New York City Area Bluegrass Music Scene

Are you a bluegrass band, or person in the NYC metro or tristate area? I'll post your short bio, announcement or news about you and your music on this page, and an email or web link if you want.

Jeffrey Anzevino janzevino@scenichudson.org) is a dobroist, member of the Americana trio Heinzevino!, founder and president of the Hudson Valley Bluegrass Association www.HVBluegrass.org (845) 691-6784 or hvba@optonline.com Heinzevino! is an Ulster County-based "Americana-style" ensemble featuring Rich Hinds (acoustric and electric guitars), Jeffrey Anzevino (dobro), and Rusty Boris (acoustic and electric bass). Rich and Jeff's vocal work is reminiscent of many famous "brother duets," including the Everly Brothers and Louvin Brothers. Their fresh sound is most unique, mixing influences of blues, bluegrass, rockabilly, and western swing into a style all their own. Heinzevino! is a trio of best friends making great music the way it
was done in days of yore on front porches across the land.Heinzevino! has performed at the Mid-Hudson Folk Festival, Hudson River Arts Festival, The Hudson Valley Bluegrass Music Festival: Bluegrass Between the Bridges and opened for John Hall, Salamander Crossing, Chris Jones and The Night Drivers, Breakaway, John McCutcheon and singer-songwriter Mindy Jostyn. We have been featured onTV (Poughkeepsie Live!) and the radio ( WDST's Woodstock Round Table and the Acoustic Breakfast, WKZE's "Harmony Junction," WVKR's "Vince Vincent's Jukebox Jamboree" and the WPDH "Morning Rush"). Heinzevino! has also performed at The Best of the Hudson Valley, Bard College, Borders Books and Music, Gadaleto's Seafood, Greig Farms, the Highland Cultural Center, the Winter Bluegrass Extravaganza, Minnewaska State Park, Rivendell Winery, BenMarl Winery, the Hudson Valley Rail Trail, the Hudson River Maritime Museum, Museum of the Hudson Highlands, aboard the Sloop Clearwater and at numerous private parties and with Hudson Valley luminaries Pete Seeger and Bill Keith.

Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem, formerly Salamander Crossing, is an acoustic quartet featuring fiddle, acoustic bass, guitar, and cardboard-box/tin can drum set. It ain't bluegrass proper, but old-time and bluegrass roots are showing...Excellent lead singing, big harmony vocals, diverse repertoire (swing, country blues, Appalachian, funky originals, gospel, etc). Boston Globe called us "neo old-timey with cosmopolitan splashes of contemporary pop and jazz." Whatever that means. More info at http://www.raniarbo.com.

…is a seriously hardcore bluegrass band playing in the tri-state area, but also throughout New England, and countywide! The band is very tight, and very experienced singing and playing traditional bluegrass. BigAppleachia is a vocal band first! Phrasing and emotion is what you get here. You won't hear country style bluegrass better 'n this anywhere in the country! Guided by the first generation stars of country and mountain music; Stanley Brothers, to Jimmy Martin, Roy Acuff, Johnny & Jack...and obscure bands like the King Brothers of Virginia or the Shady Valley Boys, chances are that this is bluegrass you've not heard before! We bring the "bonafide" mountain sound to the urban folk and city dwellers and deliver an authentic bluegrass show! Folks familiar with our sound know...come see us and know it for yourself…by God you'll be hooked on bluegrass, either for the first time, or all over again! BigAppleachia (Big Apple Atcha) Nick Novia 203 650 3492 Parties, weddings, festivals, barbecues, house concerts, lessons...occasions of all sorts!
mailto:nicholas_s_novia@sbcglobal.net
myspace.com/bigappleachia

Blue Plate Special Blue Plate Special’s repertoire includes Bluegrass , Cajun, Swing, Gospel and a sprinkling of Polka. The band consists of Dave Gross on mandolin (You may know Dave from his radio show on WFDU called “On the Sunny Side”, Jerry Oland, banjo player extraordinaire, Jay Friedman on lead vocals, fiddle and guitar, Thomas Seiter on accordion, and Tom Wise on upright bass and harmonica. Their original songs, inspired picking and tight harmonies can be heard on their latest c.d. “Nowhere Fast”. Blue Plate Special has shared the stage and opened shows for the likes of Les Paul, Tom Chapin, Lucy Kaplansky, Paul Barrerre and Fred Tackett of “Little Feat” fame, C.J. Chenier - “King of Zydeco”, Tony Trishka, and Gabriel Donohue. www.blueplatespecial.us

Mike Burns Singer, songwriter, 914-276-2239 Mike's song "My Darling" was recorded by Mark Newton and Valerie Smith and will be coming out on Mark's next cd Tribute To The Ladies in January of 2000 on Rebel Records . Mike has done several song writer workshops in the last few years. He has shared the stage with The Gibson Brothers and Kim Fox at Winterhawk ( Grey Fox) , also with Kim at the Fox Family Bluegrass festival along with Dan Tyminski and Junior Sisk . He was chosen to showcase his oiginal material at this years World of Bluegrass Conference in Louisville , Kentucky .Mike's company North Country Music also promotes Bluegrass Music in the Northern Westchester area at St Lukes Church in Somers NY . North Country Music also sponsors a jam at St Lukes on the first Friday of the month. Mike is a member of the Hudson Valley Bluegrass Association and is currently their president. This winter Mike will be traveling to Nashville TN to record his second cd produced by Bil VornDick .Mike resides in Purdys NY with his wife Patti and their son Darren.

John Carlini Guitarist, composer, arranger, producer, John is associated with many recordings, among them "River Suite for Two Guitars" with guitarist Tony Rice, "Reflections" with mandolinist, Butch Baldassari, and the Grammy-nominated "Dawg '90" with the David Grisman Quintet. His acoustic group, The John Carlini Quartet, has recently released its debut CD, "Live at the Turning Point".

Since l997, Charter Oak Bluegrass(Connecticut) has been delivering its brand of traditional bluegrass with a contemporary sensibility. The band pays homage to the best of Jimmy Martin, Bill Monroe and the Country Gentlemen with a fast-paced show for dedicated bluegrass followers and those new to the music. Contact: Matt Nozzolio 203-237-3966
pickin@charteroakbluegrass.com
Web site: www.charteroakbluegrass.com

cobblehillbillies Known for their ear-pleasing harmonies and exciting instrumental breaks, the Brooklyn-based Cobble Hillbillies put the energy back in bluegrass with freshly arranged traditionals and bold new originals cobblehillbillies@hotmail.com

Cold Supper Boys Trad-Grass with fresh original material. This five piece (all acoustic) band based in NYC attracts an eclectic crowd from underpaid hipsters to retired, permanently blind coal miners. The band has opened for numerous acts including, The Infamous StringDusters, Tom Chapin, Buddy Merriam and Backroads, etc. The Cold Supper Boys play once a month at the Parkside Lounge and other respectable (and quasi respectable) venues in and around the NY and NJ area. www.Coldsupperboys.com

Todd Collins performs mainly in the New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania area. Tours have taken him from Maine to New Mexico. He performs in a variety of settings, ranging from solo jazz guitar to jazz quartet. He is also one of the few jazz mandolinists in the country, and has played
rock, folk, classical, and bluegrass. Todd also recorded on the soundtrack of the Disney film, "Tom and Huck". He co-led an eclectic acoustic group with John Carlini, Over the Edge, that fused various styles ranging from bluegrass to classical to jazz. Their CD received wide recognition and air play across the country. Todd is coordinator of the recording program at County College of Morris in Randolph, New Jersey. He has co-directed the Guitar Seminar at CCM from its inception in 1995 to the present date. He also gives workshops in guitar and mandolin. He has been commissioned to compose works for modern dance companies in the New York/ New Jersey area.
Todd is currently performing with various bands inlcuding bluegrass band Burnt Toast with Tom Hanway and the Blue Merles, an eclectic acoustic group that plays hard driving bluegrass to straight ahead jazz. A new recording produced by Todd for the Pocono based group the Lost Ramblers is due out in the spirng of 2000. It is a collection of old timey and bluegrass tunes.
Todd earned a Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies from Rutgers University and a Bachelor’s Degree from Montclair State University.

Michael Daves plays guitar and mandolin in styles from old-time to bluegrass to bebop. Currently living in Brooklyn, he recently relocated from Northampton MA where he lived since 1995. Growing up in Georgia in a family of old-time musicians instilled in him from an early age a deep feeling for playing southern mountain music and related traditions like Delta and Piedmont blues. At Hampshire College he
studied jazz performance and composition under the legendary Yusef Lateef, an experience which brought a very modern perspective to his playing. There he formed a four-horn funk band, the Inner Orchestra, with six fellow students and has been performing with this group throughout the Northeast since 1999. He also has a duo with progressive banjo virtuoso Gordon Stone, and plays in the new-old-time string band Underbelly with former Mammals fiddler Alicia Jo Rabins and top contra dance
multi-instrumentalist Peter Siegel of the Greenfield Dance Band. Michael gives lessons in Brooklyn. For more info, please visit www.michaeldaves.com. Email: michael@michaeldaves.com; Phone (413)626-4662

Jim Decava, luthier. Custom banjos and guitars since 1975. Repairs and restorations. Fairfield County, Ct. DeCava Fretted Instruments Jrdecava@AOL.com, 203.377.0096

"Curtis Eller is New York City's angriest yodelling banjo player. He started his showbusiness career as a juggler and acrobat, but has since turned to the banjo because that's where the money is. Mr. Eller and his band, "The American Circus" have performed at funerals, horse races, burlesque shows and vaudevile revues. Numerous waltes, sporadic yodelling and some strong language can be expected. Visit http://www.curtiseller.com for the lowdown."
Curtis Eller's American Circus curtis@curtiselelr.com 718.392.2473

Steve Ellis: Traditional lead bluegrass singer, downtown Manhattan. 212 219 8462

The Fiddleheads -- New Haven's venerable contradance band, still performing and permutating in the Yale University/New Haven, CT area for the past 25 years. http://www.plankity.com/fiddleheads/

ALAN FRIEND'S new CD, "HAD A DOG," is now available. It features Alan on banjo, guitar and vocals performing old-time songs and tunes, with guests on fiddle, guitar and vocals. Order directly from Alan at alanfriend_music@mindspring.com or from CDBaby at www.cdbaby.com/cd/alanfriend.

ALAN FRIEND also plays with the Chelsea String Band, gives clawhammer banjo lessons and performs old-time music and traditional ballads at festivals and coffee houses from Montreal to West Virginia. www.alanfriendmusic.com

Subj: Grass Routes Bluegrass Band
Date: 4/28/03 2:37:18 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: bluegrass_guitar@hotmail.com (Jack Jolie)
To: BenFreed@aol.com
Please include our bluegrass band in your listings.
NAME: Grass Routes
WEBSITE: http://www.geocities.com/grass_routes
LOCATION: South Windsor, CT
Thanks,
J.D. Jolie bluegrass_guitar@hotmail.com

Bob Greene www.bobgreen.org Performs and records in a wide range of settings, including bluegrass and country bands, Irish and klezmer groups, musical theater, and the New York Mandolin Orchestra. He has played at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, and received a 1995 Meet The Composer award. Editorial insert: Here is the new Bluegrass Unlimited review of Bob's new CD:Bob Green is a tremendously talented multi-instrumentalist whose new self-titled recording raises the bar for eclectic string musicians. While he draws from various musical traditions, bluegrass pre se is not represented here – the closest relative is the old-time fiddle tune “Growling Old Man, Cackling Old Woman (often referred to as “.. Grumbling Old Woman”), which he takes into a (n open spacey jam with the help of pianist Jeff Waxman. But the genres Green does choose to draw from, which include Celtic, klezmer, choro (Brazilian), and contemporary jazz, are all carried off with great aplomb. Whether playing mandolin on Ralph Towner’s Icarus, or nestled snugly in an accordion/ piano/mandolin trio on “Paganini Stomp” (not just a tribute to the legendary classical virtuoso, but also the brilliant vaudeville mandolinist David Appollon). Green shines with the ease of his phrases and his mastery of his chosen instruments. He also stretches out on fiddle, with particular effectiveness on the jigs “Tobin’s Favorite” and “Scatter The Mud”. The gentle O’Carolan composition “Carolan’s Draft” becomes a showcase for his bozouki work and Green even gets to shine as a flatpicking guitarist as well. While the liner notes don’t give much background on Green’s musical or recorded history, it’s clear from the evidence contained on the CD that this is a musician who taps a wide variety of inspirations and who is equally comfortable navigating them all. While not for the bluegrass hardliner, listeners with eclectic tastes won’t be disappointed if they let Bob Green lead them down some new instrumental paths.)

Robin Greenstein: I am a professional musician, a singer-songwriter who straddles contemporary and traditional music. I play guitar and banjo. I am a performer-clinician for Martin Guitars and many years ago was signed with Bob Dylan's publishing company. I have two CDs out and you can hear music at my website. I also have a BA in Music and studied with folk legend Hedy West in college who taught me a lot of her banjo style which is rather unusual. My banjo playing is primarily old-time, clawhammer and old style 3 finger picking. I have an unusual banjo as well, an old Paramount that was made for the Bruno company as a tenor back in 1916, but now has a 5 string neck on it. robinpg@aol.com. www.robingreenstein.com

http://grillbillies.com The Grillbillies are a bluegrass band, sort of, but not in the usual sense. We like to camp and go to bluegrass festivals together. Many of the Grillbillies are in their own separate bluegrass bands. An equal number don't even play music; they just follow along to all the festivals. The ones who do play can be considered our "house" band. But there is no leader, or hierarchy, or constitution, and there are no rules for joining. Just come to the festivals, visit our campsite, and see if you like us. We can usually be found under a big silver canopy, called "Grillbilly Grove"

Horse Country is a traditional band out of the Hudson Valley, based on the original first generation bluegrass sound. Over the years, the band has included such luminaries as Chris Jones, Barry Mitterhoff, John Herald, Mike Compton, and Ernie Sykes. Contact Bob Mavian at 914- 941-7133 mailto:bob mavian@aol.com

The Homegrown String Band is a twenty-first century incarnation of the traditional family band. The band, which was literally homegrown, consists of Georgianne and Rick Jackofsky and their two daughters, Erica and Annalee. They have been performing together at bluegrass, blues, and folk festivals, as well as in schools, libraries, and coffeehouses throughout the northeast since 1997. Their repertoire consists of traditional and original music inspired by the rural string bands that recorded during the 1920s and ‘30s. They try to bring audiences back to a simpler time when families gathered to share their music with friends and neighbors. At a Homegrown String Band show you will be treated to the sounds of fiddle, guitar, mandolin, clawhammer banjo, banjo uke, dulcimer, and jawharp, as well as some fancy flatfoot dancing. So fasten your seatbelts and hold on to your hats as the Homegrown String Band takes you on a rollicking ride through the sounds of American music, from the driving rhythms of old-time dance tunes to the mournful sounds of mountain ballads and blues. www.homegrownstringband.com

The Klezmer Mountain Boys.
Led by clarinetist Margot Leverett, the Klezmer Mountain Boys bring together an all-star lineup combining klezmer and bluegrass. With Barry Mitterhoff, mandolin; Kenny Kosek, fiddle; Marty Confurius, bass; Joe Selly, guitar; and Margot Leverett, clarinet and alto sax.
www.klezmermountainboys.com
Margotlev@aol.com

Jen Larson is a Brooklyn-based, bluegrass and honky-tonk singer,
songwriter and rhythm guitarist who is fast gaining a reputation as
one of the most powerful and soulful traditional performers in the
Northeast region. Along with NJ banjoist Terry McGill, she the co-
founder of Straight Drive, an ensemble that been well-received at
both local and national bluegrass festivals and communtiy events.
Straight Drive recently released a CD entitled "I'll Take A Page From
Your Book" on the Cabinwood Music label. Jen also contributed her
"high lonesome" vocals to Todd Collins 2005 release, "Blue Soul".
Among Jen's own performing credits, she has appeared in New York City with Barry Mitterhoff, Kenny Kosek, Greg Garing, Michael Daves, Tony Dilello and Fran Leadon. In April of 2005 she was invited to perform on Garrison Keillor's nationally-broadcast weekly radio program, "A Prairie Home Companion", where she not only was a featured vocalist with the All-Star Shoe Band, but she acted in a radio play written by Mr. Keillor. wheelhoss@verizon.net

Stephanie P. Ledgin (http://fiddlingwithwords.com) Stephanie P. Ledgin is an internationally-recognized music journalist and photographer whose work since 1975 has focused on bluegrass, folk and traditional music. Her work has appeared around the globe in such media as Acoustic Guitar, Bluegrass Unlimited, Sing Out!, Strings, Living Tradition (Scotland), Beat (Norway), Bluegrass-Buehne (Germany), Rounder Records, Pinecastle Records, among others. A former editor of Pickin' magazine, she co-edited Hot Licks for Bluegrass Fiddle (Oak Publications) and authored the "Folk Music" entry for the Encyclopedia of New Jersey (Rutgers University Press, 2004). A concert producer and one of the original CityFolk hosts on WFUV 90.7 FM, New York City, she also managed renowned Italian flatpicker Beppe Gambetta for ten years. From 1994-2003, she was Director of the New Jersey Folk Festival at Rutgers University. Her first book, Homegrown Music: Discovering Bluegrass (Foreword by Ricky Skaggs), was released by Praeger Publishing in September 2004. Her photo retrospective, From Every Stage: Images of America's Roots Music (Foreword by Charles Osgood), is slated for release by University Press of Mississippi during Spring 2005. Ledgin's biographical entry appears in Marquis' Who's Who in America and in Marquis' Who's Who of American Women. She resides in New Jersey with her husband Theodoros Toskos, a geologist in the environmental consulting field. Her upcoming lectures, interviews and book signings can be found on the "Appearances" page of her web site: http://fiddlingwithwords.com.

Long Island Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra Long Island, New York The Long Island Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra began in the 1950s as an adult education class sponsored by the Levittown School District in Nassau County. During its 40 years It has played to thousands of appreciative music lovers at programs sponsored by libraries, churches, temples, parks, senior citizens and private organizations such as the Sons of Italy, in a number of towns throughout Suffolk, Nassau, Metropolitan New York and Westchester. They have performed at Hofstra, Farmingdale, Adelphi Universities, and the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point. They received tumultuous accolades when they performed aboard the S.S. Britannis and S.S. Victoria during Caribbean cruises.    The orchestra is comprised of mandolins, mandolas, guitars, mandocellos, mandobasso and vocalists. Although the members span various age groups, come from all walks of life and enjoy diverse occupations, it is bound together by a love of music and by a desire to increase the popularity of the mandolin and guitar. The membership is comprised of doctors, lawyers, teachers, business men and women. The selections that the orchestra plays includes varied types of music such as International folk, Ethnic, Light Classics, Classical and Popular. Antonina Nigrelli, an accomplished violinist, violist and mandolinist, is its conductor. She has an extensive music education and performance back-ground. has taught in public schools, colleges and privately. She has played professionally, conducted widely and is at present a free-lance musician who plays with the Celebration Quartet, Balalaika and Domra Society of N. Y. and is the Music Director of the West Islip Concert Orchestra. She is also president of the Classical Mandolin Society of America , Inc. Charles Sloan, its assistant conducator, has played professionally in bands, symphony orchestras and jazz groups both in the Midwest and New York City including Radio City Music Hall Orchestra and the National Symphony Orch. Assn. under Leon Barzin. He was music coordinator and Con-ductor of bands and orchestras at Brooklyn Tech. H.S. for 18 years. Contact information: Roz Kuras, President 46 Patterson Avenue Hempstead, NY 11550 516-485-0219 or Antonina Nigrelli: 516-661-2987

Gene Lowinger Fiddler Gene Lowinger has played with David Grisman in his college days. With that band he won the World Championship band prize at the Union Grove, N.C. Fiddler's Contest in 1964. Subsequent to that, Bill Monroe, the Father of Bluegrass music invited Mr. Lowinger to join his band on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN. He and Peter Rowan formed the core of the band that was to play at the first ever bluegrass festival in Fincastle, VA in 1965 which began Mr. Monroe's re-emergence as a patriarch in American music. Gene's current acoustic band Avalanche plays an eclectic mix of bluegrass, swing, country, and blues. FIDDLE LESSONS AVAILABLE ! fiddlergene@mac.com

I'm an acoustic and electric guitarist who recently moved to Brooklyn from Denver, CO. I specialize in teaching bluegrass flatpicking, jazz, and country guitar styles. I've performed with Matt Flinner, Tony Furtado, Mollie O'Brien, Sally Van Meter, Drew Emmitt and Darol Anger and have played on album projects alongside artists such as Stuart Duncan, Sam Bush, Joshua Redman, Ron Miles, Del McCoury and others. I'm located in the Carroll Gardens area of Brooklyn. Contact me at ross@rossmartinguitar.com

Terry McGill is a New Jersey Banjo player who currently is playing with The Eager, Hampton,and McGill Band.Terry has a CD on Cabinwood Records out called Straight Drive. It was produced by Todd Collins and features Terry on all cuts on banjo and vocals, Matt Arnold on fiddle, Todd Collins on guitar, clawhammer banjo, and mandolin, Scott Eager on vocals and mandolin, Dave Hampton on guitar and vocals, Jen Larson on vocals, Don Sojka on Dobro, Todd Lanka and Guy Leatherman on Bass and Terry's father, Charlie McGill, on vocals and guitar.Terry can also be heard on recordings by The David Hampton Band and The Lost Ramblers.Terry can be reached at straightdrive2001@yahoo.com or www.cabinwoodmusic.com.

Buddy Merriam is the leader of the bluegrass band Buddy Merriam & Back Roads (http://backroads.homepage.com/)based in Suffolk County, and the Blue Midnight Quartet(swing jazz and blues w/mando/violin/acoustic guitar and stand up bass). He also does the Blue Grass Time radio show on WUSB 90.1 every Wed. night (6:30-8 PM)

The Monkeyshine 9 consists of snuff-snorting hoboes with flasks in their garters who play a hoodoo concoction of blues, ragtime, New Orleans second line, and hoe-down that makes hips shake, hands twitch, tongues loosen,. Find them at www.themonkeyshine9.com

The Otters are a four piece bluegrass band from New Brunswick, NJ. We play a good mix of standards from the songbooks of Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, and The Stanley Brothers, as well as a host of original material. Members include Mike Schmidt (vocal/gutar), Colin Schweizer (vocal/banjo), Todd Moore (bass), and Dan O'Dea (fiddle/ mandolin). http://otters.dansbands.com

Out of the Blue is a five piece traditional and contemporary bluegrass band based in New Jersey since 1989. Our arrangements and individual talents help create our unique repertoire which includes original songs, instrumentals, and arrangements. Kim Gluckler, our newest member, on guitar, has been playing bluegrass music since 1991. Currently, she is the host of The Soundpost, as well as Music Director of Americana at WFDU 89.1, Teaneck. Kim enjoys the high lonesome sound of Bill Monroe and The Stanley Brothers, as well as the contemporary sound. She is a former member of Hand Picked, Pancake Hollow, and No Brakes. Earl Karlsen on mandolin, is a fine instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter. His many lead vocals include a wide range of styles and emotions. He has an intuitive sense for the mood of each number. Earl finds inspiration in the music of The Stanley Brothers. He has been involved in Bluegrass for over 25 years, and hosts Bluegrass Express every Saturday morning on WFDU 89.1, Teaneck. Arnie Reisman, on banjo, has perfected his own style of picking - traditional, accurate, and driving. His arrangements, compositions and intrinsic musicianship give the band a truly solid bluegrass sound. Arnie has been strongly influenced by Flatt & Scruggs,
and more recently by Reno and Smiley. He also has been playing and performing bluegrass for many years in the tri-state area. A previous group was the NYC Bluegrass Champs for two years, and now, along with Rita, he edits and publishes New Jersey Bluegrass. Rita Reisman on acoustic bass, is straightforward and solid, holding Out of the Blue together with her steady beat. Rita is enthusiastic about the music and its culture. With Arnie, she enjoys performing and publishing their newsletter. Don Sojka on Dobro, is a virtuoso on all the bluegrass instruments. Don can sing lead or fill in on harmonies. He has been playing bluegrass in New Jersey for over 20 years, and was a member of One Way Ticket. Don is an avid instrument collector.
All members of the band can be contacted for bookings or for further information: Earl Karlsen (973) 226-8146 Kim Gluckler (973) 226-8146

Out To Lunch Out To Lunch is an exciting acoustic string band from the tri-state area that plays their own brand of Bluegrass, Irish Fiddle Tunes, and Swing Music. While this creative ensemble is known to be up-beat and adventuresome, they are also capable of smooth renditions of classics such as Nat King Cole's "Straighten Up and Fly Right" or Bill Monroe's "Footprints in the Snow". The band's unique instrumentation incorporates two mandolins, guitar, fiddle, bass and hammered dulcimer. Their strong vocals blend to create harmonies that are a distinctive part of Out To Lunch's musical charm. Members of this group include Howard Bujese on fiddle and vocals, Wayne Fugate on mandolin and hammered dulcimer, Jon Sholle on guitar and vocals, Michael Sassano on mandolin and vocals, Larry Cohen on bass and Susan Sassano on vocals.Email ssass@rcn.com

Oxford Depot http://oxforddepot.net/index.htm Oxford depot is a bluegrass band born in the heart of the Hudson Valley of New York State. We play a mix of bluegrass styles ranging from traditional to modern, and we have some fine original music too! Oxford Depot has performed at various bluegrass festivals including The Willow Creek Bluegrass Festival, The Autumn Leave's Traditional Music and Dance Festival, The Grahamsville Fiddle Festival, and the Warwick Valley Apple Blossom Bluegrass Festival to name a few. We have performed live on WTBQ and WJFF radio for several years. The band has been a long-time favorite choice for parties, festivals, and other events and we promise to get your hands clappin' and your feet movin'. The band members are; Roy Streever (guitar), Kevin Monahan (mandolin), Ed Ackerly (banjo), Carl Kubie (fiddle), and Leon Swyka (bass).

Norman Plankey - sock rhythm, swing and all around backup guitar styles.
http://www.plankity.com

John Piser banjo,guitar and singer in East Village, NYC. Plays Bluegrass, Country and Rock because he has to....

My name is Scott Camara, and I wanted to let you know about my band, The
Rafter Bats. We are based in Bridgeport, CT. We play a mix of original
bluegrass and acoustic country-rock? Its hard to describe. We also do some
traditional stuff. Anyway, we are a 5 piece with guitar, mandolin, upright
bass, drums, and myself on dobro/banjo. We have been playing in CT for a
while now and have recently started playing in New York. We played at
Brownies and the Sidewalk Cafe last week. Anyway, if you are interested, you
can check us out at www.rafterbats.com.

James Reams (http://www.jamesreams.com) is originally from eastern Kentucky, the heart of bluegrass country, and has been in NYC for the past 15 years, playing traditional bluegrass music with an old-time music edge. The band consists of James on guitar/vocals; Mark Farrell on mandolin/fiddle/ baritone vocals; Carl Hayano on stand-up bass/tenor vocals; and Mickey Maguire on banjo, with powerful three-part harmonies featuring "straight-up, no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners bluegrass" (Steve Daugherty, WUWG, Carrollton GA). Barnstormin¹, the band¹s debut CD on Copper Creek Records (http://www.coppercreekrec.com), is an album of 15 traditional and original bluegrass songs and tunes. Stephanie P. Ledgin, music journalist and publisher of The Traditional Music Line, writes in a review of Barnstormin' in Sing Out!: "Reams¹ commanding voice takes the listener all the way back to Kentucky, with an unaffected Monroe-style quality that bends to capture the mood of each selection...This is a top-notch recording." John Lupton, bluegrass DJ and board member of the Brandywine Friends of Old-Time Music, writes in Country Standard Time: "[T]he music on this new Copper Creek disc features elements reminiscet of the sophisticated stylings of fellow Kentuckian Bill Monroe mixed with the old time, deep-hollow sound of the Stanley Brothers....This is hard-core bluegrass from down home." Doug Tuchman, first editor of Pickin' magazine, DJ on WKCR-FM, and a bluegrass promoter since 1973, says: "I believe this is the best traditionally oriented bluegrass band in the area right now, bar none. They combine wonderful harmonies and instrumental back-up in a very sensitive but energy-charged show." Jerry Paul, WJCP-FM, North Vernon, IN, says: "James is such an inspiration to watch. He truly feels his music, and sings from his very soul. If James is ever within your area, he is a must see bluegrass icon.¹" James' previous CDs include The Mysterious Redbirds, 1992-1998 (also
on Copper Creek Records), an album of old-time string-band music with New Lost City Ramblers founding member Tom Paley and NYC-based old-time fiddler Bill Christophersen; The Blackest Crow, James' solo CD with guest artists including John Herald of the legendary bluegrass band The Greenbriar Boys, and Tom Paley (that CD is available on James' website); and Kentucky Songbird, his earlier solo CD with guests artists. Flatpicking Guitar magazine profiled James in its Masters of Rhythm Guitar series of articles.

Sherrif Uncle Bob: dobro player;

Jon Sholle www.jonsholle.com has played on records by Esther Phillips, Melissa Manchester, David Grisman, Andy Statman, Sonny Stitt, Maria Muldaur, and Kate & Anna McGarrigle, among others. Jon has two solo albums on Rounder Records -Catfish for Supper and the recently released Out of the Frying Pan, which features David Grisman, Tony Trischka and Andy Statman. www.jonsholle.com

The Singing Conquerors The Singing Conquerors, the number one bluegrass gospel group in the Northeast, is a one-of-a-kind multi-cultural bluegrass group that hails from New York City. Although gospel music groups are plentiful in the Big Apple, The Singing Conquerors is the only bluegrass gospel group in New York City and is rapidly making bluegrass fans out of city folk.

Ray Alden - banjo, Dave Howard - mandolin and vocals, Gil Sayre - guitar and vocals, Ambrose Verdibello - fiddle, Pat Plankey - bass and vocals

Orrin Star (now in the Washington DC area)Orrin Star is an award-winning guitar, banjo and mandolin player who’s also funny. With music ranging from fiddle tunes to topical ballads to western swing, his style has been described as ‘Arlo Guthrie-meets-Doc Watson’. Playing professionally since the early seventies, his history includes three bluegrass bands, a summer with banjo great Bill Keith, and winning the 1976 National Flatpicking Championship (the largest bluegrass guitar contest in the country). He has toured throughout the U.S. and Europe, been on A Prairie Home Companion, and recorded three albums for Flying Fish Records.
He gives guitar, banjo and mandolin lessons and runs an acoustic-oriented recording studio. Email
orhay@aol.com

www.gordonstone.com
The Gordon Stone Band plays original music focusing on composition,
interaction and improvisation. They combine bluegrass and jazz, blended with Latin, world beat and funk in tunes ranging from laid back grooves to high energy musical excursions. As journalist Tim Lynch puts it, "This is music with enough energy to appeal to rock and jam-bands fans, as well
> as acoustic music lovers, newgrass fans and jazz lovers, all with enough
danceable energy to move entire festival sites into dancing frenzies." The music will lift you up - in his dynamic duo with mado-guitar monster Michael Daves or his own eclectic trio featuring Mike Barnett (15 year > old fiddler from Nashville) on mnado-fiddle. Thank You! Let me know if you need more information Gordon Stone 1-802-578-2364 gordon@gordonstone.com

TOO BLUE:Bluegrass with a Twist Start with a large scoop of genuine bluegrass. Mix in generous
helpings of 50's country and Western swing. Add a dash of jazz, and serve it up with plenty of original songs, tight harmonies and award-winning instrumentalists. Sprinkle some blues over the whole dish, and you've got TOO BLUE, a fresh new sound in acoustic music. TOO BLUE features Joan Harrison on banjo & lead vocals; Betsy Rome on guitar and harmony vocals; Jack Murphy on upright bass; and recent addition Michael Sassano on mandolin. JOAN HARRISON is a former student of Tony Trischka and won 2nd place banjo at the 2000 Roxbury, CT contest. Formerly of "Sassygrass", the 1992 Pizza Hut Bluegrass Showdown Northeast Champions, guitarist BETSY ROME has been featured in Flatpicking Guitar Magazine (July/August 2000). JACK MURPHY's driving upright bass keeps TOO BLUE on the beat. A founding member of NY's "Out
To Lunch", MICHAEL SASSANO's lively mandolin rounds out the roster. TOO BLUE delivers a dynamic stage show, full of warmth, humor and musicality. They perform their own original material as well as covering
popular bluegrass and country songs from Bill Monroe and Del McCoury to Patsy Cline. A CD project of all-original TOO BLUE songs, "A Little on the Blue Side", is slated for release in spring/summer 2002.
Contact TOO BLUE at: romedesign@earthlink.net http://www.toobluemusic.com

michael wolfsohn. For more than twenty years, I have been a performer, songwriter, producer and teacher. My first instrument was piano. I studied classical piano through high school with several excellent teachers including Robert Komaiko and Theodore Lettvin. I also studied theory at The Cleveland Music School Settlement. Shortly after beginning piano study, I discovered the guitar and folk music — specifically The Weavers and Pete Seeger. I taught myself to play some chords on borrowed guitars ( I didn't own one until high school). Not much later, the Beatles and the rest of the mid-sixties British Invasion happened, and I was hooked. I got an electric guitar, tuned it to an open E minor chord, and faked my way through my first several bands. In college, in the late sixties, I became interested in folk-rock, a la Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, the Byrds, etc. and some of the darker Underground & Psychedelic Music that could be found on FM radio. Still self-taught (and proud of it) I began playing as a solo artist. I also enrolled in the Chicago Musical College, and studied piano, theory, acoustics, etc. and finally figured out that I needed help with my guitar playing. I began study with Joe Rumoro, the staff guitarist for CBS in Chicago, and made more progress in the next year than I had in the preceding ten. About that time, I also became interested in Country and Bluegrass, and began my Banjo & Pedal Steel studies. (I've studied banjo with Greg Cahill and Tony Trischka, and I've studied Pedal Steel with Tom Furlong, Ray Gantek and Gib Wharton)

The Y'All Stars
The Y'All Stars are a New York quintet featuring Diane Stockwell on
fiddle, Ben Fraker on mandolin, John Cleveland on bass, and Charles
Puckette and Fran Leadon on guitar and harmony vocals. They play every
month at the Parkside Lounge monday bluegrass series.

Gene Yellin Gene has been playing guitar and singing bluegrass in the New York area for 30 years. He has played with Breakfast Special, Hazel Dickens, Yellin Grass (with his bluegrass banjo playing brother, Bob), his own band with Michal Shapero, and numerous other bands through the years. He has recorded with Hazel Dickens ("Hard Hitting Songs from Hard Hit People", on Rounder).

Wahoo String Band: Harry Bolick, harry@bolick.net old time fiddle, http://www.bolick.net/wahoo/
Featuring: Harry Bolick - fiddle and vocals,
Tim Pitt - guitar, mandolin and mandola,
Brian Slattery - banjo and fiddle

The Wickers Creek Band (www.wickerscreekband.com):
The Wickers Creek Band performs a mix of traditional American music, primarily in the Bluegrass tradition. The four-person group sings in close harmonies backed up by varying combinations of fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar and bass. The band's repertoire includes classic and contemporary Bluegrass, country and Appalachian music, with a dollop of French Canadian, Celtic and New England dance tunes thrown in for good measure. The group hails from the hills of lower Westchester County where the Wickers Creek flows into the mighty Hudson River, and Garden City, Long Island -- with lead singer Peter Paden on banjo and mandolin, Charlene Paden on fiddle, George Morrow on guitar, and Rob Bradley on upright bass. The band has appeared at the Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors Festival, the annual Willow Creek Bluegrass Festival in Montgomery, NY, the annual Dobbs Ferry Summer Waterfront Concert Series, and Muscoot Farm, as well as many coffeehouses and public and private events in the Hudson Valley, Long Island and New York City. Current informtion about upcoming appearances may be found at: wickerscreekband.com.
Contact: Peter or Charlene Paden
914-693-6191; 914-693-3097 (fax)
pcpaden@mindspring.com