Past Instructors

Wil Maring – Songwriting

Wil MaringAs Wil Maring sat for long summer hours as a teenager at her family’s roadside vegetable stand, picking out self-made tunes on her Sears guitar to pass the time, she never dreamed of the path she would one day follow. Wil has become a highly acclaimed songwriter, a previous winner of the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at Merlefest, and has appeared on the Grand Ole Opry with her original music, in addition to touring extensively in Europe and Japan. She honed her songwriting skills playing music professionally in Europe with her group Shady Mix.

Wil Maring and virtuose guitarist and fiddler Robert Bowlin have been recently combining talents to create beautiful original acoustic music which straddles the fence between bluegrass, folk and country music. Wil’s beautiful airy vocal style and heartfelt lyrics have raised the eyebrows of the acoustic music world in recent years with the release of her three solo cds and four band cds with her band Shady Mix. Robert, a two-time National Fingerpicking and Flatpicking Guitar contest winner, has been a band member with legendary artists like Bill Monroe, Maura O Connell, Kathy Mattea, the Osborne Brothers, and many more. Their music will leave audiences spellbound long after the show is over. For bigger venues, Wil sometimes appears with whole band, Shady Mix, which includes instrumental lineup of upright bass, fiddle, mandolin, and sometimes banjo.

As Dave Higgs, respected host of Nashville Public Radio’s nationally syndicated bluegrass program describes the performance: “Absolutely, hands-down some of the most mesmerizing, exciting, interesting and enjoyable acoustic music I have ever heard. Wil’s songs are just in a league of their own, and the picking…. the interplay between (the musicians) is simply astonishing. Not clones — but an inspired group with a different message. I love it!”

WHAT FOLKS ARE SAYING:

“Wil Maring, one of the most underrated writers in bluegrass, returns with a new collection of songs about familiar topics like home, family, the road, and relationships. Her approach is refreshingly intimate and subtle, rendering the songs simultaneously contemporary and timeless, in a way that rewards repeated listening. The singing matches the grace of the songwriting, and her top notch regular band, with great guests like Rob Ickes and Stuart Duncan, couches everything in shimmering, spacious sound. Plus there’s a great cover of a Steve Winwood song – how’s that for contemporary bluegrass?”
– Bruce Bergathon “Acousticity” WGLT, Bloomington, IL

“This is the best stuff I’ve heard at TAXI since I can’t remember when. The songs are beautifully written and memorable, the lyrical imagery is vivid and intense, the level of musicianship is stunning. Oh, and did I forget to mention the singing?! Well, the singing is pretty damn great too. I believe every word. I am forever under the singer’s spell. Music of this caliber deserves to be celebrated. Superb. Can’t wait to hear more.”
– TAXI rep., the biggest independent A and R company

“With “The Calling” she has established herself as one of the genre’s premier songwriters. Her songs are always thoughtful, tastefully arranged, arrestingly executed, melodically interesting and pack a 20-megaton emotional wallop. And, as though that wasn’t enough to send everyone into perpetual euphoria, she has developed an original sound as well–propelled by her beautiful, one-of-a-kind voice that is lilting and gorgeous yet tempered with a tough-edginess that makes for a simply exquisite combination. I especially enjoyed the ominous “Black Snake of the Sky,” the inspiring “Keeper of the Farm,” the hauntingly poetic “Going Down,” the introspectful “Window Seat” and the killer cover of “Back in the Highlife Again.”
– Dave Higgs, syndicated Bluegrass Breakdown, WPLN Nashville, TN

“Wil Maring is a dynamic songwriter, guitarist and singer. She has created a homespun quality and sound while performing deep rooted bluegrass music mixed in with the sound of folk. There is clarity and brilliance in her masterpieces. She has a passion in her voice while performing songs dear to her heart such as “Keeper of the Farm”. The song is poetic in nature with a down-home feeling. The lyrics contain visions of the past that will take you down an old path leading to a family farm that is filled with history. It is a heartfelt song in its overall interpretation of its presence, and in a land of memory dear to her heart called family. Overall she brings forth great music that will last a lifetime.”
– Peggy Leyva-Conley, former Editor/Columnist, Delta Snake Blues Magazine San Jose, California

“When you are finished reading this review, please, please go to her website and have a listen to her voice. I can’t even begin to describe what it is about it that attracts me so. Is it the easy back-porch alto, the slight twang, the way it just sounds real? Maring’s lovely vocals are surrounded by her Shady Mix bandmates as well as acoustic luminaries such as Stuart Duncan and Rob Ickes. The soft bluegrass arrangements are perfect for the contemporary rural themes of the songs. ……Whether you focus on the heartfelt poetry of the lyrics or the gently intricate playing, Maring and company welcome you to a very genuine place in the country. Essential!”
– Michael Devlin, Music Matters Reviews

“Don’ get much better than this…. Nothing else to add except to urge you buy this excellent album.”
– Maverick Country Music Magazine, United Kingdom

“Congratulations, Wil, on another great record! Strong songwriting, excellent production, and stellar players – this one will be getting lots of spins!”
– Bud Johnson, host of syndicated Acoustic Accents, Tok, Alaska

“Wil…Got home from the post office awhile ago, laid down with headphones and listened to your tunes….whew!! I just finished taking it all in. So many different grooves and perfect backup to your lyrics and voice. This project is just plain right, that’s all I can say at the moment. You must be proud to be able to produce such an awesome album. Any of the writers we know should be so lucky as to come up with lyrics and melodies like yours! What a great trip your CD is…no kidding! ”
– Kevin Lynch, WWUH, West Hartford, CT

For more information about Wil, visit: https://www.myspace.com/wilmaring.

Tony Trischka – Banjo

Tony TrischkaTony Trischka is perhaps the most influential banjo player in the roots music world. For more than 35 years, his stylings have inspired a whole generation of bluegrass and acoustic musicians. He was not only considered among the very best pickers, he was also one of the instrument’s top teachers, and created numerous instructional books, teaching video tapes and cassettes.

A native of Syracuse, New York, Trischka’s interest in banjo was sparked by the Kingston Trio’s “Charlie and the MTA” in 1963. Two years later, he joined the Down City Ramblers, where he remained through 1971. That year, Trischka made his recording debut on 15 Bluegrass Instrumentals with the band Country Cooking; at the same time, he was also a member of Country Granola. In 1973, he began a two-year stint with Breakfast Special. Between 1974 and 1975, he recorded two solo albums, Bluegrass Light and Heartlands. After one more solo album in 1976, Banjoland, he went on to become musical leader for the Broadway show The Robber Bridegroom. Trischka toured with the show in 1978, the year he also played with the Monroe Doctrine.

Beginning in 1978, he also played with artists such as Peter Rowan, Richard Greene, and Stacy Phillips. In the early 1980s, he began recording with his new group Skyline, which recorded its first album in 1983. Subsequent albums included Robot Plane Flies over Arkansas (solo, 1983), Stranded in the Moonlight (with Skyline, 1984) and Hill Country (solo, 1985). In 1984, he performed in his first feature film, Foxfire. Three years later, he worked on the soundtrack for Driving Miss Daisy. Trischka produced the Belgian group Gold Rush’s No More Angels in 1988. The following year, Skyline recorded its final album, Fire of Grace. He also recorded the theme song for Books on the Air, a popular National Public Radio Show, and continued his affiliation with the network by appearing on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion, Mountain Stage, From Our Front Porch, and other radio shows. Trischka’s solo recordings include 1993’s World Turning, 1995’s Glory Shone Around: A Christmas Collection and 1999’s Bend. New Deal followed in 2003. The new studio album was a bluesy adaptation of bluegrass standards that featured, among other things, a vocal cameo by Loudon Wainwright.

Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular, featuring an appearance by comedian Steve Martin, Earl Scruggs and many other luminaries, came out four years later. For this recording he went back to Bluegrass and reinvigorated the double banjo tradition of that style along the way and brought along some fine companions. In October 2007, Tony was given an IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) award for Banjo Player of the Year 2007. Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular received IBMA awards for Recorded Event of the Year, Instrumental Album of the Year and a Grammy Nomination.

With his fearless musical curiosity as the guiding force, Tony Trischka’s latest critically acclaimed release, Territory roams widely through the banjo’s creative terrain. Nine selections partner Tony with fellow banjoists Pete Seeger, Mike Seeger, Bill Evans, Bill Keith, Bruce Molsky, and twelve all-Trischka solo tracks explore a panorama of tunings, banjo sounds, and traditions; tapping the creative potential of America’s signature musical instrument.

Throughout his upcoming tours, Tony will be presenting both his Solo works from Territory and will continue to present an “astonishing” (Boston Herald) group of musicians to perform his Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular.

Biographical info:
Courtesy Rounder Records
Courtesy Smithsonian Folkways
Courtesy Hi-Gain Management
Sandra Brennan – courtesy All Music Guide

“…the godfather of what’s sometimes called new acoustic music.”
– New York Times

“…most influential banjo player of the latter part of the 20th century, certainly in terms of his profound influence on succeeding generations of modern players.”
– Banjo Newsletter

“Urban bluegrass whiz.”
– Time Magazine

“Explosive banjo playing.”
– Boston Globe

“One of the most impressive banjoists alive.”
– Billboard

“Keep playing them new notes.”
– Bill Monroe

TONY TRISCHKA HAS PLAYED WITH:

The Boston Pops Orchestra
Barry Bostwick*
Sam Bush*
David Bromberg
William S. Burroughs*
Buddy Cage*
Larry Campbell*
Keith Carradine
Vassar Clements*
Ornette Coleman
John Denver*
Hazel Dickens*
Jerry Douglas*
Bill Evans (saxophonist with Miles Davis)*
Bela Fleck*
The Flecktones
John Goodman
Richard Greene*
Merv Griffin Orchestra
Nancy Griffith
David Grisman*
Thomas Hampson*
John Hartford
Levon Helm
Chris Hillman
Garth Hudson
Ferlin Huskey
David Johansen (aka Buster Poindexter)*
Jorma Kaukonen
Jeannie Kendall
Alison Krauss*
Malachy McCourt
Roger McGuinn
Steve Martin*
John Medeski
Natalie Merchant*
Edgar Meyer
Jane Monheit
Bill Monroe
National Radio Orchestra of Korea
Mark O’Connor*
Odetta
Charles Osgood*
Van Dyke Parks*
Tom Paxton
Robert Randolph
The Roche Sisters*
Peter Rowan*
Earl Scruggs*
Mike Seeger*
Pete Seeger*
Ricky Skaggs
Phoebe Snow
Bruce Springsteen
Ralph Stanley*
Tanya Tucker
Jay Ungar and Molly Mason*
Violent Femmes*
Loudon Wainwright*
Doc Watson
Waverly Consort*
The Whites*
Wichita Percussion Ensemble
Tom Wopat
*denotes recordings

Television Appearances

Live at the Quick, with Bela Fleck, 2004-2006
ABC “Views”, with Bela Fleck – Summer 1997
“ABC World News Tonight” with Peter Jennings – Summer1996
“CBS Sunday Morning” with Charles Osgood – feature story (including Bela Fleck), 1995
“Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?” (PBS), 1992
British Television Production of “Voice of America: History of the Banjo” , 1989
CBS “Hallmark Hall of Fame” production of “Foxfire” with Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn and John Denver, 1987
Ralph Emory’s “Frets” Awards Show, The Nashville Network, 1987
Nashville Network’s “Fire on the Mountain,” 1986, 1984
Merv Griffin Show, 1976

Performances

Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular Tour – Currently touring with guitarist/vocalist michael daves, fiddler brittany haas, bassist skip ward & double banjo seat filled by noam pikelny, gordon stone, and others.
Tony Trischka Band – Kennedy Center (2000), Seaside Jazz Festival (2002), plus tours throughout the United States, Canada, and Germany, 1997-present
Solo tours throughout the United States and Korea, Japan, Finland, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Italy, Croatia, 1986-present
World Turning – Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC) 1997, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Winterhawk Bluegrass Festival, Black Mountain Folk Festival, and countless concerts and club dates, 1993-2002
National Public Radio – “Next Big Thing”, 2005, “World Café”, 2004, 2001, “Morning Edition”, “Fresh Air”, Mountain Stage”, 2001, 1995 and 1994; The Connection (2001), “Prairie Home Companion”, 1996, 1982
With Skyline – appearances in 40 states, five tours throughout Europe; two tours of Japan, 1981-Present
Performances With Others

Duo performances with Bela Fleck – tours of U.S., and New Zealand, 1992-2006
With John Modeskey and Robert Randolph, 2001
Leftover Salmon, Flecktones, Vassar Clements, and Violent Femmes, 1999-2001
Old and in the Way reunion at Rocky Grass Festival (CO), 1997
Waverly Consort – 1998 Spring tour, NPR’s Performance Today, Summer 1996; Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC), 1995.
With Peter Rowan and Richard Greene – Telluride,CO, 1996, Japan and Hawaii, 1978
Guest soloist with National Radio Orchestra of Korea, in Seoul: “The Slavery Documents”, 1991
Guest soloist with Wichita Percussion Ensemble: “The Void Beneath the Coffee Table” a three movement banjo concerto composed by Paul Elwood for Tony Trischka, 1986
“Foxfire” with Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, and Keith Carradine, Los Angeles and Denver, 1985-1986
“The Robber Bridegroom” – Ford’s Theater, Washington, D.C., 1978; bus and truck tour, 1978; musical leader of Broadway production, 1976-1977
With David Bromberg and Ferlin Husky – Avery Fisher Hall, NYC, 1973

Instructional Materials

Mel Bay

Fiddle Tunes for Banjo, to be published in 2006
Alfred Publishing

Banjo for Beginners, 2001
Hal Leonard Publications

The Tony Trischka Collection, 1999
AcuTab Publications

Masters of the 5 String Banjo (with Peter Wernick) 2000 (re-pubublication)
Glory Shone Around, 1995
Books for Oak Publications

The Complete Banjo Player, to be published 2006/2007
Masters of the Five String Banjo (with Peter Wernick), 1987 (first publication)
Hot Licks for Bluegrass Banjo, 1983
Bill Keith, 1979
Teach Yourself Bluegrass Banjo, 1977
The Banjo Songbook, 1975
Melodic Banjo, 1973
Independently Published Books

Tablature for Hill Country
Tablature for Robot Plane Flies Over Arkansas
Homespun Tapes

BOOK

Bluegrass Repertoire, to be published 2006
Tablature to Solo Banjo Works, with Bela Fleck, 1998
VIDEO and DVD

Classic Bluegrass Banjo Solos, and Practicing Tips, 2002, 2003
Bluegrass Banjo: Tunes and Tips, 1990

AUDIO

Easy Banjo Solos, 1988
Hot Licks for Bluegrass Banjo, 1986
Advanced Banjo (with Bill Keith), 1979

Tom Nechville – Workshops with Tom Nechville

Tom NechvillePresents: A Banjo Revolution…
What’s new in Banjos?
The Dynamics of Great Sound

Phase One – Want a Revolution?
Nechville is leading the “Banjo Revolution” into new territory with his unique designs for acoustic and electric banjos. Tom will have several instruments on display for you to jam with and Tom will perform some music accompanied by local players. You’ll see inside the Nechville mechanism and learn what makes Helical-Mounting so special.

Phase Two – Conventional Banjo Setup
Go beyond standard banjo setup conventions and learn what really makes the banjo sound its best.

Tom will uncover secrets about traditional banjos and divulge solutions to common banjo problems.

Tom may invite one or more attendees to receive a free set-up during the class. He will cover the essentials of set up and explain how his designs simplify the process of setup and maintenance.

Phase Three – Banjo Dynamics
For serious players and builders who require ultimate performance from their banjo, Tom enters into the new territory of alternative materials for tone chamber construction. He also explains what he has learned about the effect of wood and alternate materials on banjo tone.

Tom Nechville has been in business since 1989, manufacturing professional banjos and related accessories. His patented Helimount frame, adjustable neck attachment, beveled armrest, and compensated Enterprise bridges are setting the professional standard for players worldwide. His book, The Dynamics of Banjo Sound is a definitive guide for banjo set up.

Nechville Musical Products is always innovating to meet the changing needs of modern musicians. Nechville’s refined acoustic and electric banjo designs have helped direct a new worldwide spotlight on the banjo.

Web Links Nechville Musical Products: www.nechville.com Banjo Revolution: www.banjorev.com Dynamics of Banjo Sound Workshop: www.nechville.com/workshop.html Products for Sale Exclusive inventory of Fine Banjos, Armrests, Straps, Pickups, Enterprise Bridges, Parts, and Dynamics of Banjo sound Book.

Contact- e-mail, tom@nechville.com Phone 952-888-9710 or Cell 612-275-6602

For more information about Tom, visit: https://Nechville.com

Terry Baucom – Bluegrass Banjo

Terry BaucomMost recently Terry toured and recorded with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver and can be heard on the band’s latest recording on Rounder Records, “More Behind The Picture Than The Wall”. His professional career started in 1970 with Charlie Moore. He was a founding member of Boone Creek with Ricky Skaggs and Jerry Douglas, as well as an original member of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver & IIIrd Tyme Out.

Terry is currently working on a solo CD with many surprises.

For more information about Terry visit:

https://www.myspace.com/kneedeepinbluegrass.

Steve Curry – Django Gypsy Style Guitar

Steve CurrySteve Curry plays almost 200 shows a year with the award winning Gypsy Jazz meets Western Swing band-” The Texas Gypsies”! www.texasgypsies.com… He started touring full time on the road at the age of 19 and a year later he ended up in Los Angeles and studied various guitar styles at the Musicians Institute. While living in LA, he toured or recorded with such diverse artists as The Jacksons, Boney James, Jeff Buckley. He also has played on many TV and Film tracks and has produced and or played on over 50 CD’s for local and national artists!

www.texasgypsies.com

Shawn Lane – Mandolin

Shwan LaneShawn Lane – One of the most affecting singers in the business, Shawn cut his musical teeth in the bands of Ricky Skaggs (who expressed a special regard for his tenor singing) and Doyle Lawson, before joining Blue Highway as a founding member.

A brilliant musician on mandolin, fiddle, and guitar, he is also a world-class songwriter. Shawn’s songwriting is strongly represented in the Blue Highway repertoire; four of the 12 songs on Blue Highway’s latest release, Through the Window of a Train, were penned by him, including the powerful “Sycamore Hollow”, deemed “a standout” by Billboard magazine, and “Where Did the Morning Go”, hailed by critics as an album highlight and described as “hypnotic” by the Smoky Mountain News. “Born With A Hammer in my Hand,” co-written with Tim Stafford, was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2000 IBMA Awards. (Click on the Lyrics links on the Music page for details of Lane’s contributions to the Blue Highway discography.) His compositions have also been recorded by Ricky Skaggs, Ronnie Bowman, Mountain Heart, Blue Ridge and others. Check out his great solo record, All for Today, released by Rebel in 2003. Shawn Lane ‘s signature instrument is the Dearstone Shawn Lane Model Mandolin.

For more information about Shawn, visit: BlueHighwayBand.com.

Randy Collier – Guitar and Jam Facilitator

Randy CollierBorn in Virginia and raised a Texan, Randy has played guitar for over 40 years. Music was in his family at an early age with a mix of Texas Swing, Bluegrass and popular acoustic performers. He played in the Dallas/Austin area with his own group, RedEye, in the ‘80’s and 90’s and played with The Greencards in ’02 and ’03 while they gained traction in Austin. He was president of the Central Texas Bluegrass Association from 1991-1994. Then, serving as president of The Old Settler’s Music Festival until 2006, he took it to one of the top five of its kind in America. He is a regular attendee/participant in the International Bluegrass Musicians Association’s annual conference serving on panels and workshops. Although known for some occasional hot leads, he is most notably known as a powerful rhythm player. He’s a real workshop pro, and has worked with some of the best musicians in the world in work shops and on stage.

Paul Glasse – Mandolin

Paul GlasseGrowing up in Poughkeepsie, NY, a young Paul Glasse was introduced to the unusual acoustic draw of the mandolin. Though as an adolescent he cut his teeth on Bluegrass, Old Timey, and New England Traditional Music, it was the Siren of Texas Swing that would lure him to Austin, Texas in 1977. Under the tutelage of the great electric mandolinist, Tiny Moore (Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys) Glasse immersed himself in the vocabulary and vibe of Texas Swing. Known for its quick-pulsed tempo and unusual blend of early Country and Western fused with the jazz harmony of late 30’s Benny Goodman/Charlie Christian swing, this indigenous art would be the unique and central core of his musical identity.
To the right, a youthful Paul Glasse, 1981 Buck White International Mandolin Championship winner(middle), pictured between 1982 winner Nashville recording artist Mark O’Connor (left) and 1980 winner Bobby Clark (right). A decade-long success championing mandolin contests in the late 80s would hone his technical picking prowess and morph his interest into the rapid-fire compendium of Bebop jazz. A fondness for a short, recognizable “head,” followed by blazing improvisation became the signature sound of Glasse, and his compositional skills. (Photo of Paul with his electric mandolin courtsey of JazzMando.com)

Permanently rooted in the promiscuously vibrant Austin musical scene, Glasse’ regular appearances at local performances have become of the many treasures of this town’s nightlife. Known internationally for its cadre of talented players and musical originality, Austin with it’s notably raw brilliance has all the musical attraction and potential of Nashville, sans the gloss. Though he has toured with such notables as Lyle Lovett, it’s the incubating environment of this musical homebase that defines the originality and sensibilities of his music.Paul furthered his traditional education through his coursework in the University of Texas, where he filled the Big Band guitar slot with his 5-string electric mandolin. Michael Stevens, former Senior Design Engineer of the Fender Custom Shop, introduced a special signature Paul Glasse Model Mandolin. He also owns the original darker sunburst prototype that Michael made in 1982. Barry Mitterhoff (Hot Tuna) borrowed this for some touring before his own “Paul Glasse Model” was completed. These mandolins are played by, Aubrey Haynie, Tom Rozum, and Don Stiernberg among others.

Two albums grace his discography, and lately, a compilation double CD re-release of these (with bonus tracks!) record this magnificent ground-breaking music for posterity and of course, serious aural study for the aspiring jazz mandolinist.

Kudos:

1st place 1981 Buck White International Mandolin Championship Kerville, Texas
Winner Professional Mandolinist division Shriner Central Texas Pick-off.
1st Place 1987East Texas Mandolin Championship
1st Place 1989 Walnut Valley (Winfield) Mandolin Championship
Multiple appearances on Austin City Limits including as a featured performer with his own group
Inductee Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame
Featured on an NPR All Things Considered profile/interview with Noah Adams
Awarded a six month apprenticeship with Johnny Gimble as part of Texas Folklife Resources “Master/Apprentice” program
Custom Builder Michael Stevens “Paul Glasse Model” electric mandolin
Endorsee, D’addairo Strings
National Association of Jazz Educators citation for “outstanding musicianship.
“Featured on voluminous projects with artists such as Tiny Moore, Johnny Gimble, Mark O’Connor, Jethro Burns, Mike Marshall, Tony Trishka, Jerry Douglas, Howard Levy, Peter Rowan, Lyle Lovett, Willie Nelson, Eldon Shamblin, Allison Krause, Kelly Willis, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shawn Colvin, Michelle Shocked, Laurie Lewis, Riders in the Sky, Asleep at the Wheel, and many others.

Paul’s bio courtsey of Ted Eschliman – JazzMando.com

Mike Compton – Mandolin

Mike ComptonJohn Hartford once said that Mike Compton knows more about Bill Monroe style mandolin than the Father of Bluegrass himself.

Mike was born in 1956 in Jimmie Rodger’s hometown of Meridian Mississippi. His great grandfather was a fiddler. Mike was exposed to old-time music at an early age and received his first mandolin at the age of 15. He moved to Nashville in 1977 and worked for the next three and a half years with North Carolina legendary banjoist, Hubert Davis and the Season Travelers. He recorded on three of the group’s records. In 1985 he was recruited by Pat Enright for the Nashville Bluegrass Band, and during Compton’s initial stint in the group, 1985-1988, he appeared on the four albums that first brought the band to prominence. After a year working in the Catskill Mountains, Mike returned to Nashville and began working for John Hartford, which he did up until John’s death in 2001. He was involved in Hartford’s last half dozen recordings.

In 1991 Mike began working with the incomparable David Grier, touring the US and Japan. The two recorded a duet album shortly thereafter which was nominated for Album of the Year by the IBMA in 1992.

In the fall of 2000, after a tour of the southwestern US with Grier, Mike was offered his mandolin slot with Nashville Bluegrass Band and he didn’t hesitate to rejoin. The Group has won two Grammy Awards, two Entertainer of the year honors from the International Bluegrass Music Association and four wins as IBMA’s Vocal Group of the Year. They have become the acoustic music group to watch in the new millennium.

The NBB was the first bluegrass group to perform in the People’s Republic of China and has also staged concerts in Egypt, Brazil, Crete, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Qatar, the Azores, Iraq and Israel, not to mention Denmark, Germany, France, Ireland, Switzerland, Turkey, Japan , Italy, Spain, and England. The group has performed with Lyle Lovett and Mary Chapin Carpenter and performed to a sold out crowd at Carnegie Hall, and backed artists as diverse as Bernadette Peters and Clint Black.

Spring of 2001 led the NBB into a concert series with the Nashville chamber Orchestra which led Mike on a new pursuit of music reading skills and basic music theory and writing.

Mike recently received Grammy Award acknowledgement for playing the mandolin on two award winning projects, “Oh Brother Where Art Thou?”,Album of the Year and Best Compilation Soundtrack Album, and “Down From the Mountain”, Best Traditional Folk Album, which included artists such as Dr. Ralph Stanley, Norman and Nancy Blake, Alison Kraus and Union Station, Gillian Welch/David Rawlings, Emmy Lou Harris, The Whites, The Cox Family, The Fairfield Four, Chris Thomas King, NBB, John Hartford, to name a few. He was also part of last year’s sold out “Down From the Mountain” tours which included the original soundtrack cast and Ricky Skaggs, Patty Loveless, the Del McCoury Band, and Rodney Crowell.

The Mississippi State Senate honored Mike in March of 2002 with State Resolution No. 45 commending his accomplishments. The Resolution was awarded on the Senate floor and shortly thereafter followed by renditions of Bill Monroe’s “Old Ebeneezer Scrooge” and “I’ll Fly Away”, which prompted the senators to sing along.

Mike was featured prominently on Dr. Ralph Stanley’s recent work produced by recording industry legend TBone Burnette. Mike recently participated in the soundtrack for the upcoming movie” Cold Mountain” also produced by Mr. Burnette.

Mike does numerous workshops and music camps throughout the year. He is currently working on material for the tenor guitar, studying country blues mandolin styles and taking fiddle lessons. He is a prolific composer and treasures his memories of a friendship with his mentor, Bill Monroe.

For more information about Mike, visit: https://MikeCompton.net

Kim Platko – Django Style Guitar

Kim PlatkoKim Platko – Former member of the Cafe Noir, Grammy nominated Gypsy Jazz group.

Joel Landsberg – Bass (Guitar and Upright)

Joel LandsbergOne can only imagine the number and variety of musical influences Broadway, classical, jazz, rhythm and blues that surrounded Joel as he was growing up in New York City. Like Uwe and Jens, Joel began his musical career early in life, and “picked up” the bass at the age of 12. Like many musicians, Joel began learning music with classical training on the piano. After several years of piano lessons he switched to the bass and decided to devote all of his attention to playing the instrument. Joel has devoted his full attention to the bass ever since he first discovered his love of the instrument.

Destined to find Uwe and Jens, in 1989 Joel moved to Switzerland and began a successful career as a bassist with various country/rock and jazz groups based throughout Europe. It was during this time that he met the Kruger Brothers and developed what would turn into a deeply rewarding musical alliance and friendship. In early 1995, Joel was initiated into the ‘Brotherhood’ and has been performing full time with the band ever since.

For more information about Uwe, visit: https://www.KrugerBrothers.com.

Joe Carr – Bluegrass Harmony Vocals

Joe CarrGuitar players may not recognize Joe Carr’s name at first, but his face is probably familiar. That’s because he appears in over 20 instructional guitar videos ranging from country to western swing, bluegrass and even heavy metal! Add to these his videos on mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and ukulele and Joe may be the most recorded video music instructor anywhere.

Joe is a self-taught musician originally from Denton, Texas who started guitar at age 13, inspired by the folk musicians of the 1960’s. A few years later, he was hired to play guitar in Alan Munde’s internationally known bluegrass group, Country Gazette. Over the next six years Joe recorded 3 group albums, numerous sideman projects and produced his own critically acclaimed solo guitar album, Otter Nonsense.

Joe left the Country Gazette in 1984 and joined the music faculty in the unique commercial music program at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. He continues to perform in duo with former Gazette leader and South Plains College colleague Alan Munde. “Alan and I have a great artistic communication that leads us into many new areas of music,” Joe says. In addition to two albums on the Flying Fish label, Joe and Alan have published an award-winning book about West Texas Country Music called Prairie Nights to Neon Lights from the Texas Tech University Press. Joe is also a regular columnist for Flatpicking Guitar magazine and writes for several other periodicals as well.

For more information about Joe, visit Joe’s MySpace Page.

Jens Kruger – Banjo

Jens KruegerAt age six, when Jens (Yens) heard the banjo on one of his dad’s American records, he yearned to play it. But having no access to one, Jens played their mother’s accordion, accompanying Uwe, who played their father’s guitar. When Jens turned ten he acquired a tenor banjo and started to play Dixieland jazz, hoping that one-day ‘Foggy Mountain Breakdown’ would somehow flow from the instrument. A year later, Jens and Uwe made their first public appearance, and two years later Uwe bought Jens his first five-string banjo.

At age 16, Jens and Uwe left home and traveled throughout Europe calling themselves the Rocky Road Band, attempting a living as street musicians. Their adventure paid off in the form of a record contract with CBS. In 1982, at the age of 20, Jens crossed the Atlantic, heading for the Bean Blossom Festival and Bill Monroe. Munroe introduced Jens to the Grand Ole Opry, as the first known European banjo player. After living with Bill for the summer and following his advice, Jens returned to Switzerland to develop his own musical style and repertoire. For four years, Jens spent days and nights learning tunes from all the records he could find.

In 1986, Jens and Uwe reunited to form the Appalachian Barn Orchestra, the forerunner of today’s Kruger Brothers. Since MerleFest 1997, the event that launched the Kruger Brothers’ career in America, Jens has performed with Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, John McEwen, Willie Nelson, and Ricky Skaggs, to name only a few. Like Uwe, Jens can play many stringed instruments with proficiency, and like the Kruger Brothers, Jens’ style and virtuosity cannot be characterized with a word or phrase. But those who have heard Jens play banjo know that he is truly a master of his art. As a composer, Jens’ comprehension of music in all of its forms is becoming well known among his peers, colleagues, and the Kruger Brothers’ growing audiences.

For more information about Jens, visit: https://KrugerBrothers.com

Jason Burleson – Banjo

Jason BurlesonThe original banjo player with Blue Highway, Jason is a native of Newland, North Carolina. A talented multi-instrumentalist, he brings all-around musicianship to the group, not the least of which is his distinctive, rock-solid banjo style. Writing for the Memphis Area Bluegrass Association, Betty Westmoreland observed about Jason and his habit of saying very little onstage: “His banjo does the talking, as is true of most superb performers. From Newland, NC, in Avery County, Burleson is part of that fine crop of North Carolina banjo players. There must be something about the air, or water, or the soil in that part of the country—so many fine banjo players seem to come out of those hills.”

Jason’s instrumental compositions form an integral part of the Blue Highway repertoire, including “The North Cove” ( Through the Window of a Train), hailed by one critic as “a burning instrumental with a sinuous melody” that offers “more to chew on than just the whiz-bang pyrotechnics of many modern bluegrass instrumentals” (Smoky Mountain News). Jason also anchors the group’s quartets with his bass vocals. A jazz devotee, Jason’s talent hasn’t been fully revealed yet to the bluegrass community and gives Blue Highway unlimited options for the future.

Eddie Collins – Bluegrass Banjo

Eddie CollinsEddie Collins is recognized as one of today’s foremost instructors of the 5-string banjo, having authored numerous books designed to help all levels of players from beginner to advanced. He was the founder/editor of the highly regarded 5-String Quarterly, a trade publication dedicated to all aspects of the 5-string banjo. Eddie currently authors the “Beginner’s Corner” column for Banjo NewsLetter. As a features writer for numerous acoustic music publications, he has interviewed many of today’s top banjo players – gaining key insights into their playing styles.

Collins resides in Austin, TX, where he teaches music and performs with some of the finest musicians in Texas. He has numerous recording credits, including his latest all-instrumental solo project, Rapid Transit (2008). Eddie holds a Master’s degree in education and formerly taught teacher education courses at California Lutheran University. Also an accomplished guitar and mandolin player/instructor, he has performed and conducted workshops throughout the United States and Europe. Eddie’s career and original music have been documented in several publications and were highlighted on the nationally-syndicated television show, Texas Music Café.

For more information about Eddie, visit: http//EddieCollins.biz