Sweet Sunny SouthTraditional, Original and Contemporary Bluegrass
Bill Powers - mandolin, banjo * Shelley Gray - bass * Cory Obert - fiddle * Rob Miller - guitar Contact:
Based in Paonia, Colorado, Sweet Sunny South performs Bluegrass music. They incorporate the traditional instrumental line-up of double bass, guitar, fiddle, mandolin, and 5-string banjo. Their set-lists include the music of Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, The Stanley Brothers as well as original numbers and carefully chosen covers of contemporary artists such as Gillian Welch. Inspired by their friends The Open Road Bluegrass Band, they sing and play around a single microphone, perpetuating the roots and traditions of bluegrass music. The movement around the mic adds to the audience's excitement, as well as being a whole bunch of fun for us! The group was founded in 2000 as in informal gathering of friends and musicians getting together for some jamming. Three of the band are bluegrass DJ's for Paonia's Pickin Show on public radio KVNF. Realizing their mutual love and respect for the music, they decided to play as a band. Bill Powers brought his experience playing guitar in rock and folk bands, and is now flat-picking and writing songs with the group. Bass player Willy Kistler, a 5th generation native of Colorado, formerly played with The Bluegrass Pals. Kevin Dirk has studied Earl Scruggs Style banjo with Pete Wernick, and is quickly becoming an accomplished player and songwriter. Rob Miller leads songs and sings harmony while playing solid mandolin, and Cory Obert saws on the fiddle and sings with a clear, high tenor voice. Sweet Sunny South has been playing as much as possible this year, gigging at local venues, gatherings, and benefits. They have opened for bands such as The Reeltime Travelers from East Tennessee, and most recently Tim O'Brien and Darrell Scott at The Paradise Theatre in Paonia. The combination of the single microphone, tight vocal harmonies, unique arrangements of traditional and original material, fine instrumental work, and fresh young energy makes Sweet Sunny South a very exciting group to experience live. Sweet Sunny South is bound to satisfy lovers of traditional music and maybe convert an innocent bystander or two! One of Sweet Sunny South's original compositions "Handsome Molly" appears on "The Mountain Harvest Sampler", a compilation CD of music recorded at Valley West Studios in Paonia, Colorado. The band played a special concert at The Paradise Theatre in support of the CD in October of 2001. TOP |
