Brian: Earl Scruggs, J.D. Crowe, Tom Adams, Bela Fleck, Alison Brown, Scott Vestal and Bill Evans. Notice they are all banjo players! I love to listen to good, solid, and innovative banjo playing!
Jonathan: Al DiMeola, Damien Rice, John McLaughlan, Dream Theater, Pierre Bensusan, Michael Hedges, The Waybacks, David Grisman, Radiohead.
Sounds Like
This is a tough one, because it's difficult to think of another band that we sound like. We have written most of the songs that we perform, and the musical styles vary greatly, from very slow and beautiful tunes, to upbeat bluesy and jazzy tunes. You'll also hear some celtic and rock influences in our music. The one thing that ties it all together is that it is acoustic music performed on the banjo and guitar, along with both electric and acoustic bass. We are currently working on some vocal numbers that we'd like to add to our instrumentals to complete our total sound.
What do you get when you combine the 2005 National Banjo Champion with musical roots in traditional bluegrass banjo playing, and his multi-instrumentalist son who is at home in rock, blues and jazz? The answer Brian Anderson and The New Generation. Brian and Jonathan Anderson come from two different generations and two entirely different musical spheres to produce a fresh new sound. The father-son duo performs original banjo-guitar instrumental arrangements with hints of celtic, rock, blues, jazz and bluegrass influences.
Brian began playing the 5-string banjo at age 17. By the time he was 19, he was playing professionally in a full-time gospel bluegrass band called Gloryland, touring the Western United States. After his stint with Gloryland, Brian became very involved in raising a family and Christian ministry, and so for the next twenty years laid his music aside. However, in 2001 Brian and his family moved to Sonora, California where he found more time to pursue his love for the 5-string banjo. Brian has won several local banjo contests, as well as the prestigious National Banjo Championship in Winfield, Kansas in 2005.
Jonathan began playing drums at age 12 and the guitar at 15, while later picking up bass and piano. With influences ranging from Michael Hedges to Jerry Garcia, Jonathan is equally at home in rock, blues, and folk music. Jonathan was the Grand Prize winner in 2005 at a local contest in Columbia, Ca, winning in the guitar category and going on to take first place as he competed against all the other first place winners.
Matt Martin, 22, is the newest addition to the band. Matt has played guitar and bass in several local rock bands, as well as trombone in the Columbia Kicks Big Band for 2 years. Matt also plays drums and piano. He started out playing punk rock, and later experimented with progressive rock, classical and jazz.
At first it was quite a challenge for this trio to play music together as they come from such different musical backgrounds. However, all have stretched themselves musically in order to find a middle ground where they can come together and create beautiful and original acoustic music all their own.
its cousin/nephew john.........sounds like you guys are good..........u guys sound great.....just poppin through to tell you guys to keep me updated so i might be able to get to a concert....
We are so glad to have you as a friend, we put you on our Top8! And we're totally looking forward to playing with you guys on the 15th!!!!! See you soon & God bless!!!!
You two definitely need a comment! You are both so wonderful! I remember watching Mr. Anderson and his guitar at camp outs and infront of church and I always was so awed by it as a child and still am. Jonathan, I remember when he couldn't even play a guitar, wow, that's a weird thought, but now he is an artist. I'm just amazed. If you guys ever have a concert in Placerville or Folsom let me know, because I WILL be there!
