Bluegrass Parkway is lucky to have two fine fiddle players in the band. Maria Duff who hails from the heart of Bluegrass territory, Lexington Kentucky is joined by well known fiddler Donal Baylor to create the fantastic sound of twin fiddles. Donal has a wealth of musical experience in both Bluergass and Western Swing fiddling. Mick "Fabio" O'Neill delivers the strong tasteful banjo playing. Fabio has also become a favourite with audiences through his bass singing in the quartet. Paul Duff, the bands Mandolin player and band leader is renowned as one of Australia's premier mandolin builders. Guy Paris is an experienced guitarist and banjo picker as well as having a great baritone voice. Newest member of the band is Stephen Loss. Stephen takes up the reins of Double Bass player in the band.
Influences
Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Earl Scruggs, Del McCoury, Jimmy Martin, Doyle Lawson, et. al.
Bluegrass Parkway is the longest continuously performing bluegrass band in Australia having just completed their 21st year. The band has played at all the major Australian festivals and toured the USA extensively including festival performances at Beanblossom, Festival of the Bluegrass (KY) and the Kentucky Lake Festival as well as appearances throughout Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana.
What sets the band apart from others is the priority they have placed on presenting Bluegrass music in its most authentic form. Since early 1994 Bluegrass Parkway have performed around a single microphone, as was the norm for the pioneers of the genre in the 1940s. This came about after the band produced a presentation for the Toodyay Folk Festival in which they showed how Bluegrass legends such as Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys and the Stanley Brothers played Bluegrass music in the early days. The response from audiences was so positive that the band made the decision to keep doing it that way; besides, it was so much fun! Not only does the audience get a taste of Bluegrass music 40s and 50's style, it is also able to enjoy strong three and four part harmonies as well as witnessing some pretty fancy footwork. Since "retro" pioneering the single microphone, many bluegrass bands have joined Bluegrass Parkway and the single microphone revival!
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Hi Guys! Thank you for adding us to your friendlist. You got some great songs, and we are looking forward to hear some more from you. Please feel free to visit our page and listen to something you don't hear every day: Country Music From Denmark!!!!! Cheers! Lonerock - Scandinavian Country That Rocks!! Official Website
Hey guys, thanks for the add. I hope to be back out your way some day and look forward to pickin with y'all again. I put a few Oz pix on my page, don't have any of the club night though;-(
I don't suppose you are going to be in town, but if you are, come to the St Kilda Bowling Club on the 20th December! Adam Gare is going back to Perth soon - give him a call!
Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed hearing a girl from the south played on Geoff Morris's Wall to Wall bluegrass program! Great writing! Have an awesome week and I'll see you at dorrigo Heather "Australian Bluegrass... full throttle and from the heart!"
Bluegrass Parkway dearest: It's happinness to me having you added to my ever-growing roll of musical friends. It's strange that my earlier comments did not reach you, so I'm trying again. Your bluegrass band is so hot and topping that I would travel many miles to see you play alive. You are the fuel to keep on burning and set any low bash in fire, and I am sure your next presentation's gonna bring any house down. Your music can make me rise, dance and even shake my hips ( something quite unusual for a 60 year-old-man I am now), it does make me miss my boyhood on a secluded farm, in the western region of Alto Paranaiba,in the wild west of Minas Gerais, in the heart of Brazil,where Lagoa Formosa, my little homeland lies. This longing is so painful that shedding a tear is sometimes just unavoidable. Union among us, worldwide musicians should be compulsory, so I'm asking to listen to my CD "Nas quebradas do sertão" a record where provincial music abounds, to be out by october. Congratulations and do not let the bash go down, take your guts, get cracking,I am sure that if it's the Bluegrass Parkway, even the poor flowerlady will certainly get a pair to join her in her dancing. A fraternal musical embrace from your Brazilian friend and admirer,
Hi Maria (and the boys:)) Thanks so much for adding me to your friends list, I am so looking forward to meeting you at Dorrigo this year, thanks for being inspirational All the best Heather
Hey Guys, thanks for adding me as a friend. I love the authentic traditional material! (especially the "traditional" close encounters intro to cripple creek!
