Watch Grace Bowers & the Hodge Podge’s Paste Session Recorded Live at Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion
Paste Studio “On The Road” set up shop at the 2024 Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion in Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia, the annual music festival that’s been honky tonkin’ since 2001. The festival features Americana, Appalachian Roots and more, honoring the legacy of Ralph Peer’s 1927 Bristol Sessions that introduced the Carter Family to the world, and continues to inform and inspire musicians to this day. We chose the most fitting location for this intimate series, showcasing artists in the performance space inside the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, dedicated to telling the story of the Bristol Sessions.
Full Session
Eighteen-year-old guitarist, songwriter and bandleader Grace Bowers closed out our Bristol Session series in style, performing two songs from her recently released debut album Wine On Venus, along with a timeless Santana cover. Days before the taping she was named Instrumentalist of the Year at the 2024 Americana Music Association Awards. To say she’s on a tear would be the understatement of the year; Bowers is white hot and has plenty to say. Her band The Hodge Podge has plenty to answer, and Bowers as bandleader creates the space for each member to do his thing. The rhythm section of drummer Dekar Justus and bassist MO Hill keep us moving towards the prize, while keyboardist Joshua Blaylock and guitarist Prince Parker keep the delicious licks coming. Everybody gets their moments to stretch out in this mini set, particularly on the instrumental opener, Santana’s “Soul Sacrifice.”