show. We’ve also got tracks from JD Crowe & the New South,...
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 27-01-2026
An eclectic collection of bluegrass styles in this episode, from Bill Monroe to the Lost Pines. American Drive play some hard-driving bluegrass, the Waller Brothers have a couple of duets, the Stanley gospel Tradition do a great SB song in their inimitable style. Alison Brown picks banjo like...
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 20-01-2026
Bluegrass music continues to provide us with a wide variety of musical influences and styles, from slow country ballads, story songs, bouncy instrumentals to hard-driving pieces about a wide variety of topics. This week, we have offerings from Wildfire, Seth Mulder & Midnight Run, Danny Paisley,...
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 13-01-2026
I’ve got music from three of my favourite LP’s on this show – the Johnson Mountain Boys, John Hartford, and Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver – all top music. There’s some fine picking from John Hickman, Richie Simpkins, and some songs from NZ tourists – Sassafras. Michelle Nixon and Drive, Steve…
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 06-01-2026
Being as this is the first show for 2026, I’ve started with a delightful song about the ‘First Day of the Year‘ from Joe Newberry, after some rather contemporary picking from 1972 from the HCBB. That’s followed by some of the earliest bluegrass from Flatt & Scruggs, a great song from Kathy…
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 30-12-2025
This week’s show has a rather diverse collection of early ‘classic’ bluegrass, jazzy numbers, Christmas carols, brand new NZ bluegrass, archival NZ bluegrass and stories about NZ baches. Always something to like. You can listen to Claire Lynch, Jerry Douglas, Larry Sparks, Tony Trischka, Jimmy...
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 23-12-2025
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas packed with classic Bluegrass - enjoy this festive repeat episode from 24-12-2019.
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 16-12-2025
Many of the selections in this show come from ‘compilation’ albums, featuring tracks from performers that I don’t have in my general collection. As always, there’s some great picking and singing, from the likes of Ricky Skaggs, reno & Smiley, Arthur Smith, the Witcher Brothers, Hot Rize, Gillian...
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 09-12-2025
Quite a few of the selections on this show have an ‘old-timey’ feel to them, making it all sound very relaxed. Mark Johnson & Emory Lester get us started after a burst of ‘Sunburst’, then Nothing Fancy, Chad Manning, Dix Bruce and Jim Nunally and Raymond McLain all contribute. The Johnson Boys do…
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 02-12-2025
Selections from banjo man Butch Robins, the Bluegrass Album Band, Bobby Hicks, and the Foggy Hogtown Boys. Bill Monroe, Doc Watson feature with ‘live’ recordings, and Caroline Jones does a Christmas song with the Trenwiths. A song from ‘Oh Brother’, and one from the Petersens. Lots to like.
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 25-11-2025
A rather ‘odd’ mix of early bluegrass, old country songs, Western Swing and dynamic fiddle tunes. It must be bluegrass!
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 18-11-2025
Lots of ‘classic’ bluegrass, from the likes of Red Allen & Frank Wakefield, the Johnson Mountain Boys, and the Friendly City Playboys. The Dillards play a couple of tunes, as do Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers, and we’ve a couple of songs from Beth Stevens & Edge. Pam Findlay (with the HCBB)...
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 11-11-2025
We’ve got a disparate selection of songs from the very broad ‘bluegrass’ genre; with some classic bluegrass, some songs from Arizona, songs about home towns, great instrumentals, and sad love songs. Bluegrass Album Band, Peter McLaughlin, Iris DeMent, the Kathy Kallick Band, the ‘classic’ Country...
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 04-11-2025
While on my weekend away in Wellington for the Wellington Folk Festival 60th Anniversary, I visited Slow Boat Records in Cuba St, and found some bluegrass CDs there that I considered necessary to add to my collection. Consequently, I’ve featured some music ‘new’ to Back Porch Bluegrass, as well…
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 21-10-2025
Another deep dig into my shelves, and I’ve found some lesser-known bluegrass artists for your enjoyment. I’ve also featured a brand-new album from the master, Larry Sparks. The Osborne Brothers, Louie Setzer, Leon Morris all feature, as does Dailey & Vincent, Laurie Lewis & Friends, and NZ’s own...
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Back Porch Bluegrass - 14-10-2025
Special Consensus are first up (after the opening track by Colleen Trenwith & myself), followed by the Bluegrass Album Band, the Kruger Brothers and the Brombies. We’ve also got the Price Sisters, Earl Taylor and the Stoney Mountain Boys from the 1960’s, and Roy Acuff playing some fine...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Paul Trenwith is an enthusiastic advocate for, player and promoter of bluegrass music. Back Porch Bluegrass features a wide range of the genre's best performers.
HOSTED BY
Free FM
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Back Porch Bluegrass have?
Back Porch Bluegrass currently has 52 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Back Porch Bluegrass about?
Paul Trenwith is an enthusiastic advocate for, player and promoter of bluegrass music. Back Porch Bluegrass features a wide range of the genre's best performers.
How often does Back Porch Bluegrass release new episodes?
Back Porch Bluegrass has 52 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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You can listen to Back Porch Bluegrass on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Back Porch Bluegrass?
Back Porch Bluegrass is created and hosted by Free FM.
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