Thanks for the tip Andrew.  I assume your curiosity was piqued because they are playing where you will be, at Telluride this weekend (wish I could have taken advantage of your ticket offer!), and they will be at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass on Oct. 1 - the first act I have seen so for that is "officially"   on the schedule. Checked out their My Space, sounds good on the two tracks I have heard so far. 

One of my very favorites, Jon Randall Stewart (who has apparently gone back to using his full name instead of dropping the Stewart) on vocals along with the lovely and talented Jessi Alexander, whom I assume is still Jon's sweetie. 

Also in the band is long-time off-and-on AKUS member Larry A. on drums.

Does this mean that Guthrie is moving on from  being a member in the JD Band? I sure hope not!

Speaking of Guthrie, check out my post on Howdy Folk

I have not seen or heard 18 South yet. However, speaking of JD band members, I just read where Todd Parks has joined the Sam Bush band (ie, Byron House moving on to new endeavors).

You follow this kind of music for decades, and it was the first to ever see Sam live - what are the odds of something like that?

These guys just put on a barnburner of a set. The two leads Jese Alexander and John Randall Stewart have an obvious attraction to playing Tellluride.  They met here a decade ago and were married here.  Their new band can play anything.  From Billy Preston's "Will There be Square in Circle" to Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic" with stops in New Orleans, Memphis and Tulsa wedged in between.

On a sunny afternoon outdoors they absolutely slayed the audience.  I'm trying to imagine how good it would sound at a smokey bar after midnight.

Jon has just never quite broken through to the big time which is a shame - I think he's a huge talent - and maybe this new band will be the ticket. He won a Grammy a few years back as the co-writer with Whisperin' Bill Anderson of the big hit for Brad Paisley/Alison Krauss, "Whiskey Lullaby," which might be The Mother of Sad Country Songs.

I really like his solo album "Walking Among The Living" from I believe 2005. Rob Ickes is all over it on dobro and some lap steel.

Jon was a member of of one of the great Emmylou Harris aggregations, The Nash Ramblers. I saw them live about 3 times. I don't have time to run down the link, have to get back to the office, but go to You Tube and type in something like Hello Stranger Emmylou Harris Jon Randall. You will find a great version of the Carter Family classic, and recall that the band included among others, Sam Bush, and on dobro,  Al Perkins. A great example of call-and-response singing and Jon has a beautiful tenor voice. 

And over the past several years, Jon has been a member of Earl Scruggs & Friends, so I have seen him with that bunch at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.

I guess you could say I'm a fan.

"He won a Grammy a few years back as the co-writer with Whisperin' Bill Anderson of the big hit for Brad Paisley/Alison Krauss, "Whiskey Lullaby," which might be The Mother of Sad Country Songs."

IMO, it's the Daughter of Sad Country Songs.  The Mother would have to be the Bobby Braddock & Curly Putman gem "He Stopped Loving Her Today".  In fact, "Whiskey Lullaby" takes a line from this tune ("With a note that said I'll love you 'til I die").  "He Stopped Loving Her Today" saved George Jones' career, and likely his life.

back when i was playing country music in the bars, i was always in danger of tearing-up whenever we rendered 'he stopped loving her today'; even when i was able to block out the lyric, the pedal-shteel part would get to me! 

ooh-fah!  ;~)