We lost a great musician on Christmas Day when Tony Rice passed at the age of 69. His friend Ricky Skaggs described Tony as “the single most influential acoustic guitar player in the last 50 years.” This week’s show, we’ll pay tribute by sharing some great recordings featuring Tony, as well as some selections from players who were inspired by him. We’ll hear Bryan Sutton, Molly Tuttle and David Grier … and we’ll also hear some players who inspired Tony, including Doc Watson, Clarence White and Maybelle Carter. A farewell to Tony Rice … this week on the Sing Out! Radio Magazine.

LISTEN:

Artist / “Title” / CD / Label

Pete Seeger / “If I Had A Hammer”(excerpt) / Songs of Hope and Struggle / Smithsonian
              Folkways
The Bluegrass Album Band / “Foggy Mountain Rock” / Sweet Sunny South / Rounder
The Tony Rice Unit / “Jerusalem Ridge” / Unit of Measure / Rounder
Tony Rice / “Go My Way” / Sings Gordon Lightfoot / Rounder
The Tony Rice Unit / “My Favorite Things” / Backwaters / Rounder

The Kentucky Colonels / “Beaumont Rag” / Long Journey Home / Vanguard
The Kentucky Colonels / “Nine Pound Hammer” / Appalachian Swing / EMI
Clarence White / “Alabama Jubilee” / Flatpick / Sierra
Doc & Merle Watson / “Texas Gales” / Ballads from Deep Gap / Vanguard
Doc Watson / “Black Mountain Rag” / Live at Club 47 / Yep Roc
David Grisman / “Minor Swing” / Hot Dawg / A&M

Norman Blake / “The Old Brown Case” / The Fields of November / Flying Fish
Maybelle Carter / “Wildwood Flower” / Wildwood Pickin’ / Vanguard
Mark O’Connor / “Dixie Breakdown” / Retrospective / Rounder
Molly Tuttle / “Take the Journey” / When You’re Ready / Compass
David Grier / “Billy in the Lowground” / Ways of the World / Dreadnaught
Bryan Sutton / “Ragtime Annie” / Not Too Far From the Tree / Sugar Hill
Pete Seeger / “If I Had A Hammer” (excerpt) / Songs of Hope and Struggle /
              Smithsonian Folkways