WAMU’s Bluegrass Country has a new head honcho. Chris Tesky has moved to DC from Connecticut to take the job as Senior Music Producer at the 24/7 bluegrass channel, broadcasting on HD Radio in the DC market, and via internet streaming online.
Tesky has a long history in bluegrass and acoustic music. From 1986 to 2004, Chris worked for Green Linnet Records, a primarily Celtic and World Music label. During this time he also performed with Hoe, a CT bluegrass group, and Lisa Furman and the Blue Flies, while teaching a dozen or more private guitar sudents each week.
In 2006, he launched his own label, Mad River Records, which has released 24 Celtic recordings featuring artists like Brian McNeill, Malinky, Bua, Genticorum, and the Paul McKenna Band.
All this while, Chris kept a toe in bluegrass radio.
“I started doing a bluegrass radio program in 1974 at WSHU-FM in Fairfield. After a brief and unsatisfying stint in commercial radio I went to WPKN-FM, a community radio station in Bridgeport, CT, where I did a weekly bluegrass program starting in 1978. I did my last show there last month. Over the 33 years I spent at WPKN, I served as program director, music director, and chairman of the board of directors.”
Chris says that he is thrilled with the new gig, and happy to be working with the crew at Bluegrass Country. My own sources at the station tell me that they are delighted to have him on board as well.
