It’s a good feeling to get rolling again this summer with Alison Krauss & Union Station.

We’ve played two shows of our own before the Willie Nelson tour begins, and had a beautiful time with the people of Alton, Illinois, including the Harman Family Bluegrass Band (Mike Harman used to play banjo with AKUS back in the late 1980s).  

I spent Sunday back in Nashville with the family for an early Father’s Day, and now the band is headed west on a two-day bus ride to Missoula, Montana to start the Willie tour on Wednesday.  

We drove last night from Nashville and spent much of today in Kansas City as the bus drivers slept. I spent some of today going through an Oliver Nelson book called Patterns for Improvisation on guitar, then headed over to Barnes and Noble, and now I’m back at the bus working on some banjo. I’ve got this Telecaster banjo that is perfect for practicing without driving everyone around me crazy.