About Me
County Line was formed from a last minute, thrown together gig back in 2006. Bassist, vocalist and song writer Sam West had a weekly Tuesday night gig at Tres Hombres in Carbondale, Illinois. One week he decided to have a showcase of local musicians in celebration of Matt Longvilles birthday. Matt by the way is head bar tender and music organizer of the local favorite watering hole. Among the musicians that played that evening were John Beck and Tim Whiteford. At the end of the night the three got up and did a mostly unrehearsed set of acoustic tunes, including bluegrass standards, Grateful Dead songs, origanals and other covers. The guys had a blast playing and the audience loved the acoustic trio; hence County Line was born!
All three members of County Line have extensive musical resumes. Sam West fronts the self titled "Sam West Trio", a funky jazz fusion band. Before that, he fronted "Community Service", which was Carbondale's premiere funk band. In addition, he plays countless solo gigs, showcasing his singer/songwriter abilities.
John Beck formally fronted "Coal Train", a high energy three piece bluegrass band. He was also a member of "The Soothsayers Jug Band", a traditional and extremely entertaining jug band. Beck's abilities as a mandolin and fiddle player, constantly land him in bluegrass jams and pickin' circles all over the country.
Tim Whiteford was formally the front man for "The Rum Runners", a ska/reggae band that played all over the midwest and released three full length albums between 2002 & 2007. Along with Beck, Whiteford also played with "The Soothsayers Jug Band". He is currently in two other bands, rockin' blues group "Barnacle Billy & the Zebra Mussels" and "Bosco & Whiteford and the New Stampede", an original yet traditional sounding country outfit, who has recently been featured on the CMT show "Can You Duet." West and Beck also play with "Bosco & Whiteford", which features Kristen Bosco on vocals and rhythm guitar.
Between West, Beck and Whiteford, County Line has more than enough experience, but what do they sound like? The band blends thier numerous different styles to produce a rootsy, americana sound that more times than not, stems from an uptempo bluegrass rhythm. They also aren't shy about using their triple threat of lead vocalists. With all three guys assuming the role of lead singer as well as merging all of thier voices to create powerful yet sweet harmonies. Whether performing a catchy off the wall original, a bluegrass standard, or their own twist on a number of covers from Lionel Ritchie to Operation Ivy and everything in between, County Line will leave you wanting more!
Guitar MySpace Layouts - Acoustic Guitar MySpace Layouts
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