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★★★★★

4.8

from

65 reviews

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Host Paul Trenwith is a founder member of the Hamilton County Bluegrass Band, playing banjo and occasionally singing harmony parts. From the mid-70's to the mid-90's, Paul and his fiddle-playing wife Colleen played as mostly gospel music, bluegrass-style, with a group of friends, and often featuring songs that Paul had written. He has become something of a musical 'jack-of-all-trades', playing banjo, dobro, pedal steel and rhythm guitar. He also plays double bass in the Hamilton-based Irish band. Paul has always been an enthusiastic advocate for and promoter of bluegrass music, and the show includes tracks from the classic bands, the traditional stylists and contemporary groups as well as some 'roots' bluegrass and new-grass. NZ and Australian bluegrass gets an airing, and every show includes some of his personal favourites.

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Back Porch Bluegrass - 14-04-2026

2026/04/14

A broad range of the bluegrass genre in this episode of Back Porch Bluegrass, from the rather ‘rocky’ Dierks Bentley to the solo performance of some fine finger-style guitar from Doc Watson. In between we have Mike Compton playing a previously unrecorded Bill Monroe tune, A del McCoury classic, and some ballads from Iris DeMent. NZ’s own Hamilton County bluegrass Band play an Alan Rhodes tune, and Jimmy Martin sings of his home state, Tennessee. The Nashville Bluegrass Band, Here Today, and the Stanley Brothers round out the programme. So much to enjoy!

Back Porch Bluegrass - 07-04-2026

2026/04/07

We’ve just had Easter Weekend, and this show includes some great gospel songs with an Easter inclination, then we have recordings from the NZ National Banjo Pickers Conventions in the late 1960’s, which were always held on Easter Weekend. Cliff Waldron, Dale Ann Bradley, Doyle Lawson contribute some nice songs, Fiddling Billy Hurt does some fiddling, as does Chubby wise with Bill Monroe, and NZ performers get to perform as at the NBPC.

Back Porch Bluegrass - 31-03-2026

2026/03/31

It’s almost Easter Weekend, so I’ve included some gospel songs in this show, including the Stanley Brothers’ classic ‘Cry From The Cross’. We’ve also got songs from Flatt & Scruggs, Kathy Kallick & Laurie Lewis, Nothing Fancy and some fine picking from Mike Scott & Co, and Scott Vestal & Co. Merle Haggard sings a Jimmie Rodgers song; there’s all sorts of goodies in the Back Porch Bluegrass basket. Enjoy!

Back Porch Bluegrass - 24-03-2026

2026/03/24

Tony Rice kicks off the show, followed by Billy Strings & his Dad, the Dillards with some fine banjo picking, and Nu-Blu with a song from the writing of Nanci Griffith. Curly Seckler, Chris Jones, Jim Lauderdale with Ralph Stanley, follow on, and we’ve another couple of great tracks from Aussie songstress Anne Kirkpatrick (with me playing banjo!). Mike Auldrige closes the show with some great Dobro playing. What more could you want from a bluegrass show?

Back Porch Bluegrass - 17-03-2026

2026/03/17

I’ve just returned from visiting old friends in Australia, and some of the music in this show includes recordings we made together back in the 1970’s, with Anne Kirkpatrick, and Country Sound. There’s also some ‘Irish’ items included, being as it’s St Patrick’s Day, including Hot Rize, Marian Burns, and Dublin band Whistle. And playing some classic bluegrass, the Earls Of Leicester, Larry Sparks, and the Trenwiths. A rather eclectic mix!

Back Porch Bluegrass - 10-03-2026

2026/03/10

This show previously aired 8-03-2022 Emerson & Waldron – great band from the 1970’s - kick off proceedings, with a real mixture of bluegrass styles from diverse bands to follow, including Kenny Baker, the Foggy Hogtown Boys, Stuie & Camille, Larry Sparks and NZ’s own Pipi Pickers.

Back Porch Bluegrass - 03-03-2026

2026/03/03

Classic bluegrass from the Bluegrass album Band, some ‘older’ recordings from johnny Whisnant, the Lilly Brothers and the New lost City Ramblers, and some contemporary bluegrass/country from Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road. The Kody Norris Show do a couple of songs, and Patty loveless sings some great bluegrass stylings. The Trenwiths sing about ‘Banjoing along’ and You, Me, Everybody get some ‘Misdirection’. A real sampler.

Back Porch Bluegrass - 24-02-2026

2026/02/24

A broad range of bluegrass offerings in this episode, from Bill Monroe singing gospel, to the fiddle & banjo tunes of Byron Berline & John Hickman. In between, we’ve got the Chapmans, Sideline, the Price Sisters, Doyle Lawson and the NZ band You Me Everybody. The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band get some humour into their live performance from 1970, and Ickes & Hensley do a fine version of a bluegrass classic.

Back Porch Bluegrass - 17-02-2026

2026/02/17

A very diverse collection of bluegrass in this episode, from the 80+ year-old Stoneman Sisters, to the stalwarts of classic bluegrass, the Bluegrass Album Band. Dan Tyminski, Barry & Holly Tashian, Emerson & Waldron, the Osborne Brothers get us started, then the Country Gentlemen and Northern Lights take us out. In between we have the Stoneman Sisters, Lorraine Jordan playing some country music -bluegrass style, and it all sounds great, believe me.

Back Porch Bluegrass - 10-02-2026

2026/02/10

If you’re in the South Island, NZ, then ‘Kindred Spirit’ will be playing near you this week or next (when they’re not fishing!). And if you’re in the North Island, NZ, then get your tickets for ‘You, Me, Everybody’ as they play a number of concerts to promote their new album in March. This week’s show features the above bands, as well as Russell Moore & Third Tyme Out, David Grisman, Dr Peter Wernick, and Northern Lights. We’ve also got the Rice Brothers (all four of them), and some ‘live’ Vern & Ray from the 1968 San Francisco Folk Festival. Scott Vestal & friends do some fancy picking to close the show. Great bluegrass!

Back Porch Bluegrass - 03-02-2026

2026/02/03

I’m delighted to be advertising TWO imminent bluegrass tour in NZ, one with NZ band ‘You, Me, Everybody’ to promote their new album, and one with the North Carolina-based duo ‘Kindred Spirit’. I’ve featured tracks from both groups in this show. We’ve also got tracks from JD Crowe & the New South, the Gibson Brothers, the Steeldrivers, and Blue Highway. High Fidelity play a fiddle tune, as does Glen Duncan, and we’ve a song from Pam Findlay with the Hamilton County Bluegrass Band.

Back Porch Bluegrass - 27-01-2026

2026/01/27

An eclectic collection of bluegrass styles in this episode, from Bill Monroe to the Lost Pines. American Drive play some hard-driving bluegrass, the Waller Brothers have a couple of duets, the Stanley gospel Tradition do a great SB song in their inimitable style. Alison Brown picks banjo like no-one else, and Rhonda Vincent sings her own brand of bluegrass. We’ve got an old-timey tune from Phil Rosenthal & Family, and the Trenwiths feature on a tune we usually use to start our live shows. Lots to like.

Back Porch Bluegrass - 20-01-2026

2026/01/20

Bluegrass music continues to provide us with a wide variety of musical influences and styles, from slow country ballads, story songs, bouncy instrumentals to hard-driving pieces about a wide variety of topics. This week, we have offerings from Wildfire, Seth Mulder & Midnight Run, Danny Paisley, Walden Dahl and the Osborne Brothers. There’s some instrumentals from Bill Monroe, Red Wilson and even the Trenwiths, and some Aussie bluegrass from Acoustic Shock. Doc Watson demonstrates his fine picking and singing and there’s some very country-ish bluegrass from the Can’t Hardly Play Boys.

Back Porch Bluegrass - 13-01-2026

2026/01/13

I’ve got music from three of my favourite LP’s on this show – the Johnson Mountain Boys, John Hartford, and Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver – all top music. There’s some fine picking from John Hickman, Richie Simpkins, and some songs from NZ tourists – Sassafras. Michelle Nixon and Drive, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers get some songs into the programme, and there’s some early bluegrass from the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers, pioneers of this genre. What a collection!

Back Porch Bluegrass - 06-01-2026

2026/01/06

Being as this is the first show for 2026, I’ve started with a delightful song about the ‘First Day of the Year‘ from Joe Newberry, after some rather contemporary picking from 1972 from the HCBB. That’s followed by some of the earliest bluegrass from Flatt & Scruggs, a great song from Kathy Barwick & Mary Gibbons, and music from the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys and Rhonda Vincent. JD Crowe and the Kentucky Mountain Boys play a couple of tunes, and Laurie Lewis gives us a rather different version of the race between Molly & Tenbrooks. The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band take us ‘Down To The Hall On Saturday Night’, and John Reischman rounds out the show with an original song and an original instrumental. Bluegrass at its most diverse.

Podcast reviews

Read Back Porch Bluegrass podcast reviews

4.8 out of 5

65 reviews

★★★★★

JKM86guitarbanjo 2025/04/10

Just the radio show I was looking for

Was looking to listen to and also learn more about bluegrass… this show is perfect! Love the commentary in between songs. Keep it up! I still have all...

★★★★★

Joanie969 2024/12/02

If you love bluegrass

Best bluegrass podcast I’ve found! Love host, Paul Trenwith’s , comments and stories about the music and musicians as he plays tunes from his EXTENSIV...

★★★★★

Witchyn 2024/01/25

My Favorite

This is the best show of modern time.

★★★★★

Grandpopie’ delight 2023/09/12

Sounding good!

Dancing in the kitchen in the U S of A. North Carolina! Thanks for the great music!

★★★★★

Elevator Monkey 2022/08/26

Great!

Great show! Paul has a soothing voice and top notch musicians on this weekly podcast. I look forward to it every week!

★★★★★

Mike Salyer 2021/12/06

Love the Variety

Paul, blue grass is so deep in its culture, we love the history and all the inside stories, I’d love to hear more James King, I look forward to your s...

★★★★★

owen severne 2020/02/04

Great show

Great bluegrass show, not quite as good as Main Street bluegrass but still wonderful.

★★★★★

Mando Newbie 2020/01/28

Unbelievable

What a fantastic show Paul. After hearing recently about your show couple weeks ago from another great Podcast, “Grasstalk Radio” podcast, I’m furious...

★★★★★

Big Salyer 2019/09/21

Great blue grass variety

Thank you so much for your bluegrass and gospel. Your show is very entertaining and educational on the history of bluegrass and its culture. I love ...

★★★★☆

tonkadel 2019/08/30

Need show notes!

I’d give this podcast 5 starts if it included show notes of the playlist for each show! Pretty please?

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