Bands from the bluegrass heartlands planning tours abroad

For bluegrass promoters and event organisers - news from two bands from the heartlands of bluegrass music who are planning tours abroad. Both are composed of young but highly experienced members.

Travers Chandler & Avery County, a solid traditional bluegrass band from Asheville, North Carolina, are seeking to build tours in Canada, Europe, and Australia. Their new album State of depression (released on Tom Mindte's Patuxent Records label in December 2010) debuted this month at #7 on the Bluegrass Music Profiles Albums Chart and gets extensive airplay in Europe, Australia, and Canada.

All the members - Travers Chandler (mandolin), Eddie Gill (guitar), Jessica Smith (bass), Tony Mabe (banjo), and Merl Johnson (fiddle) - have worked with top old-school bands including Danny Paisley, Karl Shiflett, James King, and the Bluegrass Brothers. Their own repertoire is deep-catalogue hard-core bluegrass, together with country and original material in the same mould. A recent performance by them on the Wheeling Jamboree can be seen here. Their schedule, promoters' reactions, press coverage, and more are on their website; contact them by e-mail or telephone (+1 828 252 4679).


The Mountain Connection (above) are Kelly Caldwell (mandolin, lead/harmony vocals), Greg Combs (guitar, lead/harmony vocals), Malachi Smith (banjo, guitar, lead/harmony vocals), and Justin Baker (acoustic upright bass, harmony vocals), all from south-east Kentucky. With years of collective experience, they have won a championship title at the 2007 Winterfest Bluegrass Band Competition; played regularly at the famous Renfro Valley Barn Dance; showcased at IBMA's World of Bluegrass; and featured in Bluegrass Unlimited. The Mountain Connection (also on MySpace) is a progressive, high-energy band strongly rooted in bluegrass, gospel, and Appalachian music, and they are specially interested in playing at a festival in Ireland. Contact Kelly Caldwell (e-mail, 'phone +1 606 875-3883) or Greg Combs (e-mail, 'phone +1 606 599-6063).

Significant quotes:
Travers Chandler & Avery County: 'This is your grandfather's bluegrass'.
The Mountain Connection: 'Nothing gives more satisfaction to the band than when a listener says: "I never liked bluegrass music before, but I like what you are doing."'