Singer-Songwriter, Composer, and award winning Multi-instrumentalist Bruce Graybill, is based in the Kansas City area. He is an endorsing artist for Weber fine acoustic Instruments made by Sound to Earth Ltd., Aphex Systems and Jim Dunlop Accessories. He presently performs as a Solo Artist, in Mandolin and Guitar Duo with Classical / Jazz Guitarist Ray Bell and has recently formed a new Kansas City band, 'Hot Club of Possum Trot.'
Bruce is a Two-time 1st Place winner (1998/2004) of the prestigious “Walnut Valley Mandolin Championship†at The National Flatpicking Championships, a Four-time Kansas State Mandolin Champion, and the 1997 Kansas State Flatpicking Guitar Champion. He was voted one of two ‘Private Mandolin Instructors of the Year’ in 2003 by the Internet Mandolin discussion list ‘Comando.’ Bruce is an Executive Advisor for the Classical Mandolin Society of America Inc., and served as President of the organization for five years.
Notable performances include The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN., The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in Washington D.C. and Classical Mandolin Society of America conventions in Louisville, KY., San Diego, CA., Atlanta, GA., Alexandria, VA., Philadelphia, PA. and Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Bruce released his first solo recording 'Mandocranium, an acoustic stringed Fantasy' in 1992. Some review excerpts from many favorable reviews:"Episodes of grace and fire mark this release..."
Dirty Linen
"Graybill is a versatile player with a strong, beautiful sound,
and histunes fuse disparate musical influences into
tightly-honed piecesbristling with energy."
Marilynn Mair / Mandolin Quarterly
" A nice mix of hard driving Bluegrass and sophisticated Jazz.
This
album represents Bruce's considerable talent quite well."
Eva Sands, Research Director, The Folk Sampler"BruceGraybill is a capable Mandolinist...
If you're into Dawg music you'll bepleased."
Niles Hokkanen, Editor / publisher, The Mandocrucian'sDigest"Great music to expose brains to."
W. Joseph Ketcherside MD
Northeast Neurosurgical AssociatesGraybill was also recorded with ‘Drastic Measures’ on the 1993 KCBBR release ‘Live Bluegrass from the Heart of America.’ In February 1999 he performed his original composition ‘The Walnut Valley Suite’ with The Providence Mandolin Orchestra, at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC. The Providence Mandolin Orchestra released a CD including that work after their European tour in 1999. The Atlanta Mandolin Orchestra and the Mandocentrics have released additional recordings of the suite. The suite has become a popular performance piece in mandolin orchestras all across the United States, and has also been performed in Italy, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Italy, and Canada and extensively in Japan. Graybill is a BMI Publisher (Mando Kinetics Music) and Writer member.
Bruce is presently composing works for Mandolin Orchestra, preparing a Mandolin instruction book entitled “Seventy-Seven Head Bangin’ Hot Licks for the Procrastinating Mandolinist,†and has several recording projects in the works that range from Mandolin twin tune arrangements with an accompanying book, and his Duo work with a great Guitarist, the late Ray Bell, to a solo recording of his own Mandolin arrangements.
Discography:
1992 Mandocranium ‘an acoustic string Fantasy.’
1993 Live Bluegrass from the heart of America, with Drastic Measures
2000 Resonance, by the Providence Mandolin Orchestra (The Walnut Valley Suite).
2006 ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’ by the Atlanta Mandolin Orchestra (WVS Ritual Dance).
2006 ‘MandoCentrics’ self titled (The Walnut Valley Suite).
2006 ‘From Nashville and Back’ by Todd Hallawell
Some random performance and promo pictures
