Toy Heart with Tom Power (A Podcast About Bluegrass)

For the latest episode of Toy Heart, we embark on a journey through the primordial, musical ooze that birthed bluegrass, old-time, and country music with the incredible Jody Stecher. A multi-instrumentalist adept in many styles and traditions – he even plays sarod, a Hindustani instrument – Stecher’s entire career is a fascinating case study in the interconnectedness of American folk music styles. 

Host Tom Power begins their engagi...

Our latest guest on Toy Heart is bluegrasser, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter Tim O’Brien. His conversation with host Tom Power begins by remembering the music of his childhood, growing up in Wheeling, West Virginia listening to Chubby Checker on his crystal radio set and attending the nationally renowned country variety show and radio broadcast, the Wheeling Jamboree. Encountering the music of Merle Haggard and Doc Watson vi...

In the latest episode of Toy Heart, we explore the roots and evolution of bluegrass in the modern era by examining the story of legendary bluegrasser, singer-songwriter, and recording artist, Laurie Lewis. 

From her tales of growing up in Berkeley during what Lewis jokingly calls the “folk scare” of the '60s to finding the joy of music through her father's classical background and eventually becoming a pioneer for women ...

Bluegrass fans know Mike Compton from his long and eclectic resumé, including decades of touring and recording traditional Monroe-style mandolin with greats like John Hartford, Doc Watson, Peter Rowan, Ralph Stanley, Alison Krauss, and David Grisman, as well as venturing into more mainstream music with with Sting, Gregg Allman, Elvis Costello, and many others. He was also heard on the soundtrack for O Brother, Where Art Thou? and t...

The legendary Larry Sparks, a prominent player in bluegrass for over six decades and a Bluegrass Hall of Fame inductee, joins host Tom Power for Toy Heart. Sparks shares insightful anecdotes from his early years, touring and performing with the Stanley Brothers and from his tenure with Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys. From traveling in a ‘67 station wagon to the challenges of navigating the music industry over so many ...

“Newgrass” luminary Sam Bush joins host Tom Power for the highly anticipated first episode of Toy Heart Season 2. Bush - the celebrated mandolinist and co-founder of Newgrass Revival and the Telluride House Band - opens up about his illustrious career: from his early days of fiddle contests in Weiser, Idaho, to the pivotal moments learning at the feet of influential figures like Bill Monroe; Bush’s narrative weaves a rich tapestry ...

The most in-depth podcast about bluegrass is coming back for its second season, from CBC radio host Tom Power ("q") and BGS (The Bluegrass Situation). This time around, Power sits down with Alison Krauss, Larry Sparks, Mike Compton, Laurie Lewis, Tim O'Brien, and many more bluegrass greats. Toy Heart returns January 30, 2024, with full episodes being released bi-weekly on TheBluegrassSituation.com and wherever you get y...

On a special edition of Toy Heart, we remember Bluegrass Music Hall of Famer, Grand Ole Opry member, seven-time Grammy Award nominee, CMA Award winner, and roots music legend Bobby Osborne. 

“This is what I started with when I was 15 years old,” Osborne says as the episode begins. “Ain’t never quit, ain’t going to now… If He calls me home, I’ll give it up quick.” 

He succeeded– he never quit. When Osborne died on June 27 at t...