Jason Carter Departs Del McCoury Band & Travelin’ McCourys To Focus On Solo Career

Jason Carter announced his departure from the Del McCoury Band and The Travelin’ McCourys in order to focus on his solo career. The fiddler has been a member of bluegrass patriarch Del McCoury’s acoustic band since 1992.

Carter revealed his career-altering plans in a lengthy message detailing his history with the Del McCoury Band, which also features Del’s sons, mandolinist Ronnie McCoury and banjo player Rob McCoury, as well as bassist Alan Bartram.

Carter simultaneously ended his tenure as a co-founding member of The Travelin’ McCourys whose lineup is made up of Ronnie, Rob and Bartram, along with guitarist Cody Kilby.

In his statement regarding his departure, Carter mentioned the help he received from his predecessor in the Del McCoury Band, fellow fiddler Tad Marks. Carter went on at length regarding the support and positive impact Del McCoury has had on his career.

“Not long ago, I realized when Del made the move to Nashville in 1992 and I started with his band, he was close to the same age I am now,” Carter wrote. “This is just another example of how I have been inspired by Del McCoury. At this point in time, I feel that everything in my world is pointing me in the direction of starting my own band and pursuing my solo career.”

Carter, who last October married fiddler Bronwyn Keith-Hynes at the Grand Ole Opry, intends to focus on fronting The Jason Carter Band and build on the success of his 2022 solo album, Lowdown Hoedown. Carter will release an album with fiddler Michael Cleveland in March. Carter also revealed plans for a second solo album are in the works.

The Del McCoury Band has not named a replacement for Carter. Read his message below:

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to spend the last 33 years making music with The Del McCoury Band. After a considerable amount of thought, I’ve decided to say my farewell to Del and the Travelin’ McCourys in order to pursue my solo career as The Jason Carter Band.

“I feel so much gratitude to these guys for nearly a lifetime of education in bluegrass music. I consider them to be not only the best musicians in the world, but the finest people you’d ever meet, and I couldn’t have picked a better boss or co-workers to be on this bluegrass journey with.

“From the moment I heard Del, I wanted to play in his band. At first, I played guitar and mandolin. I talked so much about playing with Del as a kid that eventually my Dad had to tell me that Del’s sons played banjo and mandolin and Del was the guitar player so if I wanted to be in this band, I would probably have to learn fiddle or bass, and we had a fiddle at the house. I was so obsessed with his music that every day of my senior year in high school, my mother drove me to school and we’d listen to ‘I Feel The Blues Moving In.’ That song was the perfect length of time to go from our driveway to the doorstep of the school.

“When I graduated high school, I realized the chances of even being in the same place as Del and his band were slim to none because they lived in Pennsylvania and I lived in Kentucky. I wound up getting a job with the Goins Brothers right out of high school and six months later, in February 1992, we were in Nashville at the same festival as Del. Tad Marks was the fiddle player in his band and he told me that the McCourys were moving to Nashville and he wasn’t making the move. He knew that I wanted his job and he encouraged me to go talk to Del. So I gave Del my number and a couple weeks later he called our home. He said I was the first to ask for the job so I was the first to get to try out if I wanted to. I’ve been there ever since.

“I have to give a huge thank you to the band for practically molding me into the player I am today. Del never told me that I had to play a song a certain way; he always encouraged me to play it how I felt. In those days he would drive the bus, and there were many nights I would ride shotgun all night and play fiddle trying to learn solos to his songs. Del would sing melodies to me and I would try to play them back to him.

“I can’t begin to list all the experiences that we had, but I’m extremely proud of every moment. We played everything from college town bars to Carnegie Hall, and the biggest festivals in the world. I’m so proud of all the music that we played together. I also feel I owe a lot to the guys in the Travelin’ McCourys. I’m extremely grateful to be able to have been part of that band since the beginning. I’m very much excited to watch their growth and all they will accomplish, too. I’ll be their biggest cheerleader!

“Not long ago, I realized when Del made the move to Nashville in 1992 and I started with his band, he was close to the same age I am now. This is just another example of how I have been inspired by Del McCoury. At this point in time, I feel that everything in my world is pointing me in the direction of starting my own band and pursuing my solo career. After releasing my latest solo record, Lowdown Hoedown, I have really enjoyed touring and fronting my own shows. I have a new record coming out with my friend, Michael Cleveland, in March, and I’m very excited about playing some shows with him. And, I’m preparing to begin recording my second solo project very soon. I am so excited about this new chapter and for the chance to share my own music with the world.”