Tom Dudley (Guitar,
Mandolin, Vocals)
Tom has played and composed music since he was a teenager. He studied
classical guitar, piano and music theory at the Neighborhood Music
School in New Haven, CT, and jazz performance and arranging at Berklee
College in Boston, MA.
From 1982 until 1995, Tom worked behind the scenes as an electronic
technician. His electronics career culminated in his moving to Asheville
in 1995 to work for synthesizer pioneer Bob
Moog.
Since 2001 Tom has played with County
Farm, a bluegrass
band based in Asheville. He left Moog Music in 2002 to pursue a full-time
career in music. Tom found a supportive community of musicians in
Asheville, and decided to produce an album of his original songs
featuring some of his favorite pickers and singers.
Tom sings lead on
"She Loves Me", "Mail Train", and "Beetle in a Bottle".
Visit County Farm at www.countyfarm.net |
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Nicky Sanders (Fiddle)
Nicky began classical violin lessons at age five. Born in Vermont
and raised in California, he studied classical music at the San
Francisco Conservatory of Music. In Berkeley, CA, Nicky served
as concertmaster of the Young
People's Symphony Orchestra. Later, he led the String Orchestra
at Berklee College of
Music in Boston, from which he earned a BA in Violin Performance.
In 1999, he toured the eastern United States with Boston-based ‘klezmerdelic’ jam
band, Hypnotic
Clambake. Nicky first learned to pick Bluegrass while
in Massachusetts, playing with The Bagboys, Southern Rail, 2nd Wind,
and others. Since July 2004, Nicky has played fiddle for Steep
Canyon Rangers. The Rangers
were voted 2006 IBMA Emerging Artist of the Year.
Nicky plays all the fiddle tracks on "Walkin' to the Bridge".
Visit Steep Canyon Rangers at www.steepcanyon.com |
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Ryan Cavanaugh (Banjo)
Ryan grew up playing traditional bluegrass banjo under the watchful eyes
of caring mentors and some of the best musicians in North Carolina.
In his teen years, Ryan's interest in jazz was heightened as he learned
the music of Bela Fleck. Ryan delved into the music of Jaco
Pastorius, Herbie Hancock, and John McLaughlin among others. In his
college years, Ryan formed electric bands Spacestation Integration
and the Ryan Cavanaugh Trio. The groups toured for several years releasing
Spacestation Integration's "Back From Earth" and "Live
From Nowhere." Competing against the best pickers
in the country, Ryan won the championships at Merlefest, RockyGrass,
and Renofest. Recently discovered by John McLaughlin (Miles Davis; Mahavishnu Orchestra),
Ryan's cutting edge banjo is now put to use with the Bill
Evans Soulgrass band.
Ryan is featured on "Somebody Else's Rag", "Mail Train" and "Beetle
in a Bottle".
Visit Ryan's website at www.ryancavanaugh.com |
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Robert Greer (Vocals)
Robert grew up in Georgia, North Carolina and Norfolk,
Virginia. He attended Virginia Wesleyan College and graduated from Wofford
College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government. Robert is the lead
vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter for the Asheville-based bluegrass band
Town Mountain. Robert was voted 2003 Western North Carolina Vocalist of
the Year. In 2005, Town Mountain took home the prestigious top prize in
the band competition at the 33rd annual RockyGrass Festival in Lyons, Colorado.
Robert sings lead on "Etch A Sketch® of
Love" and "Don't Mourn for
Me".
Visit Town Mountain at www.townmountain.net |
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Cary Fridley (Vocal
on "Nightbird")
From Covington, VA, Cary has been involved with music all her life,
as a player and a teacher. Cary's former band, the Freight Hoppers,
won the "Talent From Towns
Under 2000" competition on NPR's "A Prairie
Home Companion" in 1996. They
went on to record "Where'd You Come From, Where'd You Go?", and "Waiting
on the Gravy Train' for Rounder
Records. Cary released her first solo
CD, "Neighbor Girl", in 2000, and followed it up with "Down South"
in Septemebr 2007. Cary is a first-rate bass player and has sat in
with County Farm on numerous occasions. Cary performs solo and plays
in several bands including 7 Mile Ford, the Cary Fridley Country
Band, the Lowdown Travelers, and the One
Leg Up jazz band.
Cary is featured unaccompanied on "Nightbird".
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Daniel Coolik (Mandolin)
Daniel has played with Cary Fridley in the One
Leg Up jazz band since
2003. A Django Reinhardt style gypsy jazz band, One Leg Up has released
two CDs — Gypsy Blue in 2004, and Pere Lachaise in 2006.
Daniel studied mandolin with Mike
Compton of the Nashville
Bluegrass Band as well as the eclectic clarinetist/mandolinist
bluegrass/avant garde/klezmer musician Andy Statman in New York City.
Daniel's proficiency as a performer and musician runs from bluegrass, through swing,
the avant-garde, and Eastern European Balkan-styles.
Daniel is featured on "Bull Mountain" and "She Loves Me".
Visit One Leg Up at www.onelegupjazz.com |
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Jay Mullenax (Mandolin)
Originally from Franklin, WV, Jay moved to Asheville in 1999. Jay, along
with Tom Dudley, Paul Leech, and Jeff Schnuck (no longer with the
band), formed County Farm in 2001. Jay
sings most of the leads for County
Farm and plays mandolin, tenor
banjo, and occasionally, guitar.
County Farm was voted Best Band in Western North Carolina by readers
of the Asheville Citizen-times in May of 2004. They released
their first studio CD "Work Release" in August 2004.
Jay plays mandolin on "Etch A Sketch® of
Love" and "Don't Mourn for
Me".
Visit County Farm at www.countyfarm.net |
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Paul Leech (Bass,
Whistle)
In the 1990's, Jay and Paul played together in the West Virginia
band Grass Combustion. Paul has played with County
Farm since 2001, and has played with many other artists including
Woody Wood, David Vai, Adam Tanner, and Lowcountry Boil.
In addition to bass, Paul plays mandolin, guitar, fiddle, flutes and whistles,
and is equally at home on stage , in the studio, or teaching.
Paul plays all the bass tracks on "Walkin' to the Bridge", and is featured
playing whistle on "Shining Rock".
Visit County Farm at www.countyfarm.net |
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Lance Mills (
Vocals)
Born in Indiana, Lance started singing in front of people at age
17, and got a guitar the following year.
He played in rock and blues
cover bands until moving to Western NC in 1994. In North Carolina,
Lance got excited about bluegrass, and together with Ty Gilpin, Jones
Smith, and Will Chatham formed the Second String bluegrass band. Lance
played with Second String for four years. He then fronted Blue Monday,
and currently performs as Lance Mills and the Cavemen.
Lance sings backing vocals on "Etch A Sketch® of
Love", "Mail Train",
and "Don't Mourn for Me".. |
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