Beatlegras

Bands have been covering Beatles tunes for decades, but none like this talented trio. Imagine the music of the Fab Four shaken up with infusions of bluegrass and jazz and topped off with a classical twist. The result: a satisfying musical cocktail called beatlegras. “This isn’t your same old Beatles band,” says Dave Walser, founder of the innovative group. A fan of the classic quartet since he first saw them on the Ed Sullivan Show, Dave was inspired to create beatlegras after seeing McCartney’s Back in the U.S. tour in 2002. “I thought it would be fun to get some great musicians together and play all acoustic versions of Beatles songs. Hooking up with George and Milo was the best thing that could happen. Each of us adds a little something different to the mix”.A longtime Dallas musician, Dave Walser was a music director for numerous area churches for many years. Today he owns and operates Blue Moon Recording and Post, where most of the beatlegras CD was recorded.George Anderson has been playing classical upright bass since junior high, which he now plays occasionally for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. He has also played with such notables as Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald and Woody Herman to name a few. His jazz album “Faces” was listed for a Grammy Award in the spring of 2003 and he is much in demand for his smooth jazz and R&B sound. Dave says “When I first asked George to be in beatlegras, he said he didn’t really know anything about playing bluegrass on the bass. I said, Great! You’ll be perfect!”Milo Deering is a virtuoso player of stringed instruments, including the mandolin, fiddle, guitar and dobro. He is in constant demand as a session player and also as a composer. Milo has toured with Lee Ann Rimes and other well-known artists. You’ve probably heard his fiddle playing on the infamous Motel 6 theme song (“We’ll leave the light on for you”), which he also co-wrote. He even graced the silver screen in a cameo in the Sandra Bullock movie “Hope Floats”. “One of the best things to me about the Beatles,” says Dave, “is that they weren’t afraid to think outside of the box. Neither are we”.To hear a demo or find out where they will be playing next, go to www.beatlegras.com or contact Julie Woodfin at [email protected].