The Bluegrass Review

Series produced by Philip Nusbaum

Series image
Image by: Shutterstock 

Bluegrass music's authoritative radio home.

The Bluegrass Review is a weekly 1-hour show which presents bluegrass music in a lively and informative format. Produced in two segments approximately 30 minutes apiece, each complete show is programmed in thematic bursts. For example the sample show #321 includes songs about hard work, guitarists who emphasize the bass end of the guitar's range in their soloing, and an interview with nationally-recognized autoharp player, Karen Mueller. The program includes frequent interviews and produced segments on topics that parallel concerns and interests of Bluegrass musicians and fans.

(PRX Feature Series image from Shutterstock.)


Additional Files

361 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Caption: Phil w/2013 Zeitfunk, Credit: Karen Van Norman
Our show open has plenty of new bluegrass. The Gem of Bluegrass poses the question of whether Bill Monroe’s early bluegrass represented innovation ...

Bought by WOUB, KRZA, KBRP Community Radio, WDSE, WAMU and more


  • Added: Feb 09, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 16
Caption: Phil w/2013 Zeitfunk, Credit: Karen Van Norman
There always seems to be a trickle of songs about working, and we play 3 good ones at the beginning of the show. Our Gem of Bluegrass concerns blue...

Bought by WOUB, KBRP Community Radio, WAMU, WDSE, WXXI Rochester and more


  • Added: Feb 04, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 15
Caption: Phil w/2013 Zeitfunk, Credit: Karen Van Norman
Laurie Lewis’ new Cd pays tribute to Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerard. One of the Hazel and Alice themes was singing traditional songs. We play one b...

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  • Added: Feb 01, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 16
Caption: Phil w/2013 Zeitfunk, Credit: Karen Van Norman
The murder ballad, where a demented male lover for no known reason, kills his sweetheart has cast a long shadow in bluegrass music, and in our cult...

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  • Added: Jan 24, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 15
Caption: Phil w/2013 Zeitfunk, Credit: Karen Van Norman
The show leads off with recent bluegrass by Danny Paisley. The Carter Family’s influence is so great that over time there have been a number of tri...

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  • Added: Jan 13, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 16
Caption: Phil w/2013 Zeitfunk, Credit: Karen Van Norman
Early in the show we play some new recordings that reference the work of bluegrass founder Bill Monroe. On our Gem of Bluegrass, people sometimes c...

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  • Added: Dec 23, 2015
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 18
Caption: Phil w/2013 Zeitfunk, Credit: Karen Van Norman
Early on today, we play a couple of songs about the breakup dance. In one, the singer has a feeling that the relationship is about to end. In the o...

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  • Added: Jan 04, 2016
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 17
Caption: Phil w/2013 Zeitfunk, Credit: Karen Van Norman
The show opens with songs combining a couple of major bluegrass reference points: poverty and romance. The Gem of Bluegrass focuses on instrumental...

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  • Added: Dec 20, 2015
  • Length: 58:58
  • Purchases: 18
Caption: Philip Nusbaum , Credit: Karen Van Norman
On today's show, we focus on the bluegrass highlights of the previous year.

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  • Added: Dec 06, 2015
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 15
Caption: Phil w/2013 Zeitfunk, Credit: Karen Van Norman
Early during the show, we compare a couple of songs where the guy doesn’t get the girl. Some bluegrass fans believe that bluegrass, or some bluegra...

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  • Added: Dec 06, 2015
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 19
Caption: Phil w/2013 Zeitfunk, Credit: Karen Van Norman
As we get going we continue to feature new bluegrass music, including a release by rock/bluegrass synthesizer Sam Bush. Then the Gem of Bluegrass f...

Bought by WOUB, WVRU, WXXI Rochester, KIOS-FM Omaha Public Radio, WDSE and more


  • Added: Jun 26, 2016
  • Length: 58:59
  • Purchases: 12
Caption: Phil w/2013 Zeitfunk, Credit: Karen Van Norman
It isn’t easy being on stage. A couple of songs at the show’s outset document this fact. Our Gem of Bluegrass poses the question “What if Bluegrass...

Bought by WSAJ, WOUB, RadioFreePalmer, KKRN, KRZA and more


  • Added: Nov 18, 2015
  • Length: 58:59
  • Purchases: 16
Caption: Phil w/2013 Zeitfunk, Credit: Karen Van Norman
Examples of the British – Bluegrass connection keep on coming, so we keep on playing them. The Gem of Bluegrass is about the guitar in bluegrass. T...

Bought by KKRN, WOUB, KSKQ, KRZA, RadioFreePalmer and more


  • Added: Nov 17, 2015
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 16
Caption: Phil w/2013 Zeitfunk, Credit: Karen Van Norman
After opening with new bluegrass by Bradford lee Folk, the program plays some trains songs that give us more than the power of a train as a metapho...

Bought by KKRN, WOUB, KSKQ, RadioFreePalmer, KRZA and more


  • Added: Nov 11, 2015
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 16
Piece image
We present a couple of bluegrass songs, one old and one new, where Fall represents the ending of relationships. The Gem of Bluegrass reflects blueg...

Bought by KKRN, WOUB, KSKQ, KRZA, KBRP Community Radio and more


  • Added: Nov 05, 2015
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 16
Caption: Phil w/2013 Zeitfunk, Credit: Karen Van Norman
Because the show has presented a good deal of old-time music lately, we play a couple of fiddle tune recordings, one old and one recent, that are p...

Bought by WOUB, KSKQ, KRZA, WAMU, WNTI.ORG-Internet Radio from Centenary University and more


  • Added: Oct 31, 2015
  • Length: 59:30
  • Purchases: 16
Caption: Phil w/2013 Zeitfunk, Credit: Karen Van Norman
Early in the show today, we play recent bluegrass songs concerning alcohol. Unlike old songs which moralize against the use of alcohol, these more ...

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  • Added: Oct 23, 2015
  • Length: 59:29
  • Purchases: 16
Caption: Philip Nusbaum w/ 2012 Zeitfunk           , Credit: Karen Van Norman
Because we have in house some intriguing new CDs, we open the show with them. The Gem of Bluegrass focuses on the musical mood of “bluegrass loneso...

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  • Added: Oct 16, 2015
  • Length: 59:30
  • Purchases: 15
Caption: Philip Nusbaum , Credit: Karen Van Norman
We begin with a couple of songs about farm sales. These are taking place because the family farmers depicted are not able to compete in the agricul...

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  • Added: Oct 07, 2015
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 16
Caption: Phil w/2013 Zeitfunk, Credit: Karen Van Norman
Our show opens with recent bluegrass. Then, the Gem of Bluegrass feature focuses on the songwriter with perhaps the greatest influence of any in th...

Bought by WOUB, KSKQ, RadioFreePalmer, KBRP Community Radio, KRZA and more


  • Added: Sep 21, 2015
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 17