Jason Carter

In Lloyd, Kentucky, on U.S. 23, theres a sign on the Country Music Highway dedicated to renowned fiddler Jason Carter. It was placed there because of his other accomplishmentsthe Grammy awards, the worldwide tours, and the many other accolades hes earned through his music. But for Carter, joining the legendary names honored on that stretch of highway just might mean the most. Theres a certain sound thats up there that you just dont hear anywhere else, he says. I think that played a big part in how I sound today.True to those Kentucky roots, Carter continues to pour all he has back into bluegrass. For thirty years, he has been the fiddle player for the Del McCoury Bandthe most awarded group in bluegrass history. Hes won three Grammy awards, including 2018s Best Bluegrass Album with the Travelin McCourys, of which he is a founding member. And hes taken home five IBMAs for Fiddle Player of the Year, a staggering number that isnt quite so crazy once you realize just how many bluegrass greats have turned to Carter for collaboration.As a fiddler, Carter has been featured on albums by Steve Earle, Ricky Skaggs, Dierks Bentley, Charlie Daniels, Vince Gill, Asleep at the Wheel, and many more, all in addition to his tireless touring and recording with Del as well as the Travelin McCourys. On Carters forthcoming solo album, Lowdown Hoedown, listeners may recognize instrumental contributions from such legends as Jerry Douglas or Sam Bush alongside vocals from young trailblazers like Sarah Jarosz or Billy Strings. This time, though, Carter is singing lead.The albums namesake track, a good-time duet with longtime friend Dierks Bentley, plays on Carters dexterity on the fiddle with an flashy solowhile also showcasing his charisma as a frontman and vocalist. Good Things Happen, a Jamie Hartford number with vocal harmonies from Aoife ODonovan, marks the kind of tender moment fit for a first dance or sweet serenade. But Lowdown Hoedown has its somber side, too.Dust Bowl Dream, a wistful narrative about a depression-era farmer, builds on its slow pace and vivid lyrical imagery with powerful harmonies from Sarah Jarosz and twin fiddles from Carter and fellow IBMA-winning fiddle player Bronwyn Keith-Hynes. The John Hartford tune Six OClock Train marks a slower, more ominous moment, calling in vocal harmonies and guitar from Billy Strings.Scattered across the album, too, are hints of the influences that have shaped Carters sound throughout his life. A guitar player since childhood and a fiddler since 15 (the age when he swore that someday hed play in the Del McCoury Band), Carter inherited his love for bluegrass from his father, a musician himself, and grew up playing at jams, festivals, and campgrounds across Kentucky. After he graduated high school, he took his talent as a fiddler on the road professionally: first with the Goins Brothers, then at 19 with the Del McCoury Band, and later with the Travelin McCourys. more...