Excursions

Grammy Award-winning banjo player Alison Brown sets aside some time for Excursions to discuss public radio and to play some new songs with her band, the Alison Brown Quartet.

Brown, who is also a Harvard graduate and a co-founder of the Nashville independent record label Compass Records, is known for her instrumental banjo songs, which stray from the typical bluegrass genre associated with the instrument.

Local group Sawgrass stops by WYSO to showcase their classic Bluegrass sound on Excursions with Niki Dakota.

Sawgrass formed in 2005 in the Dayton and has been performing all over the country since. In addition to touring, Sawgrass has been featured in the PBS documentary Music Farmers which was nationally broadcast. The group uses traditional instruments and vocal stylings, in addition to their excellent musicianship, to create high- energy Bluegrass that is fresh, yet classic. 

Local guitarist Chris Wright (of C.Wright’s Parlour Tricks) stops by Excursions to share his energetic, and standout, brand of instrumental rock.

Al Holbrook's sound will catch a room by surprise, filling it with feeling and emotion solely by his fingers gracing the keys accompanied by a soulful voice. "I have great admiration for anyone who will just be by themselves and perform," host Niki Dakota explains as she introduces her musical guest to the studio.

Holbrook is a Dayton-native and can be spotted all over the Miami Valley performing at venues like the Trolley Stop and Canal Street Tavern. This Friday, August 6th, you can experience him yourself at J-Alans in Downtown.

As the temperature slowly escalates to the upper 90's, Northern Howl passes by the WYSO studio to provide a wintery mix on a hot summer day. In her interview, Niki Dakota speaks to the young band about life on the road in their second tour through the Midwest and East Coast.