Wayne Brooks - Band Leader
PO Box 30551 Austin, Texas 78755
Email: pgramblers@austin.rr.com
Bio
Performer:
Vocalist, Guitarist,
Songwriter
Band Leader and Lead Vocalist for the Piney Grove
Ramblers
Plays a Taylor Guitar
Type of
Music: Bluegrass - Traditional
Appalachian Mountain Music -
Ballads with Scotch-Irish Roots Love Songs from the
early 20th Century - Original Compositions.
Venues:
Special Occasions;
Regular performer at Assisted Living Centers,
Nursing Homes, and Community Gatherings.
Associations:
Member :
Austin Area Acoustical Music
Association (AAAMS)
Central Texas Bluegrass
Association
Preferred
Audience: People who enjoy hearing songs
that rhyme, songs that tell a story,
and people who enjoy singing along with the artist.
Musical
Pedigree: Comes from a long line of musical
pioneers from the
Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and
Tennessee.
Father Lon was a fiddler who played for dances
in the mountains of North Carolina. Uncle Guy
Brooks
was one of the early pioneers of traditional
mountain and
bluegrass music.
Bill Patrick - Mandolin
Austin, Texas
Bio
Performer: Mandolin, Guitar
Music Preferences: Bluegrass,
etc.
Associations: Central Texas Bluegrass
Association,
Austin Area Acoustic Music
Society
Don't let Bill's
shy demeanor fool you, he's an amazing talent
on the Mandolin and has a finely tuned storytelling
skill. He
plays a Martin A Style Mandolin.
Musical Influences: Chet
Atkins
Chuck Middleton - Banjo
Lago Vista, Texas
Email: clydem@austin.rr.com
Bio
Performer:
5-String Banjo,
Mandolin, Tenor Banjo, Mountain
Dulcimer
Music
Preferences: Bluegrass, Irish & Folk
Plays
Stelling, Nechville Acoustic/Electric and Bozung
Banjos
Associations:
Central Texas Bluegrass
Association,
Austin Area Acoustic Music
Society
I started playing Bluegrass Banjo in 1973 after
seeing the Earl Scruggs
Revue at University of Houston. Earl was my first
inspiration and
Alan Munde was my second. In 1999, I began a second
musical
journey by learning and playing traditional Irish
Music on the
5-string and Tenor Banjos. I see a bright future
for the creative
blending of Bluegrass and Irish music (iGrass or
Blueish ?).
Musical
Influences: The Byrds, The Beatles, Earl
Scruggs, Doc Watson,
The Band, Alan Munde, The Chieftains, Bob Dylan,
Townes van
Zandt, Lost Gonzo Band (yay, Cosmic Bob !), Jerry
Jeff, Pete
Wernick, Bela Fleck, Tom Hanway, The Grateful Dead,
Alan
Johnson, David Bromberg
Jeff "The Weight" Kilgore - Guitar,
Vocals
Georgetown, Texas
Bio
Performer:
Guitar, Vocals
Music
Preferences:
Bluegrass, Celtic, and even occasionally some rock
music
Plays
Martin Guitars
Associations:
Central Texas Bluegrass
Association,
Austin Area Acoustic Music
Society
I started
playing (or more correctly, attempting to play)
bluegrass
guitar in 1976 when I went off to college and
started hanging
around bluegrass musicians. I played bluegrass for
a couple of years,
then played rock music for quite a few years. I
eventually got bored
with rock music and quit playing entirely. I sold
all my electric guitars
and my pedal steel guitar, but hung on to my 1979
Martin D41 thinking
I might play it again someday. Someday came in 1994
when my
officemate was learning fiddle and he got me back
into playing
music again. Thanks Rick!
Musical
Influences: Bill Monroe,
Peter Rowan, Jerry Garcia,
Norman Blake, The Byrds, Neil Young, the Band, and
the Beatles
Larry French - Dobro
Austin, Texas
Bio
Performer:
Dobro and Guitar
(Shiny and non-Shiny Guitars)
Music
Preferences: Bluegrass, country, and classical
music
Associations:
Central Texas Bluegrass
Association,
Austin Area Acoustic Music
Society
I
started playing a guitar more than 35 years ago in
college. I played with a church group for a short
time.
I have lead small church chorus songs. Five years
ago I decided to try the Dobro. I like bluegrass,
country,
and classical music, but bluegrass is in my blood
now.
I've played at local restaurants and retirement
homes.
Musical Influences: Peter, Paul, and Mary; Ricky
Skaggs;
Alison Krauss & Union Station; Jerry
Douglas
Steve Mangold - Fiddle, Stand-up Bass, Vocals
Austin, Texas
Bio
Performer:
Stand-Up Bass,
Fiddle, Mandolin
Music
Preferences: Bluegrass,
old-time fiddle, western swing, cowboy,
and the
blues
Associations:
Central Texas Bluegrass
Association,
Austin Area Acoustic Music
Society
Started
fiddlin' at age 46 having picked at the guitar
off and on since
high school. Love the fiddle. Started playing bass
a few years ago to
help me be a better fiddler.
Fell for bluegrass after purchasing an Earl Scruggs
album in late 60's.
Fell for fiddling after watching Chubby Wise at a
bluegrass festival.
Have attended bluegrass camp at Leveland many times
and Randy
Elmore's fiddle camp many times.
Musical
Influences: Love that
Chubby Wise and Kenny Baker on the
fiddle,not to mention Vassar Clements, Buddy
Spicher, Jim (Texas Shorty)
Chancellor and Johnny Gimble. And how about Jim
& Jesse, the Stanley
Brothers, Bob Wills, Bill Monroe and about a
thousand others
On bass;
Missy Raines and Dick Gimble are the
best
Jams:
Steve and his wife,
Jacque, host the B.I.G.
(Beginner-Intermediate) Bluegrass Jam at their home
on 1st and 3rd Thursday nights of the
month.
For a complete list of Austin area jam sessions
click this link:
http://www.centraltexasbluegrass.org/Jams.htm
Tom "Blues Boy" Boes - Guitar, Sound
Cedar Park, Texas
Bio
Performer: Guitar & Sound Engineer
Music Preferences: Blues, Bluegrass, Celtic &
Folk, Rock, Classical
Tom plays Guild and Gibson
guitars.
Associations: Central Texas Bluegrass
Association,
Austin Area Acoustic Music
Society
I've
been playing guitar since college but got serious
about
8 years ago playing with friends that loved to
learn and
play Bluegrass, Celtic and Folk music.
Musical Influences: Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters,
Memphis Slim,
Eric Clapton, The Band, Bob Dylan, The Grateful
Dead and the
British invasion groups of the 60's, anyone that
doesn't suck
like rap artists ;-)