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Pinegrass

Pinegrass_Symes Jan. '07

Missoula based bluegrass band, catch them most Tuesday nights at the TopHat on Front Street. Pictured left to right, John Joyner on fiddle, Chad Fadely on mandolin, Ted Lowe, guitar and vocals, Rick Ryan, bass and vocals, Jack Mauer on banjo and dobro.

"Pinegrass" (scientific name: Calamagrostis Rubescens) has been playing weekly since 1988. The exact date of birth is a matter of debate, but suffice it to say, they've been playing together a pretty long time. Pinegrass has always been a democratic enterprise; each individual having the privilege and responsibility to take their turn choosing the songs and tunes that are presented at each outing. The over-all sound of the band is a result of the individual influences and passions of each player. The common denominator for all Pinegrass members is to play each number with feeling - they strive to play good tunes, the way they're "supposed" to be played. You will hear traditional Bluegrass played "true" to the original (mostly), and a bit of Swing, Dylan and whatever else strikes the fancy of the band-mates at the moment.

The individual members:

John Joyner has been active in Montana's music scene for over twenty-five years. John's fiddling influences range from Kenny Baker and Tommy Jarrell to Stephane Grappelli and Aly Bain. Equally at home in the traditions of Bluegrass, Old Time Appalachian and Irish music, John brings an informed sensibility to any music he plays. John is equally in demand as an excellent repair-man for any Bluegrass instruments and he is as comfortable setting-up a brand new Roy Noble or Martin guitar as doing a "miracle reconstruction" of a beat-to-hell, trashed-beyond-belief 1955 Martin D-28. Some of John's biggest fans include proud owners of his carefully made mandolins. John shares his time between "Pinegrass" and the popular Irish band "Dublin Gulch".

Jack Mauer traded in piano for banjo and dobro in the early 1970's. A UofM graduate, Jack headed north to Canada for graduate studies in biology and serious diversions in banjo and dobro. After completing his Master's degree, Jack returned to Western Montana and appeared with a variety of groups - including "Banjo Jack and Kathy", "Tin Cup" and as a side-man in any number of acoustic bands appearing in Western Montana over the past thirty years. Jack's influences range from Earl Scruggs and Alan Shelton to Bela Fleck, Alan Munde, Mike Auldridge and Jerry Douglas. Jack loves to "mix it up" stylistically with Bluegrass, Swing, Country, Folk and even an occasional Classical piece. When not playing music, Jack can be found guiding serious fly-fishermen down Montana's best rivers, skiing down a good slope or stalking the elusive "Big Bull" near his home in the Bitterroot Valley.

Rick Ryan began listening to Bluegrass/Old-Time/Irish music in the late 60's. During his college years in the 70's, Rick began playing guitar in several local bands including: "The Great Northern Bluegrass Band", "The Hand-picked String Band" and "Fairweather". A regular player at local square-dances in the 70's and 80's, Rick picked-up banjo and fiddle for a while. With the abundance of great flat-pickers in the area, Rick started playing upright bass in the early 80's. Rick's early influences include Flatt & Scruggs, Bill Monroe, The Strange Creek Singers, Gid Tanner, Charlie Poole and Uncle Dave Macon and Dobro Dick. Rick sings both lead and harmony vocals.

Chad Fadely joined Pinegrass in 2004. It was an easy transition since Chad had played many times in the group sitting-in and as a substitute. Chad was a founding member of Long Overdue and also plays in Leftover Biscuits. Chad has written some good tunes that can be found on his two recordings; Mandolin Escapes (2005) and The Backroom (2007). When not actually playing a Bluegrass instrument, Chad can be found selling them at Greg Boyd's House of Fine Instruments, or traveling the highways hauling Greg's entire house of instruments to the many festivals around the western United States. Need a "reasonably priced" Lloyd Loar F-5? Give Chad a call!

Ted Lowe grew up in Missoula immersed in the sounds of Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, Ramblin' Jack Elliot and Ed McCurdy. Being the only family member born north of the Mason/Dixon line, Ted decided the only way to try to claim his share of the proud family heritage is to pick and sing like...Jimmy Martin! He's been hard at it ever since, appearing in a number of local bands, most recently joining "Pinegrass" in 2006. Ted has been known to sing the heck out of some Bob Dylan and Norman Blake songs as well as the standard Bluegrass repertoire.