SAVANNA BLU IS:
*GARY KAYE/BANJO-
Born and raised until age 20 in Brooklyn, NY, Gary has studied with such banjo greats as Marty Cutler, Mark Horowitz, and Bela Fleck. He played with the Sunhill String Band, a New York based bluegrass band until early on, when he met a fiddle player named Vassar Clements who invited him to visit Nashville, and soon found himself heading south in pursuit. While in Nashville, he studied pedal steel guitar and met a touring band from Southern California, The Cache Valley Drifters. Gary toured with The Drifters and eventually moved to Santa Barbara to continue playing with the band.
Years later, he moved to the San Francisco area where he played in several bluegrass band. The New Good Old Boys, Keystone Station, The Grass Cutters and the newly formed Savannah Blu.
*DORE COLLER/GUITAR,DOBRO-
As part of the Bay Area Bluegrass scene, Dore Coller goes way back to the Paul's Saloon days, having played there regularly with High and Lonesome, Ina lifetime of writing and singing songs, playing guitar, mandolin, dobro (and anything else he can get his hands on), Dore has played with members of such bands and artists as Allison Brown, Lacy J Dalton, The David Grisman Quintet, The Hot Club of San Francisco, The David Nelson Band, The Rowan Brothers, Van Morrison, The Waybacks and many more top named artists.
*DAVE HANKS/MANDOLIN-
Dave is a true veteran to country music. After many years playing electric guitar, David took it upon himself to explore the acoustic side of music and began playing mandolin, learning various bluegrass styles and many fiddle tunes. He is a well versed singer performing his entire life with his siblings, school and church groups. He is active in the San Francisco bay area bluegrass community and lends a helping hand at the CBA Fathers Day Bluegrass Festival.
These resources have been instrumental in David's development as a picker, and have led to his involvement with the formation of Savannah Blu. "I love bluegrass music, and I find great satisfaction presenting it to audiences. It comes from a time in the past, but it is right at home here and now."
*STEVE KALLAI/FIDDLE-
Steve picked up the fiddle at an early age . . .”actually it was handed to me”, "play this" said my Dad, a french horn player in the symphony, so he did. Steve made the break from classical as soon as he could. Early on, he learned how to jam playing the blues on a harmonica, eventually discovered country music . . . which brought him back to the fiddle. New horizons opened for Steve as he played in numerous honky-tonk bands for the last 15 years. From Gary Claxton to 77 El Deora . . and lucky enough to be on stage with Willie Nelson, Junior Brown, Carlene Carter, Asleep at the Wheel, Marty Stuart , Deke Dickerson, and the Gourds.
. . . but always kept listening to Bobby Hicks, Kenny Baker, Benny martin . . . those guys rock . . . bluegrass has it all . .
*DAN LARGE/BASS- A true bay-area native, Dan has played many forms of music and performed for audiences throughout California and the bay area since his teens. While at a sound “gig” for Norton Buffalo, he was introduced to David Grisman, who inspired Dan with his exciting form of jazzy bluegrass, and formed a new direction for his guitar and mandolin pursuits. This led Dan backwards in time thru Tony Rice, Bela Fleck, Newgrass Revival and others to the true roots of traditional bluegrass. As a experienced mandolin picker, and longtime member of the Ahambra Valley band, Dan has longed to support “the other side of the beat”, while being a contributor to a band with an “original sound”. He is the newest member and excited to be a part of Savannah Blu. Luckily, he also has a truck to transport that big ol’ bass of his!Layout made by
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