Jason Carter Band

The Northshore Traditional Music Society, with tremendous support by Hornbeck Offshore, is honored to feature internationally recognized Jason Carter Band as headliner for the 2026 Rivergrass Sessions, with opener from regionally acclaimed Spring Chickens!

For thirty years, Jason Carter has been the fiddle player for the Del McCoury Band—the most awarded group in bluegrass history. In addition to his long-standing tenure with Del McCoury Band, Carter has won three Grammy awards, including 2018's "Best Bluegrass Album" with the Travelin' McCourys, of which he is a founding member. In addition to the Grammys, he's taken home not one but five IBMAs for "Fiddle Player of the Year”

As a fiddler, Carter has been featured on albums by Steve Earle, Ricky Skaggs, Dierks Bentley, Charlie Daniels, Vince Gill, Asleep at the Wheel, and many more, all in addition to his tireless touring and recording with Del as well as the Travelin' McCourys. On Carter's forthcoming solo album, Lowdown Hoedown, listeners may recognize instrumental contributions from such legends as Jerry Douglas or Sam Bush alongside vocals from young trailblazers like Sarah Jarosz or Billy Strings, and fellow IBMA-winning and Grammy-winning fiddle player Bronwyn Keith-Hynes.

Make sure to arrive early — you won't want to miss the opening act, The Spring Chickens. While their Grammy count sits at a respectable zero (for now), this Covington, Louisiana–based outfit has built serious momentum since forming in January 2023. Led by NSTMS' Bluegrass Chair Cody Smith on mandolin (and half a dozen other instruments), the Chickens were recently profiled in The Bluegrass Standard, have appeared live on New Orleans' legendary WWOZ radio, and were named the newest house band at the historic Abita Springs Opry — the longtime nexus of traditional music on the Northshore. Their growing résumé includes the 2025 New Orleans Bayou Bluegrass Festival (sharing a bill with East Nash Grass and the Edgar Loudermilk Band), the Tunica Hills Music Festival, the Sullivan Theater, and festivals presented by the Magnolia State Bluegrass Association. They're sure to impress.