Created exclusively for the inaugural Music City Flatpick Festival, the Bluegrass Nashville Allstars unite five of the finest musicians in modern bluegrass for a one-of-a-kind performance you won't see anywhere else.
Led by former East Nash Grass founder James Kee on mandolin, this all-star lineup features Christian Sedelmyer (Jerry Douglas Band) on fiddle, acclaimed session bassist Jeff Picker, two-time IBMA Guitar Player of the Year Cody Kilby on guitar, and Gena Britt, co-founder and banjo powerhouse of Sister Sadie.
Together, these musicians have performed and recorded with artists including Ricky Skaggs, Billy Strings, Steve Martin, Sierra Hull, Nickel Creek, Jerry Douglas, and The Travelin' McCourys. Individually, they're among the most respected players in bluegrass. Together, they'll close out the festival with a performance worthy of Music City.
Click on each member below to view their full bios.
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James Kee is a Tennessee native, veteran touring musician, and bandleader of the Bluegrass Nashville All-Stars. He is also the co-founder and former bandleader of East Nash Grass, helping lead the group for nearly nine years through a seven-year residency at Dee’s Lounge, three albums, more than 600 performances, appearances on the Grand Ole Opry and Ryman Auditorium stages, and multiple awards from IBMA and SPBGMA. A longtime champion of the Nashville bluegrass community, Kee also founded and sponsored Bluegrass Wednesday Nights at American Legion Post 82 and has worked as a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist for more than 20 years.
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Christian Sedelmyer is a Grammy-nominated violinist, composer, and producer known for blending bluegrass tradition with adventurous improvisation. A member of the Jerry Douglas Band since 2014, he has performed or recorded with Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, Béla Fleck, Tim O'Brien, Steve Martin, and many others, earning two Grammy nominations and an IBMA Award along the way.tion text goes here
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Jeff Picker is one of Nashville’s most sought-after bassists, known for his work with Nickel Creek, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, East Nash Grass, and the Grand Ole Opry staff band. A versatile musician equally at home in bluegrass, Americana, country, and jazz, he has appeared on more than 75 recordings and frequently performs with his wife, six-time GRAMMY winner Sarah Jarosz.
As a composer and bandleader, Jeff has released two acclaimed solo albums, including With the Bass in Mind, which debuted at #13 on the Billboard Bluegrass chart. Today, he remains an in-demand session musician while continuing to explore new musical territory through his own projects and collaborations.
When he’s not making music, Jeff can usually be found spending time with his yellow Lab, Sunny.
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Gena Britt is the banjo player, vocalist, and co-founder of the Grammy-nominated bluegrass powerhouse Sister Sadie, where her driving banjo style and unmistakable harmonies have helped define one of the genre's most celebrated bands.
Widely regarded as one of bluegrass's premier banjo players, Gena has also performed with acclaimed groups including Petticoat Junction, New Vintage, Lou Reid & Carolina, Alan Bibey & Grasstowne, and The Gena Britt Band, earning a reputation as one of the most respected musicians in the business.
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Cody Kilby is one of the most accomplished guitarists in modern bluegrass. A two-time IBMA Guitar Player of the Year (2022, 2024), Cody spent 14 years as lead guitarist for Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder before joining The Travelin' McCourys, where he continues to help shape the sound of contemporary bluegrass.
A Grammy-winning musician and one of the world's most respected flatpickers, Cody's recording and touring credits include Dolly Parton, Rhonda Vincent, Beck, and Bruce Hornsby. He brings his signature musicianship and decades of experience to the Bluegrass Nashville Allstars.
DownRiver Collective is an award-winning modern bluegrass band based in Nashville, Tennessee, known for powerful harmonies, thoughtful songwriting, and a sound that blends traditional bluegrass and old-time folk with country, Americana, rock, and modern pop. The band introduced its full ensemble sound with the 2023 EP Off the Shelf and gained national recognition in 2024 when the International Bluegrass Music Association named the group Momentum Band of the Year.
In September 2025, DownRiver Collective released its debut full-length album, Give It All Away, featuring charting singles across the Roots, Bluegrass, and Grassicana charts, along with guest appearances by Grammy-nominated artists Dan Tyminski and Sonya Isaacs. That same year, the band won the FreshGrass Bentonville Awards Band competition, while lead vocalist Ali Vance was named IBMA Momentum Vocalist of the Year, further establishing the group as a leading voice in contemporary bluegrass.
Uncle Maddie is a Nashville based bluegrass band rooted in the tradition of old-time and classic bluegrass music. Drawing inspiration from the pioneers of the genre while bringing their own voice to the stage, the band brings an authentic sound that honors the past while not being bound to it. With high quality instrumentation and tight harmonies, Uncle Maddie delivers fresh, original music that feels right at home in Music City.
Melody Walker is a GRAMMY-winning songwriter, producer, performer, and fervent believer that songs can change the world. Best known for her writing with Molly Tuttle, Sierra Ferrell, Della Mae and her own band Front Country, Melody’s post-2020 recalibration has found her finally digging into her home of Nashville, TN, co-writing with her talented neighbors and hosting her acclaimed writers’ round,Writers’ Kitchen in East Nashville.
Her blend of grassroots pop has won her accolades from Merlefest to Telluride and now the GRAMMYs with three songs on Sierra Ferrell’s GRAMMY-winning album Trail of Flowers, including winner of the Best American Roots Song “American Dreaming” and co-writes on Molly Tuttle’s GRAMMY-winning albums Crooked Tree and City of Gold. Recent years have found Melody releasing her first solo music in a decade, stepping into her own as a songwriter and artist and finding magic in queer collaboration. Whether teaching at music camps or playing Newport Folk Fest and the Kennedy Center with her Grateful Deaddrag band BERTHA, Melody is ready to ride whatever cosmic creative waves the universe sends her way.
BLUEGRASS PRIDE
Bluegrass is for everyone. That's what we believe. It's a simple message, but we think it's one worth fighting for.
We want current bluegrassers to know that they are loved and treasured for who they are and the music they make. We want future bluegrassers to know that they are welcome to come as they are without fear of retribution or exclusion. We want the world to know that bluegrass and old-time music are for everybody, regardless of age, race, gender, orientation, nationality, upbringing, or politics.
Our mission is to recruit, encourage, and support LGBTQ+ bluegrassers of all levels, promoting their advancement and acceptance within all areas of the bluegrass music industry and musical community. We aim to uplift the genre of bluegrass as a whole to receive LGBTQ+ folks openly, and to promote allyship with all marginalized peoples within the industry and musical community. We do so by creating opportunities for community building and resources for musical skill development, such as concerts, jam sessions, showcases, festivals, parades, tutorials, recording, and more!
Thunder and Rain is a Nashville-based newgrass band combining bluegrass instrumentation with songwriting influenced by pop, country, classic rock, and old-time music. Their sound centers on three-part harmony, melodic choruses, detailed lyricism, banjo, and fiddle. Over more than a decade, the band has performed with artists including Billy Strings, The Kruger Brothers, Peter Rowan, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, and The Brothers Comatose. Their 2020 single “Run With You” was selected for the IBMA Songwriter Showcase in 2023, and their bluegrass arrangements of popular songs have earned hundreds of thousands of views online.
The band was founded by singer-songwriter Erinn Peet Lukes after she settled in Colorado in 2013 and became part of Denver’s bluegrass community. Thunder and Rain has since released four studio albums and toured throughout the United States, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. After a pandemic-era hiatus, Lukes relocated to Nashville and formed a new lineup with Amelia Ransom on fiddle and vocals and Laura Ray on banjo and vocals. The group released its fourth album, Storybook Sessions, in October 2024. At the turn of the year, 2026, the illustrious trio sought upright bassist and vocalist Amanda Accardi, turning the all female trio into a lady's quartet. Amanda adds a strong rhythmic foundation and a fresh, collegiately trained voice to the band’s live performances.
Get Off My Grass is a Nashville-based bluegrass collective led by mandolinist Jeff Burke, who serves as the group’s leader and coagulator—organizing a rotating lineup of musicians from Nashville’s professional bluegrass community. Because the personnel changes regularly, each performance features a different combination of instrumentalists and vocalists while maintaining a repertoire centered on traditional bluegrass, familiar standards, vocal harmony, and instrumental improvisation. Get Off My Grass performs every Sunday from 2:00–5:00 p.m. at Drifters Tennessee BBQ Joint in East Nashville as part of the Bluegrass Nashville Back Porch Party.
Jeff has worked professionally as a musician for more than 18 years, specializing in mandolin, guitar, and banjo. He began his touring career with the duo Jeff & Vida and has performed throughout the United States and Europe, including appearances at the Ryman Auditorium, MerleFest, Bluegrass Underground, and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. He has taught at the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Station Inn, NashCamp, Bluegrass Camp Ireland, and other music programs; he is also a member of the International Bluegrass Music Association and has served as a panelist at the Leadership Bluegrass Conference. Burke currently serves as the Founder and Director of Bluegrass Nashville, an organization dedicated to promoting local artists, presenting live events, and maintaining a central resource for bluegrass performances throughout Nashville.