The Highlander String Band profile picture

The Highlander String Band

Old-Time Music Just For The Fun Of It

About Me

The Highlander String Band is a collection of Rockingham County musicians playing traditional Appalachian Mountain music. We play the Top Ten Tunes of the 50’s and 60’s – 1850 that is. We play all types of music from instrumental dance tunes, such as jigs, reels, hornpipes and waltzes, to the slow, mournful and powerful tunes depicting the sorrow and tragedy of frontier mountain life. We also include lots of songs that provide a vivid portrayal of the history of the early settlers throughout the Appalachian Mountains. Members of the band have been collecting tunes for most of their lives and truly enjoy sharing their love of the music with you.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 19/05/2008
Band Website: www.bearcademusic.com
Band Members: Jim Gaskins - Fiddle Phyllis Gaskins - Appalachian Dulcimer Suzanne Kennedy - Bass and Fiddle Al Kennedy - Mandolin Gene Bowlen - Banjos, Octave Mandolin, sound reinforcement and recording
Influences: Gene: banjo - Riley Baugus, Mac Benford, Dave Bing, Bob Buckingham, Cathy Fink,Bela Fleck (anything is possible with a banjo) Dan Gellert, Walt Koken, Joel Mabus, Reed Martin, Dirk Powell, Dan Rublee, Mike Seeger, Wilbur "2-Gun" Terry and probably every other banjo player that I've had the pleasure to listen to. I'm listening more and more to fiddler players these days and trying to build my own versions of accompaniment for their tunes. Of particular interest are Wilson Douglas, Ed Haley, the Hammonds family, Art Stamper and ......(the list goes ever on).
Sounds Like: Classic Old-Time band with a lap dulcimer player.
Record Label: MerDog Records
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

Clifftop

Got back from Clifftop yesterday afternoon - 8 days of great music, great jams and great friends.  This year the whole band made it to Clifftop and we played in the traditional band contest. ...
Posted by on Mon, 04 Aug 2008 18:23:00 GMT

BROTW redux

WOW!! Just got back from the Blue Ridge Old Time week and am pretty pumped. Played music, sang and did sound for the week-long music camp. I also took the Country Singing class with Alice Gerrard. ...
Posted by on Sun, 15 Jun 2008 05:24:00 GMT

Blue Ridge Old Time Week

Gene - We'll be off to BROTW at Mars Hill this coming Sunday.  I had a great time last year learning Kentucky tunes from Mac Benford.  This year I'm back to work with Alice Gerrard in a sing...
Posted by on Sun, 01 Jun 2008 10:37:00 GMT

Court Days

Can't  wait for Court Days (http://courtdaysfestival.org/) again this year.  Phyllis, Jim and I usually provide a set of tunes, as a trio, from the Civil War Period at the festival in downto...
Posted by on Sun, 25 May 2008 17:15:00 GMT