The October 18th edition of Bluegrass Cafe featured lots and lots of music in honor of the Stanley Brothers, as Ralph and Carter were finally inducted as members into the Country Music Hall of Fame that day. The majority of the music played that day was either from the Stanleys, themselves, or from one of the many performers who have recorded their music from the earliest days.
In addition to music of the Stanleys, we heard a few newer songs, too, including music from High Fidelity, Authentic Unlimited, Andy Leftwich, Kristy Cox, the Travelin' McCourys, and a new song from Alison Brown & Steve Martin joined by Dan Tyminski & Del McCoury.
As the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Awards were to be presented on Thursday, October 22nd in Chattanooga, we played each of the songs nominated for the 2026 Song of the Year. (Spoiler alert: the dark horse winner in this category turned out to be "Can't Outrun The Blues" by Trey Hensley).
And for fun, we listened to three tracks from a bona fide LP released in 1980: "Opening Roll" by Spectrum on Rounder Records. This four-piece sort of contemporary band included Glenn Lawson on lead vocals & guitar, Jimmy Gaudreau on mandolin & vocals, Bela Fleck on banjo & vocals, and Mark Schatz on bass.
Thanks - as always - for listening to our Bluegrass Cafe!
Amy O.
SONG / PERFORMER / ALBUM / LABEL
- Katy Hill / Del McCoury Band / RockyGrass / Blue Planet
- Molly And Tenbrook [sic] / Stanley Brothers / Earliest Recordings: The Complete Rich-R-Tone 78s / Rounder
- Sweetest Love / Stanley Brothers / Selected Sides, 1947-1953 / JSP Recording
- A Lonesome Night / Stanley Brothers / The Complete Columbia Stanley Brothers / Columbia Legacy
- Clinch Mountain Backstep / Stanley Brothers / Best Of The Best / 100 Greatest Classics
- The Lonesome River / Stanley Brothers / The Complete Columbia Stanley Brothers / Columbia Legacy
- The Stanley Brothers / Travers Chandler & Avery County / Pardon Me... / Mountain Fever Records
- Let Me Be Your Friend / The Seldom Scene / Like We Used To Be / Sugar Hill
- Carolina Mountain Home / Johnson Mountain Boys / The Johnson Mountain Boys / Rounder
- Nobody's Love Is Like Mine / Lou Reid / When It Rains / Sugar Hill
- Our Last Goodbye / Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver / I'll Wander Back Someday / Sugar Hill
- I'm Off Now That You're Gone / Scottie Sparks / The Stanley Tradition: Tribute To A Bluegrass Legacy / Doobie Shea Records
- The Memory Of Your Smile / Dede Wyland / Keep The Light On / Patuxent Music
- This Weary Heart You Stole Away / Dan Tyminski / The Stanley Tradition: Tribute To A Bluegrass Legacy / Doobie Shea Records
- Think Of What You've Done / Hot Rize / Take It Home / Sugar Hill
- Ridin' That Midnight Train / Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder / Bluegrass Rules! / Skaggs Family Records
- If That's The Way You Feel / Amanda Smith / Epilogue: A Tribute To John Duffey / Smithsonian Folkways
- Sharecropper's Son / Ernie Thacker / The Stanley Tradition: Tribute To A Bluegrass Legacy / Doobie Shea Records
- The Fields Have Turned Brown / Country Gentlemen / The Early Rebel Recordings, 1962-1971 / Rebel
- When It's Time For The Whippoorwill To Sing / High Fidelity with Joe Mullins & Mark Rader / Never Say Goodbye / Rebel
- City Of Angels / Authentic Unlimited / single / Edisonic Records
- Cedars Of Lebanaon / Andy Leftwich / single / Mountain Home
- Graveyard Lonesome / Kristy Cox / Winds Of Change / Billy Blue Records
- She Did Break / Travelin' McCourys / single / McCoury Music
- Old Town Road / Alison Brown & Steve Martin with Dan Tyminski & Del McCoury / single / Compass Records
- Fling Ding / High Fidelity / Never Say Goodbye / Rebel
- Broken Angels / The Grascals with Dolly Parton / Not That Gone / Billy Blue Records [Nominee, IBMA Song of The Year 2026]
- Can't Outrun The Blues / Trey Hensley / Can't Outrun The Blues / Pinecastle [Nominee, IBMA Song of the Year 2026]
- Cost Of Living / Authentic Unlimited / single / Edison Records [Nominee, IBMA Song of the Year 2026]
- New Cluck Old Hen / Alison Brown & Steve Martin with Della Mae / Safe, Sensible And Sane / Compass Records [Nominee, IBMA Song of the Year 2026]
- Finding Your Way Home / Red Camel Collective / Finding Your Way Home / Pinecastle [Nominee, IBMA Song of the Year 2026]
- Are You Waiting Just For Me? / Spectrum / Opening Roll / Rounder
- I Guess It Doesn't Matter Anymore / Spectrum / Opening Roll / Rounder
- Little Pete / Spectrum / Open Road / Rounder
- Harvest Time / Lost & Found / Classic Bluegrass / Rebel
- Blackbirds And Crows / Nashville Bluegrass Band / Unleashed / Sugar Hill
- Ralph's Banjo Special / Kristin Scott Benson, Gena Britt & Alison Brown / single / Compass Records
- Don't Cheat In Our Hometown / Keith Whitley & Ricky Skaggs / Second Generation / Rebel
- Going To The Races / James King / Epilogue: A Tribute To John Duffey / Smithsonian Folkways
- Bound To Ride / First Ladies Of Bluegrass with Dolly Parton / Bound To Ride / Compass Records
- Keep A Memory / Stanley Brothers / The Early Starday King Years, 1958-1961 / Gusto
- John 3:16 / Stanley Brothers / All Bluegrass, All Gospel / Federal
- Daniel Prayed / Patty Loveless / Bluegrass Top 20 Gospel Songs Of The Century / New Haven Records
- My Lord's Going To Set Me Free / Junior Sisk / The Stanley Gospel Tradition: Songs About Our Savior / Doobie Shea Records
- Wings Of Angels / Bear Bridge Band / A Bluegrass Sampler / Open Road
- Shouting On The Hills Of Glory / Spinney Brothers / Here At The Cross / Self-Producedl
- Paul And Silas / Ronnie Bowman / The Stanley Gospel Tradition: Songs About Our Savior / Doobie Shea Records
- I Can Tell You The Time / Johnson Mountain Boys / The Johnson Mountain Boys / Rounder
- Jordan / Darin & Brooke Aldridge with Ricky Skaggs, Mo Pitney & Mark Fain / Talk Of The Town / Billy Blue Records
- Who Will Sing For Me / Earls Of Leicester / The Earls Of Leicester / Rounder
- The White Dove / Stanley Brothers / All Gospel, All Bluegrass / Federal
- Black Mountain Blues / Johnson Mountain Boys / Requests / Rounder


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