Nitty Gritty Dirt Band marks 50 years with live collection, tour

When I caught NGDB's set at Stagecoach '14, it was one of my highlights of the festival. The concert special, which recently aired on public television, is equally enjoyable. All the details on a commemorative release follow... 

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Friends - Circlin’ Back: Celebrating 50 Years live album, available as a CD or as a CD/DVD combo, drops Sept. 30 on the band's own NGDB/Warner Music Nashville.

Recorded live in Sept. 2015 at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium, the album finds the country/folk legends joined onstage by John Prine, Sam Bush, Vince Gill, Jerry Jeff Walker, Alison Krauss, Rodney Crowell, Byron House, and Jerry Douglas. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer (and early Dirt Band member) Jackson Browne joined in, along with longtime member Jimmy Ibbotson.

Band mates Jeff Hanna (guitars/vocals), Jimmie Fadden (drums/harmonica/vocals), Bob Carpenter (keyboards/accordion/vocals) and John McEuen (banjo/fiddle/guitar/mandolin) swap harmonies, trade solos, and shine new light on their catalog.

Track listing:

1. “YOU AIN’T GOING NOWHERE”
2. “GRANDPA WAS A CARPENTER” feat. JOHN PRINE
3. “PARADISE” feat. JOHN PRINE
4. “MY WALKIN’ SHOES”
5. “TENNESSEE STUD” fest. VINCE GILL
6. “NINE POUND HAMMER” feat. SAM BUSH with VINCE GILL
7. “BUY FOR ME THE RAIN”
8. “THESE DAYS” feat. JACKSON BROWNE
9. “TRUTHFUL PARSON BROWN” feat. JACKSON BROWNE with JERRY DOUGLAS, SAM BUSH and BYRON HOUSE
10. “KEEP ON THE SUNNY SIDE” feat. ALISON KRAUSS
11. “CATFISH JOHN” feat. ALISON KRAUSS
12. “AN AMERICAN DREAM” feat. RODNEY CROWELL with ALISON KRAUSS
13. “LONG HARD ROAD (THE SHARECROPPER’S DREAM)” feat. RODNEY CROWELL
14. “MR. BOJANGLES” feat. JERRY JEFF WALKER
15. “FISHIN’ IN THE DARK” feat. JIMMY IBBOTSON
16. “BAYOU JUBILEE/SALLY WAS A GOODUN”
17. “JAMBALAYA”
18. “WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN”

Tour dates:

Sept. 01 Hollywood Casino Toledo - Toledo, Ohio
Sept. 02 Honeywell Center - Wabash, Ind.
Sept. 04 Central Wisconsin State Fair - Marshfield, Wisc.
Sept. 09 The Strand Theatre - Shreveport, La.
Sept. 10 Muscadine Jubilee - Pelahatchie, Mo.
Sept. 11 Silver Dollar City - Branson, Mo.
Sept. 15 Britt Pavilion - Jacksonville, Ore.
Sept. 16 Sonoma State University - The Green Music Center - Rohnert Park, Ca.
Sept. 17 Folk Revival Festival - Long Beach, Calif.
Sept. 22 Reynolds Performance Hall - Conway, Ark.
Sept. 23 Halloran Centre for Performing Arts - Memphis, Tenn.
Sept. 24 Belterra Resort & Casino - Florence, Ind.
Sept. 30 Red Hat Amphitheater - Raleigh, N.C.
Oct. 01 Anderson Music Hall - Hiawassee, Ga.
Oct. 04 Schermerhorn Symphony Center - Nashville, Tenn.
Oct. 06 Oxford Performing Arts Center - Oxford, Ala.
Oct. 07 Clayton Center for the Arts - Maryville, Tenn.
Oct. 08 The Roanoke Rapids Theater - Roanoke Rapids, N.C.
Oct. 10 Georgia National Fair - Perry, Ga.
Oct. 21 Dosey Doo - The Woodlands, Texas
Oct. 22 The Majestic Theatre - Dallas, Tex.
Nov. 10 Grand Theatre - Frankfort, Ky.
Nov. 11 Midland Theatre - Newark, Ohio
Nov. 12 Temple Theatre - Saginaw, Mich.
Nov. 13 MotorCity Casino Hotel - Detroit, Mich.