Birthing a band....

A yearning for some seldom seen snow back home and a free place to stay has brought me out to Boulder, CO for a week with Miss Em who's lived in this tantalizing town at the feet of the Flatirons for six months now. It's a place focused on the outdoor experiences that only dramatic mountain scenery can inspire, and then the cultural and culinary offerings to savor the rest of the time...think Laudisio Ristorante last night for elegant Italian fare and an upcoming late night at Boulder Draft House to catch the highly-recommended Unknown Americans featuring local legend Danny Shafer.


Yesterday afternoon afforded the chance to hang with great new band in rehearsal for an upcoming gig at the Argyle Bluegrass Festival in Fort Worth next weekend. Thanks to their well-seasoned banjo player Pete Wernick, I headed over to fiddler Justin Hoffenberg's place after lunch to meet the rest of this talented bunch comprised of three young players in their twenties being grounded and inspired by two veterans including Dr. Banjo himself and former NBB bassman Gene Libbea. Justin is an accomplished violinist with great taste and tone who's about to join fellow prodigy Alex Hargreaves in Cremona, Italy for a prestigious festival that also lists Itzhak Perlman on its roster in late April. But meantime, it's bluegrass with his peers Martin Gilmore, a long tall lead singer/songwriter and last year's Rocky Grass
mandolin champ Jordan Ramsey, who has mastered the Jesse McReynolds brand of cross picking. It had been so long since I'd seen Gene or heard him play, I'd forgotten what a monster of timing and energy his is on the upright bass. You couldn't ask for a stronger rhythm anchor and the guys are blessed to have him...he brings a mean tenor line as well. It was a real treat hearing them hammer out arrangements for a wide ranging repertoire...standards like Jim & Jesse's "Sweet Little Miss Blue Eyes," successful stretches like Tom Waits' "Two Nineteen," and a Gilmore original, "Hard Times and Lonesome Memories." All these and more portend hot prospects for Long Road Home, a potent mix of fresh and well-leavened (thanks to a dash of Hot Rize). Keep an eye out for them at a festival near you this spring and summer. And pick up a copy of Steve Martin's new banjo album The Crow...lots of tasty stuff and guest artists...Pete Wernick's all over it. Thanks again Pete.

Back home, don't miss the Bill Lohmann/Bob Brown piece on our JAMincIYE concert series in this Sunday's T-D Flair section and don't forget to reserve your seats (at JAMinc.org) for Friday's Tony Furtado concert which is well on its way to sold out.

All aboard the Ski Train!

TT