Savannah Music Festival LIVE 817 – Hot Rize

It didn’t take long after Tim O’Brien, Pete Wernick, Nick Forster and Charles Sawtelle first appeared on stage together in 1978 for the bluegrass music world to realize that Hot Rize was something special. Steeped in bluegrass tradition, Hot Rize’s music was equally informed by a taste for the music of Leadbelly and Freddie King, swing and old-time Appalachia, all in ways that mirror the broad sweep of Bill Monroe’s influences. In this episode, we listen to a Hot Rize reunion show, with guitarist Bryan Sutton playing in place of the deceased Charles Sawtelle. This was recorded at the Trustees Theater in downtown Savannah during the 2015 Savannah Music Festival.