Brad Ray - guitar, harmonica vocals - country, folk, and rock stylist with over 2000 songs at his disposal. He’s a legend of the music festival scene and campfire songmaster, currently rotating shows at various clubs, nursing homes, and coffee houses around the twin cities. Former member of Minneapolis jamrockers The Kung Fu Hippies.
Jim Hinkley - bass, vocals - Also rhythm guitarist for the Minneapolis Grateful Dead tribute The Jones Gang.
Eldon Hagen - banjo, guitar, mandolin, etc., vocals - Former member of Nine Mile Creek, Lonesome Fools, and the Spokes, Eldon is a song-writer and multi-instrumentalist who is known to crash festivals and jam for days without any sleep! Check out his music @ www.myspace.com/eldonsnakeinthegrass
Bettina - fiddle, guitar, mandolin, vocals - Bettina is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Here is her myspace profile.
Influences
LOTS!
without naming names....
bluegrass, oldtime, country blues, Celtic, jazz, jam, country, rock, funk, soul, R&B, folk, classical, dissonance, harmony, togetherness, separateness, improvisation...
Sounds Like
We somehow strive for tightness and looseness at the same time. Is that possible? We're tryin'!
as our buddy Tood Zieper (djzeep@msn.com) puts it:
"Tunes from the Great American Songbook" - High Strung String Band embodies the traditional sense of bluegrass by envoking the likes of Ralph Stanley, The Carter Family, and Doc Watson, while keeping true to their West Bank Minneapolis roots by flavoring their sets with songs by the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, and Hank Williams. Couple this with their harmonious originals, and you’ll find that High Strung String Band is "Minnesotagrass" at it’s finest.
The HSSB had its earliest beginnings at Joey Flynn’s house in North Minneapolis in Fall ’05, when he invited people over a few times to jam, jug-band-style. For about the previous year Joey had spoken often (to Jim) about starting a jug band..wanted to call it "Captain Bringdown and The Buzzkills".. But the real genesis for the band was a bigger, better-attended jam in January ’06, which is where, as it was wrapping up, Brad Ray suggested that the group get together again the following week. And sure enough, a core of people showed up the following week. And the following week. That core developed into the High-Strung String Band.
The band members select tunes from many eras but mainly pull from the classic country and bluegrass realm, with an inescapable nod toward folkrock.
We know we have something very special with this group and want to nurture it, through regular rehearsal and carefully selected performances.
Yeah I heard about Mark's ear, did you go to that? What happened? I haven't heard any details except that there was a fight and alcohol was involved! You can't blame alcohol though... this guy must pay the price!
THanks for the the opportunity!!! I look forward to future. I'm developing my singing voice and set list building skills...winging it, remembering lyrics, and such....
you guys tore it up, it was very postitive and inspirational...THANKS AGAIN!
Nope, he calls me every now and then, but never myspaces me, and YES I love being single, I hate commitments, maybe I just havent found the right on... I am going GJ later...and then Friday night I am going to TBT...U??
