Why the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s musical bridge between generations still matters today

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Jeff Hanna, who founded and leads the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, is sitting in a simple booth at El Palenque, a family-owned Mexican restaurant in Nashville that’s been around for over 30 years. He’s discussing “Nashville Skyline,” a thoughtful song from their EP, “Night After Night.” He’s always been drawn to places like this – ever since he started a jug band with friends in Long Beach and later became part of the folk-rock scene in Los Angeles.

I was really moved by “Nashville Skyline.” It’s a beautiful album, woven together with some lovely fiddle, piano, and vocals from Hanna’s son, Jaime. Beyond the music, though, it feels like a heartfelt goodbye to the old Nashville, a lament for how the city’s changed and a wistful look at a love that’s faded with time. You can really feel Hanna acknowledging what’s been lost, and he does it with such grace and a genuine sweetness that just stays with you.

“It’s more reflective,” he allows. “But [capturing moments is] what we do best.”

The 78-year-old, with his dark hair, has repeated this scenario many times throughout his career, which includes folk, pop, and country music: sitting down with a reporter to discuss the band’s unique American sound. Remarkably, after six decades, the band’s music hasn’t changed much at all.

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In addition to hits like Jerry Jeff Walker’s “Mr. Bojangles” and Kenny Loggins’ “The House at Pooh Corner,” artists who frequently played at the Troubadour and Ash Grove clubs found pop success in the early 80s with songs like “Make a Little Magic” (featuring Nicolette Larson) and “Viola! An American Dream” (with Linda Ronstadt). However, it was the Grammy-nominated “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” a collaboration with country music legends like Roy Acuff, Maybelle Carter, and Earl Scruggs, that truly established the band as a mainstream country act throughout the 80s and 90s, and helped define the Americana genre.

The series continued with “Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Vol. 2” (1989) and “Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Vol. 3” (2004), both of which won Grammy Awards. These volumes featured a wide range of popular artists, including Rosanne Cash, John Hiatt, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Tom Petty, Randy Scruggs, John Prine, Bruce Hornsby, Dwight Yoakam, and Jaime Hanna, the son of the original album’s creator. The albums also showcased the incredible talent of Jerry Douglas, a young virtuoso on the dobro.

Hanna explains that Douglas’s approach to their five-song EP is rooted in a progressive bluegrass tradition. Like many musicians who followed pioneers like Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, and the Stanley Brothers, Douglas comes from a background – including bands like New Grass Revival and artists like Tony Rice – that embraces blending genres and cultures. This makes his musical style flexible and open to new ideas, allowing for a very fluid creative process.

Jerry Douglas, a Grammy-winning dobro player who’s a key member of Alison Krauss & Union Station, has a long-standing connection with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. He not only played on their first country number-one hit, “Long Hard Road,” but has been a fan since seeing them perform at a festival near Mole Lake, Wisconsin, on an Indian reservation.

In 1973, I was nineteen years old and performing with the Country Gentlemen. Smoking was everywhere – they even had a booth to test for paraquat! The Vietnam War was ongoing, but the band’s album ‘Will the Circle Be Unbroken’ came out around that time, featuring Vassar Clements. What really stood out to me was how genuine their music felt.

The Dirt Band’s success, even through changing times and musical trends, came from their genuine performances and ability to connect with audiences. They built a lasting career – playing over 100 shows annually – and released various albums featuring songs by artists like Marshall Crenshaw, Steve Goodman, and Bruce Springsteen, most recently with their 2022 tribute album, “Dirt Does Dylan.”

Hanna feels proud of the album ‘Night After Night,’ seeing it as a snapshot of a specific time and a great representation of their band’s style. She appreciates its thoughtful tone and how well the songs connect, and while she once tried to emulate Don Henley, she’s now comfortable creating something more authentic to herself.

Truer brings together original member Jimmie Fadden, who plays drums, writes songs, and plays harmonica, along with Bob Carpenter (keyboards/vocals), who has been with the band for over 40 years, and longtime friend Jim Photoglo (bass/vocals). They’re joined by exciting new talent like multi-instrumentalist Ross Holmes (known for his work with Mumford + Sons and Bruce Hornsby) and Jaime Hanna, a guitarist and vocalist who has played with The Mavericks and Gary Allen. Hanna explains that Jaime is a close friend and a phenomenal musician. He often watches Jaime play his old guitar solos and is impressed by his skill – Jaime has mastered tone, taste, and timing on the electric guitar.

This EP, starting with the upbeat title track co-written by Paul Kennerly and Daniel Tashian which reflects on heartbreak, explores themes of time passing and losing cherished places, but handles them with both sensitivity and acceptance. The music features beautiful acoustic guitar work, Fadden’s recognizable harmonica, and thoughtful, nostalgic lyrics. It’s a fitting accompaniment to the band’s Farewell Tour, celebrating six decades of music since their early success with the regional Los Angeles hit, “Buy for Me the Rain.”

Douglas agrees that the recording process felt special and natural. He explains they recorded everything live at Oceanway, all playing together in a circle and focusing on connection rather than perfection. He says it wasn’t about doing multiple takes, but about creating a lively energy, and describes the experience as incredibly enjoyable and inspiring – ‘an endorphin rush’ throughout.

You can’t create that feeling with technology or formulas. Both Kyle Young, head of the Country Music Hall of Fame, and Jed Hilly, director of the Americana Music Association, agree that the Dirt Band was a truly innovative force.

Young explains that growing up in Nashville, he wasn’t exposed to the city’s rich musical traditions until a specific group showed him around. He emphasizes the profound influence of their early work, particularly the first ‘Circle’ album. Hilly recalls being a fan as a child in Vermont, fondly remembering seeing them perform at the Craftsberry Fiddle and Banjo Contest. He notes that their music, alongside albums like Neil Young’s ‘Harvest,’ the Grateful Dead’s ‘Working Man’s Dead,’ and Doc Watson’s work, defined that era, especially ‘Circle.’

Hilly recalls T Bone Burnett discussing the impact of the ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’ soundtrack – how truly great music transcends time. But Hilly believes the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band were just as important, similar to John Prine, in the way they connected the past with the present, making their music feel fresh and relevant. He also emphasizes the unique joy and energy the band brought to their performances – no one else quite matches it.

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Darius Rucker, a popular country artist who also fronted the well-known ‘90s band Hootie & the Blowfish, shared that he gained a deep understanding of country music’s origins while recording music in college, and that knowledge greatly influenced his work.

This band was really popular, and their song ‘Circle’ was a pivotal moment in music history. It uniquely brought together legendary country and bluegrass artists like Maybelle Carter, Roy Acuff, Doc Watson, and Merle Travis with the younger ‘hippie’ generation. This collaboration helped blend country music with the sounds of California rock.

Hanna playfully deflects praise, joking about how overused the phrase ‘Farewell Tour’ has become. She explains that touring is truly demanding, especially with all the travel involved. Fadden always helps the group appreciate what they have, even when they’re exhausted, eating poorly, or losing things – and they really do feel grateful.

We’ve consistently been creating music,” Hanna explains. “Whether it was as The Toot Uncommons with Steve Martin, or briefly backing up Linda Ronstadt, it was always good. And thankfully, we avoided a lot of embarrassing trends because we knew what felt right for us, even when record labels pushed us to try and appeal to younger audiences.

On my latest record, ‘Night After Night,’ I had the wonderful experience of writing most of the songs with my son, my wife Matraca Berg – a member of the Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame – and friends like Mac McAnally. Jaime also contributed some fantastic songs. Everyone really brought their A-game, and we had as much fun making it as we did when we first started out. After sixty years in the business, it doesn’t get much better than that!

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2026-01-29 00:02