Happy new year to all our friends, old, new and not yet met

Pinegrass played new years eve for First Night Missoula at Break Espresso from 5 pm to 6 pm. The turn out was fantastic. Lots of people pulled chairs towards the band, stood along the walls and in the aisles and enjoyed coffees, teas, and pastries. Pinegrass has never sounded better. Happy new year everyone.

Pinegrass has been playing weekly since 1988. 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. Members are John Joyner, fiddle and vocals; Bill Neaves, guitar and vocals, Chad Fadely Mandolin; Jack Mauer, banjo, dobro and vocals; and Ted Lowe, bass and vocals. Tidbit: "Pinegrass" (scientific name: Calamagrostis Rubescens) is a native grass.

FOREVER BLUEGRASS (Pinegrass) by Joe Nickell for the Missoulian

Forever Bluegrass By JOE NICKELL - Like the seasons that govern the growth of all good things in nature, bluegrass music is forever dying away and resprouting anew. In the 1950s, the energetic sounds of Appalachia were spreading far and wide in American culture, until rock ’n’ roll appeared and diverted everyone’s attention...read the rest of his story.

Excerpt:

The story of Pinegrass actually dates back to the late ’70s, when bluegrass bands such as Poor Monroe, the Great Northern Bluegrass Band (of which Ryan was a member), and Finley Creek frequented stages around western Montana. Over time, the members of those groups became the core of an increasingly tight-knit community of pickers and fans, who began gathering every Wednesday at a local instrument store called String Instrument Division or at the house of one of the musicians to play together in impromptu picking circles.
“Anybody could show up, and everybody got to play,” recalls Ryan fondly.

Like clockwork Pinegrass performs every Tuesday night at the Top Hat Lounge - click for map, located at 134 W. Front St. in Missoula. Through the end of this month, the band begins its performances at 10:30 p.m.; beginning on the first Tuesday of January, the band will begin its performances at 9 p.m. Admission is free.

Top Hat phone - (406) 728-9865

A Bluegrass Band, Pinegrass - One of Jack's other hats

View 2007 Bitterroot Bluegrass Festival Album
Today Jack is performing at a wedding in Belgrade, MT with his band, Pinegrass. It is a welcome break in the fly fishing guiding season when he can play music in this kind of venue. Here is a slide show from a wedding in Missoula, MT in September of last year.


View Wedding in Missoula Album