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The Bluegrass Album Band on Sunday Night's Pickin

Pickin Co-Producer Harold Smith returns this week with a new show focusing on the legendary Bluegrass Album Band. In 1980, Tony Rice went into the studio to record a new album. A group of studio musicians, including JD Crowe, Bobby Hicks, Doyle Lawson, and Todd Phillips joined Rice on the project. Record Executives were so impressed with the traditional and tight sound that they encouraged the group to remain and record future albums together. The Bluegrass Album band would release its first album in 1981 and subsequently also issue five others. Musicians Jerry Douglas, Vassar Clements, and Mark Schatz would join the ensemble on some releases. The Bluegrass super-group remained steadfast to the traditional sound of the genre and stuck to standards from first generation artists like Bill Monroe and Flatt and Scruggs. Today, many of the founding members have passed away though their legacy as one of the pure Bluegrass supergroups that lead the music into the 80s remains. Tune in to hear the incredible sound of the Bluegrass Album Band and also, welcome back Harold Smith to the WHRV studio. Harold will share his in-sight into why the band remains one of the iconic groups in Bluegrass history. Pickin on WHRV airs Sunday nights 7-9 on 89.5

Barry Graham used to arrive at WHRO with a briefcase full of papers and lesson plans. For 32 years he taught US and Virginia Government in the Virginia Beach Public Schools. While teaching was always his first love, radio was a close second. While attending Old Dominion, Barry was program director at WODU, the college radio station. After graduating, he came to WHRO as an overnight announcer. Originally intending to stay on only while completing graduate school, he was soon hooked on Public Radio and today is the senior announcer on WHRV. In 2001, Barry earned his Ph.D in Urban Studies by writing a history of WHRO and analyzing its impact upon local education, policy and cultural arts organizations.