California Bluegrass Reunion: “Old Gnarly Oak”

Peghead Nation instructors play one of Chad Manning’s original tunes live at The Freight in Berkeley.

By: Dan Gabel

December 3, 2025

We love it when the California Bluegrass Reunion band comes through town on their annual November tours. The band is packed with Peghead Nation instructors, including Bill Evans, Chad Manning, Sharon Gilchrist, Mike Witcher, John Reischman, and Jim Nunally (seen on many of Chad’s Western Swing Fiddle lessons playing rhythm guitar), and they always put together fun, virtuosic sets of songs and tunes. This year, they created a show that celebrated songwriters who have roots in California, either because they lived here or are/were in bands that are important to the rich fabric of music in the state, including Dave Alvin, Kate Wolf, Laurie Lewis, Kathy Kallick, David Grisman, and others.

In this video, the band plays an original tune of Chad Manning’s called “Old Gnarly Oak” in Berkeley at The Freight, which is home turf for the entire band. Killer performance from an impressive set of folks, and we’re happy to have them all on Peghead Nation!

Learn mandolin with Sharon on Peghead Nation in her courses Beginning Mandolin, Intermediate Bluegrass Mandolin, Bluegrass Mandolin Fingerboard Method, Melodic Embellishment, and Creative Mandolin Backup

Learn mandolin with John Reischman in his courses Old-Time Mandolin and Melodic Mandolin Tunes

Learn fiddle with Chad Manning in his Beginning Bluegrass and Old-Time Fiddle, Intermediate Bluegrass and Old-Time Fiddle, Advanced Bluegrass Fiddle, Western Swing Fiddle, and Theory for Mandolin and Fiddle courses.

Learn banjo with Bill Evans in his Beginning Banjo, Bluegrass Banjo, Earl Scruggs: A Player’s Guide, Melodic and Single String Banjo, and The Banjo Style of J.D. Crowe courses on Peghead Nation.

Learn dobro with Mike Witcher in his courses Beginning Dobro and Dobro Workshop.