Drew Emmitt: Drew Emmitt, the dynamic lead singer and mandolin player with the popular jamband Leftover Salmon, is a true renaissance man on musical instruments. Playing mandolin, acoustic and electric guitar, he's a string man to be reckoned with. He excels in unique energy driven mandolin licks and his influences include a pantheon of musical heroes including Lowell George, Steve Morse, Duane Allman, John Cowan, Bill Monroe, Sam Bush, Hot Rize and New Grass Revival.
"I started playing when I lived in Nashville, TN where everybody played music. Then we moved to Boulder and there were a lot of really influential musicians floating in and out. I started going out to see bands like Hot Rize and really getting into bluegrass."
In 1984, Drew Emmitt founded the progressive bluegrass ensemble, The Left Hand String Band. Six years later, Vince Herman's serendipitous scramble for musicians to fill in a gig with his band, SalmonHeads, yeilded a glorious amalgam: Leftover Salmon. Jambands.com said "Emmitt's mandolin prowess and songwriting gifts are two particular sources of the group's success." Emmitt is an extremely gifted musician and songwriter and one can't help but being swept away by his incredibly pure voice. On his debut solo release, Freedom Ride, Emmitt reveals once again his amazing picking abilities and songwriting talents. He recruited some of the hottest acoustic musicians around to join him; John Cowan and the John Cowan Band (Jeff Autrey, Luke Bulla, Scott Vestal, Pasi Leppikangas), Peter Rowan, Sam Bush, Ronnie McCoury, Vassar Clements, Stuart Duncan, Randy Scruggs, Vince Hermann & Greg Garrison from Leftover Salmon and more. The result is the most exciting newgrass album to come down the pike since the original New Grass Revival.
On Freedom Ride, Emmitt showcases a disc full of newgrass and bluegrass gems like Paving Eisenhower which features a dazzling mandolin duet with Ronnie McCoury and Sam Bush on fiddle. Freedom Ride, the albums lead track, features a hot duet vocal with former New Grass Revival lead singer John Cowan, a long time hero of Emmitt's.
Emmit is joined by bluegrass mainstay Peter Rowan on the Rowan penned Rainmaker with infectious melodies, great singing and masterful playing. The project delivers light-hearted foot-tappers such as the Cajun flavored Emmitt original Bend in the River, and a bluegrassy cover of the Dylan favorite Tangled Up in Blue. Emmitt has composed innumerable tunes, many of which have worked their way into the wild and diverse Leftover Salmon repertoire. His pure voice and heartfelt lyrics have become a signature of the band. He has also pioneered techniques for taking the mandolin into new territory by using combinations of overdrive, slides and foot pedals to emulate the sound of steel drums and electric slide guitar.
Emmitt's dedication and love for music have helped him become one of our nation's top mandolin players. Beyond his own success, Emmitt has remained a fan as well. On joining his biggest influences on stage he said, "It's amazing. It's like walking in a dream. For years I had this dream of standing on stage next to them and having a good time. And it's happened. Standing on stage next to Sam (Bush) is pretty indescribable. And David (Grisman) as well. When Neil Young walked on stage, that was outrageous. I turned around, and there he was standing 6 inches away from me. I looked right at his eyes. Then having him actually sing on a song that I wrote? Pretty amazing."
The Boulder based quintet of Leftover Salmon has been a force in the Colorado music scene for over a decade. With Freedom Ride, Drew Emmitt is becoming a force to be reckoned with himself.Drew Emmitt is proud to play D’Addario Strings
Tyler Grant:Tyler Grant is a young guitarist with high aspirations. A versatile musician, Tyler is an active and experienced performer and teacher of musical styles including classical, bluegrass, rock and roll, country, jazz, reggae, traditional Bulgarian, Macedonian, and American folk.Tyler became interested in guitar during his freshman year of high school. He quickly became proficient in classic rock and blues styles, and would spend a decade playing and singing professionally around his hometown of San Diego, CA. He started teaching guitar lessons at the age of nineteen.After graduating CalArts School of Music in 2000, Tyler spent a few more years playing and teaching in Southern California before moving to Nashville in 2003. He was an original member of Adrienne Young and Little Sadie. He played guitar and sang on Adrienne's album, Plow to the End of the Row, and spent over a year on the road, performing all over the US and Europe. In November 2004 he toured China with Abigail Washburn.Tyler won first place in the Colorado State Flatpicking Championship at Rockygrass in 2003 and the Wayne Henderson Guitar Contest in 2005. In 2005 he was runner up in the National Flatpicking Championship in Winfield, Kansas. He placed first in the mandolin contest at Uncle Dave Macon Days in 2005. During the summer and fall of 2005 Tyler toured with Rounder Records recording artist April Verch as well as the Two Stringers, a bluegrass band. He can also be seen at festivals and around Nashville with TAVERN GRASS, a hardcore bluegrass band, and playing banjo with Bawn in the Mash. Tyler's first solo CD, "In the Light," was released in June 2006 on FGM records. He was subsequently featured on the cover of the July/August issue of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine.Tyler has been playing guitar and singing harmony with the Drew Emmitt Band since 2005, and plays bass with the Emmitt/Nershi Band.
Steven Sandifer:Born and raised in Charleston SC, Steven attended the Jazz program at the College of Charleton. He then moved to Nashville in 2002 with his band The Biscuit Boys. Since then he has played with The Biscuit Boys, Daybreak, Adrienne Young and Little Sadie, The Ranchhands, and the Spoken Jazz Workshop.Eric Thorin:A native Coloradoan, Eric got his start on piano and trombone at an early age from the prodding of his musical parents and later studied bass at the of Northern Colorado. He played in salsa bands such as Kizumba and Conjunto Colores, toured extensively with rock act The Thugs, made up a third of the Flamenco/Indian ensemble Curandero, and toured with the Tony Furtado Band for four years. He was a member of steel band Pan Jumbies and continues to appear in various Jazz settings throughout the year. Eric also teaches bass at the Yellowstone Jazz Festival.He currently lives in Lyons, Colo., and continues to perform with a variety of musicians including Hamster Theater, Jefferson Hamer, Theano and Chuck Lamb, Matt Flinner, Drew Emmitt, K.C. Groves, Manuel Molina's Combo Caliente, Mark Sloniker and Art Lande. In 2004 Eric produced a collection of songs for Japanese elementary school children who are learning English. CONTACT: Booking:
Blue Mountain Artists
www.bluemountainartists.com
phone: 704-525-1559Management & Emmitt Nershi Band Booking:
Madison House Inc -
www.madisonhouseinc.com
phone: 212.777.0922Radio/Label/Publicity:
Compass Records
www.compassrecords.com
phone: 615-320-7672
[email protected]
[email protected]Tour Publicity:
Bridget Pleines
Groove On Music
[email protected]
