Adam Harris Published

Listen: Tyler Grant & Robin Kessinger have the Mountain Stage Song of the Week

Tyler Grant & Robin Kessinger, 2019
Robin Kessinger and Tyler Grant perform some traditional flatpicking on this week's episode of Mountain Stage, hitting airwaves starting Nov. 22
Brian Blauser/ Mountain Stage
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Our Song of the Week comes to us from two flat-picking champions, Tyler Grant and Robin Kessinger.

A treasure of West Virginia flatpicking and old-time music, Robin Kessinger comes from a prominent musical family. Kessinger first met Tyler Grant in 2005 at the Wayne Henderson Festival and Contest in Virginia.  Kessinger was a judge for a flatpicking contest that was won by Grant. The pair developed a friendship and, eventually, made some duo arrangements of classic material connected in some way to the Kessinger family. The friendship and arrangements would grow into the album called Kanawha County Flatpicking.

Our Song of the Week, “My Blue Ridge Mountain Home,” was used as a theme by Robin’s father Bob Kessinger and his band, “The Mountaineers.”

Hear Tyler & Robin’s entire set, plus music from Shovels & Rope, Cris Jacobs, Kelsey Waldon and Wayne Graham on this week’s new episode of Mountain Stage. Find a station in your area here and be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss a note.

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Credit Brian Blauser/ Mountain Stage
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Members of the Mountain Stage cast return to the stage for one last number. Hear the entire show starting this Friday on 240 NPR stations across the country.