SOUL BOAT SESSIONS

Sibling harmony is the spine-tingling sensation that happens when people of the same family who sing very well sing together. On this fun and full episode we got together with the talented local father-son duo Hal & Andrew Spence of Sawtooth & Sons, one half of a four-piece band making the rounds in the vibrant local bluegrass scene. We loved hearing them sing and play and reminisce about Hal's near 60-year career in bluegrass which includes not only the unlikely rescue of a 1947 Martin D-18 from the scrap heap (it had been run over by a pickup!) but touring with and opening for the father of bluegrass himself, Mr. Bill Monroe (1911-1996). It's a fun tour through local beers, old guitars, and new stars like Billy Strings.

Like brewing, the unique art of clawhammer banjo is steeped in history both readily apparent and mysterious in ways we can't resist exploring. This week's guest CAM URNES ("urr-knees") is a local multi-instrumentalist who also happens to homebrew on the same system that launched the recipe for the world's number one rated pilsner (it ain't ours, but the story of where it came from, and the origins of the Wolves & People brewhouse, makes for some lively chatter). With FOUR wonderful performances by Urnes (Whiskey Before Breakfast; Red Haired Boy; Salt Spring; Cold Frosty Morning), this freewheeling look at the history and spine-tingling tone of clawhammer style picking (and the joys of home brewing) will leave a big ol' smile on your face. Salt Spring performed with permission by songwriter John Reischman.

This week’s episode, which happens to be the first, features none other than one of the nicest guys ever, Brett Dennen, the acclaimed Oakdale, California-raised singer songwriter of over a dozen albums with tunes like Cassidy, Wild Child, and Comeback Kid (That’s My Dog), the theme song of the hit NBC show About a Boy. He released his first record in 2004, one year after that signed to Universal, and four years later was opening for John Mayer, touring Australia, topping the folk charts… it’s been an amazing run from little clubs in Brooklyn to Letterman, the Newport folk fest and countless campfires in between. Chances are you’ve heard these songs and other jams, and if you haven’t, it’s really time to check out his scores of insanely hummable records. With a new summer 2023 tour kicking off across Europe and the U.S., and a whole bunch of other interesting pursuits he’s behind which we touch on in the show, it’s just so refreshing to meet an artist who is down to earth and laid back — you could almost forget he’s earned nearly a million monthly listeners on Spotify and raves from Rolling Stone on down. Best of all, this episode features not one but two live performances by Brett of a brand new song, released June 2, 2023, CUTTING TO THE CHASE, as well as a spine-tinglling rendition of WILD CHILD, from 2013's hit record SMOKE AND MIRRORS. So grab a beer, relax, and enjoy this episode of Soul Boat Sessions with Brett Dennen.