Dan Boner – Guitar
“Professor” Dan Boner directs the renowned East Tennessee State University Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Program, and is co-author of the first ever Bachelor of Arts degree in Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies. Many of ETSU’s talented faculty, students, and alumni have become household names in music due to the program’s dedication to preserving the art form and encouraging musical innovation.
During the festival season, you may find Professor Dan on tour with the IBMA award-winning Becky Buller Band.
Take a moment to browse through the store and music sections for new releases. And be sure to follow Dan on Facebook.
Keith Yoder – Guitar / Mandolin
Keith Yoder performs on and teaches guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, resophonic guitar, bass and drums. He has taught at music camps including Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Kamp, British Columbia Bluegrass Workshop/NimbleFingers, and the Walker Creek Music Camp. He has performed with bluegrass legends from Bobby Hicks to Dan Crary, and has recorded several CDs, the most recent featuring him playing all the instruments and singing all the vocal parts.
Tim May – Flatpicking Guitar
For fifteen years, Tim performed with the progressive bluegrass band Crucial Smith, playing most of the high-profile festivals in the country including Telluride, Winfield and Winterhawk. In 2002-2003 he toured with Patty Loveless in support of her bluegrass albums Mountain Soul and White Snow: A Mountain Christmas. In 2005, he recorded on Charlie Daniels’ album Songs from the Long Leaf Pines, and was solo guitarist on the Grammy-nominated track I’ll Fly Away.
Tim has also toured with John Cowan Band, performed at the Grand Ole Opry as a member of Mike Snider’s Old Time String Band and recently played on the all-star Rounder recordingMoody Bluegrass: a Nashville Tribute to the Moody Blues, of which Mark Hurley of Higher and Higher, the Moody Blues fan magazine, said “The jaw-dropping guitar solo on The Voice would cause Eddie Van Halen to weep from insecurity.”
Besides our camp, Tim’s taught at Nashville Guitar College, South Plains College and Nashcamp, and is a national clinician for Breedlove guitars.
Of his playing, Pat Flynn said “Tim always says that I influenced him, but the truth is that I’ve learned something every time I play with him. I owe him a lot,” and Dan Crary said simply, “Tim May has just become one of my favorite guitar players.”
Robert Bowlin – Guitar
As a Blue Grass Boy: Robert Bowlin was the last fiddler to join the Blue Grass Boys. He plays on the recording of “Boston Boy” that closes the boxed set “Music of Bill Monroe, 1936-1994”
Recording Sessions: 1/9/1994
Before and After: A multi-instrumentalist, Bowlin won the 1979 National Guitar Championship. He has created audio lessons in twin guitar and twin mandolin playing for Musicians’ Workshop, and has recorded as a sideman with many bluegrass and country artists. He has been a member of the Osborne Brothers’ and Kathy Mattea’s bands, and currently plays lead guitar and fiddle with the group Shady Mix.
For more information about Robert, visit: https://RobertBowlin.com
Brad Davis – Guitar
A talented guitar instructor and writer, Brad has been a columnist for Flatpicking Guitar Magazine since 1996 and is currently Takamines main guitar clinician, conducting dozens of music store clinics for Takamine each year. He has taught at Steve Kaufman’s Flatpick Camp, Nashcamp, Camp Bluegrass, the St. Louis Flatpick Weekend, the Roanoke Bluegrass Weekend, and more. He has also produced four instructional DVDs for Flatpicking Guitar Magazine, “Flatpick Jam”, Volumes 1, 2, & 3 and a book/DVD/CD course called “Flatpicking the Blues”. Additionally, he has produced several instructional courses for Mel Bay Publications, including the “Blue Book of Speedpicking”, and a series of instructional Ear Training Cds.
After spending years on the road playing country with Marty Stuart, bluegrass with Earl Scruggs, newgrass with Sam Bush, Gypsy jazz with John Jorgenson, and rock with Billy Bob Thornton, Brad Davis steps out front to prove that he can hold his own as a solo artist, songwriter, and band leader.
Brad Davis spent ten years (1992-2002) performing on stage as a member of Marty Stuart’s road band. For the past six years he has played lead acoustic guitar with Earl Scruggs and Friends, and for the past five years he has played lead electric and acoustic guitar with movie actor Billy Bob Thorntons rock band. He spent two years (2003-2004) as the guitar player for the Sam Bush Band and also performed with John Jorgensons Gypsy jazz Quintet in 2005. He occasionally performs with an exciting new bluegrass band, calling themselves “Greenbroke,” consisting of Brad Davis, John Cowan, John Moore, and Dennis Caplinger.
Brad has worked for, or recorded with, Willie Nelson, Emmy Lou Harris, Pam Tillis, The Forester Sisters, Tommy Shaw (Styx), David Lee Roth (Van Halen), Sheryl Crow, Sam Bush, Warren Zevon, and The Sweethearts of the Rodeo. He is currently the host of Commerce County Line, a singer/songwriter television program on the iTelevision network (see www.myccl.tv). Additionally, Brad has recorded two album projects featuring Billy Bob Thornton on Mercury Records and has toured both Europe and the United States as the lead guitar player for Billy Bob Thorntons band. Brad’s two solo recordings on FGM Records “I’m Not Gonna Let My Blues Bring Me Down”, and “This World Ain’t No Child Anymore” were both released to rave reviews. He also appears on an FGM concert DVD video release “Live in Kansas City” with Cody Kilby and Tim May.
A prolific songwriter Brad has had his songs recorded by various country and bluegrass artists, including country star Tim McGraw (A’int No Angels). He has played on Marty Stuart’s gold selling album “This Ones Gonna Hurt You”, the Marty Stuart “Hit Pack”, and Marty’s last MCA recording “The Pilgrim”. He played on the soundtrack of Steven Seagals “Fire Down Below”, and performed music for Billy Bob Thorntons Miramax releases “Daddy And Them” and “Waking Up In Reno”. He also recorded with Sheryl Crow, and others, on the Johnny Cash tribute album “Kindred Spirits”, played guitar on Warren Zevons final Grammy-winning recording, “The Wind”, and was on Sam Bush’s Sugar Hill release “King of My World”.
For more information about Brad, visit: https://BradDavisMusic.com.
Jim Hurst – Guitar
Jim Hurst was influenced by Merle Travis and Chet Atkins, and especially Jerry Reed, calling his discovery of their finger-style playing “a turn in the road” for him. He continues to rely on these varied influences to enhance his own musical compositions and performances. His diverse tastes led him to play in several bands, playing country, bluegrass, blues, jazz and other styles. His career was already growing when Holly Dunn came calling in 1990.
• He joined Trisha Yearwood’s band in 1992 adding electric guitar, something he spent many years doing, to his job description and toured more extensively including many high-profile radio and television appearances.
• In the mid 1990’s Jim also performed with Sara Evans, Travis Tritt, and the McCarter Sisters. He recorded with Sara Evans on her 1998 RCA release “No Place That Far,” on harmony vocals and acoustic guitar.
In search of more bluegrass playing, Hurst joined Grammy nominated and IBMA Vocalist of the Year Claire Lynch in 1995 and toured with Claire and The Front Porch String Band until the end of 1999. While in this ensemble, he met Missy Raines, the award-winning bassist.It was then that Jim and Missy realized the similarities in their playing styles and musical desires. Jim and Missy began the duet “Jim Hurst & Missy Raines” in 1998 while touring with Claire Lynch. They broke off from Claire Lynch’s band in 2000 to focus more sincerely on the duet, a ground-breaking arrangement in bluegrass music circles.
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Together Jim & Missy’s music delved into several different genres, while staying close to their bluegrass roots. Their two Pinecastle Records releases “Two” and “Synergy” received critical acclaim, culminating with Jim and Missy receiving the Guitar Player and Bass Player of year awards as well as nominations for Emerging Artists of the Year at the 2001 and 2002 IBMA Awards Ceremonies. Jim and Missy rejoined Claire in the newly formed Claire Lynch Band in 2004, but continued playing as a duet for until November 2006.
Jim has since left the Claire Lynch Band, his last performance being in March 2010. He is now concentrating solely on his own musical efforts and is performing in concert and conducting workshops and clinics, and producing recordings for other artists, as well as continuing to produce his own recordings. His touring dates have Jim working in a varied selection of venues, including festivals, performance halls, museums, music stores, coffeehouses, house concerts, and music camps around the country and parts of the world.
For more information about Jim, visit: JimHurst.com.