Well-known around Athens, Ohio as a radio personality and musician, Rusty Smith has created a solid new CD showcasing his many talents, as well as his ability to play well with others. Smith is self-releasing “Rusty Smith and Friends featuring Zeke Hutchison." A lifelong musician, Smith has performed for a couple of decades in contra bands such as The Deadbeat Dance Band (with Ged Foley), and as a fill-in member of The Hot Point String Band (appearing on their CDs "Stepping on Chords" and "The Road to Burhania"). He is currently guitarist with The Boys Of The Hock, a traditional Celtic band that plays instrumental dance music all over Ohio and surrounding states. In 1987, Smith also released a debut album, “TV Blues,” full of blues, folk, bluegrass and country songs, with two originals each by Smith and well-known songwriter J.D. Hutchison. Over the years, Smith has frequently performed with Zeke Hutchison (J.D.’s nephew), who is known as a virtuoso mandolin player. The two have collaborated on stages and in jam sessions for over a quarter century, and Smith calls this project “an outgrowth of that musical friendship.” “Rusty Smith and Friends featuring Zeke Hutchison” contains 16 tracks, including covers of songs by Larry Campbell, The Carter Family, John Hartford, J.D. Hutchison, Luke Jordan, J.D. Loudermilk and Bob Montalto. Four tracks are instrumentals, and four are traditional tunes. Smith sings and plays guitar and fiddle (as well as piano on two cuts), with Zeke Hutchison accompanying throughout on mandolin and singing lead on “I Don’t Want Your Rambling Letters.” Terry Douds plays bass on 14 of the CD’s tracks. Some very talented friends join Smith, Hutchison & Douds on this recording. Rock Hall-of-Famer Jorma Kaukonen plays guitar on “I Get The Blues When It Rains,” which also features Mark Hellenberg on “bluegrass brushes.” Mimi Hart provides harmony vocals on “Break My Mind” and “Did You Love Me At All,” and Bruce & Gay Dalzell harmonize on “Diamonds In The Rough.” Hilarie Burhans plays clawhammer banjo on “House Carpenter,” while John Borchard contributes dobro to “Did You Love Me At All” and “The Deep End.” Buck McCumbers adds harmony vocals and Todd Sams plays banjo on “Give Me My Flowers While I’m Living” and “The Deep End.” And, in her recording debut, Smith’s daughter Ali Smith plays clarinet on “Metsäkukkia” and “Valse Melankolika.”