Send us Fan Mail

Tim Surrett is a North Carolinian through and through. From high school he began a musical career as a bassist, singer and dobro player, that led him to the Grand Ole Opry, Carnegie Hall and the Ryman Auditorium. He's played and recorded with everyone from Tony Rice and Doyle Lawson to JD Crowe and Ralph Stanley, He is a gospel singer of note with The Kingsmen, The Inspirations, Squire Parsons, and many more.

He started Mountain Home Music Company, is celebrating twenty years with Balsam Range, with 30 #1 bluegrass songs, he runs a bluegrass festival, was the director of IBMA, is a staff producer for Pisgah Ridge Records and Organic Records, and has a long career as an active studio player. Not much he hasn't seen and done!!

Send us Fan Mail

Ethan Setiawan won both National Mandolin Championship and Rockygrass Mandolin Championship. After attending Berklee, he's become a leading voice of the mandolin, through traditional bluegrass, classical, and jazz.

His 2025 release “Encyclopedia Mandolinnica” explored the mandolin through duets and trios with friends, mentors, and heroes includinh John Resichman, Matt Flinner and Jacob Joliff. His current band, Ethan Setiawan & Fine Ground, with BB Bowness on banjo, Julian Pinelli on fiddle, Alex Rubin on guitar, and Brittany Karlson on bass, releases its first album, “Little Storms”, on October 2.

He's a force in acoustic music, and a thoughful observer of the music world.

Send us Fan Mail

Grammy-nominated mandolinist Matt Flinner has made a career out of playing bluegrass and American roots music in new ways. Hailed by Downbeat Magazine as "one of the best mandolin players ever," Flinner has established a reputation as one of the most respected composers and innovators in modern American acoustic music.

In a fascinating and wide ranging conversation, we talked about his musical pals from Darrell Scott and David Grier to Joe Walsh and Peter Rowan, his heroes Tim O'Brien, Hot Rize and Miles Davis, as well as lots about bluegrass groove and the mandolin's role.

Now living in Vermont, he's been one of our favorite performers and guests at GuitartownCT over the years!