John Moore and Friends 2022

John Moore and Friends

In addition to having been the mandolinist, guitarist and vocalist for the internationally acclaimed band Bluegrass Etc, John Moore was also the mandolinist with the award-winning band California, the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Instrumental Band of the Year, three years in a row.

John’s musical performances have led him throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and Japan, as well as into the studio doing radio and television commercials, along with movie soundtracks and sessions for other artists.

He has appeared in productions by, and done musical soundtracks for, HBO, Paramount Pictures, Touchstone Pictures and A&E Television Network. He most recently appeared in the HBO Series Deadwood, and has appeared on the cover of Bluegrass Now, Bluegrass Unlimited and Flatpick Guitar magazines.

He is also a sought-after teacher, having taught some of today’s hottest young musicians. John has taught, and continues to teach, at numerous music camps, including Wintergrass Academy (WA), Steve Kaufman’s Guitar Camp (TN), Bluegrass On The Beach (OR), Sore Fingers Music Camp (England), Rockygrass Academy (CO), Northern Bluegrass Circle Music Camp (AB, Canada), Levelland College (TX) and Northern Minn. Bluegrass Camp (MN), among many others.

John has put together an amazing group featuring John Cowan, Newgrass Revival Alum, Ron Block from Alison Krauss and Union Station, Brad Davis “The Shredder” who has toured with everyone from Earl Scruggs to Sam Bush, and Sara Watkins from Nickle Creek and I’m With Her.

John Moore – mandolin, guitar, vocals; John Cowan – bass, vocals; Ron Block – banjo, vocals; Brad Davis – guitar; Sara Watkins – violin, vocals

http://www.johnmoore4horses.com/

https://www.johncowan.com/

https://ronblock.com/

https://www.braddavismusic.com/

http://www.sarawatkins.com/

Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road

Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road

Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road have combined masterful musicianship and a creative sound to entertain audiences in 40 states and 13 countries while scoring multiple hits, industry accolades and collaborations with other legendary artists.

Since their beginnings in 1998, the band has achieved three No. 1 songs on the Bluegrass chart with “A Light in the Window,” “That’s Kentucky” and “True Grass.” “True Grass” also climbed to No. 1 on the Roots Music chart and topped the Bluegrass Unlimited National Bluegrass Survey for an astounding 16 consecutive months.

When the band isn’t touring, they host several events weekly at Lorraine’s Coffee House & Music in Garner, N.C. Down the road in Raleigh, Lorraine and the band are a crowd favorite at the city’s annual Wide Open Bluegrass Festival. The group also produces and performs at Christmas in the Smokies in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., the Willow Oak Music Festival in Roxboro, N.C., and the North Carolina Banjo Fest in Clemmons.

The band is working on two musical projects due out in 2020. “Patriotic Grass” features songs “devoted to what’s great about America and honoring our military,” says Lorraine, adding that additional noteworthy bands perform on the disc. A second project pairs Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road with multi-Grammy nominee Michael Martin Murphey (“Carolina in the Pines”).

Lorraine Jordan – mandolin, guitar, vocals; Ben Greene – banjo, vocals; Randy Graham – guitar, bass, vocals; Matt Hooper – fiddle; Allen Dyer – guitar, vocals

https://carolinaroadband.com/

https://www.facebook.com/carolinaroadband

Volume Five

Volume Five

Volume Five, the Mississippi-based group that started as a casual jam band in 2008, has grown into one of bluegrass music’s most popular and unique acts. The soulful lead vocals by fiddler Glen Harrell and the band’s tight instrumentals and vocal harmony have earned the group two IBMA Awards, numerous nominations, and many accolades.

Glen Harrell founded Volume Five early in 2008, and the band has now grown into one of bluegrass music’s most unique new acts. “When I put this group together, I knew the style of music I wanted us to play and the goals we wanted to achieve. It was just a matter of finding the right guys who wanted to create their own identity in the industry. I didn’t just want us to be another band that moves onto the scene and is gone in a few years, but one that would have a unique sound that players and listeners would remember for many years to come – one that sounded like no other band in the business,” said Glen.

In 2010, the band signed with Mountain Fever Records. The label released Down In A Cell, followed by the 2011 release of Children of the Mountain and Run in 2013. In 2014, the label released Volume Five’s well-crafted southern gospel-tinged bluegrass album, The Day We Learned To Fly. The album earned Volume Five two International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Nominations that year. They received nominations for the IBMA Emerging Artist of the Year, and another for the IBMA Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year for The Day We Learn To Fly (album), Stacy Richardson and Leroy Drumm (writers), Volume Five (producers).

Continuing with that success, in 2015, Mountain Fever Records released the band’s fifth album on the label titled Voices. Due to their live performance popularity and album success, they received two separate industry award nominations. Volume Five received a Nomination for the 2015 IBMA Emerging Artist of the Year Award. They also garnered a Nomination from the Gospel Music Association (GMA) Dove Awards for Bluegrass Song of the Year for the song, “Daddy Was An Old Time Preacher Man.” The successful tune featured guest vocals by Rhonda Vincent on the Dolly Parton cover song.

In 2016, Volume Five’s album, Drifter, made its debut on the Billboard™’ Top 10 Bluegrass Album Chart. This highly successful project, and one of their most-streamed albums to date, rightfully earned the group two IBMA Awards in 2017. They won the Emerging Artist of the Year Award and the prestigious the Song of the Year Award for “I Am A Drifter,” written by Donna Ulisse and Marc Rossi.

In 2018, Volume Five celebrated its 10th anniversary with yet another Billboard™ Top 10 Bluegrass Chart album – Milestones. They followed up with the 2019 release of For Those Who Care To Listen, which includes two #1 hit radio singles (“The Army Vet Song” and “The 15th of October”) on the Bluegrass Today Top 20 Song Chart. In addition, a highly viewed video for “The 15th of October” was released. The video was filmed during one of their recording sessions at one of bluegrass music’s favorite venues – Everett’s Music Barn in Suwanee, Georgia.

Of course, 2020 and 2021 brought many challenges to all of us. Early 2021 just after Volume Five finished recording, beloved banjoist Patton Wages suffered a stroke. Patton continues to improve, so please keep him in your prayers. Late fall 2021, Mountain Fever Records released the first single, “When Karma Comes Calling,” from that recording session. The song quickly debuted at #1 on the Bluegrass Today Top 20 Weekly Song Chart and reached the top spot two other times.

Volume Five’s touring schedule has afforded them the benefit of playing with numerous artists over the years, some of whom have become fans, such as Buddy Melton of Balsam Range, who says, “What defines a great band? Superior musicianship, impeccable singing, moving song selections. Volume Five has all the above and more. Extremely talented, yet humble, and genuinely real people. Volume Five has a magical quality about them that will undoubtedly make a lasting impression in the world of acoustic music.”

Glen Harrell – fiddle, vocals; Jacob Burleson – guitar, vocals; Aaron Ramsey – mandolin; Zach Collier – bass; and Chris Wade – banjo

https://volumefivebg.com/home

https://www.facebook.com/VolumeFive/

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Virtual Strangers Bluegrass Band

Virtual Strangers

The Virtual Strangers, 2007 Arizona Bluegrass Band contest winners, bring a great mixture of traditional and progressive songs. Their sound is a mixture of the traditional with Stanley, Monroe, and Flatt & Scruggs material along with more progressive material from Blue Highway, Lonesome River Band and Del McCoury. They have shared the stage with Rhonda Vincent, Bluegrass Etc., California, the Dillards, Lonesome River Band, Nashville Bluegrass Band, and others. Virtual Strangers perform in numerous events & festivals in San Diego and throughout California, Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado, among others. In addition, Virtual Strangers lead the annual Cruise2Jam Carnival Line Catalina/Ensenada Cruise each February where they teach passengers about jamming etiquette and hold onboard jam sessions.

Virtual Strangers also has an alter ego – the Tatar Patch Bluegrass Buddies. Several times each year, the Strangers morph into this kid-friendly persona and go into classrooms to educate school-age children about bluegrass music and how to start playing it. They have performed in schools and kids camps at many festivals.

Mike Tatar Sr., on banjo, holds down the lead vocals. He’s played with In Cahoots, Snowy River, Full Deck, LeRoy McNees, and was made an honorary Piney Creek Weasel by the late Rick Abrams.

Dan Sankey plays mandolin and sings harmony/lead vocals. Dan is a fixture on the San Diego bluegrass scene – an accomplished musician on the fiddle, mandolin, banjo and guitar.

Kit Birkett

Kit Birkett plays guitar and sings lead vocals. His credits include the Scottsville Squirrel Barkers and Down the Road, 2001 Southwest Bluegrass Play-off Winners.

Yvonne Tatar plays the acoustic bass and sings harmony. She is a proud fourth generation string player and has accompanied many old time-fiddlers. She’s played with In Cahoots, Full Deck, LeRoy McNees, and sitting in with many other bands.

Jim Blakemore plays guitar and also sings lead vocals. Jim has played with nearly every bluegrass musician and band in San Diego and has hosted open jams at his home.

http://www.virtualstrangersbluegrass.com/

https://www.facebook.com/virtualstrangersbluegrass/

Mike Tatar Sr. – banjo, vocals; Dan Sankey – mandolin, vocals; Yvonne Tatar – bass, vocals; Jim Blakemore – guitar, vocals; Kit Birkett – guitar, vocals

Phil Salazar & The Kin Folk

Phil Salazar & The Kin Folk

Phil has been a performer since the day he was born in Ventura, California, when he crawled around the stage of his father’s symphony. He has been playing the violin since he was 5 years old. At the age of 14, he heard and began to play blues and rock fiddle, rebelling against his classical roots.

In his late teens, he began playing a number of genres and has since played with some of the best from each one: rock (Bob Weir, Kenny Loggins, Jimmy Buffett), blues (Nick Gravenites, Pete Sears, Steve Miller), bluegrass (John McEuen, Nick Forster, Peter Wernick), country (Kix Brooks, Zac Brown), folk (Kate Wolf, Jay Ungar), Cajun (Mark Savoy, Steve Riley), Irish (Kevin Burke), and jazz (Bruce Forman, Shelly Burg).

In 1984, Phil started The Phil Salazar Band. Over the last 35 years, the band has become like family and is now called Phil Salazar and the Kin Folk. They have recorded 7 albums, two for the legendary Flying Fish Records, and currently have two on the way, “All That! For This?” and “Acoustic Jam.” Due to their incredible acoustic diversity, they have become fan favorites at concerts and festivals up and down the West Coast, such as Live Oak Music Festival, Strawberry Music Festival, Huck Finn Jubilee, Wintergrass, Kate Wolf Music Festival, California Bluegrass Association Festival, Parkfield Bluegrass Festival, and more.

Bill Flores guitarist/dobroist/accordionist is a musician extraordinaire, he has tours with Jeff Bridges’ band, The Abiders, for many years. He’s highly in demand for recording and stage work.

Elizabeth Rizor student of Phil’s who is pursuing her doctorate by day and playing with the Kin Folk by night. She triples the IQ of the band when she walks on stage. Like Phil, she’s a classical violinist gone bad who is learning how to play like a true fiddler.

Tom Corbett mandolinist/guitarist/vocalist and the funniest guy on stage. 2011 Kerrville New Folk Songwriter Finalist and a 2012 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Troubadour who has toured with John McEuen and Robin and Linda Williams.

Bill Knopf banjoist/guitarist/vocalist is Internationally known banjo player, he has played with almost everybody and has taught the rest. He was a nationally featured player with Doc Severinsen’s touring Las Vegas show.

Rick Borella is an amazing bassist is an amazing bass player who has never played a note that Phil didn’t like! He’s a top player in Santa Barbara County and has been playing with Phil since 1984.

 

Phil Salazar – fiddle, vocals; Tom Corbett – mandolin, guitar, vocals; Bill Knopf – banjo, guitar, vocals; Bill Flores – guitar, dobro, accordion; Elizabeth Rizor – fiddle; Rick Borella – bass

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